Whether you refer to them as kidney beans or chilli beans, use them in your chilli con carne or as part of a light salad, there is no denying the health benefits these legumes possess.

Kidney beans, named after the organ with which they share a unique resemblance, are grown and cooked in countries all over the world. Despite this commonality, the way in which they are utilized varies around the globe. In India for example they are used for curry, the Chinese crush them into a paste and in Japan they opt to use them as part of a popular dessert dish.

However, the benefits of kidney beans extend far beyond that of any old versatile cooking ingredient. As well as the obvious benefit of tasting great, here are five other tangible health benefits they offer: [Read more…]

It’s hard for people with severe acne to express exactly what it’s like. It’s almost too embarrassing to talk about, and it’s problematic enough to impact daily life. On one hand, people feel they shouldn’t be so concerned with their looks and that worrying about acne might make them seem vain. On the other hand, ignoring the problem completely is almost impossible because of how noticeable pimples can be.

It doesn’t help that we live in a society where airbrushed models and beautiful people are all over television and modern media. It’s hard to feel good about yourself when you can’t match those versions of beauty even if you have perfect skin.

This article is meant to help people who suffer from acne, and also those who might be unfamiliar with dealing with it on a daily basis. Hopefully, if you encounter someone with noticeable blemishes, you’ll be able to empathize in a more understanding way.

There are many social stigmas and stereotypes that surround problematic skin, and stopping them will go a long way to helping acne sufferers feel more normal. Here are five reasons why having bad acne can be so difficult: [Read more…]

Depression and mood swings are commonly caused by external factors: stress, traumatic episodes, etc. However, the onset of seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D. or SAD) has little to do with the problems in our lives. You can beat winter blues by first understanding SAD.

Winter and depression may sound like two unrelated topics, but there is indeed a correlation. Winter nights are longer than the days and this can have an adverse effect on our bodies. Humans have a circadian rhythm that lasts 24 hours. In the absence of day light, this rhythm is extended by an hour to 25 hours total, which in turn creates an imbalance. Your body is unable to adapt to a longer cycle.

It is also during the night that melatonin is produced, and with longer hours of night time, the production of melatonin is significantly increased. This causes bouts of depression. Consequentially, depression causes insomnia. Without proper sleep, the production of serotonin — which has been touted as the ‘happy brain chemical’ — ebbs. It is all a vicious cycle.

SAD is not a Death Sentence

Thankfully, with prompt and proper treatment, the effects of SAD can be reversible. It all begins with the first step of identifying that you indeed have the mental problem. Then, you can take some action to counter this disorder. [Read more…]

We are all too aware how important it is to lower the levels of salt in our diet, but it ‘s as important to keep the levels of sugar we consume in check. It ‘s well publicized how much salt is contained in packaged and pre prepared food. But what many are not aware of is that to offset the high levels of salt many manufactures also add sugar to their foods.

And to make matters worse research has shown that sugar is actually addictive, which is great news for food manufactures because you will buy more of their products, but it ‘s bad news for us as the consumer.

Lowering the levels of sugar in your diet may not be easy and taking the time to check how much sugar is contained in the foods you buy can be time consuming, but the benefits make the effort worthwhile. [Read more…]