There are many who consume sprouts for breakfast and as a snack as sprouts are nutritious and they are powerhouses of proteins. Other nutrients that are present in the sprouts are fibres, calcium, potassium, phosphorus plus vitamins like A and C etc. The bitter truth is that though these sprouts are rich in nutrients our body would have a tough time while breaking them down. It is worthy to note that sprouting is a natural process by which pores or seeds germinate and put out shoots. Sprouts intake can harm these persons: It is learnt that those who have autoimmune conditions in them and children and elderly persons etc must avoid eating sprouts in uncooked or raw form as it could cause food poisoning in these persons. Not only these persons, but also those with weak kidneys must refrain themselves from consuming sprouts and this could be due to the presence of fibre and protein in the sprouts. Persons who have a sensitive gut must be very careful regarding eating sprouts as they could be hard to get broken down and digested. This might even result in a few digestive issues like abdominal pain, gas, diarrhoea or constipation. Point to be noted is that any raw food would cause vector borne diseases in us and it is the same with sprouts too. It is said that persons with piles problems must refrain themselves from eating sprouts. Benefits of eating sprouted vegetables: Intake of sprouted vegetables can improve heart health by lowering blood cholesterol levels. There are low chances of getting affected with heart diseases if we consume sprouts. Regular bowel movements are provided by intake of sprouted vegetables. Our blood sugar levels would get regulated also. Certain sprouted vegetables we must avoid are: Onion sprouts: It is better not to eat sprouted onions as they might harm our health. Sprouts would appear on onion if stored for a longer duration. Point is if the onion smells bad and mushy then sprouted onion must be avoided.  Sometimes, sprouted onions are confused with spring onions. Garlic sprouts: Garlic would sprout when it is stored in poor condition. The sprouts could be bitter in taste. Mold formation on the onions is revealed by blue coloured sprouts. Potato sprouts: Not only onion and garlic can sprout, but even potatoes can sprout. Intake of potato sprouts can produce digestive problems such as stomach pain, nausea etc. Kidney beans sprouts: When kidney beans sprout and if we consume them then we could get digestive distress.  It is believed that sprouting would increase the compound phytohaemagglutinin. Intestinal linings might also get affected by the intake of sprouted kidney beans. Raw alfalfa sprouts: We could get food poisoning if we consume raw alfalfa sprouts. This could be due to the growth of harmful bacteria.

The name itself would bring huge happiness on our faces. Our tongues would relish the sweetness of the drink. We are now talking about the fantastic bael juice or bael sharbat. This is the summer season and there is no drink that can beat bael sharbat that would be available in different flavours. The advantage of bael sharbat is the ease with which it can be prepared plus the health benefits it would provide. Bael sharbat contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants etc. How to prepare bael sharbat: In the first step, bael fruit must be washed well with water. Then, bael must be broken open and pulp must be scraped out. In the third step, water must be added and allowed to stand for some time. Pulp must be mashed while it is in water. The juice is then squeezed out and strained with a strainer. Finally, add sugar plus a few drops of fresh lemon juice and serve the drink in cold condition.. Important benefits of drinking bael sharbat are Keeps us hydrated: During the summer season, it would be better to drink bael sharbat due to its hydrating properties. We would be able to compensate for the fluid loss from our body by drinking this sweet drink. Boosts energy levels: We would feel totally drained due to the unbearable heat during the summers. By drinking bael sharbat, we could feel energised and refreshed. The reason for this is due to the presence of calcium, iron and vitamin C in this bael sharbat. Boosts digestive health: It is noteworthy that bael sharbat is rich in fibre content and would help in regulating bowel movements. When we drink bael juice regularly then we could be free from digestive issues like bloating, gas etc. Boosts immunity: Not many would know that this juice contains vitamins A and C plus antioxidants etc and hence consuming bael juice would boost the immunity. This would help us to avoid infections and diseases etc. Anti-inflammatory properties: The anti-inflammatory compounds like Tannins, flavonoids and coumarins are present in bael juice. It must be noted that these anti-inflammatory compounds inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators in the body. Controls diabetes: Our blood sugar levels would get regulated by the presence of compounds like ferulic acid and rutin etc in the bael sharbat. It is worth noting that insulin sensitivity would get better due to these compounds and blood glucose levels would get lowered. Improves respiratory health: Our respiratory tract would get soothed if we drink bael sharbat. The conditions such as bronchitis and asthma etc would be lowered by drinking this. Improves skin health: Our skin would get protection from oxidative stress due to the presence of antioxidants and vitamins present in the bael sharbat. Collagen production would get promoted and skin elasticity would get improved. These would prevent us from premature ageing. Supports heart health: By drinking bael sharbat, our BP would get regulated and this is due to the presence of potassium in this juice. Bad cholesterol levels would reduce. This would improve the heart health to a huge level.

