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Health Benefits of Eating Red Onions

This versatile culinary plant can provide a real health boost to anyone. But exactly why are red onions good for you? This article sheds light on the health benefits of onions, particularly red onions, and explains how the nutrients in onions — including quercetin, allicin and chromium — can protect against cancer, fight fungi and bacteria, promote cardiovascular health, reduce high blood pressure and insulin resistance, and aid in weight loss. Nutrition facts for red onions (GI rating, vitamin and mineral content, etc) are provided at the end of the article.

Quercetin in red onions provides wide ranging health benefits.

Red and yellow onions are one of the best natural sources of quercetin, a bioflavonoid that is particularly well suited for scavenging free radicals. Aside from its antioxidant properties, quercetin has been found to possess cancer fighting, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It has shown promising potential for preventing and controlling the formation of intestinal polyps, suppressing the rhinoviruses that are the underlying cause of common cold, treating psoriasis, and inhibiting the replication of viruses including the herpes simplex virus that can cause cold sores. It has also been shown to reduce the risk of stomach cancer: according to one study, half an onion a day could reduce the risk of stomach cancer by 50%.

Allicin in onions fights regenerative diseases and fungi

In addition to quercetin, red onions provide allicin, a potent health-promoting compound that is found in onions and other members of the Allium family when the plant is crushed or chopped. Allicin has been shown to promote cardiovascular health, prevent and treat cancer, and reduce high blood pressure. It has also been suggested that allicin could be helpful for people with dandruff due to its anti-fungal properties.

Chromium makes onions a great food to tackle insulin resistance

Onions are a rich source of chromium, a trace mineral that can help control glucose levels. This is great news for those who suffer from insulin resistance as chromium is an essential for insulin activity in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. A lack of chromium-rich foods, such as onions, in diet may lead to insulin resistance and impaired blood sugar control and may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, there is some evidence suggesting that severe chromium deficiency may make weight loss more difficult or even cause weight gain.

Additional health benefits associated with red onions' low GI rating

With a glycemic index (GI) rating of 10, onions are considered a low glycemic food. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate containing foods based on how quickly they raise blood sugar levels. Foods are rated between 0 and 100, and the higher the rating, the quicker the food will release energy and cause blood glucose levels to rise. The glycemic index was initially created to help diabetics decide what foods are best for them, but now also many weight conscious people are using the concept of glycemic index to help them lose weight and improve their health. By choosing low GI foods — such as red onions — over high GI carbs, you can regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, which in turn causes the body to store less fat. Studies also suggest that stable insulin levels can contribute to slower aging, lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels.
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Black Is the New Green in Your Healthy Diet

We've heard plenty about how green vegetables, sauces and fruits are a must in our daily diets, and how they benefit our health and fitness. But nowadays, dark fruits, vegetables and pulses have started gaining over their green counterparts as nutrition powerhouse. Black coloured healthy foods are full of anthocyanins, plant pigments that help evade health ailments like diabetes and heart disease. In fact, some studies claim that dark coloured or black coloured foods have considerably higher amounts of antioxidants in them, because of the increase in pigment content. Here are some black coloured foods that deserve to be included in our daily diets:

Black tea
Green and white teas hog all the limelight wherever anybody mentions tea and health, but the good old black tea has its perks too. It is full of flavins, which help improve memory and concentration levels. It also helps in fighting muscle soreness after a heavy workout, as mentioned in a study conducted by Rutgers University in New Jersey. Black tea is a refreshing drink made in almost every Indian household and helps in decreasing your risk of heart attack by 20%.

Black lentils and pulses
Black lentils and pulses are full of iron. One cup of black pulses has around 8 milligrams of iron which is nearly half the recommended daily iron intake for women. Black lentils and pulses also improve your immunity. Apart from iron and increased immunity, black pulses also contain plenty of protein and are great for aiding muscle development in the body.

Blackberries
Blackberries are more than just excellent snacks. They're full of antioxidants, are rich in dietary fibre (one cup of berries has almost 25 grams of fiber), and polyphenols, which help in decreasing age related cognitive decline. They help in upping the brain function, as found in research from the Human Nutrition Research Center, Boston.

Black soybeans
Black soybeans are full of isoflavones and alpha-linolenic acid, which is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that helps decrease your risk of heart disease. It also adds to bone health and keeps osteoporosis at bay.

Black rice
In the eternal fight between black, brown, and red rice – black rice does possesses a few advantages. The bran hull in black rice includes considerably higher amounts of vitamin E, which helps strengthening the immune system and protects your skin from sagging as it is full of anti-ageing properties.
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Teens and Stress: Who Has Time For It?

Stress is what you feel when you react to pressure, either from the outside world (school, work, after-school activities, family, friends) or from inside yourself (wanting to do well in school, wanting to fit in). Stress is a normal reaction for people of all ages. It's caused by your body's instinct to protect itself from emotional or physical pressure or, in extreme situations, from danger.

With all the things that happen at your age, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Things that you can't control are often the most frustrating. Maybe your parents are fighting, or your social life is a mess. You can also feel bad when you put pressure on yourself – like pressure to get good grades or to get promoted at your part-time job. A common reaction to stress is to criticize yourself. You may even get so upset that things don't seem fun anymore and life looks pretty grim. When this happens, it's easy to think there's nothing you can do to change things.

Signs you're stressed out

Feeling depressed, edgy, guilty, tired

Having headaches, stomachaches, trouble sleeping

Laughing or crying for no reason

Blaming other people for bad things that happen to you

Only seeing the down side of a situation

Feeling like things that you used to enjoy aren't fun or are a

burden

Resenting other people or your responsibilities

Things that help fight stress

Eating well-balanced meals on a regular basis

Drinking less caffeine

Getting enough sleep

Exercising on a regular basis

How can I deal with stress?

