Weight loss diets are a-dime-a-dozen, but what is not present is enough and credible information about which diet is healthy and which diet may actually get you the results that you desire. With the increasing influence of social media self-claimed nutritionists and dietitians, there is no control over the kind of myths or lies people may end up endorsing and believing in. Raw food diet or raw foodism is one such 'trendy' diet that has seen its time in the spotlight and a lot of people around the world believe that following a raw food diet may bring several health benefits. But does it actually help you lose weight? More importantly, will it allow you to lose weight in a safe and healthy manner?

Raw Foodism: Is It Really Healthier Than Eating Cooked Food?
Raw foodism is basically a diet where you don't cook anything you eat. Obviously, then a majority of your diet will comprise fresh fruits and leafy and cruciferous vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds. Some people, who follow the raw food diet, even consume un-pasteurised dairy products, raw eggs, meats and fish. The diet was born out of the belief that cooking foods for long periods of time can denature certain beneficial compounds in foods and destroy most of the nutrition present in them. Indeed there are some vitamins and nutrients that may get leached out of certain foods items while cooking, particularly during boiling or slow-cooking.

Additionally, cooking also introduces a number of potentially unhealthy elements to your diet, including high-sodium condiments, excessive salt and greasy or processed cooking oils. So, you may think that to reap the benefits of these foods, you should eat them raw. But, this is just half the story. While it is true that over-cooking food may make it loose its nutrition, some heat may actually make certain compounds more readily available for absorption by the body. Applying some heat to certain foods and spices activates the antioxidants and beneficial compounds in them and also makes sure that the food is easily digested by the body. Cooked food is easier to assimilate than raw food.

Benefits Of Raw Food: Does Eating Raw Food Lead To Weight Loss?

While eating raw foods or following raw foodism may make you lose weight initially due to the absence of salt, sugar or cooking oils, it is not a sustainable diet as you may lose out on a number of important antioxidants and healthy compounds from your meals. Another reason why following a raw food diet can lead to weight loss is that the options are limited - you will mostly end up eating a lot of fresh fruits, seeds and nuts, which are typically low in calories. However, raw food diet may deprive you of a number of other essential nutrients, including protein as well as minerals like zinc and calcium. These may lead to poor overall health and health complications due to the deficiencies in these nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

So, the bottom line is that you should stick to eating cooked food. Do not over-cook your food, if you are concerned about the nutrients getting lost. Additionally, prepare your meals by using low salt and sugar, as well as with healthier alternatives for processed cooking oils like olive oil, mustard oil and coconut oil.

A poor diet not only spells disaster for general health but it could also be a leading cause of deaths all over the world. If a new study is to be believed, consuming unhealthy foods regularly and not eating enough healthy foods can wreak more harm than smoking cigarettes! The finding, which was published in the international medical journal, The Lancet, observed and assessed the consumption of major foods and nutrients across 195 countries among adults over the age of 25. The relationship between sub optimal diet and the rate of mortality was studied carefully. Over 130 scientists from around 40 countries took part in the analysis and the results are shocking enough to push you towards a healthy diet immediately.

A healthy diet is synonymous to good health. 'We are what we eat' - we have heard this a gazillion times. The saying lays stress on watching our diet carefully as it is the basis of our overall well being. As good food helps us maintain a good health, bad food can do the exact opposite.

The study reveals that poor diets caused 10.9 million deaths (22% of all deaths) among adults in the year 2017 while smoking was responsible for 8.0 million deaths. It further divulges that 50% of the diet-related deaths were caused due to low intake of healthy foods. Specifically, 3 kinds of feeding habits were held responsible for such a harsh impact on people's health.

The Three Bad Diets Linked To High Mortality Rate Are -
- Low intake of whole grains
- Low intake of fruits
- High consumption of sodium

And the foods that are linked to high death rates (one in every five deaths globally) are - red meat, processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fatty acids among other foods.

It was also found out during a survey for the study that the biggest gap between an optimal diet and a bad diet is usually caused by the dearth of milk, whole gains and nuts and seeds.

