Nutrition Corner

UN says Africa faces unprecedented food crisis, with 3 in 4 people unable to afford a healthy diet: The United Nations says at least three of every four Africans can't afford a healthy diet because of an “unprecedented food crisis.”

7 amazing winter superfoods to boost your brain health: Eating junk food and sugary treats during winter can affect your brain function.

Recipe for The Day

Cajun Chicken Pasta: Cajun Chicken Pasta is packed with chicken strips, bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, and scallions in a light, creamy Cajun sauce.

Lifestyle & Fitness Focus

5 mint water benefits that’ll get you hooked on this superdrink

• Low in calories and sugar: According to Food Data Central in the US Department of Agriculture, two tablespoons of fresh spearmint leaves contain only 5 calories while the same amount of peppermint leaves contains about 2.5 calories.

• Soothes indigestion: What causes indigestion? A number of factors like overeating, eating spicy or fatty foods, stress, and sometimes even bad metabolism. The solution? Mint water. It contains menthol, which is proven to have a calming effect on the muscles of the digestive system. This also helps relieve cramps, bloating, and gas.

• Might aid weight loss: One of the biggest benefits of mint water is that it’s a great drink to promote weight loss. No, mint water won’t magically shave off all the extra pounds, but when you replace a high-calorie sugary drink with this low-calorie super drink, you’re going to reach your weight goal faster.

• Helps fight fatigue: Coming back home after a long day at work or even from a vacation is exhausting and leads to fatigue. Want a simple remedy? Just boil some water with a few mint leaves, squeeze some lemon juice into it, and sip. The aroma and flavour of mint is known to heighten the mood and senses and provide relaxation. The best part? It does not contain caffeine!

• Detoxifies the body: One of the greatest mint benefits is that it helps in detoxifying the body. Google for any detox water recipe and you will find mint as an ingredient in most of them. Mint cleanses the body by flushing toxins out of it and boosting the immunity system.

Top 4 Tips to Wake Up Early and Seize the Day

• Establish a consistent sleep schedule: Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is one of the main elements of rising early. Even on weekends, try to stick to a regular bedtime and wake-up time. Your body's internal clock is regulated by following a schedule, which makes getting up early every day easier.

• Create a personalized bedtime routine: By creating a calming nighttime ritual, you can tell your body when it's time to unwind and get ready for sleep. Avoid using electronics at least an hour before bed since the blue light they emit can disrupt your sleep cycles. Instead, try relaxing activities like meditation, taking a warm bath, or reading a book.

• Optimize your sleeping environment: Your sleeping environment significantly influences your capacity to get up early. Make sure that your bedroom is cool, quiet, and dark. To create an inviting sleeping environment that you look forward to spending time in, splash out on a comfy mattress, pillows, and breathable bedding.

• Gradually adjust your wake-up time: It can be difficult to suddenly change your wake-up time to an earlier hour if you're used to sleeping in late into the morning. Instead of going from a 9 a.m. wake-up to trying to join the 5 a.m. club in one night, try making small changes incrementally. Once you've decided on your preferred wake-up time, set your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier each week.

Top 3 Ways to Keep High Blood Pressure at Bay

• Drop excess pounds: Weight loss can offer a huge return on investment for those who are overweight or obese, with every 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) lost lowering systolic blood pressure by about 1 mmHg.

• Sidestep the sodium: A key to blood pressure maintenance is reducing high-sodium foods (think packaged, processed foods) and eating foods rich in potassium (such as spinach, sweet potatoes, avocados, pumpkin and white beans).

• Enjoy your java, in moderation: While caffeine can acutely increase blood pressure, coffee lovers can keep their morning ritual. It’s fine in moderation, even for hypertensive patients.

4 Triceps Exercises for Arm Workouts to Build Muscle Strength

• Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press: This bench press variation has you lift a bar with your hands set shoulder-width apart. This hand placement shifts the load more to your triceps. You won’t be able to lift as much weight with the close-grip bench press, but you’ll strengthen your triceps.

• Triceps Pushdown: You can really isolate your triceps with the triceps pushdown. To perform the pushdown, you either grab a resistance band or a cable pulley, step back, so the band or cable is taut, and then push it downward by flexing your triceps. Since just your triceps are moving the weight, you can better hone in on them.

• Skull Crusher: This triceps exercise variation has you lower (or dumbbells or cable pulley or kettlebells) to your forehead to stretch the triceps muscle.

• Bodyweight Skull Crusher: This move is technically a skull crusher, but it hits differently. Your body has to stabilize itself big time as you lower your body, using your triceps primarily, towards a stationary barbell. This lack of balance makes the move very hard but grants you more core strength if you’re able to do it.

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