8 Surprising Health Benefits of Drinking Warm Water

Drinking warm water is a simple and healthy way to supplement your health. Research shows that drinking warm water regularly can provide digestive benefits, reduce metabolic waste, improve blood circulation and provide many more health benefits. Here are 8 benefits of drinking warm water:

1. Healthy Skin

Daily consumption of warm water detoxifies your skin, thereby lowering your risk of skin-related infections such as acne and pimples. Warm water also increases elasticity of skin and enhances its ability to perform repairs, thereby eases out wrinkles, dry skin and dark patches.

2. Enhances blood circulation

Drinking warm water helps the blood flow more freely, delivering nutrients to the cells and helping to get rid of acidic waste in the body.

3. Relieve the symptoms of cough and cold

Drinking warm water is an excellent natural remedy to get rid of a cough, cold and sore throat. It dissolves phlegm and also helps to remove it from your respiratory tract. Additionally, drinking warm water opens sinuses and clears nasal congestion.

4. Aids in digestion

Warm water is particularly beneficial for digestion. Studies have shown that drinking cold water during or after a meal can actually harden the oil in consumed foods and therefore create a fat deposit in the intestine. Drinking warm water, especially during your meals helps to break down the foods faster, making them easier for you to digest.

5. Body Detoxification

Drinking warm water is a great way to help naturally detoxify your body. The intake of warm water raises the body temperature causing your body to sweat and excrete out impurities while hydrating your body.

6. Reduces constipation

Drinking a glass of warm on an empty stomach improves bowel movements and also reduces the stomach problems such as bloating, gas and constipation.

7. Helps in weight loss

When we drink warm water, there is a slight increase in our body temperature, which in turn accelerates metabolic rate. When this happens, it helps to break down and shed fat faster. Study found that drinking about 2 cups of water can increase metabolic rate by 30%.

8. Excellent post-workout drink

Drinking warm water after a workout not only replenishes vitamins and minerals in your body but also re-hydrates you, and kick starts your metabolic process. It continues the calorie burning process post-workout, aiding in speeding up the weight loss process. The heat from warm water also soothes muscles by increasing blood flow and relaxing them.

What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Fermented foods

Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lacto-fermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid. Fermented foods are filled with probiotics, a healthy bacteria that facilitate smooth digestion in the gut. Many studies have shown the link between probiotic rich foods and overall health. Fermented foods such as buttermilk, kefir (fermented milk), tempeh (fermented soybean), idli (fermented rice), yogurt, pickled vegetables are good source of such probiotics. Below are 7 health benefits of eating fermented foods:

1. Fermenting Vegetables Increases Their Nutritional Content

We all know fresh vegetables are a great source vitamins and minerals necessary for our health. However, in the fermentation process, the beneficial bacteria create enzymes and additional vitamins, which makes them even healthier than they were in their raw state.

2. Fermentation cuts the sugar content of foods dramatically

Fermented foods are beneficial for people with diabetes. Fermenting converts sugars – glucose, fructose and sucrose – into cellular energy and a metabolic byproduct (lactic acid), which in turn produces fantastic digestive enzymes and healthy gut flora and cuts the sugar content of a food.

3. Fermented Foods Promote Weight loss

Numerous studies have shown the effects that healthy bacteria can have on weight loss. Fermented foods help to restore the correct balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. Restoring the gut to a healthy state aids in maintaining a healthy weight, as gut microbes influence the body’s insulin resistance and deposition of excess calories in fat stores.

4. Fermented Foods Promote Dental Health

Cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis, and halitosis (bad breath) are all caused by the proliferation of harmful bacteria in our mouths. By eating fermented foods rich in lactic acid bacteria and other beneficial bacterias, we keep these in check and provide a healthy and balanced oral environment.

5. Improves Digestion and absorption of nutrients

Fermented foods balance the ratio of good and bad bacteria in the gut, which can lead to a strong digestive system. Fermented foods also produce the digestive enzymes which ensure you get the most nutrients out of all foods you ingest.

