15 health benefits of methi

The seeds and leaves of methi (fenugreek) are readily available and widely used in Indian kitchen. They have a strong aroma and a bitter taste. But when used in small quantities they impart flavour to your food. It is commonly used in curries, vegetable dishes, dals and not to forget the mouth-watering methi paratha. But did you know that methi is a rich reservoir of medicinal properties too? Methi contains protein, fibre, vitamin C, niacin, potassium, iron and alkaloids. It also contains a compound diosgenin which has oestrogen-like properties, as well as steroidal saponins. These compounds impart many benefits to methi – from being your beauty product to being an answer to your health problems!

Here are 15 health benefits of methi (fenugreek):

Increase breast milk production

Fenugreek ranks high among the ‘must haves’ for nursing mothers. This is due to the presence of diosgenin in the spice which increases milk production in lactating mothers.

Induce and ease child birth

Fenugreek has been known to be helpful in inducing childbirth by stimulating uterine contractions. It is also known to reduce labour pain. But here’s a word of caution. Excess intake of fenugreek seeds during pregnancy could put you in risk of miscarriage or premature childbirth.

Ease women’s health problems

Fenugreek contains compounds like diosgenin and isoflavones with oestrogen-like properties which help reduce symptoms like discomfort and menstrual cramps associated with PMS. These compounds also ease menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood fluctuations. Women are more prone to iron deficiency during adolescence (initiation of menstrual periods), during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Including green leafy veggies like fenugreek (methi) in your diet can supply a good amount of iron. But make sure to add tomatoes or potatoes to the preparations to enhance the iron absorption.

Breast Enlargement

Want to enlarge your breasts? Include fenugreek in your regular diet. The oestrogen-like property of fenugreek can help in breast enlargement by balancing hormones in women.

Reduce cholesterol

According to studies fenugreek helps to reduce cholesterol level, especially that of the low density lipoprotein (LDL).

Reduce cardiovascular risk

Fenugreek seed has cardiovascular benefits due to the presence of galactomannan. It lowers the risk of heart attack. It is also an excellent source of potassium which counters the action of sodium to help control heart rate and blood pressure.

Control diabetes

Fenugreek is beneficial for people with diabetes.  Galactomannan, a natural soluble fibre present in fenugreek slows down the rate of sugar absorption into blood. Fenugreek also contains amino acid responsible for inducing the production of insulin.

Aid digestion

Fenugreek helps flush out harmful toxins. It relieves indigestion and helps treat constipation.

Cure acid reflux or heartburn

One teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in your food can be an effective remedy for acid reflux or heartburn. Mucilage of fenugreek seeds coat the lining of the stomach and intestine and sooth irritated gastrointestinal tissues. Before consuming, you can soak the methi seeds in water to make their outer coat mucilaginous.

Remedy for fever and sore throat

Fenugreek when taken with a teaspoon of lemon and honey can work wonders to reduce fever by nourishing the body. The soothing effect of mucilage in fenugreek also helps to relieve cough and pain from sore throat.

Prevent colon cancer

The fibre content (saponins, mucilage, etc.) of fenugreek binds to toxins in the food and flush them out. This in turn helps to protect the mucus membrane of the colon from cancers.

Lose weight by suppressing appetite

Include fenugreek in your weight loss diet by chewing soaked methi seeds in the morning on an empty stomach. The natural soluble fibre in the fenugreek can swell and fill the stomach thereby suppressing your appetite.

Cure for skin inflammation and scars

Apply a clean cloth soaked in methi seed paste for effective treatment of skin problems like burns, boils, eczema, etc. Fenugreek seeds also help in getting rid of scars.

Beauty product

Fenugreek can be an excellent ingredient for your home-made beauty product. Fenugreek can be used in face packs to help prevent blackheads, pimples, wrinkles, etc. Washing your face with water boiled with fenugreek seeds or applying a paste of fresh fenugreek leaves for twenty minutes on your face can work wonders for your skin.

Solution to hair problems

Using fenugreek as a part of your diet or as a paste to directly apply on your hair makes yourhair shiny and black. Massaging your head everyday with boiled fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in coconut oil can be an excellent remedy for thinning of hair and hair fall. What more? Fenugreek is also great to keep the dandruff away

Fruits for Pregnant Women

Most of the women are worried about eating fruits as papaya and pineapple are considered to be dangerous during pregnancy. Fruits to avoid during pregnancy If you want to know which fruits you can have during pregnancy, here is a list. Check out the fruits you should include in your pregnancy diet for a healthy you and baby.

