Different rice; are all the same to eat?

Rice is the most important food for the majority in our world. It is the first-highest produced grain in our world. It is the seed of the plant Oryza sativa. It is the main food in East and South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the West Indies. Even in the developed countries the consumption of rice has increased considerably. There are hundreds of food preparations based on rice and you can have it according to your taste.

There are three kinds of rice available and all are from the same rice. The processing gives them the different qualities. The three varieties include:

• White rice
• Brown rice
• Boiled or parboiled rice

When the whole husk and the germ are during milling it is the white rice. The outer husk, the chaff is removed only with a rice huller it is the brown rice. Brown rice has the bran and the germ and thus many nutrients than white rice. The whole rice grain with husk is steamed or boiled and during this process the nutrients including vitamin B1 enters inside the rice. It is dried and milled later. This boiled or parboiled rice has 80% of the nutritional value of the brown rice.

Brown rice and white rice have the same amounts of carbohydrates, protein and calories. Here only the processing is different and it has an enormous influence of the nutrients. Several vitamins and minerals are lost during milling and polishing. In United States of America white rice is enriched with most of the lost nutrients. But, in the other parts of the world it is eaten as such after milling and polishing. People who eat mainly white rice, therefore, must include pulses, beans, milk products or meat in their food to get all the nutrients the body needs.

The starches in the boiled or parboiled rice become gelatinized, making it glassier and harder. The cooked boiled or parboiled rice is firmer and less sticky compared to other rice. We can remember the famous Uncle Ben’s fork test. Parboiled is the short for of partially boiled.

In some countries rice is milled extremely and then coated with talcum or glucose to have a shining appearance. This must be avoided as talc may bring health risks like cancer.

Eating excess rise increase the blood fat level of triglycerides and this is a risk factor to stroke and heart attack. Rice in normal amount is a very healthy food. 150 to 200 g cooked rice with enough vegetables, fruits, pulses, beans, nuts, seeds, milk products and meat is the good combination.

Main rice eaters must not forget the daily exercise.

My wife has no interest in sex; what can be done to have a good married life?

At first it is important to know that your wife is not a sex machine. You press the ON button and she is ready for sex. You have your normal sexual desire although you work during the day. What do you do other than your office work? You may be meeting friends, visiting bars, watching sports in television or reading news paper. It is evening, the children have slept and you want to have your fun. You expect that it is her duty to make you happy.

Have you ever thought of her work during the day? She gets up before you, prepare for the breakfast. She has to make the children ready for the school before the school bus comes. In between you want your coffee and may miss many things which you need every day. You ask her only where they are. You have gone, children have gone and she makes her ready and rushes to her office. The work is heavy in her office. Back home she has to take care of the children and their needs and even the home work. The preparation of the dinner and finally cleaning the kitchen too involves lot of work. The desire for sex is different in women when the workload increases. It decreases with increase of workload.

You need every morning fresh clothes and it she who organizes washing and ironing. Her work is over and it may be 10 p.m. You are relaxed and wait with full expectation of your wife. She is tired and almost burnt out. Her thoughts are already at 5 a.m., next morning, the time she must get up. This kind of problems is normal in many families around the world. The frustrated men masturbate or go somewhere to get sex. Many spoil their health too in this process.

If you are intelligent you can find a way for this problem. You put yourself in your wife’s role and then you know at least she is doing three times more work than you. You will never dare to do so much.

The first thing is share her work and help her wherever it is possible. Several things can be done by you with proper instructions from your wife. If both are working clothes can be given for washing outside or have a help in the home. You can take care of the home work of your children. You can play with your children which is good for both sides.

Flowers or other small things are the gifts you must think of often and every woman likes this. Tell her often that you love her and during the day you can call her and tell her that you are eagerly waiting for the evening. The romantic flame must always burn in her mind. This is only possible if she has time to think and relax. Family life is a team work and both the partners must know what to do and when. These are learnt in course of time. After you both wait when the children go to bed.

You can ask your or her parents to take care of the children and have a day or two for you both only. This is the best way to relax and enjoy too.

If there are health problems you must take her to your doctor. A light depression can kill the desire to sex. The same is with headache and migraine. Child birth is normally a problem too because the mother is fixed on her child now. You must talk with her about everything and communication can solve many problems. Make her first happy and then you get at least ten times more from her. Unfortunately, many men do not understand this simple trick.

Above all love must be the reason for sexual enjoyment. You try this and I’m sure your sexual life will be happy.

Weight loss; can slow-eating lead to weight loss?