Researchers pointed out a glaring fault in the general dietary perception of the people - We lay too much emphasis on restricting the consumption of unhealthy foods. While a good dietary strategy should focus more on including a good amount of healthy foods.

Other than encouraging people to put more healthy foods on their plate, it is also important to direct food and beverage industry to regulate their manufacturing norms and produce cleaner foods with less trans fats, chemicals, additives and sugar. Only a collective effort by the producers and the consumers can lead to a healthy and sustainable living.

Soups are one of the healthiest all-season meals out there. You can have chilled soups in summers and warm soups in winters. The one thing that sets soups apart from all other meals is the comfort-factor. They're convenient to eat, filling and deliver a healthy mix of nutrients from various vegetables, meats and fruits they're made from. The potential of soups as healthy meals is endless and you only need a little bit of creativity to put together a soothing bowl of soup. A good bowl of soup is full of antioxidants, phytochemicals and it also delivers sufficient fibre to fill you up. You can add your favourite vegetables and fruits to it, as well as a number of beneficial herbs to amp up the flavour and nutrition.

Soups can be prepared during monsoons too. In fact, soups are one of the best monsoon meals to tide over your cravings of unhealthy foods. Instead of reaching out for that plate of hot pakoras or samosas, you can instead cook yourself a bowl of soothing soup and settle in a comfy chair in your balcony to watch the rain. The natural healing properties of these soups could help you yield a variety of health benefits too.

Healthy Monsoon Diet: 3 Immunity-Boosting Soup Recipes To Keep Handy

1. Moong Dal Kiwi Coconut Soup Recipe
This is quite a unique recipe that combines the protein-punch of lentils or moong dal with the immunity-boosting power of the kiwi and healthy fats from the coconut. The soup is a filling meal for when you don't feel like preparing an elaborate meal. Kiwi is incredibly rich in Vitamin C and it adds a delicious fruity flavour to this soup.

2. Corn and Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Cauliflower is a vastly underappreciated vegetable that can be used for making almost everything from rice to sauces to pasta, pizza bases and even soups. What's more? Cauliflower also happens to be rich in Vitamin C, which is essential for a strong immunity. A 100 gram portion of the veggie packs in 80 per cent of the daily value of Vitamin C, as per USDA data. Enjoy this corn and cauliflower soup during monsoons!

3. Seafood Broth Recipe
Seafood lovers will especially like this warming broth that contains prawns, sea bass and squid. Prawns are very good for the immune system, due to the presence of zinc in them and consuming them also delivers antioxidant benefits to humans. Seafood is a rich source of protein, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart and the immune system.

It's important to watch what you eat during monsoons and soups are ideal for those times when you are hungry, but meal time is still not here. Try these soup recipes to treat your palate and your health!

Enjoying the first spell of monsoon showers? Well, so are we. The slight nip in the weather is making us tend towards slightly warming treats. Needless to say, our chaat, pakora and street food cravings are also at an all-time high. While it is absolutely okay to indulge once in a while, if you start bingeing into them more than often, you are bound to see their impact round your waistline. It is advised to eat healthy and fortifying foods at home during monsoons. Your immunity takes a dip during the weather change and you should take all dietary precautions. While you are at it, you can also supplement your diet with weight-loss-friendly foods and lose a kilo or two. Considering the dodgy weather, you might as well be more careful about what you eat and how you eat.

Here are some monsoon diet tips that may facilitate your weight loss goals.
1. Snack right

As we mentioned before, there is no harm in tucking into a greasy pakora here and there, but one must practice portion control. It is fairly easy to snack healthy in monsoon too. Roasted bhutta (corn on the cob), popcorns, fruits are some healthy ideas you can try. These snacks are low-cal and also teeming with many health benefits.

2. Hydrate Yourself

Yes, it is the last leg of summers, but that does not mean you forget your water bottles at home. Hydration helps ensure elimination of toxins. It also plays a significant role in weight loss. At times your brain inter-mixes signals of hunger and thirst. So you start eating, even before realising that you were, actually, just thirsty. Therefore, keep sipping into water, infused water, juices, herbal teas etc. If you keep drinking water, you would also stay full for long and not feel like bingeing into anything fattening so soon.

