incorporate Almonds into your diet

Possible health benefits

In Ayurveda, an ancient system of health care that is native to the Indian subcontinent, almond is considered a nutritive for brain and nervous system. It is said to induce high intellectual level and longevity. Almond oil is called Roghan Badam in both Ayurveda and Unani Tibb. It is extracted by cold process and is considered a nutritive aphrodisiac both for massage and internal consumption. Recent studies have shown that the constituents of almond have anti-inflammatory, immunity boosting, and anti-hepatotoxicity effects.

A controlled trial showed that 73g of almonds in the daily diet reduced LDL cholesterol by as much as 9.4%, reduced the LDL:HDL ratio by 12.0%, and increased HDL-cholesterol (i.e., the good cholesterol) by 4.6%.Claimed health benefits include improved complexion, improved movement of food through the colon and the prevention of cancer.Recent research associates the inclusion of almonds in the diet with elevating the blood levels of high density lipoproteins and of lowering the levels of low density lipoproteins.

why Pakistan to Sit Out 2010 FIFA Football World Cup?

Unlike the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when Pakistan was represented in each and every game of the world’s premier sporting tournament - in the shape of Pakistani manufactured footballs - Pakistan will be missing in action at the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup that starts in South Africa later this week. This year’s official match football for the World Cup - Jabulani or Jo’bulani (manufactured by Adidas and meaning ‘to celebrate’ in Zulu - will come from China, not Pakistan.

No longer so, it seems. Indeed, from once commanding as much as 85% of the world’s market in footballs, Pakistani manufacturers now believe that they will supply no more than 30-40 percent of the footballs sold around this mega-event. Pakistan, of course, is not a football power at all - ranked 165th out of 202 countries in the world. But like everywhere else, football fever can get high in Pakistan too . This year, however, we would no longer be kicked around on the FIFA World Cup soccer fields.

"Burqa" ,Arabic word which means to veil or cover.

Where is a Burqa worn?

Burqa is worn throughout Middle Eastern nations and the Muslim nations around the world. Many liberal or democratic governments are not so strict about wearing the Burqa. One such famous example is Turkey, where secular ideas prevail and give people the freedom to choose if they want to wear a Burqa. Meanwhile, in stricter nations, women are told to wear the Burqa and failure to do so can result in beatings, harassment or other worse punishments.

Who wears a Burqa?
Obviously a woman wears a Burqa but more specifically, conservative practicing Muslims wear it. Girls are not supposed to wear a burqa until she hits puberty but this notion is not practiced as girl as young as six are made to wear the Burqa to get them used to wearing it. There have also been instances where men wore the Burqa to escape from the police or to hide their identities from the authorities. One such famous incident occurred at the Red Mosque siege in Pakistan.

What are the different styles of the Burqa or names?
Burqa falls under the category of Hijab. This is a Arabic word which means to veil or cover and refers to a women’s head and body covering gear. In Saudi Arabia, women a loose robe called abaya and a face veil called niqab while in nations like Tunisia or Turkey, Muslim women tend to wear only a headscarf. In Iran, they take a step further and the “fashion police” mandate all women to wear loose clothing – preferably black or a while robe – when going out and women are also supposed to wear either a full face veil or scarf. If the dress code is not followed, it results in punishment. In order to accommodate to the modern word, Islamic teachers allow women to wear a “Burqini.” A Burqini is a swimsuit for women and it covers the entire body. The only exposed parts are the feet, fingers and the face. Chador is also a full body cover for women. One of the extremes of Burqa is the Afghan Burqa, which was enforced by Taliban. This burqa covers the entire body in a loose clothing and even the face (including eyes) are covered with only a grille for the women to look through.

"The immune system is our defense mechanism"

Roughly one person in four has some kind of allergy. The most common is "allergic rhinitis," which includes seasonal hay fever and year-round allergies to dust, pollen, animal dander, mold and some foods.Like other allergy symptoms, hay fever's leaky eyes, runny nose, sneezing and burning palate mean your immune system is overreacting to an otherwise harmless substance you've inhaled, swallowed or touched.
Antihistamines are the medications most commonly taken for hay fever. As the name implies, they block histamines, the substances your body releases that cause hay fever and animal allergies. Older antihistamines are more likely than newer prescription medications to cause drowsiness. Few of the less-sedating medications, loratidine, citrizine, is available without a prescription.

Age works in your favor. Allergies peak from ages 35 to 45, then level off. As the immune system starts wearing out in our 60s, we have fewer reactions to allergens. After age 75, it's unusual to suffer allergies.

Protein: How Much Do You Need?

What is protein?
Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the human body, being about 16 percent of our total body weight. Muscle, hair, skin, and connective tissue are mainly made up of protein. However, protein plays a major role in all of the cells and most of the fluids in our bodies. In addition, many of our bodies' important chemicals -- enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and even our DNA -- are at least partially made up of protein. Although our bodies are good at “recycling” protein, we use up protein constantly, so it is important to continually replace it.
Proteins are made up of smaller units called amino acids. Our bodies cannot manufacture nine amino acids, so it is important to include all these amino acids in our diets. Animal proteins such as meat, eggs, and dairy products have all the amino acids, and many plants have some of them.

How much protein do we need?
Our protein needs depend on our age, size, and activity level. The standard method used by nutritionists to estimate our minimum daily protein requirement is to multiply the body weight in kilograms by .8, or weight in pounds by .37. This is the number of grams of protein that should be the daily minimum. According to this method, a person weighing 150 lbs. should eat 55 grams of protein per day, a 200-pound person should get 74 grams, and a 250-pound person, 92 grams.
"protein plays a major role in all of the cells and most of the fluids in our bodies"

MSG a havoc?

MSGs (monosodium glutamate) safety for human consumption has been widely debated for well over 50 years. Some people are highly sensitive to it, while others appear not to be, and still yet, others may be and not even know they are, monosodium glutamate is the substance in question that causes the most reactions in MSG sensitive people. So what is MSG exactly?

It is the sodium salt of the amino acid known as glutamic acid, and a form of glutamate. Glutamate occurs naturally and is found in many living things, including you. It is found in protein-containing foods such as cheese, milk, meat, vegetables, and spores (mushrooms). When it is found in its natural unbound (unprocessed) form, and is not subjected to some sort of manufactured or fermented process, is not harmful for human or animal consumption.
MSG has no nutritional value whatsoever. Like sugar, it stimulates your taste buds, making you desire the taste so much you will keep on buying the product and keep eating it. MSG changes your perception of how a food tastes. Many experts in the field of studying its harmful effects claim that it stimulates parts of the brain to produce an addiction in much the same way as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs do.

In literally hundreds of diet studies done around the world, scientists can create, and replicate the inducing of obesity in laboratory animals. Mice and rats can be made obese, without increasing their food intake by giving them MSG.

"MSG basically overexcites your body cells, it over stimulates them to the point of damaging them., acting as a poison".