Couscous Salad

Ingredients (one person):

150g couscous
1 red pepper
1 tomato
A few leaves of fresh mint
1 bunch parsley
10 black olives
1 lemon
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp. tablespoons olive oil

preparation:

Put the couscous in a bowl, pour in the same amount of hot, lightly salted water. cover
and let rise.

In another bowl mix the tomato and pepper diced, chopped herbs, the juice of oil
lemon a little salt and pepper.

Fluff the cooled couscous with a fork. mix with the preparation and olives. refrigerate
least 1 hour or better overnight for the salad is well flavored.

Indian Breakfast:ALOO POHA RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 cups Poha (Beaten Rice)
1 Potatoes
1 Onions
2 Green Chillies
1 tsp Chana dal
1 tsp Urad dal
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 sprig Curry leaves
2 tsp Peanuts
4 tblsp Oil
1 pinch Turmeric powder
1 Lemon
Few Corainder leaves
Salt to taste 

How to make aloo poha :

• Soak the poha in water. Wash and drain all the water.
• Add some salt , turmeric powder , keep aside.
• Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes, chop the onions, chillies, corainder leaves.
• Heat oil and put chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, peanuts, curry leaves and fry until they crackle.
• Add potatoes , saute for few minutes, then add chopped onions, chillies.
• Cook till they are done. Add the poha, corainder leaves and stir.
• Keep it on slow flame for 5- 7 minutes.
• Let it cool for sometime and add then lemon juice.

 

10 Questions You Must Ask Your Doctor

• 

  Walk into any doctor’s office around the country and chances are that you'll be the one in the hot seat. In fact, you probably assume that it's your M.D.’s responsibility to ask the questions, and it's your job to answer them. But your health—indeed, your very life—might depend on whether you ask a few key questions of your own.

• "Do I really need this test?"

  "Doctors often adhere to a better-safe-than-sorry philosophy, ordering tests just to protect themselves in the event of a lawsuit," says David Sandmire, M.D., coauthor of Medical Tests That Can Save Your Life. A full 16 percent of prostate-cancer screenings, for example, are unnecessary, say Harvard researchers. Since 80 percent of PSA results are false positives, thousands of men undergo needless biopsies each year. Another overused procedure: CT scans. The radiation from these tests causes an estimated 5,695 cancer cases a year, say British researchers.
  

Chicken Curry

 Ingredients:
45 ml olive oil
1 medium onion
400 g chicken fillet
2 cloves of garlic
1 green chili
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp curry paste
30 ml double cream

Preparation:
-         Chop a medium sized onion
-         Crush 2 cloves of garlic with the side of a knife.
-         Chop a green chilli.
-         Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
-         Put the chicken in, and continue to fry for 5 to 6 minutes. The chicken will start to cook, and turn entirely white on the outside.
-         Put the garlic and chilli into the pan, and stir. Carry on frying gently over a medium heat, until everything is golden brown.
-         Put 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of ground coriander in the pan. Stir well.
-         Add 1 teaspoon of tomato purée, and 1/4 teaspoon of curry paste, Stir, and fold 2 generous tablespoons of double cream into the mixture.
-         Serve hot with freshly cooked basmati rice.

How men can minimize the risk of male cancers

This realbuzz.com article aims to give the low-down on these two potentially life-threatening conditions and suggest ways of spotting potential problems and getting men away from the ‘head in the sand’ approach to their health.

While women seems to accept that regular breast screening and smear tests are a necessary fact of life, men in general still have a reluctance to get themselves checked over or indeed check themselves over. But come on fellas, do you really need an excuse to get playing with yourself?
Seriously though, testicular and prostate cancer can be killers, but the good news is they are nearly always curable provided they are spotted early enough.

So what is testicular cancer and what are the signs to look out for?

Testicular cancer affects the testes and is the most common cancer among young men between the ages the ages of 19 and 44, so it’s certainly not something to be written off as a disease that will only affect you in later life. The chances of the average man developing testicular cancer is approximately one in 450.
Several high profile characters such as Lance Armstrong — who made a full recovery and went on to win the Tour de France several times — have proved that being diagnosed with testicular cancer is most definitely not a death sentence.