3. Eat Seasonal Fruits

Including seasonal fruits in your diet could help you load up on a range of antioxidants that could help bolster your immunity and keep infections at bay. Some of the fruits that you can include in your diet are jamuns, litchi, melons, plums, pomegranates, and strawberries. Not only are these fruits delectable to tuck into, but are also profuse with dietary fibres, which could help aid weight loss.

4. Sip On Adrak Chai But Keep A Check On Sugar

A piping hot cup of adrak wali chai is always a delight in this weather, wouldn't you agree? The concoction can do wonders for your throat and immunity. Made with ginger and other herbs like black pepper, clove and cinnamon, adrak chai is a treasure trove of antioxidants. If you do away with dairy and sugar, this herbal tea could also help you lose a kilo or two.

5. Have Soups

Soups are ideal for monsoons. You can throw any veggies of your choice in your soup and make them delectable. Soups ensure healthy inflow of nutrients. Do not refrain from using healing herbs and spices in your soups as they help boost immunity. Since the water content of soup is so high, they help fill you up without any major calorie overload. If you feel full, you would naturally binge less, which would further help your weight loss goals.

Try these healthy diet tips this monsoon and see the results for yourself.

Blood pressure is simply defined as the pressure of blood against the walls of the arteries. There are two components in blood pressure - systolic BP and diastolic BP. The systolic BP is the top number and it represents the pressure the heart generates when it pumps blood to the body, while diastolic BP is the lower number, which represents the pressure in blood vessels between heartbeats. High blood pressure is a condition when both the systolic and diastolic BP is raised above acceptable limits and high blood pressure is called hypertension. What makes high blood pressure so dangerous is that it usually has no discernible symptoms. However, the condition is treatable with the help of medication, exercise and a healthy diet that is low in sodium and fat. There are certain foods and drinks that may help in managing the condition and regulating blood pressure by complimenting the medication

Benefits Of Whole Grains In Hypertension
Typically, a low sodium diet is recommended for people suffering from hypertension. People with high blood pressure are also advised to switch from refined flours to whole grain flours, as well as include more fruits and vegetables in the diet. Whole grains may actually work wonders when included in a high blood pressure diet. A 2010 study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, said that following a diet rich in whole grains is as effective as anti-hypertensive medication, as these may reduce blood pressure and in extension, reduce the risk of heart diseases, stroke, heart failure etc.

Here are some whole-grain flours that can be included in the hypertension diet:

1. Whole Wheat Flour
One of the most commonly used flours in India is the whole wheat flour, which is supplied by a number of chakkis. Wheat is ground in fresh and used to prepare rotis and chapatis - whole wheat flatbreads are eaten with vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries. Whole wheat flour contains good amounts of fibre and proteins.

2. Whole Oats Flour
Whole oats can be turned into flour that can be used to prepare a number of dishes- both sweet and savoury. Rolled oats are one of the best varieties of whole-grain oats that you can lay your hands on. All you have to do then is to blitz the oats in a grinder to a fine powder-like consistency and use it instead of refined flour for making breads, pancakes, etc.

3. Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat is another whole grain that is extremely rich in dietary fibre and proteins. It is also gluten-free and can be consumed by those who have an allergy. The flour can be used to prepare anything, from noodles to breads and snacks like chips and crisps.

4. Barley Flour
Barley, or jau, was one of the first cultivated grains on Earth and this ancient grain has made a comeback. Barley belongs to the grass family, but is widely cultivated as a food grain that is a healthy alternative to refined grains. A 100-gram serving of hulled barley contains a whopping 17 grams of dietary fibre and 12 grams of proteins (as per data by the USDA).

Some people have been known to have allergic reactions to some specific flours. Although these allergic symptoms may rarely show up (if ever), it is better to ensure that these grains are safe for you to eat, before including them in your diet.