Although you can't always control the things that are stressing you out, you can control how you react to them. The way you feel about things results from the way you think about things. If you change how you think, you can change the way you feel. Try some of these tips to cope with your stress:

Make a list of the things that are causing your stress. Think about your friends, family, school and other activities. Accept that you can't control everything on your list.

Take control of what you can. For example, if you're working too many hours and you don't have time to study enough, you may need to cut back your work hours.

Give yourself a break. Remember that you can't make everyone in your life happy all the time. And it's okay to make mistakes now and then.

Don't commit yourself to things you can't do or don't want to do. If you're already too busy, don't promise to decorate for the school dance. If you're tired and don't want to go out, tell your friends you'll go another night.

Find someone to talk to. Talking to your friends or family can help because it gives you a chance to express your feelings. However, problems in your social life or family can be the hardest to talk about. If you feel like you can't talk to your family or a friend, talk to someone outside the situation. This could be your priest or minister, a school counselor or your family doctor.

What are some things that don't help you deal with stress?

There are safe and unsafe ways to deal with stress. It's dangerous to try to escape your problems by using drugs and alcohol. Both can be very tempting, and your friends may offer them to you. Drugs and alcohol may seem like easy answers, but they're not. Using drugs and alcohol to deal with stress just adds new problems, such as addiction, or family and health problems.

Changing Your Diet: Choosing Nutrient-rich Foods

What is a “nutrient-rich” food?

A nutrient-rich food contains many vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) but not very many calories. Vitamins and minerals nourish your body and help to keep you healthy and reduce your risk for chronic diseases. You can get these micronutrients through a variety of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, and lean meats and fish. Getting vitamins and minerals through food ensures that your body is able to absorb them properly.

What happens if I don’t get enough nutrient-rich foods in my daily diet?

If you don’t eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods, you may not be getting all the micronutrients your body needs. In fact, Americans tend to eat foods that are high in calories and low in micronutrients. These foods often also contain added sugar, sodium (salt), saturated fat or trans fat. Choosing these high-calorie, low-nutrient foods contributes to weight gain and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat. They add flavor, nutrients and variety to your diet. Look for colorful fruits and vegetables, especially dark green and orange vegetables. If you can, choose organically grown produce and fruit, as it can be more nutritious and should be free of pesticides.

Fish

Fresh fish should have a clear color, a moist look, a clean smell and firm, springy flesh. If good-quality fresh fish isn't available, choose frozen or low-salt canned fish. Poaching, steaming, baking and broiling are the healthiest ways to prepare fish. Wild-caught oily fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, are the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, but all fish contain some amount of this healthy fatty acid.

Poultry

Remove skin and visible fat before cooking. Chicken breasts are a good choice because they are low in fat and high in protein. Baking, broiling and roasting are the healthiest ways to prepare poultry.

Beans and other non-meat sources

Nutrient-rich, non-meat sources of protein can also satisfy the protein recommendations. A quarter-cup of beans, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds counts as an ounce toward your protein needs.

Beef, Pork, Veal and Lamb

Choose low-fat, lean cuts of beef or pork. Trim outside fat before cooking. Trim any inside, separable fat before eating. Lean beef and veal cuts have the word “loin” or “round” in their names. Lean pork cuts have the word “loin” or “leg” in their names. Baking, broiling and roasting are the healthiest ways to prepare meat. It is best to limit how often you eat beef, pork, veal and lamb, because even lean cuts contain a lot of fat and cholesterol when compared to other protein sources.

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What You Can Do to Maintain Your Health

Don't smoke or use tobacco.

Smoking and using tobacco are very dangerous habits. Smoking causes 440,000 deaths in the United States every year. More preventable illnesses (such as emphysema, mouth, throat and lung cancer, and heart disease) are caused by tobacco use than by anything else. The sooner you quit, the better.

Limit how much alcohol you drink.

This means no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. One drink is equal to 1 can of beer (12 ounces), a 4-ounce glass of wine or a jigger (1 ounce) of liquor.

Too much alcohol can damage the liver and contribute to some cancers, such as throat and liver cancer. Alcohol also contributes to deaths from car wrecks, murders and suicides.

Eat healthy.

A healthy diet has many health benefits. Heart disease, certain cancers, stroke, diabetes and damage to your arteries can be linked to what you eat. By making healthier food choices, you can also lower your cholesterol and lose weight.

Lose weight if you're overweight.

Many Americans are overweight. Carrying too much weight increases your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, gallbladder disease and arthritis in the weight-bearing joints (such as the spine, hips or knees). A high-fiber, low-fat diet and regular exercise can help you lose weight and keep it off.

Exercise.

Exercise can help prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression. It can also help prevent colon cancer, stroke and back injury. You'll feel better and keep your weight under control if you exercise regularly. Try to exercise for 30 to 60 minutes, 4 to 6 times a week, but remember that any amount of exercise is better than none.

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Some of the health benefits of eating a diet rich of fruits and vegetables include:

Reduced risk for heart disease and protection against certain types of cancers

Vegetables containing fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood cholesterol levels, obesity, and type 2 diabetes

Vegetables rich in potassium may lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss

Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells, which are a vital part of the circulatory system

Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin health and helps to protect the body against infections

Vitamin C helps keep teeth and gums healthy, helps heal cuts and wounds, and aids in iron absorption. 

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