1.        Avocados It is one of the fruits that is rich in folic acid. Women need loads of folic acid during pregnancy, which is very good for the mother and the fetus was conceived. In addition to strengthening the nervous babies, avocado fruit benefits for pregnant women also reduce the risk of babies born with disabilities. have this fruit.

2.      Mangoes The summer fruit is not just delicious but healthy too. Mango can help facilitate digestion pregnant women besides mangoes are also rich in vitamins A and C which is healthy for pregnant women.

3.      Grapes Many women think it is not safe to eat grapes. However, grapes are rich in Vitamin A which stabilises metabolic rate. Grapes also have folate, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and sodium which is good during pregnancy.

4.       Sweet lime It is one of the fruits that reduces nausea, morning sickness and common health problems during pregnancy. The citrus fruit is loaded with antioxidants that are good for the baby.

5.        Lemon Lemon is often used by women to aid digestion, get rid of nausea and morning sickness during pregnancy. Lemon cleanses the body and flushes out toxins.

6.        Bananas Constipation is a common health problem during pregnancy. For easy passage of stool and a clean system, have bananas. Bananas also contain vitamin C is necessary for the formation of blood vessels, gums, bone and skin, therefore extra vitamin C is needed in times of pregnancy.

7.       Berries Berries are rich in antioxidants and is considered as a superfood. You can include this fruit in your pregnancy diet.

8.       Oranges They are sweet and tangy; perfect flavours a pregnant woman wants. Moreover, the citrus fruit is loaded with vitamins and nutrients.

9.       Apples It is healthy and loaded with healthy vitamins that are good for the body.

10.     Lychee This summer fruit is definitely a safe fruit during pregnancy, Lychee is good to eat on the hot day, to refresh the body.

Maintaining proper nutrition during pregnancy is important not only for your baby's health but also for the mother's health, too. Incorporating fruit into your pregnancy diet is a healthy, delicious way to boost your nutrient intake, while aiding in the growth and development of your baby.

The Daily Dozen - A Balanced Diet

What is a balanced diet

During pregnancy, your diet should consist of the following

3 helpings of first class proteins
2 helpings of vitamin C foods
4 helpings of calcium-rich foods (4 during pregnancy, and 5 during lactation)
3 helpings of green, leafy and yellow vegetables or fruits
1/2 serving of other fruits and vegetables
4-5 helpings of whole grain and complex carbohydrates
2 helpings of iron-rich foods
8-10 glasses of water
Vitamin and Folic Acid supplements based on your doctor's recommendation

What foods contain elements of this balanced diet 

Source of Nutrition	Foods containing Nutrition
Proteins	For vegetarians: paneer, tofu, cheese, yogurt, milk, peas, all kinds of beans and dals, and all kinds of nuts.  For non-vegetarians: all types of meats such as beef, pork, poultry, lamb, veal, kidneys and liver; all kinds of fish; and eggs
Carbohydrates	Sugar, breads, cereals, rice, potatoes, pastas
Fats	Milk, cream, cheese, butter, margarine, cooking oil, cooking fats, mayonnaise, salad dressings, and nuts, bacon, lard.
Vitamin A	Fish oils, egg yolk, offal, milk, cheese, butter, margarine, fruits like bananas, peaches and apricots, carrots, brussel sprouts, spinach, tomatoes, turnips, beetroots.
Vitamin B1	Beans, peas, all kinds of nuts, wheat, crude rice, soya bean, yeast, eggs, liver, kidneys, brain, heart, seafoods and fish oils
Vitamin B2	All kinds of meat, liver, kidneys, heart, brains, all kinds of fish, all kinds of nuts, milk, cheese, cream, yeast, whole wheat, peas and beans
Vitamin C	All citric fruits like oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, tomatoes, black currants, melons, and strawberries.  Vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, carrots, radish, brussel sprouts, watercress and brocolli.  Note that vitamin C gets destroyed on cooking or heating.
Vitamin D	Fish oils and fish extracts, animal fats and eggs; Milk and milk products like cheese and butter.
Vitamin E	Wheat germ oil and cotton seed oil.  Vitamin E is also present in limited amounts in eggs, milk, butter, cheese, unpolished rise, wholewheat bread and wheat.
Iron	All types of meats, especially liver and kidneys.  Also found in eggs, spinach, cabbage, brussel sprouts and broccoli.
Calcium	Milk and milk products like cheese, butter, cream, etc. spinach, broccoli, all kinds of nuts, eggs, and all kinds of fish.
Folic Acid	Green leafy vegetables, liver and kidneys.  Normally also taken as supplement in form of tablet.
Minerals - Phosporus	Seafoods, cheese, eggs, milk, meat, onions and wholemeal bread.
Minerals - Copper	Meat, liver, cheese and beans
Minerals - Iodine	All fish foods and fish extracts
Minerals - Manganese	Peas, beans, wheat products, green vegetables and animal liver.  Green leafy vegetables and fruits: Apricots, mango, yellow peaches, papaya, persimmon, pumpkin, beet greens, broccoli or turnip greens, carrots, lettuce, spinach and sweet potatoes. Other fruits and vegetables: apples, asparagus, bananas, bean sprouts, green beans, blackberries, raspberries, brussel sprouts, cherries, grapes, mushrooms, peaches, okra (lady's fingers), parsley, pears, potatoes and pineapple.

