Friday, 14 March 2014

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ONION

Almost everyone knows that onions are very important for health. Onion is a daily must have which helps you stay away from many infections and diseases. If you are sick and you are looking for a quick heal medicine, then onions are your best option.
The pungent odour might keep you away from onions but they are totally worth it. They can be cooked in almost all the recipes and can be consumed very easily. Onions are loaded with many chemicals which keep you away from illness and also make you glow due to its detoxification properties. Below are a few well known health benefits of onions.

Onion Benefits:

1. Onions have anti-biotic, antiseptic, antimicrobial and carminative properties to help you stay away from infections.

2. Onions are rich in sulphur, fibers, potassium, vitamin B, vitamin C and they are low in fat, cholesterol and sodium.

3. It is an immediate cure for fever, common cold, cough, sore throat, allergies etc. A mixture of onion juice and honey can cure these problems easily.
4. A small piece of onion can work against side effects of fever if it’s kept on the fore head.
5. A small piece of onion when inhaled can stop or slow down the bleeding through the nose.
6. An onion a day can cure insomnia or sleeping disorders. This will surely give you a good night sleep.
7. Onions can improve digestive system. If you have digestion problem, then onions can cure it by increasing the release of digestion juices.
8. Onion juice can cure burnt skin or an insect bite or a bee bite. It may burn more but it can heal it very effectively.
9. Onions can be used to prevent cancers. It works against head, neck and colon cancers.
10. You can protect yourself from Osteoporosis and Atherosclerosis by consuming onions daily.
11. Onions increases insulin in the body and also treats diabetes by controlling the sugar levels in the blood.
12. The bad cholesterol that causes heart problems can be burnt or removed if onions are consumed daily. It keeps you stay safe from the coronary diseases and also protects the good cholesterol.
13. Inflammation from Arthritis in the joints which can be healed with onions.
14. There is a small trick with onions to get some relief from body pains. Onions should be fried in sesame or castor oil and can be used to heal any aches.
15. One of the well-known tricks to remove dark patches or pigments on your face is to apply onion and turmeric juice on that area.
16. Onion juice is also used to cure ear and eye problems. This juice is used for infants as eye drops for clear vision.
17. This is also used for toothaches and tooth decaying.
18. Onions have rejuvenation properties on the body tissues.
19. For few types of moles, onion juice works efficiently by removing them.
20. For good memory and strong nervous system, consuming onions is your best bet.
21. Onions cure menstrual disorders. Raw onions should be consumed before a few days at the beginning of your cycle.
22. Use onion juice on the hair or the scalp to get rid of lice and hair fall. This is one of the most prominent of onion benefits for hair.
23. Onions contain water, protein, fats, starch, fibers, minerals, calcium, vitamin C, iron and B complex.
You should consume between 100 – 150 grams of onions in any form depending on your likes and dislikes.

SOURCE: www.stylecraze.com

Tuesday, 11 March 2014

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ORANGE

Orange trees are the most cultivated fruit trees in the world. Oranges are a popular fruit because of their natural sweetness, wide variety of types and diversity of uses - from juices and marmalades to face masks and candied orange slices.
An orange has over 170 different phytochemicals and more than 60 flavonoids, many of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and strong antioxidant effects.

Oranges also contain thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, selenium and copper. Because of their high vitamin C content (over twice the daily need) oranges are associated with boosting the immune system.

BELOW ARE THE POSSIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ORANGES:

