The Director of Puducherry Institute of Linguistic and Culture, Mrs. Bhakthavatsala Bharathi, claims that Tamil cuisine is healthy and provides a lot of nutrients. In Tamilnadu, there exist about 209 castes and each of them have their own subculture and food traditions. Gingery Oil (Nalla Yenai) which is used regularly in the state to cook food, got its name because ‘Nalla’ means good and has also been mentioned in the Vedas. In Kerala, coconut oil is preferred over mustard oil as compared to the North, she added. According to her, olive oil is just a marketing gimmick which is gaining attention nowadays.

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Almond oil, like coconut oil, is widely used as carrier oil or base oil by various hair oil manufacturing companies. Pure almond oil is really good for the hair and skin as it is a rich source of Vitamins E and A. It nourishes the dry and lifeless skin completely. It works effectively for the treatment of dandruff and hair damage. It also helps to keep a check on inflammation, scalp infections, and to treat skin infections like eczema and psoriasis. Moreover, it also lightens the skin and removes tan thereby giving it a refreshing glow.

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Gone are those days when you had to incur expenses just to make your smile beautiful.Now you can whiten your teeth naturally at home using certain effective remedies. The most effective one is a mixture of lemon and baking soda. Mix one tablespoon of both lemon and baking soda in a bowl. Soak a piece of cloth in that mixture and apply it on your teeth for about 2 minutes, then rinse properly. For best results, follow this regularly.

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It is equally important to maintain your oral health as heart diseases, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and other serious health conditions have been linked to bad oral health. For this, you must follow these habits regularly. Use fluoride toothpaste to brush your teeth twice a day and then rinse your mouth properly. Floss your teeth regularly or use an interdental toothbrush as brushing does not help clean entirely between gums. Avoid wrong eating, smoking, chewing tobacco etc. and control sugary snacks for maintaining good oral health. Give dentists a visit.

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Healthy eating and beauty trends continuously undergo changes which are very alarming. Wrong eating habits have hazardous effects on our health lifestyle. Listening to the opinions of experts, many health conscious people started avoiding fatty foods to keep themselves from consuming dietary fats and then the concept of removing carbs from our diet gained popularity. This led food corporations to cunningly inject more sugar and more salt in products that were supposed to be Healthy. Hence, it is advised to consume home made food over any processed food.

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It’s summer! You should eat food which is not only healthy for your body but also for your skin. Food items which are rich in antioxidants, fibre, vitamins C and E and proteins like Blueberries, Tomatoes, Green Tea, Legumes etc. which protect your skin by preventing cellular damage from free radicals. Pomegranate and walnuts are also very healthy for the skin as the former helps the skin to create more collagen for faster recovery and the latter makes it smoother. So eat healthy and flaunt your beautiful skin!

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Turmeric (Haldi), a popular ingredient in Indian curries, may also be helpful in fighting drug-resistant tuberculosis. Researchers said that it has many health benefits as it contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and now even anti-cancer properties. The curcumin content present in the turmeric was found effective to remove Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria which causes TB. If this research is found to be successful, it would give us a new vital way to cure TB, which would be less prone to the development of drug resistance.

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Sometimes the life is so messed up that you are not able to spare even thirty minutes for a meal but you do desire to eat something healthy. During such times, the nutritionists resort to three items namely Banana Choco-chip pancakes, Whole wheat pasta mixed with lots of vegetables and brown rice noodles. They seek to keep the ingredients ready as to whenever you want to cook quickly. You can have additional healthy toppings if the time permits.

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If you are feeling sleepy or taking long snoozes during the day, it could lead to an increase in bad cholesterol, hypertension, an increase in blood sugar levels and obesity. Such manifestations are collectively known as the metabolic disorder which increases the danger of coronary illness. Thus, daytime tiredness, sleeping for more than 2 hours may prove to be unhealthy. However, sleeping for less than 30 minutes is healthy.

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Star Fruit, also known as carambola, is a sweet and sour fruit which looks like a star, hence the name. Rich in dietary fibre and vitamins like vitamin C, this fruit is low in calories as well as carbs. Not just that, it is also rich in plant-derived compounds gallic acid, quercetin and epicatechin which are incredible in maintaining overall health and wellness. So, next time you feel bored eating the same fruits and vegetables, try Star Fruit!