6. It has cancer-fighting properties

Fermented foods contain lots of healthy bacteria, also known as probiotics, which maintain the proper balance of bacteria in the gut. Studies indicate that preserving a healthy gut can lower the risk for colon cancer. Fermented foods are also rich in Vitamin K2 and studies have shown that increased intake of Vitamin K2 can reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

7. Boosts immune system

Health promoting probiotics in fermented foods strengthens the immune system by upping the amount of antibodies fighting infectious disease in body. Tempeh, a popular vegetarian protein source made from fermented soybeans, is a great source of such probiotics.

8 Foods You’ve Been Eating The Wrong Way

There are easier and cleaner ways to eat certain food. Below is the list of 8 foods that you’ve been eating wrong and how you should be eating them instead.

1. Oreo

Ever have an Oreo crumble and fall apart when you dip it in milk? Here’s the solution. Take a fork and carefully insert it into the cream filling of oreo. Be sure note to push the fork too far in or it will separate. Hold the fork, dip the oreo into a glass of milk. Now, eat the milky oreo from the fork without a mess.

2. Strawberry

The next time you’re preparing strawberries for dessert, instead of slicing the tops off, which cause wastage, use this simple trick to hull them. Slicing off the tops of strawberries causes the fruit to lose nutrients. Simply push a straw through the berry to hull it.

3. Pancake

Drowning your pancakes in syrup is inefficient. The top pancake will be completely soggy, while the middle pancakes are totally dry. The simple solution is to cut a square hole in the middle of pancake stack and pour syrup into it to ensure complete pancake saturation.

4. Burger

Eating a burger can be messy. Toppings falling off and sauce running down your arms seems like it’s all just part of the process. But there is an efficient way to hold and eat a burger with no mess or sticky fingers. First, flip your entire burger upside down. This is because the top bun is usually twice as thick as the bottom bun. The flip also means your lettuce will be at the bottom of the burger, allowing it to act as a barrier for dripping juices. Next, place your thumbs and little finger on the base and your remaining fingers on top of the burger to keep the juicy, delectable fillings from spilling out.

5. Cupcakes

The right way to eat a cupcake is to cut the cake portion in half and stick the new layer on top of the frosting to create a cupcake sandwich.

6. Peanut butter

Store the peanut butter upside down instead of right side up. The reason you get a layer of oil on the top is because you’ve been storing it all wrong. The upside down method allows the oils to distribute evenly throughout the container.

7. Cutting cakes

Cake cutting causes more issues than need be, due to knives being too short or making sure slices are even. The solution? Dental floss. Simply cut a long piece of unscented dental floss and use it as a cutting tool to easily slice the cake into pieces intact.

8. Dispensing Tic Tacs

There is right way to dispense a single Tic Tac without spilling the whole container. Here’s the video that shows how it’s done.

What Happens To Your Body When You Drink Ginger Tea

Ginger is a very common kitchen ingredient that has been used as a spice and medicine for thousands of years. Ginger water, or ginger tea, is made by boiling fresh ginger root in water, then cooling and straining the liquid. Drinking this simple tea is highly effective for treating a number of health problems. Below are some incredible health benefits of drinking ginger tea.

1. Improve blood circulation

Ginger is well known for its positive effects on the circulatory system. Gingerol is the main active compound in ginger, responsible for relaxing the muscles around blood vessels, allowing blood to circulate better. Drinking ginger tea can prevent atherosclerosis, stop blood clotting, lower cholesterol levels and prevents heart diseases.

2. Weight Loss

Ginger has fat-burning properties, it helps in increasing the rate of metabolism, and therefore burn more fat. In addition to increasing fat loss, ginger also helps you feel fuller longer, which in turn reduces food consumption and overall caloric intake. It works as a natural appetite suppressant which is the best way to lose weight.

3. Nausea & vomiting Relief

Ginger tea is a popular and effective natural remedy for nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness.

4. Fights Respiratory Infection

Ginger has been used for centuries in treating cold and sinus. Ginger has antibacterial properties that can help relieve sinus congestion associated with the common cold and treat respiratory tract infections.

5. Sore-Muscle Relief

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and thus help relieve muscle soreness and inflammation after exercise.

6. Helps Digestion

Ginger has a long history of use for relieving digestive problems like stomach upset, indigestion, bloating and acid reflux. Ginger stimulate saliva, bile and gastric juice production to aid in digestion. Drinking ginger tea between meals will stimulate stomach acid production and ensure proper absorption of food.