Managing periods is not that easy!! It is worth mentioning that during periods women usually are in huge discomfort and find it very difficult. It is known that periods or menstruation refers to monthly loss of blood in a woman after she reaches puberty. Various symptoms a woman would experience during her periods are abdominal cramps, bloating, mood swings, fatigue, digestion problems etc. Therefore, it is obvious that a woman would try many ways to overcome the discomfort during periods. By avoiding these, a woman would be able to manage her tough periods. By avoiding caffeine: When women in her periods consume caffeine in the form of coffee or tea then her blood vessels might get constricted. This could increase stress hormones causing more cramps, anxiety etc. It is noteworthy that intake of caffeine could also make a woman dehydrated (as it is a diuretic) and by this she could get bloating etc. Drinking herbal teas could be superb for a woman during periods. By avoiding salty foods: Intake of foods with excess salts can cause water retention and finally bloating and puffiness etc. Instead of consuming processed snacks, canned foods etc women could consume whole fresh foods. By avoiding sugary foods & drinks: It would be good if women during their periods avoid intake of sugary foods. The reason is intake of sugary foods would spike her blood sugar levels and then crash down. This could aggravate mood swings, fatigue etc. Inflammation would get triggered by sugary foods and by this abdominal cramps would get worse. It would be good to opt for natural sugars from fresh fruits intake. By avoiding heavy greasy foods: It is worth mentioning here that prostaglandins would get secreted by consuming fried and fatty foods during periods. By this, women could have uterine contractions and cramps. Heavy fatty foods can lead to digestion based issues also. Hence, a woman in her periods must consume lighter meals with healthy fats. By not eating meals or skipping meals: Point is that women during periods could get more irritated if she doesn`t eat meals or skip meals. This can lead to destabilisation of blood sugar levels. By avoiding intense workouts: Body would be subjected to additional stress due to strenuous workouts. By this a woman in her periods could get abdominal cramps and dizziness etc. Low or less intense activities would be better. Various examples of less intense activity are walking, stretching etc. By avoiding tight clothes: Bloating and cramps would become more if a woman wears tight fitting clothes around waist and lower abdomen. Women would feel more comfortable especially during periods if she wears loose fitting clothes as her body would feel relaxed.

Are you aware of the fact that the immune System is our body`s natural defence mechanism against infections and diseases? It must be noted that every day habits can weaken our immune system to a huge extent. A person would have a weakened immune system if he or she doesn`t sleep well during the nights or over dependency on medicines especially antibiotics etc. Our immunity would become weak due to these daily bad habits, please take care. Not getting enough sleep: For the sake of immune regulation, it is highly essential to sleep well. It has been brought out that adults require 6 to 7 hours of sleep. Infection fighting cytokines production would get lowered due to poor sleep in the night. We would be more prone to infections like cold, flu etc. Excess intake of sugary and processed foods: There are possibilities of getting chronic inflammations by consuming excess amounts of sugary foods and processed foods etc. It has been confirmed by a research study published in `The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition` that 100 grams of sugar significantly reduces our immune response up to 5 hours. Sedentary lifestyle: We could become obese and have poor blood circulation if we follow a sedentary lifestyle or lack of physical activity. Point is that 150minutes of moderate physical activity would stimulate immune cell circulation and lower inflammation. High stress levels: Our cortisol levels would increase due to chronic stress in us. It is true that this would suppress immune system function over time. Truth is that stress would also affect our sleep, digestion and hormone regulation etc. It is believed that practising mindfulness, yoga and breathing exercises etc would help in maintaining our mental health. Excessive antibiotics use: Our immune health would depend on gut health. It is worth noting that disturbance in gut microbiota by excessive intake of antibiotics would weaken our immune system. Hence, it is essential that we must consume antibiotics in a restricted amount and often. Poor hydration habits: Lymph is a fluid that carries the immune cells throughout our body. Dehydration or water intake would result in productionon of lymph. It is essential to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water throughout the day. Smoking and alcohol intake: Our immune system would become weak if we smoke or consume alcohol. This is due to the release of toxins in us. It has been warned by CDC or Centre for Diseases Control that smokers and drinkers are more susceptible to respiratory infections and slow recovery etc. Please be careful and try to quit these habits. Not eating fruits and vegetables etc: For the sake of immunity or good immune system, vitamins like A, C and zinc etc play a huge role. When a person doesn`t eat whole fruits and vegetables etc then he or she would not get these important nutrients. Therefore, it is a must to consume citrus fruits, bell peppers, seeds etc.