Tuesday 28 August 2012

Sesame Oil - The Queen



THE QUEEN OF OIL 



SESAME SEED OIL


Sesame Seed Oil has been used as a healing oil for thousands of years. Sesame oil is mentioned in the Vedas as excellent for humans. It is naturally antibacterial for common skin pathogens, such as staphylococcus and streptococcus as well as common skin fungi, such as athlete's foot fungus. It is naturally antiviral. It is a natural anti inflammatory agent. It has been used extensively in India as a healing oil, including in experiments which showed it was useful in unblocking arteries. In recent experiments in Holland by Ayurvedic physicians, the oil has been used in the treatment of several chronic disease processes, including hepatitis, diabetes and migraines.

Research shows that sesame seed oil is a potent antioxidant. In the tissues beneath the skin, this oil will neutralize oxygen radicals. It penetrates into the skin quickly and enters the blood stream through the capillaries. Molecules of sesame seed oil maintain good cholesterol (HDL) and lower bad cholesterol (LDL).




In vitro, sesame seed oil has inhibited the growth of malignant melanoma (a skin cancer): Prostaglandin Leukatrines and Essential Fatty Acids 46: 145-150, 1992. Also in vitro, sesame seed oil has inhibited replication of human colon cancer cells: Anti Cancer Research 11: 209-216, 1992.


Sesame seed oil helps joints keep their flexibility. It keeps the skin supple and soft. It heals and protects areas of mild scrapes, cuts and abrasions. It helps Tighten facial skin particularly around the nose, controlling the usual enlargement of pores as skin ages chronologically.


Teen boys and girls have learned, wrongly, that all oil is bad for their facial skin. Heavy oils and toxic oils and creams are bad for all facial skin. But sesame seed oil is the one oil which is actually good for young skin. It helps control eruptions and neutralizes the poisons which develop both on the surface and in the pores. With sesame oil, no cosmetics are needed. The oil will cause young facial skin to have and display natural good health. Used on baby skin, particularly in the area covered by a diaper, sesame seed oil will protect the tender skin against rashes caused by the acidity of body wastes. In the nose and ears, it will protect against common skin pathogens. For children going to school, who will be in the presence of other children with colds and sniffles, sesame seed oil swabbed in the nose can protect against air borne viruses and bacteria.

Used after exposure to wind or sun it will calm the burns. It nourishes and feeds the scalp to control dry scalp dandruff and to kill dandruff causing bacteria. It protects the skin from the effects of chlorine in swimming pool water. Used before and after radiation treatments, sesame seed oil helps neutralize the flood of oxygen radicals which such treatment inevitably causes.

As nose drops, sniffed back into the sinuses, sesame seed oil has cured chronic sinusitis. As a throat gargle, it kills strep and other common cold bacteria. It helps sufferers of psoriasis and dry skin ailments. It has been successfully used in the hair of children to kill lice infestations. It is a useful natural UV protector.




On the skin, oil soluble toxins are attracted to sesame seed oil molecules which can then be washed away with hot water and a mild soap. Internally, the oil molecules attract oil soluble toxins and carry them into the blood stream and then out of the body as waste.

Used as a douche mixed with warm water, the oil controls vaginal yeast infections. Sesame seed oil absorbs quickly and penetrates through the tissues to the very marrow of the bone. It enters into the blood stream through the capillaries and circulates. The liver does not sweep sesame seed oil molecules from the blood, accepting those molecules as friendly.


When using the oil as a massage oil, stroke the long limbs up and down. Use circular motions over all joints to stimulate the natural energy of those joints.



Regards,

Er. Yashi Shrivastava
Food Technologist
yashi.shrivastava@gmail.com






Tuesday 22 May 2012

Know Your Cholesterol


Know Your Cholesterol


The idea that high cholesterol causes heart disease is based on the premise that cholesterol is found in the plaque of people with coronary artery disease.
But does that automatically mean that cholesterol itself is the root cause, and must be kept at a minimum to prevent plaque formation?
The answer is NOooo..”

Missing from this hypothesis is the holistic understanding of how cholesterol operates inside your body, and why arterial plaques form in the first place.
Cholesterol is actually a critical part of your body’s foundational building materials and is absolutely essential for optimal health. It’s so important that your body produces it both in your liver and in your brain. Cholesterol is also the raw material for all of your steroid hormones and vitamin D. There’s no doubt that you need it.

“Think about this for a second. Your neurons are making it for a reason,”……… Right !