7. Protect Against Cancer

Ginger tea can be effective in helping to prevent and inhibit cancer growth. According to studies, ginger has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which can prevent cancer cells from growing and spreading.

8. Control Diabetes

Drinking ginger tea can help control type 2 diabetes. Gingerols, the main active components in ginger, are known to improve diabetes, increase insulin sensitivity, glucose clearance and prevention of other diabetes-related disorders.

How to make ginger tea:

Ingredients:

• raw ginger
• 2 cups of water
• lemon juice
• raw honey

Preparation
Get a fresh ginger root and cut about 4 to 5 thin slices and put them in a large mug. Pour very hot, but not boiling water over the slices. Cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain the water to remove the ginger. Add a 1-2 tablespoons of honey and/or lemon if you like. Your ginger tea is ready to be consumed.

6 Simple Exercises To Get Rid of Back Fat Without Equipment

Back is one of the hardest places to tone and decrease body fat. There are specific exercises that target muscles in your upper body to help you build back muscles and burn fat. Below are 6 easy home exercises to get rid of back fat without equipment.

1. Leg and Arm Raises

Lie flat on your stomach. Raise your head and one arm off the ground while at the same time lifting the opposite leg. Hold for five to ten seconds and repeat 10 to 15 times.

2. Back extensions

To tone up the lower back, one of the best exercises is back extensions. To perform a lower back extension, lie flat on the floor, face down, with your hands behind your head. Lift your chest off the ground as far as is comfortable. Hold this position for 10 seconds before lowering down. Do at least 3 sets with 10 repetitions each.

3. Standing Twist

Twisting the waist works your oblique muscles to strengthen the side muscles of the abs. The fat surrounding the obliques is what makes the back appear to be fat. The standing oblique twist can be done with a medicine ball or dumbbell. To do this exercise, stand with your feet little wider than shoulder width apart. Extend your arms forward at shoulder height, then twist your torso as you bring your arms to the left side of your body, then the right. Do this 20 times and keep your body still during the motion.

4. The Bridge

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your buttocks up so that your back makes a straight line. Hold that position for 10 to 15 seconds and then lower your body back to the ground. Repeat 10 to 20 times.

5. Squats

Squats are not only good for the lower back and abs, but also for the entire core. Stand straight with feet hip-width apart. Raise your arms forward at the shoulder level. Keeping your upper body as straight as possible, move your hips as close to the floor as you can. Focus on your form and repeat the exercise by rising slowly to the original position. Repeat for three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

6. Seal Jumping Jacks

Stand straight with your feet about hip-width apart and the arms down by the side. Clap your hands in front of your chest and jump just high enough to spread your feet wide. Without pausing, quickly return to the starting position. That’s one rep; do 20 as quickly as you can with control.

7 Foods We Eat At Wrong Hours That Are Harming Our Health

Eating some food items at their specific times is very important to get all their benefits. When eaten at the wrong time, these food items can cause harm to our health in different ways. For eg. eating banana at night can put us at risk of cough and cold, whereas sugar can put us at risk of gaining weight when eaten at night. Below are the 7 foods we eat at wrong hours that are harming our health.

1. Milk

Best Time To Drink: Night
Experts claim that the best time to consume milk would be in the night, rather than in the day because it takes a long time to digest and might make you feel lethargic. Drinking milk at night relaxes your body and enables the cells to absorb the nutrients effectively, while you rest.
Worst Time To Drink: Morning
Due to more physical activity in the mornings, milk can become heavy to digest and also mess with your meal timings.

2. Rice

Best Time To Eat: Day
Consuming rice for lunch is the perfect time, since your metabolism in the day time is much higher than at night, it gives you ample chance to use up the carbohydrates.
Worst Time To Eat: Night
Rice should be avoided at night, as they are high in starch content and may leave your stomach with a bloated sensation through the night. Also, consuming rice at night may promote weight gain, as it takes longer to digest and our body is completely at rest.

3. Curd

Best Time To Eat: Day
When eaten in the daytime, curd helps in the digestion process and soothes the digestive system. It is a probiotic food that aid in gut health.
Worst Time To Eat: Night
Eating curd during the night can badly affect the respiratory tract causing cold and cough and leads to mucus formation.