Stroke: According to the American Heart Association, eating higher amounts of a compound found in citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit may lower ischemic stroke risk for women. Those who ate the highest amounts of citrus had a 19 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women who consumed the least.
Blood pressure: Maintaining a low sodium intake is essential to lowering blood pressure, however increasing potassium intake may be just as important because of its vasodilation effects. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, fewer than 2 percent of US adults meet the daily 4700 mg recommendation.
Also of note, a high potassium intake is associated with a 20 percent decreased risk of dying from all causes.3
Cancer: According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, consuming bananas, oranges and orange juice in the first two years of life may reduce the risk of developing childhood leukemia.
As an excellent source of the strong antioxidant vitamin C, oranges can also help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer. While an adequate vitamin C intake is necessary and very beneficial as an antioxidant, the amount necessary to consume for therapeutic purposes for cancer is beyond oral intake. High fiber intakes from fruits and vegetables are associated with a lowered risk of colorectal cancer.
Heart health: The fiber, potassium, vitamin C and choline content in oranges all support heart health. An increase in potassium intake along with a decrease in sodium intake is the most important dietary change that a person can make to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, according to Mark Houston, M.D, M.S, an associate clinical professor of medicine at Vanderbilt Medical School and director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital in Tennessee.
In one study, those who consumed 4069 mg of potassium per day had a 49 percent lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease compared with those who consumed less potassium (about 1000 mg per day).3
High potassium intakes are also associated with a reduced risk of stroke, protection against loss of muscle mass, preservation of bone mineral density and reduction in the formation of kidney stones.
Diabetes: Studies have shown that type 1 diabetics who consume high-fiber diets have lower blood glucose levels and type 2 diabetics may have improved blood sugar, lipids and insulin levels. One medium banana provides about 3 grams of fiber.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 21-25 g/day for women and 30-38 g/day for men.
Skin: The antioxidant vitamin C, when eaten in its natural form (as in an orange) or applied topically, can help to fight skin damage caused by the sun and pollution, reduce wrinkles and improve overall skin texture. Vitamin C plays a vital role in the formation of collagen, the support system of your skin.

SOURCE: www.medicalnewstoday.com

Tuesday, 4 March 2014

WhatsApp CEO commends Ghanaians

Jan Koum,Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Whatsapp, a social messaging service recently acquired by Facebook for US$19billion, has commended  Ghana for its innovative approach to using its mobile application.
Mr. Koum, making his first public appearance at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona after the acquisition by Facebook, was narrating WhatsApp’s journey since being founded five years ago.
Citing how useful the application has been to the over-450 million subscribers around the globe, Mr. Koum singled out Ghana as a country that is using the product in a way he and Brian Acton — the other Co-founder — never envisaged when they established the application.
According to him, though he had learnt of several uses of the service from across the globe, mails he had from Ghana that the university students are using the WhatsApp messenger to hold discussions with their lecturers, and even compare notes among themselves in a group, left him astounded.
Mr. Koum added that such application of his messenger, particularly, shows how important and indispensable the service has been since it was established.
On the future of the messenger, Mr. Koum said Whatsapp intends to introduce voice over its platform by summer as already being executed by BBM talk, Kakao talk, Viber etc. This means that with a simple data connection, WhatsApp users may be able to place phone calls to each other at minimal cost.

SORCE: www.citifmonline.com

Monday, 3 March 2014

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I UPDATE MY ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE?

This is the big question a lot of people ask: HOW OFTEN SHOULD I UPDATE MY ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE?

There are times that when we install anti-virus programs on our devices, we feel that is all there is to do, but there is more to it than that.
Updating your anti-virus and anti-malware software is one of the most important ways you can protect your computer device. Others on the internet can steal your identity, track your web surfing and nab your financial information through your computer connection.

Updates are basically the addition of new data that can help your anti-virus software find newly created viruses, trojans, spyware and other malware on your computer. Think of them as renovations for your security software.

Most new anti-virus software can be set up to run updates automatically, negating the need to worry about when to do it manually. When the software has new data to install, it will do it during a time you specify. Some software doesn’t even need a set-up time from the user and does it all automatically.
Normally, software will update once per week or less, depending on how many new viruses are identified during the time period. So, if you manually update your software, you’d be safe with only updating it every week.
With your software updated, you can be rest assured that your personal information is protected from hacks and scammers, leaving you more time to worry about more important things.

Updates from vendors of anti-virus programs differ. Some are weekly, daily or even hourly. So as and when updates are available, your device prompts you or does that automatically for you.