 
So what’s the connection between cholesterol and heart disease?

If your body needs so much of it, what causes it to clog your arteries?
The devil is in the details, and this is definitely true when it comes to cholesterol, because, the cholesterol found in arterial plaque is not just any cholesterol, but oxidized, damaged cholesterol.

“There is an excellent research on animals where they fed animals plenty of cholesterol in their diet and they did just fine. But when they gave them even small amounts of tainted cholesterol, meaning oxidized cholesterol, within weeks it showed up in fatty streaks in their arteries,” 

“ We know why now. There are receptors in the endothelial cells that are the lining of your arteries. There are receptors there for oxidized cholesterol. It picks it up, and it goes into the endothelial cells. The problem is that oxidized cholesterol does not look native to your macrophages, your immune system. It actually looks like bacteria. The macrophages move in to try and clean up what it thinks is bacteria, which is nothing more than oxidized cholesterol, and it creates a whole bunch of inflammation inside your arterial wall. The real culprit is oxidized cholesterol ”
Where Does Oxidized Cholesterol Come From?
Oxidized cholesterol is introduced into your system every time you eat something cooked in vegetable oil. As soon as the oil is heated and mixes with oxygen, it goes rancid. Rancid oil is oxidized oil, and should not be consumed. This is why organic coconut oil, which remains stable and does not oxidize at higher temperatures is preferable.

It is always advisable to eat more raw uncooked foods, because heat is damaging the oils, which in turn is going to damage the cholesterol and lead to vascular disease problem
Why Statins Do NOT Promote Good Health
According to conventional medicine, there are two types of cholesterol:



  1. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL: This is the "GOOD" cholesterol that helps to keep cholesterol away from your arteries and remove any excess from arterial plaque, which may help to prevent heart disease.
  2. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL: This "BAD" cholesterol circulates in your blood and is more prone to oxidation. According to conventional thinking, it can build up in your arteries and form plaque that makes your arteries narrow and less flexible (a condition called atherosclerosis). If a clot forms in one of these narrowed arteries leading to your heart or brain, a heart attack or stroke may result.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends keeping your total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL, but what they do not tell you is that total cholesterol level is just about worthless for determining your risk for heart disease, unless it is above 330. Additionally, the AHA updated their guidelines in 2004, lowering the recommended level of LDL cholesterol from 130 to less than 100, or even less than 70 for patients at very high risk. To achieve these outrageously low targets, you typically need to take multiple cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Statin drugs are very effective for lowering your cholesterol across the board. However, as mentioned earlier, they shut down your body’s innate capability to create the cholesterol it needs for proper cellular- and brain function. Statins also prevent your body from generating sufficient levels of vitamin D from exposure to the sun, because the UVB rays in sunlight interact with the cholesterol in your skin and convert it to vitamin D. While statin drugs effectively reduce cholesterol values, they typically do not.

Markers for Heart Disease

Always look at the ratios between so-called good and bad cholesterol—the HDL and LDL—as well as your triglycerides. These are far more potent markers for heart disease. There are number of people with total cholesterol levels over 250 who actually were at low heart disease risk due to their HDL levels. Conversely, there are even more who had cholesterol levels under 200 that were at a very high risk of heart disease based on the following additional tests:

  • HDL/Cholesterol ratio: Divide your HDL level by your total cholesterol. This percentage should ideally be above 24 percent.
  • Triglyceride/HDL ratio: Divide your triglycerides by your HDL level. This percentage should be below 2

As per experiments, high triglycerides specifically, and elevated cholesterol in general, is typically related to excessive consumption of grains and sugars. A high-fructose, high grain-carb diet contributes to insulin resistance, which will cause your liver to produce more cholesterol and more inflammatory LDL particles, raise your triglycerides, and increase your risk of metabolic syndrome.
Tips for Optimizing Your Cholesterol Without Drugs
Your body NEEDS cholesterol—it’s important in the production of cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps your brain form memories and is vital to your neurological function.

“Please don’t live in fear of your raw cholesterol number, Unless it’s around 300 or higher, it’s not going to be indicative [of heart disease risk].”