What to Eat to Control Diabetes

What to eat to control diabetes is a critical question and to answer that we explain some information here for your awareness. Diabetes is a fatal disease, in which patient’s glucose level increases due to the failure of pancreas that produces a hormone called insulin. Actually, insulin regulates the glucose level of the blood that is why its deficiency leads to high sugar level.

Diabetes attacks on the immune system and make it weaker that causes many other diseases as well. But the diabetic patient can control its blood sugar level by proper medication and healthy diet.

• Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the three main components of our daily diet which provide energy (calories) to our body. So that, all of the body organs function properly.
• A diabetic patient has to take care of its diet to control the sugar level in its body. Along with the insulin therapy you need to draw out the diet plan and for that follow our suggestions.
• A diabetic patient should eat the food cooked with cholesterol-free oil to avoid harmful fats of the regular cooking oil.
• Balanced diet is very important for a diabetic patient, so you should eat some light foods like bread 4 to 5 times a day.
• Your daily food items should provide you at least 50 – 60 % carbohydrates so that the glucose level could be controlled in healthy limits.
• 30 % of your diet should consist of the fats and proteins but you should consult your the doctor first about the proper percentage for you.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables are beneficial for diabetes patients because these are the vital source of gaining energy and vitamins. Another tip for you is that you should eat your food with proper gaps because due to the diabetes your muscles become weak and can’t digest heavy food easily. It can also lowers down your blood pressure.
• Fat patients should eat bread, rice and fishes but should completely avoid the sweets, soft drinks and bakery items.
• It is difficult to decide for some diabetes patients that which fruit and vegetable should be chosen. To control sugar level, best suitable vegetables are spinach, cucumber, garlic, lemon and tomato. Some of the healthy fruits for diabetic patients are apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries etc.
• Diabetic patient should strictly avoid smoking and alcohol because they are extremely injurious to health of such patients.
• Visit your doctor regularly for a routine checkup.

Spotting and Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy

If you expect, you probably already begun to feel your body change, and perhaps begin to pay special attention to diet, sleep and body signals. It is important to know what the pregnancy rate changes and changes can be problematic. Take, for example, monitoring the vagina during pregnancy.It's really quite common to experience symptoms such as pregnant women, although this does not need to consult with your doctor about the incident.
This is all complete, the amount needed to know about vaginal Tracking:
Let's start with observation. Imagine that you were sexually active during the fertile part of your bike. If you have a little bleeding 6-7 days (after fertilization) for a day or two, you may be suffering from bleeding implantation. Do not you know you're probably not even pregnant yet.This is when the fertilized egg in your uterus holes.
Often enough to bleed after sex or after an internal investigation or a Pap smear. This is because the blood flow to the uterus increases the pelvis.
He said that pregnant women should pay attention to the new small hemorrhage in early pregnancy. At present, it may be early sign of ectopic pregnancy or abortion, especially if accompanied with pain or abdominal pain. Statistics show that less than 50% of women experience bleeding during early pregnancy and abortion. However, if you had a ultrasound at 7-11 weeks, your chances of the pregnancy would be (more than 90%).
Or after sexual intercourse or research, for reasons not related to pregnancy monitoring. For example, a benign tumor (cervical polyp), vaginal infection (eg, pollution), or STD (such as chlamydia or countries) also observed this type of light bleeding.
What about the vagina? If you're not, really leucorrhea possible. Silteach Leucorrhea whitish liquid, odorless or slight odor. You may have noticed from time to time, in his underwear before you were pregnant. If you look better, this is partly due to increased estrogen production and increasing blood flow to the vagina. The vagina is the body's way of flushing the bacteria, and include, inter alia, cervical and vaginal provisions.
During the last months of pregnancy, vaginal discharge usually heavy and thick. Then there is the passage of mucus, jelly-like substance, and it is something that can happen for 1-2 weeks before birth.
Now, if you smell the white discharge and itching or burning or green or yellow discharge, you may be a fungal infection.
In one case, the changes occur during pregnancy, the rule of thumb, err on the cautious with your doctor if you consult. In other words, listen to your body.