Stevia a Natural Miracle Sugar Substitute

 

I have been using artificial sweeteners as a substitute for sugar as it is advertised as a healthy alternative for weight watchers and for diabetics.  

My MIL is diabetic so we switched to a popular brand but  after having a conversation with a doctor he mentioned artificial sweeteners are not healthy and using honey or palm jaggery has no benefit as it too breaks down to a sugar compound that raises blood sugar. He recommended me to use Stevia.

Stevia is the only chemical-free, zero-calorie, zero-carb, zero-glycemic index, natural sweetener in the world !! 

Stevia is a double edged sword as it is the perfect solution for weight control and for diabetic . It is very popular in Japan as a natural sweetener 

The health benefits of Stevia include

•     Helps maintain normal healthy blood sugar levels
•     Helps support healthy pancreatic function
•     Helps maintain a healthy digestive function

It is mentioned in Ayurveda and is used for cardiac edema, obesity, high blood pressure and gastritis. 

Herbalists in Brazil describe stevia as hypoglycemic, antihypertensive, diuretic and cardiac tonic. They use the plant for the treatment of obesity, fatigue, dental caries and high blood pressure

Now this was something I had never heard of but it is available in Nilgiris !! Dont worry if you dont have it at your local store, you could order it online in India or order it online in US

But before you consider to buy this for your family I would like to share all the research I found about Stevia.

I sincerly hope you would all benefit and make this life changing decision to use this sweet herb to sweeten all your recipes.

Artificial vs. Natural Sweeteners by Ellen Kamhi, PhD

Scientific Evidence of Stevia by Dr  Amit Ahuja

Stevia is it as Good as they say by Jill Forager

Stevia on Wikipedia

Cultivation of Stevia in India 

Stevia Recipe Book on Amazon

India Recipes With Stevia  with Stevia 

History of Stevia A Tale of Incredible Sweetness

The Miracle of Stevia Book Written by James A May 

Stevia on Fox News 

Other Videos of SweetLeaf

 

Himalayan Salt The Real Salt We Should Use

Today I was at Nilgiris for my regular weekend shopping and I came across this himalayan rock salt with a characteristic pink color. I usually buy the iodized salt but when I researched a bit I am amazed by its nutritional benefits. I am sure you would want to consider to use this salt after reading the below information. 

Table Salt Vs Himalayan Pink Salt
Your table salt is actually 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt causing the potential for a myriad of health problems in your body.

Most of the western world thinks of salt as sodium chloride -- a highly refined, processed white substance that's devoid of nutrients. Salt is so devoid of nutrients, in fact, that in the early 20th century, doctors noticed that people who ate white table salt started to suffer chronic degenerative diseases such as goiter. This was caused by the lack of iodine in the salt.

Iodine deficiency, by the way, is the No. 1 most preventable cause of mental retardation. Eating processed salt that lacks iodine, in other words, can cause your offspring to be retarded.

Now what's really interesting about processed table salt is that it's missing over 80 minerals. But they only put ONE mineral back in -- iodine. That's because iodine is the one mineral that causes the most obvious disease (goiter is sort of hard to not notice).Iodine is a naturally occurring mineral in the ocean. It's abundant in seafood and in real sea salt, but it's completely missing from refined white table salt.

So they started adding iodine to table salt, creating "iodized salt.

"But why would you want to eat salt that's been artificially enriched with ONE mineral when you could be eating salt that naturally contains eighty-four minerals?

If you want your body to function properly, you need holistic salt complete with all-natural elements. Today’s common table salt is poison that has nothing in common with natural salt.

This Salt Is Over 250 Million Years Old
When you use pure Himalayan Crystal Salt, you receive 250,000,000 years of accumulated sunlight and energy, plus all the natural minerals your body needs for restoring balance and life force. Containing all of the 84 elements found in your body,(Chemical Composition of Human Body Vs Chemical Composition of Himalayan Pink Salt)

The benefits of natural Himalayan Crystal Salt include:

• Regulating the water content throughout your body.
• Balancing excess acidity from your cells, particularly your brain cells.
• Balancing your blood sugar levels and helping to reduce your aging rate.
• Assisting in the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in your body.
• Absorption of food particles through your intestinal tract.
• Help in clearing mucus plugs and phlegm from your lungs – particularly useful in asthma and cystic   fibrosis.
• Acts as a strong natural antihistamine and helps clear up congestion in your sinuses
• Prevention of muscle cramps.
• Making the structure of your bones firm – osteoporosis can occur when your body needs more salt and takes it from your bones.
• Regulating your sleep – it is a natural hypnotic.
• Maintaining your libido.
• Preventing varicose veins and spider veins on your legs and thighs.
• Stabilizing irregular heartbeats – in conjunction with water it is actually essential for the regulation of your blood pressure

