The Dark Side of Smoked Food and How it Could Lead to Cancer

Smoked meats could be quite addictive. The flavour is hard to match up to, and even a quick stir-fry or a light broth could please your taste buds like no other. The process of smoking is an ancient culinary practise that has been followed by various cultures across the globe. There are so many delicacies that centre around this method of cooking – apple wood smoked pulled chicken, smoked beef jerky, smoked prime rib, Khasi smoked pork, etc. As much as meat lovers indulge in these so called “burnt food”…

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Believe it or Not, Taking Regular Showers May Damage Your Immunity

Growing up, we were always told to brush twice and also shower regularly for good hygiene. It turns out that there might be little truth in this advice. According to a new study conducted at the Genetic Science Centre at the University of Utah, over-cleaning can damage the human microbiome which can have a negative impact on our immune system, digestive functions and even our heart health. The human microbiome is a collection of good bacteria, viruses and other microbes that live in your body and help in regulating day to day functions. They…

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Stop Cooking in Aluminium Pots: It Can Harm Your Child’s IQ

Want your kid to perform well at school? Ensure cooking meals in non-aluminium vessels. A recent report published in Total Environment’s journal studies the ill-effects of consuming meals cooked in aluminium vessels on kids. According to the study, when food gets in contact with aluminium, harmful agents find their way inside the body. This can harm children’s mental health as well as their Intelligence Quotient. Traces of cadmium and lead, when consumed through food, can damage kidney, harm brain and may lead to various cardiovascular and mental ailments besides other…

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It’s all about loving your body, the way it is

Recently, a global beauty and make-up brand made headlines when it appointed a man as its face. This comes at a time when body inclusivity and positivity has taken the form of a revolution. For every unhealthy social media trend, there’s a counter trend of healthy support. For every magazine that photoshops its cover girls, there’s one that’s breaking formulae by featuring the ‘unconventional and not perfect’ body type. For every body shaming troll online, we have an army of body positive people up in arms against them. India too,…

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Can’t breathe after Chinese food? It might be the MSG

Can’t breathe after Chinese food? It mightbe the MSG A very satisfying feast of kung pao chicken, sweet-sour pork or just about any Chinese dish could, at times, be accompanied with a bout of headache, giddiness or rashes. It’s aptly called the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, but a doctor from Mahad, a four-hour drive from Mumbai, recently found out that the presence of ajinomoto salt -better known as mono sodium glutamate or MSG -in Chinese food could even lead to life-threatening swelling of tissues. A 23-year-old who had eaten triple fried…

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Why is Healthy Food So Expensive? Maybe Because We Expect it to be

Imagine you’re in the aisle of your favorite grocery store, bombarded with hundreds of the latest and greatest products on the market. After grabbing a box of your favorite pasta off the shelf, you notice a new organic version of the spaghetti sauce you usually buy. Strikingly, the price is at almost a 50 percent premium compared with what your usual sauce costs. Here we go again, you think: You have to empty your wallet to buy the “healthy” stuff. If this describes how you think about the relationship between…

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