What is the difference in eating habits between thin people and others with excess weight? If you notice – in family members or friends – thin people take long time to eat their food and the others gobble it down. Eating slowly is one of the important methods to reduce weight. The reason is that from the time you start eating it takes your brain 20 minutes to send signaling feeling of fullness. It is normal that quick eaters can consume during these 20 minutes much more than they need and the fat accumulates in the body. Slow-eating is a powerful tool to reduce weight.

There are many other positive effects in slow-eating and they include:

• Helps to lose weight
• You enjoy your food far better
• Leads to better digestion
• Reduces stress
• Makes an end to fast life and fast food

Take time for you and try it for few days and surely you know the changes happening in your body and mind. It costs you nothing and the time you can arrange at any situation if there is a will.

There are enough studies to prove this.

Exercise is a must in our daily life. Eat enough vegetables and fruits with other good and healthy food.

Write me your experiences…

What are the effects of low and high potassium levels in the body?

Potassium is an essential element that we need for the functioning of the body. It works with sodium to maintain the body’s water balance. Increased intake of potassium may increase the amount of sodium excreted from the body and this is a protective effect against high blood pressure. The kidneys regulate the level of potassium in the body.

The functions of potassium in the body include:

• Reduces blood pressure
• Regulates heart function
• Play vital role in kidney function
• Important for normal muscle function
• Important for normal nerve function
• Important for fluid balance
• Necessary to maintain acid / alkali balance
• Needed for protein synthesis
• Required to convert glucose into glycogen

To put it very precise the cell functions need potassium.

Low level of potassium in the body brings many health problems. The symptoms of low potassium level include:

• Muscle weakness
• Muscle aches
• Low blood pressure
• Cramps in the leg and arm muscles
• Irregular heart beats
• Disturbances in heart rhythm
• Abdominal cramping and bloating
• Numbness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Large amount of urination
• Thirst
• Constipation
• Paralysis

Potassium deficiency, hypokalemia is very dangerous for our health and should be treated with foods rich in potassium. Supplements can be used, but the blood level of potassium must be monitored regularly. Here your dietician and doctor recommend you the necessary actions.

On the other hand, the symptoms of high potassium are very vague. Nausea, fatigue, muscle weakness and tingling sensations are the normal vague symptoms. That is why your doctor controls the blood levels of it always. The kidney function must also be monitored regularly.

Hyperkalemia is one of the dangers of high potassium levels and can be life threatening if not treated immediately. The other dangers are irregular heartbeat, slow and weak pulse rate, difficulty in breathing and paralysis. In this case your doctor recommend appropriate treatments to reduce potassium.

The food rich in potassium include fruits, vegetables, milk and meat. If supplements are given the blood level must be monitored regularly. Several medicines can affect the potassium levels in both ways. Your doctor must know all the medicines you take.

Alcohol and tobacco; are the use of these social drugs risk factors for type 2-diabetes?

Alcohol and tobacco abuse are two risk factors among many for type 2-diabetes. Most scientists agree that these two increase the risk of type 2-diabetes. As we know, there are many other risk factors which can influence type 2-diabetes. Normally you are not having all the risk factors. Some risk factors may apply to you and the others may not. Therefore, it is always good to know all the risk factors before we deeply go to alcohol and tobacco.

The type 2-diabetes risk factors include:

• Race and ethnicity
• Hereditary
• Personal history
• Age, above 40 years
• Overweight or obesity
• Waist circumference above 88 cm for women and 103 cm for men
• Diabetes during pregnancy
• Excess food intake
• Less physical activity
• Alcohol
• Tobacco smoke

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol – two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women – may lower the risk of diabetes. But, if you drink more it is a risk factor for type 2-diabetes. Too much alcohol can affect the pancreas and disturbs the ability to secrete insulin. In course of time this leads to type 2-diabetes.

Tobacco or tobacco smoke is as harmful as excess alcohol. Use of tobacco and tobacco products can increase the blood sugar levels and this leads to insulin resistance. The smokers have double the risk of developing type 2-diabetes when compared to nonsmokers. Passive smoking must also be completely avoided and is more dangerous than smoking.

Alcohol need not be a must every day. Never offer to persons who do not want to drink alcohol. Now and then one or two drinks or one glass beer or one glass red wine or one glass champagne is allowed. Remember always consuming more than this can make you an addict. That is why your doctor does not recommend alcohol.

Increased risk of type 2-diabetes is another important reason to stop smoking completely. It is advisable not to use any tobacco products. There is no compromise like in alcohol.