The goal of the guidelines below is not to lower your cholesterol as low as it can go, but rather to optimize your levels so they're working in the proper balance with your body. Seventy-five percent of your cholesterol is produced by your liver, which is influenced by your insulin levels. Therefore, if you optimize your insulin level, you will automatically optimize your cholesterol. This is why my primary recommendations for safely regulating your cholesterol have to do with modifying your diet and lifestyle as follows:

  • Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars in your diet. It is especially important to eliminate dangerous sugars such as fructose. 
  • Consume a good portion of your food raw.
  • Make sure you are getting plenty of high quality, animal-based omega 3 fats, such as krill oil. New research suggests that as little as 500 mg of omega 3 fats per day may lower your total cholesterol and triglycerides and will likely increase your HDL cholesterol.
  • Replace harmful vegetable oils and trans fats with healthful fats, such as olive oil and  coconut oil (remember olive oil should be used cold only. Use coconut oil for cooking and baking)
  • Include fermented foods in your daily diet. This will not only optimize your intestinal microflora, which will boost your overall immunity, it will also introduce beneficial bacteria into your mouth. Poor oral health is another indicator of increased heart disease risk.
  • Optimize your vitamin D levels, ideally through appropriate sun exposure as this will allow your body to also create vitamin D sulfate—another factor that may play a crucial role in preventing the formation of arterial plaque.
  • Exercise regularly. Make sure you incorporate high intensity interval exercises, which also optimize your human growth hormone (HGH) production.
·         Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol excessively.
·         Be sure to get plenty of high-quality, restorative sleep.
Final Thoughts
“The simplest thing you can do, and the most powerful, is to clean up your diet first”

“Eat more raw, uncooked, living foods organic, grown around you, ripe when in season – ancient Chinese wisdom...

"Get exercise. Exercise can overcome – I’m not going to say anything – but a lot"

We know that people have eaten toxic diets for years, including a lot of cooked foods. When they get exercise, it can overcome a lot of that. These are things that cost absolutely nothing for you to do. Go for concept of eating fermented foods, keeping your mouth clean. The so-called antioxidants, particularly vitamin E or the natural vitamin E’s, are good. Especially if you can get it in your food, these don’t cost anything.

These are the things that you can do that don’t cost a penny, and can alter your health dramatically.”- Dr. Robert Rowen


Regards,


Er. Yashi Shrivastava
Food Technologist
yashi.shrivastava@gmail.com

Thursday 23 February 2012

Banana Benefits


The Multi-Tasking Banana



                         

This is interesting.

After reading this, You'll never look at a Banana in the Same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.
 It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression : According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier 

PMS : Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. 

Blood Pressure : This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power : 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. 

Constipation : High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.  

Hangovers : One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. 

Heartburn : Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness : Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. 

Mosquito bites : Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. 

Nerves : Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.  

Ulcers :  The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. 

Temperature control : Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) : Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan. 

Smoking &Tobacco Use : Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. 

Stress : Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. 

Strokes : According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! 

Warts : Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.

It is also rich in Potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say –

'A Banana a day keeps the doctor away!' 

PJ : Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !!!

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain.


Regards

Er. Yashi Shrivastava
yashi.shrivastav@gmail.com


Sunday 8 January 2012

License & Registration FSSAI

Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses under FSSR, 2011



With effect from August 5, 2011, the Food Safety and Standard (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011, have come into force and all the food business operators have to comply with these requirements.

Henceforth, all food business operators in the country will be registered or licensed in accordance with the procedures laid down hereunder, the summary of which is presented below for awareness:

Registration of petty food business

" All petty food business operators shall register themselves with the registering authority by submitting an application for registration as prescribed in these rules.

" The petty food manufacturer shall follow the basic hygiene and safety requirements provided in Part I of Schedule 4 of these regulations and provide a self-attested declaration of adherence to these requirements with the application.

" The registering authority shall consider the application and may either grant registration or reject it with reasons to be recorded in writing or issue notice for inspection, within 7 days of receipt of an application for registration.

" The registering authority shall issue a registration certificate and a photo identity card, after completing the process and which shall be displayed at a prominent place at all times within the premises or vehicle or cart or any other place where the person carries on sale / manufacture of food in case of petty food business.

" The registering authority or any officer or agency specifically authorised for this purpose shall carry out safety inspection of the registered establishments at least once in a year.


License for food business

No person shall commence any food business unless he possesses a valid license.

" Provided that any person or food business operator carrying on food business on the date of notification of these regulations, under a license, registration or permission, as the case may be, under the Acts or Orders mentioned in the Second Schedule of the Act shall get their existing license converted into the license / registration under these regulations by making an application to the licensing / registering authority after complying with the safety requirements mentioned in the Schedule 4 contained under different parts dependent on nature of business, within one year of notification of these regulations.