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A new study suggests that antibiotics can cause obesity in children. The risk of obesity increases with repeated doses of antibiotics. Research conducted in the UK says that there is a 25% increase risk of obesity which exposed to antibiotics under the age of 2. Researchers recommend that children should not be given antibiotics unless necessary as antibiotics alter the functioning of the gut microbiome which increases the chances of obesity.

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Studies have shown that learning more languages is not only impressive but greatly helpful to increase cognitive functions of the brain and also the problem-solving abilities of people. According to the study, children who spoke more than one languages possessed more potential to solve critical problems than who spoke only one language. Also, better intellectual growth and mental development were observed in the former case. For adults, learning another language helps challenge the brain to recognize and interpret different concepts and sounds. It was also found that this skill could help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

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Juicing is a process of extracting the juice from fresh vegetables and fruits which is usually done by people for detoxification or to supplement their diet. It is preferred by people who are not able to eat enough fruits and vegetable every day to get enough nutrition. However, eating whole fresh vegetables and fruits is a far better and healthier option than juicing because juicing rids you of beneficial antioxidants and fiber. Juices are unable to provide you with adequate fat or protein and hence, are nutritionally unbalanced. So eating these items directly much healthier.

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Keeping your bones strong is as essential for maintaining the overall health of our body for everyday living. The best way to do that is to consume foods which are rich sources of calcium and vitamin D in our regular diet. This helps to prevent diseases like osteoporosis which makes our bones break and brittle. Top foods which provide sufficient calcium and vitamin D are Milk, Yoghurt, Soya Beans, Ladies Finger, Cheese, Sesame Seeds, Oranges, Cinnamon and Almonds. Apart from that, eggs and spinach are also good sources of Vitamin D.

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The dry Gulaal and well colors used during Holi are not derived from natural sources and are extremely harmful to skin as they contain mica and lead which are collect on the scalp and irritate the skin. Apart from that, exposure to the sun tans the skin and makes it dull after playing. The basic precautions are applying a sunscreen before going out, conditioner on hair, transparent nail varnish on nails etc. After returning, use a cleansing cream or lotion after washing your face with plain water. You can use Sesame seeds and Vegetable oil to make your own cleanser.

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Summer is here! As usual, we see an increase in the mercury levels and in the number of people suffering from heat stroke and dehydration. According to the nutritionists, seasonal foods and a lot of purified and boiled water should be consumed. Our body loses a lot of essential nutrients due to excessive sweating which causes a headache, blood pressure fluctuations, fever, rapid heartbeat and drying of skin. So seasonal vegetables and fruits such as muskmelons and watermelons are internally refreshing. Juices of Amla and Aloe, chaach, lime juice, faloodas, coconut water, etc. are the best bet.

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The Indian Council of Medical Research recently submitted a report stating that more than fifty percent of women (particularly pregnant women) and children suffer from the deficiency of iron. Most of them are anemic and suffer the deficiency of Vitamin D because of poor diet and lack of nutrition. According to a nutritionist, during pregnancy and menopause and also during every monthly cycle, a women’s body goes through a lot of effort and hence, it is vital to maintaining a dietary balance by consuming nutrition-rich foods. Whole grains, diary products, fish, flax seeds, green leafy veggies, ginger, garlic, oranges, amla etc are good for regulare consumption.

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Unlike other items, some food items should not be stored in a fridge as soon as you shop them home. For example, tomatoes will not ripen if stored in a fridge and will lose flavour. Storing Potatoes in the fridge will turn their starch into sugar and spoil their texture and become sweet and faded when cooked. Ripe bananas can be stored in the fridge but if they are put in while they are green and hard, they would not ripen. Onions and Garlic should also be stored in a dry place and not in a refrigerator.

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It may come as a surprise to you but few food items that we consume regularly considering healthy are avoided by the nutritionists like Canned soup, smoothies, popcorn and a can of Cola. According to the Daily mail, Canned soup contains plenty of salts. The popcorns are now popular in butter and chocolate form instead of being available in plain whole grain form. A small can of Cola gives you seven teaspoons of sugar. Their regular consumption leads to substantial weight gain and increased risk of Type II diabetes and heart diseases. They can also cause decaying of your tooth.

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Unbelievable! Did you know the noise we make while eating influences our eating habits and quantity? Yes, it's true. It does. It turns out that more the person is aware of his bites, chomping, crunching or simply chewing, the lesser he consumes. Sound is now typically labelled as on of the forgotten sense for food. To verify this, an experiment was conducted on few people who were made to wear headphones and listen to loud music while eating. it was observed that those who were listening to low sounds consumed more.

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