Tired of your children throwing a fit every time you ask them to eat healthy veggies? Harness the superpowers of their superheroes to convince them! Researchers have found that invoking names of superhero role models encouraged children to eat healthier food over junk items and illustrated that when superhero cues were given, 36% more children opted for the healthier alternative! So the next time your children are going ballistic about leaving out broccoli or radishes, ask them if their favorite superhero would do that. Will you, however, have the energy to match their extra energy once they get into their “superhero” modes? Sigh! If only YOU were Batman too.

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To control our calorie intake, we need to control the portion sizes we serve. But can something like the size of our plates cause us to eat more than we think? A study has explained how larger plates make food servings appear smaller and unconsciously push us into serving more food, while smaller plates can lead us to misjudge that very same quantity of food as being significantly larger. Since some people feel compelled to finish whatever they have served, they invariably end up eating more off larger plates. In order to avoid the glorious act of gluttony, we must manipulate the size of the dinnerware we use!

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Sometimes we feel like junk food has us all gripped into its superficial deliciousness and convenient availability. Everyone is hopelessly addicted and yet struggling to find ways to control their junk intake. Help is not far, as a recent study has illustrated that simply serving your food to yourself, then accepting a portion from someone else, will help in curbing your junk food cravings. The study found that people eat less unhealthy food when they're in control of how big their portion is. Well, if it keeps us away from junk food, we will definitely have all hands on deck (and off the unhealthy plates)!

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A study in the Journal of Consumer Research illustrates how consumers are drawn towards expensive food items, assuming them to be healthier and how affordable items are left behind as junky food – even if neither of the cases is true. Yes, generally, the healthy option is often the costlier one, but that holds true only on a comprehensive basis – like fresh fruits or veggies will be costlier than processed or junk food. But when you’re talking about individual items, that rule isn’t a universal one. Thus, people are less inclined to believe that a product can be healthy unless they’re shelling out more for it.

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Ice-cream sellers will agree with this one, obviously. A research conducted by Mr. Poortvliet, a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Neuroscience, has stated that humans are endothermic animals, meaning that we can control our body temperatures, irrespective of the weather outside. Poortvliet’s research shows that Ice Cream ends up warming the human body when eaten due to its caloric content. The initial cooling effect is rapidly replaced by heat generated by digestive processes needed to break down the calories and that leads to an increase in body temperature. The bonus? It won’t melt like it does in summers! The cold never bothered us anyway.

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Dentists in the UK are criticizing the presence of the “workplace cake culture”. They consider the sharing of sweet treats in offices to be unhealthy and detrimental to basic dental ideologies of safeguarding oral health and hygiene. The Faculty at UK believes that eating cakes and sweets at work discouraged healthy eating habits and instead acted like an irony in the oral care industry. While many people defend this proposal by citing practical reasons for bringing in sweets to work – occasions like birthdays or gatherings, we are just glad not to be working in a dental workplace in the UK right now.

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We sometimes wonder if “radishes” could be the equivalent of the broccoli in India – crunchy red and white discs that adults leave behind in salads or those nasty, stick-like veggies with bony long hands and bare fingers- avoided and feared by little children since times immemorial. This much-disliked vegetable however, is extraordinarily healthy - it lowers cancer risk, regulates blood pressure, blood sugar, aids digestion, weight-loss and keeps kidneys healthy! Rich in anti-oxidants, radishes keep skin looking younger! Now you know why we were being so dramatic. Do not fear the humble mooli – dig into one right now!

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Greens and purples, berries and fruits, winter is full of fresh colors and even fresher fruits and veggies! As the winter season sets in and spreads its chilly hands all over the city, we thought that we’d embrace winter with equal zest by gorging on the best and healthiest food items of the season. So go on and take a bite of those deep-purple, bulb-shaped sweet beetroots or feast on those deliciously fleshy and mouth-watering pink strawberries! Pick out a few bunches of the long spinach or methi leaves and use the fiber to beat all your stomach blues away. Have you tried the gajar ka halwa (a carrot dessert) this winter yet?

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A lot of food is wasted in the holiday season. To avoid this, plan your meals before you shop. Use up leftovers the next day instead of throwing them out. Let your guests take only as much as they want so that not a lot is wasted. Get creative and mix up the leftovers for a nice new dish. In addition, it's always wiser to buy frozen foods if you think you won't finish it before it goes stale.