Source: http://www.perfecthealthnow.com.au/products/himalayan-salt-products/the-truth-about-table-salt/
Natural News: http://www.naturalnews.com/028724_Himalayan_salt_sea.html
The Miracle of Himalayan Pink Salt : http://godsblessing.com/SaltBook.pdf
Excerpt from the book Salt and Water:
http://www.himalayancrystalsalt.com/pdf/WSpgs96-105.pdf 
http://www.saltcave.us/salt_benefits.html

Secret Wonders of Rice Bran Oil

I have been using sunflower oil,mustard oil and olive oil for all my cooking but recently I have included rice bran oil too. I found  this oil in the reliance fresh store and did a little bit of research. I am amazed by its nutritional benefits and find it hard to ignore. I wanted to share my research on this oil as I am sure we are all too biased by advertising and need to realize other healthy alternative cooking oils.

Rice bran oil (also known as rice bran extract) is the oil extracted from the germ and inner husk of rice. It is notable for its high smoke point of 213 °C (415 °F) and its mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying.It is popular as a cooking oil in several Asian countries, including Japan and China

Higher Smoking Point, Less Greasy and More Flavor
As rice bran oil has the highest smoke point of any vegetable oil, it is better suited to cooking at high heats and is less likely to bind with foods, making food cooked with rice bran oil less greasy than that cooked with sunflower oil. Due to its rich, nutty taste, rice bran oil may be preferred where additional flavor is desired.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article

Vitamin E and Oryzanol
Rice bran oil beats olive oil in its vitamin E power, as it contains both the tocopherol and tocotrienol forms of the vitamin, whereas olive oil contains only the tocopherol form -- and less of that than rice bran oil. Additionally, rice bran oil contains significant amounts of the antioxidant oryzanol, whereas olive oil has none.

It helps to lower LDL or bad cholesterol and does not lower the good cholesterol as sunflower oils do and is known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Source: http://nutrihealth.in/food/health-benefits-of-rice-bran-oil/

The rice bran oil component γ-oryzanol was shown in Japan to be effective in relieving hot flashes and other symptoms of female menopause. Researchers found that 90% of the women found some form of relief from hot flashes after taking a rice bran oil supplement for 4–6 weeks. 
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_bran_oil

Lowers Cholesterol
Rice bran oil contains gamma oryzanol, a group of ferulate esters of triterpene alcohols and phytosterols that have been linked to many health benefits. Gamma oryzanol is effective in reducing plasma cholesterol and reducing cholesterol absorption, decreasing early atherosclerosis. In addition, gamma oryzanol inhibits platelet aggregation that could lead to blood clots. Rice bran oil contains tocotrienol (a form of Vitamin E) which has been found to inhibit the activity of HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that synthesizes cholesterol, a major factor in heart disease. In a study conducted at the University of Rochester, Mohammad Minhajuddin, Ph.D., and researchers determined that the tocotrienol in rice bran oil reduced cholesterol in rats up to 42 percent while lowering LDL cholesterol up to 62 percent.

Anti-Cancer Effects
Rice bran oil contains significant levels of both gamma and delta tocotrienols (approximately 500 ppm), forms of Vitamin E, that have been found to be able to accumulate in cancer cells and kill the tumors. In a study conducted at Kyushu University in Japan, researchers looked at the effects of tocotrienols on mouse cancer cells. There was a significant delay in growth in the cancer cells. "Our results suggested that accumulation is critical for the anti-tumor activity of tocotrienols," said Japanese lead researcher, Yuhei Hiura, reporting in "The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry."

Skin Protector
Originating in the Japanese culture, skin care with rice bran oil is becoming more popular. To this day, one of the highest compliments a Japanese woman can receive is to be called a "nuka bijin" which means "a rice bran beauty." Having smooth healthy skin is due to the oryzanol in the rice bran oil that whitens the skin slightly. As the skin is exposed to sunlight, the rice bran oil reacts as a sunscreen protecting the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays. The oryzanol impedes melanin pigmentation by restraining the erythema activity of tyrosinase as it stops the ultraviolet rays' transmission at the skin's surface. The use of rice bran oil in sunscreen products and hair conditioners is on the increase in the United States.

Antioxidant Packed
Rice bran oil contains three healthy antioxidants useful in protecting the body's cells against the effects of free radicals--tocopherol, tocotrienol and oryzanol. In addition, rice bran oil does not require hydrogenation for stability and has a high percentage of fatty acids (oleic, 46 percent; linoleic, 36 percent; and linolenic, 1 percent). Antioxidant companies have switched their basic oil to rice bran oil. This movement is an indication that industry leaders recognize rice bran oil's lipid oxidative stability. Lipid oxidative stability is important in the prevention of pathologic processes such as cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and inflammatory processes.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/25408-health-benefits-rice-bran-oil/#ixzz1u4lCnqkZ