Rice is a grain that is consumed worldwide. In fact, it is a staple food in Asia. Being an Indian, I consume rice almost daily. The debate between white rice and brown rice is not a new one. A few years back I made the switch myself opting for the brown version of it. My decision was neither a well-informed one nor was it well thought of. My sole reason was a celebrity interview where the celebrity in question advised to stay away from anything “white” if you plan on having a slim waist.

For the past few months, the entire world has been facing a situation that is now being referred to as the “Apocalypse”. The entire world is going on lockdown. A disease that started in China a few months back has now made its way to every corner of the world.

At this moment it’s our responsibility to not only stay safe but to keep others around us safe. However, people are in a lot of confusion right now not knowing what is right and what is wrong. I have compiled a list of questions and answers that will help you stay aware of the facts and not pay heed to any misinformation.

Air pollution is a major cause of death and disease globally. And you will be surprised to know that air pollution is responsible for approximately 3.3 million premature deaths across the globe, says recent research.

If you are living in or nearby Delhi,  you must be equally concerned about the air pollution which has reached dangerous levels in the past few days. After several days of "Severe" air quality, now the level stands at "Very Poor".

Moringa- sounds fancy right? But this is not some new exotic vegetable or fruit that has been imported and has hit the market as the new trendy weight loss promoter. 

Moringa, also known as Moringa oleifera, drumstick tree, the miracle tree, the ben oil tree, or the horseradish tree is a plant which has been used for centuries because of its health benefits. The plant is native to the sub-Himalayan areas of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. 

Most of you must have heard about the ongoing controversy around litchis this year. If not here is the story- hundreds of children in Muzaffarpur (Bihar) suffered from an acute neurological condition which led to the death of more than 110 children. More than 400 hundred children were admitted to the hospitals owing to this disorder which has been termed as Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)

We live in a world where eating healthy is no longer considered fashionable- A world where junk outlets increase proportionally to our obsession with a stick thin figure. Everyone at some point in their life thinks about losing weight but some of us take it to the extreme level, where before putting even a single bite in our mouth we mentally calculate it’s calorie content. 

Mental health is a raging issue nowadays. Mental health problems will contribute significantly to the global burden of disease in the 21st century. While adults are often affected by mental illness, surprisingly this issue is quite common even among kids.

Mental illness can affect anyone regardless of their age, gender, or sex. But it is an even more pressing issue among kids because we often do not take kids seriously. Ignoring your kid's feelings and assuming his concerns to be unimportant can make him lose confidence.

Postpartum depression in new mothers is often discussed. A newborn can bring you immense joy but sometimes this joy can turn to fear, anxiety, and a negative behaviour without you even realising. But the sad part is even though with a baby two new parents are born, still men are often ignored in the scenario.

It is well known that exercising can help control a lot of health issues including heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Aerobic exercises have long been shown to control blood sugar level (1). But you don’t need to limit your fitness plan to just cardio or aerobic exercises, especially if you are diabetic.

Recent research conducted at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo State, Brazil, has shown that rigorous exercises such as strength and weight training can reduce accumulated liver fat and improve blood sugar control in obese and diabetic people in a short period, even before weight loss occurs.

Carbs or Carbohydrates are probably the most misunderstood macronutrient of all. Considered as the enemy, if you aim at losing weight these macros have such a bad reputation that almost every diet warns you to stay away from them. But no matter how much you try to avoid them, if you plan on having a healthy body and sane mind carbs are important to accomplish that.

For years, the diet and fitness industry has been bad-mouthing carbs so much that most of us don’t even know that something called “good carbs” exists. On the contrary, a lot of research has proved that a well-balanced meal with an adequate amount of all the macros including carbs is essential for proper development of body and to live a long and healthy life.

Everyone at some point of time must have tried losing weight by following those numerous crazy diets available on the internet.

Well, I was no different!! Without proper research, I tried out a lot of different diets. In fact in my desperation to lose weight, I ended up paying a good amount of money to a dietician, only to realise that my diet was nothing more but a modified version of the popular General Motors (GM) diet (1985).

Replacing your daily foods with healthier options is not as difficult as it sounds. Switching for a few healthier options is one of the easiest and achievable way to gain health and lose weight. You don’t need to start with any extreme diet, just a few simple changes are the ones that will work in the long run.

So don’t wait anymore, replace these unhealthy foods and remember even small changes overtime can add up to a big overall difference.

We have all grown up listening that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you should not skip your breakfast, breakfast like a king..blah blah blah. But is breakfast really the most important meal of the day.

I wouldn't have given this a second thought until the whole “Intermittent Fasting” buzz started. For those who are not aware, intermittent fasting is the new fad in the diet and weight loss industry. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern which includes periods of eating and fasting, these periods of fasting may vary giving rise to different types of intermittent fasting.

Few people know that there is a connection between nutrition and mental health too. Most of us just think that a good diet is necessary to maintain a healthy body physically but diet also has a very crucial impact on our mental health. All our cells, tissues, molecules, etc. are made from what we eat. Whoever said that “we become what we eat” was absolutely right. For example, dietary fats are the building blocks of our brain tissues.

When it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle ditching sugar is the first thing to start with. WHO recommends limiting daily sugar intake to less than 50g i.e. 12 teaspoons. Now you must be wondering- What? you don’t take that much sugar. But sadly most people don’t have a clue they consume much more than just 12 teaspoons a day. Almost every processed food you consume is loaded with sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

Have you been working out hard enough and taking a healthy nutritious diet but still nothing seems to work and you are still far away from your goal? Apart from a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep, stress could be the factor that is pushing you back.

It has been known for long that stress could be an important factor behind weight gain. While most people are under the impression that stress and tension lead to loss of appetite, it’s the other way round in the long run.

We all have experienced cravings and hunger pangs, sitting in an important meeting or a lecture or just with friends. Everything seems fine until your stomach starts growling and suddenly the attention shifts towards you.

No matter how much you try to save yourself from further embarrassment it just won't stop. You just wish that some magic spell could make you disappear while you sit there smiling awkwardly.

There has been a long ongoing controversy about whether fruit juices are healthy or not. Most people consider them to be a great option to complete their daily fruit requirement since they are much easier to consume.

Lots of people replace soda and carbonated drinks with fruit juices thinking that they are moving towards an healthier option. There are even detox diets which claim to help you lose weight by just drinking fruit juices. They might help you in the short run but the fact is there is not much difference between a tall glass of fruit juice and a bottle of any carbonated drink minus the fizz.

Almost every food that we buy from a supermarket or grocery store or even a restaurant is packed with preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and many other additives.

While it is a necessity to buy these food for the sake of convenience, choosing the wrong products with the wrong type of additives can cost you your health. These are the top 11 food additives that need to stay away from your diet. Even though some of them are approved as safe for consumption they still pose a great health risk.

There is a lot of confusion regarding whether or not stretching before and after exercising is required.

The other day I met a woman outside an Ayurveda centre (I was there to get a head massage) and while waiting for the cab we started chatting. She told me she was there to get treatment for her nerves. As we started talking further she told me that she was a fitness freak and used to lift really heavy weights without stretching and suffered from some nerve damage issues because of that.