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It does matter if what you consume is acidic or alkaline in nature. When consumed, lemon juice is acidic in nature. Though, once digested the byproducts of lemon juice are alkaline. While these byproducts can make your urine alkaline, they cause very few changes in your blood stream. Hence, consuming it regularly boosts your immune system, prevents kidney stones and makes mineral absorption better.

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According to a study, there is a possibility that undercooked chicken can prove harmful to your health. There is a bacterium found in the under-cooked chicken which is known to cause Guillain-Barre syndrome. GBS is an autoimmune disorder and is world’s leading cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis in humans. If chicken is not properly cooked to the minimal temperature, the bacteria called Campylobacter Jejuni which is still present in the food can trigger GBS.

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There exist several types of milk delivering different nutritional benefits, hence, it is necessary you chose a perfect one as per your health requirements. For example, if you are lactose intolerant, you might probably want to switch to soya milk. Nut milk are also available for lactose intolerant people in the market but they are quite expensive. But then, some people are also nut allergic. Children in their growth phase should consume full cream milk to reap all the benefits. For those looking for weight loss, tones, and double toned milk is an option.

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Most of all, get oranges and carrots back in your regular diet as both of these boost immunity to a large extent during the winter season. Carrot also helps to improve eyesight, prevents cancer, regulates blood sugar etc. Apple should also be kept constant as it protects us against several serious conditions. Peas regulate weight, prevents Alzheimer’s, blood sugar etc. eating spinach is also healthy for your skin and hair during winter.

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Fasting is more natural to us than constantly eating 3-4 meals per day because our ancestors were hunters and did not have food all the time. At the same time, fasting is a part of many religions like Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism. It has been proved that intermittent fasting with a regular eating pattern can actually help you lose weight and simply stay fit. The idea is to fast for 16 hours daily or for 24 hours twice a week.

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Breakfast is obviously the most important meal of the day as it helps to refuel your body, giving energy and an opportunity to start your routine with a boost of nutrients. Most of the breakfasts are full of carbs, so this is the perfect time for making whole-grain choices. You must also consume protein in the morning to help keep you full. Fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is important for digestion. You must also have an intake of calcium to give you strength for the entire day.

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Sauce or a soupy stew are made from those legumes and both are commonly served with rice which is delicious combination offering several health benefits. Protein is made up 20 different amino acids, most of which are provided to the body by consuming dal rice together. Rice, in its own self, has a good amount of fiber to offer, hence it is a good food for people on diet. Of course, there are several other benefits associated with these grains but the best thing is, they taste best together!

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Boiled potatoes are naturally rich in minerals and vitamins, particularly phosphorus, potassium, B-complex vitamins and vitamin C. They have high fiber content which makes you feel full and they are also low in calories. Cooking potatoes deplete it of some nutrients but a boiled potato is anyway nutrient dense. They can be regularly included in the diet as contrary to the popular belief, they are not inherently fattening.

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Buttermilk has been defined as ‘sattvik’ food in Ayurveda because of its various health benefits. This drink is made from yogurt and is both delicious and healthy and is a great accompaniment to your meals. The different benefits of buttermilk or chaas include reducing acidity, soothes the stomach after a spicy meal, improves digestion, boosts the intake of calcium, washes down fats, contains many nutrients apart from calcium, lowers cholesterol blood pressure and prevents cancer along with other benefits.

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Recently, India has launched a national food security welfare program which will cost the government a sum of 1.4 Lakh Crore per year. This ultra-cheap food welfare program was introduced by Congress Govt. It is supposed to cover 50% of urban and 75% of rural areas in India. Some highlights of the new law are, wheat at 2-rupee/kg and rice and 3-rupee/kg.

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This will come as a surprise to you, the fat we consume and we’re scared of is not as bad as we thought it is and on the other hand, sugar is much, much worse than we thought. Research has suggested that diets which are high in sugar lead to diabetes, obesity, heart diseases and cancer. Hence, it is mandatory for all food manufacturers to put a label of “Added Sugar” on their products and consumers must beware of the consequences.

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