4. Sugar

Best time to eat: Morning
Ice creams, chocolates and every food items that are loaded with sugar, should be consumed in the mornings. This is because our body insulin is more effective in fighting sugar at this time of the day. We are also more active in the day, so our body is able to burn more sugar throughout the day.
Worst time to eat: Night
Consuming sugar at night, will only increase your body fat, since physical activity is also at a low at night time.

5. Pulse and Beans

Best Time To Drink: Night
Pulses and beans are loaded with dietary fibres. When taken at night, they help in digestion and lower the cholesterol levels. They also help you to get a good sleep.
Worst Time To Eat: Morning
Avoid eating fibrous foods such as sprouts, lentils, beans etc. in the morning or during daytime, since it might increase your appetite and cause you to eat more throughout the course of the day.

6. Banana

Best Time To Eat: Noon
Banana is loaded with fibres that help in the digestion process. Banana also has natural antacids and helps in soothing heartburn. They also keep the energy level high throughout the day. It’s a perfect before workout food too.
Worst Time To Eat: Night
When eaten at night, banana increases cough and cold and leads to mucus formation. Since banana is very rich in magnesium, if taken on an empty stomach at night, it can lead to stomach troubles.

7. Apple

Best Time To Eat: Morning
Apple is a rich source of fiber called pectin, especially the apple peel is packed with pectin. Pectin helps to smoothen the bowel function, prevents constipation and and eliminates carcinogens from the body.
Worst Time To Eat: Evening/Night
Apple has a high content of organic acid. When consumed at night, it may cause acid reflux due to the release of the acids, thereby increasing the acid levels.

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing

Dry body brushing is a traditional natural health practice, which involves running a dry, soft-bristle brush in circular motions over the body. It is a sort of spa like method that provide numerous health benefits. The dry brushing technique open up the pores of the skin, increases circulation and also deals with detoxification of the skin. Below are some key benefits of dry body brushing:

1. Increases skin functions

Healthy, breathing skin contributes to overall body health. Dry skin brushing can effectively opens up the pores on your skin and helps your skin absorb more nutrients. Daily skin brushing promotes healthy, breathing skin and excrete toxins that become trapped in the skin.

2. Stimulate Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system is a major part of the body’s immune system. It is made up of organs and lymph nodes, ducts and vessels that transport lymph throughout the body. Many of these lymph vessels run just under the skin layer. Dry brushing the skin regularly can help stimulate the normal lymph flow within the body and help the body detoxify itself naturally. The stiffer the bristles on the brush, the better the lymphatic stimulation it’ll create.

3. Exfoliation

Dry brushing is one of the simplest and most natural ways to exfoliate skin. The process of running a firm, natural bristled brush over the skin helps loosen and remove dead skin cells, naturally exfoliating skin. This can help improve skin texture and cell renewal.

4. Reduces Cellulite

The unsightly bumps of cellulite are the result of pockets of fat collecting just below your skin’s surface – a place blood flow just can’t reach. Though cellulite can occur anywhere on the body the most common areas cellulite are the thighs, abdomen and bottom. Dry Brushing tightens the skin by increasing the flow of blood. It help to soften hard fat deposits below the skin while distributing fat deposits more evenly. This can help to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

5. Promotes Circulation

When you dry brush your skin, it stimulates blood circulation, bringing more blood to the top layers of the skin. This encourages the elimination of metabolic waste. By activating the circulation you can also prevent varicose veins.

Dry Brushing: How to Do It

• The bristles should be natural, not synthetic, and preferably vegetable-derived. The bristles themselves should be somewhat stiff, though not too hard.
• Brush your dry body before you shower or bathe, preferably in the morning.
• When brushing, always brush toward your heart, which is best for circulation and your lymphatic system. Work in gentle circular, upward motions, then longer, smoother strokes.
• You can brush your entire body (including the soles of your feet). Start at your feet and work your way up your legs to your arms, chest, back, and stomach. If you have cellulite on your hips and thighs, concentrate there a little longer.
• Avoid brushing anywhere the skin is broken or where you have a rash, infection, cut or wound.
• It could take 5-10 minutes to dry brush your entire body.
• Finish by taking a shower, use cold/hot therapy to further stimulate the lymphatic system and improve circulation.