" In case of difficulty, the licensing authority with the approval of the food safety commissioner in the state will determine the advisability of applying any specific condition keeping in view the need to ensure safety of food and public interest.

" No license fee will have to be paid for the remaining period of the validity of the earlier license or registration granted under any of the said Acts or Orders.

" Non-compliance with this provision by a food business operator will attract penalty under Section 55 of the Act.

" License for commencing or carrying on food business, which falls under Schedule 1, shall be granted by the Central Licensing Authority, provided that food authority may through notification make such changes or modify the list given in the Schedule I as considered necessary.

" License for commencing or carrying on food business, which are not covered under Schedule 1, shall be granted by the concerned state / UTs licensing authority.

" Further no person shall manufacture, import, sell, stock, exhibit for distribution or sale any article of food which has been subjected to the treatment of irradiation, except under a license obtained from Department of Atomic Energy under the Atomic Energy (Control of Irradiation of Food) Regulations, 1996.

List of food business falling under the purview of Central Licensing Authority

" I. Dairy units including milk chilling units equipped to handle or process more than 50,000 litres of liquid milk / day or 2,500 MT of milk solid per annum.

" II. Vegetable oil processing units and units producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller unit having installed capacity more than 2 MT per day.

" III. All slaughter houses equipped to slaughter more than 50 large animals or 150 or more small animals including sheep and goats or 1,000 or more poultry birds per day.

" IV. Meat processing units equipped to handle or process more than 500 kg of meat per day or 150 MT per annum.

" V. All food processing units other than mentioned under (I) to (IV) including relabellers and repackers having installed capacity more than 2 MT / day except grains, cereals and pulses milling units.

" VI. 100% Export Oriented Units.

" VII. All importers importing food items including food ingredients and additives for commercial use.

" VIII. All food business operators manufacturing any article of food containing ingredients or substances or using technologies or processes or combination thereof whose safety has not been established through these regulations or which do not have a history of safe use or food containing ingredients which are being introduced for the first time in the country.

" IX. Food business operator operating in two or more states.

" X. Food catering services in establishments and units under Central government agencies like railways, air and airport, seaport, defence etc.

General requirements on hygienic and sanitary practices to be followed by all FBOs applying for Registration and License 

" For those applying for registrations, the requirements are very basic and primarily to ensure safe and hygienic sourcing, handling, storing, serving and prevention of contamination of food. These are applicable to the street food vendors as well as to the units other than manufacturing and processing. 

" Further, the elaborate licensing requirements are applicable to the food establishments, other than those who apply for registration, in which food is being handled, processed, manufactured, packed, stored, and distributed by the food business operator and the persons handling them should conform to the sanitary and hygienic requirement, food safety measures and other standards as specified below. 

" It shall also be deemed to be the responsibility of the food business operator to ensure adherence to necessary requirements.

" In addition to the requirements specified, the food business operator shall identify steps in the activities of food business, which are critical to ensure food safety, and ensure that safety procedures are identified, implemented, maintained and reviewed periodically.

" These requirements are explained under 12 main heads and in general based on the generally acceptable guidelines of the good manufacturing practices and good hygiene practices. The compliance to these requirements is one of the pre-requisite to get a new license by way of submission of food safety plan adopted or certificate. It may be noted that in case of units falling under Central licensing it has to be a certificate from accredited agency.


1 Location and surroundings
2 Layout and design of food establishment premises
3 Equipment & containers
4 Facilities
4.1 Water Supply
4.2 Cleaning utensils and equipments
4.3 Washing of raw materials
4.4 Ice and steam
4.5 Drainage and waste disposal
4.6 Personnel facilities and toilets
4.7 Air quality and ventilation
4.8 Lighting
5 Food operations and controls
5.1 Procurement of raw materials
5.2 Storage of raw materials and food
5.3 Food processing / preparation, packaging and distribution / service
5.4 Food packaging
5.5 Food distribution and service
6 Management and supervision
7 Food testing facilities
8 Audit, documentation and records
9 Sanitation and maintenance of establishment premises
9.1 Cleaning and maintenance
9.2 Pest control systems
10 Personal hygiene
10.1 Health status
10.2 Personnel cleanliness
10.3 Visitors
11 Product information and consumer awareness
12 Training

Apart from these requirements there are certain specific requirements for those manufacturing, processing, storing and selling of milk and milk products, meat and catering and food service establishments.
(This document is produced by food safety and system expert Mr. Uday Saxena)




Regards,

Yashi Shrivastava
yashi.shrivastav@gmail.com