Causes and prevention of testicular cancer

The causes of testicular cancer are unknown, although there is a suggestion that it may be hereditary, so if you have a close male relative who has had testicular cancer, then your chances of getting it are increased greatly, possibly by as much as 10 times.  Also men who had an undescended or partly descended testicle are also considered five times more likely to develop testicular cancer.
Research suggests that getting off your backside and taking regular exercise may prevent testicular cancer from developing, but until more is known, the only real advice is to check your testicles regularly, so there’s an excuse to get playing with your balls!
Check your testicles at least once a month using your fingers and thumbs to look for any changes in shape, size, consistency and smoothness. If one testicle is larger or hangs lower than the other, don’t panic, that is quite common. Self-examination is best done after a bath or shower when the scrotum is relaxed.
Ignoring these checks is not an option, nor is ignoring anything that you find. If you discover anything unusual — such as any lumps, enlargement of the testes, feelings of pain or discomfort in the scrotum or groin — make sure you see your doctor. Try not to be embarrassed, after all, the doctor has seen it all before! They key to it all is regular checks and acting quickly on anything you (or maybe even your partner!) find. 

So what is prostate cancer and what are the signs to look out for?

Unlike testicular cancer, which can affect young men, prostate cancer largely affects men over the age of 50. It is the most common form of cancer in men.
The causes of prostate cancer are not fully understood yet, but there is a school of thought that a high-fat, high-meat, low-vegetable diet can contribute greatly to the risks of developing the disease. Hereditary factors are also thought to play a part, so, anyone with a strong family history of prostate cancer is considered at greater risk.
Prostate cancer often doesn't cause symptoms in its early stages, but common signs can include difficulty in urinating, a weak stream of urine, urinating more frequently, pain while urinating, blood in the urine, and pain or stiffness in the lower back, pelvis and hips. It’s fair to say that all these symptoms can be caused by other non-cancerous medical conditions, so don’t panic, but be sure to get checked out.

Preventing prostate cancer

There is no sure-fire way to prevent prostate cancer, but eating a healthy, low-fat diet may help, and the added bonus is, many of the tips also help with preventing heart disease.
It’s a fact that prostate cancer rates are highest in countries where people tend to consumer a lot of fat in their diets. A diet high in saturated fats (such as animal fats found in red meat) may pose the greatest risk, so minimize consumption of these and consume more omega-3 rich fish instead. 
A diet high in fruits and vegetables has been linked to a lower risk of various kinds of cancer, so will certainly do no harm. Blueberries and tomatoes have been suggested to be particularly helpful in protecting against prostate cancer, as has green tea and cranberry juice, so be sure to include them in your diet.

Chicken Couscous Salad

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, chopped in cubes
3 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. couscous
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. thyme
2-3 c. green peas
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 tbsp. raisins
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. curry powder
Pinch of ground black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 c. chopped nuts
Method:
Cook the chopped chiken.
Boil the broth and add the couscous, parsley, and thyme and cook the mixture for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it and let the couscous stand for 5 minutes.
Steam the peas until just tender and place in a large bowl, add the green pepper, chicken and raisins. Pour the hot couscous over the chicken.
In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, curry, oil, black and red pepper. Pour this mixture over the couscous mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour. Sprinkle the salad with nuts before serving.

Talking around the kids: 5 ways to prevent problems

Think your kids are too young to understand your grown-up conversations? Think again.

"In my practice, parents are constantly shocked by what kids have overheard," says Brad Sachs, PhD, a family psychologist in Columbia, MD and author of The Good Enough Child and The Good Enough Teen.

"But as soon as children can talk, they're listening to what you say," he says.

Kids can be upset and confused by overheard adult conversations. But they may not tell you what they heard -- and you won't even know they're worried.

Before your kid repeats something mortifying in front of your mother-in-law -- or worse -- it's time to start speaking more carefully.
Talking Around the Kids: 6 Things to Avoid

What shouldn't you discuss when little ears could hear?

Fraught topics: Be careful talking with your spouse about big issues -- like financial problems or a family crisis. Your kids are listening. Kids are magnetically drawn toward arguments and emotional discussions, says Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, a psychologist in Princeton, N.J., and coauthor of Smart Parenting for Smart Kids: Nurturing Your Child's True Potential. However, they may not really understand what's going on. Their interpretations may be scarier than what's actually happening.

What to do instead: "If something big is going on in your household, trying to hide it from your kids won't work," says Kennedy-Moore. "Give them the basic facts." The most important detail is how these changes will affect your child.

Trash talk: Are you always criticizing about your child's teacher, your mother, or your ex-husband?

What to do instead: Stop. You're modeling bad behavior for your kids. You may also say something mean about a person your kids care about -- and that can be deeply unsettling for them.

Criticism of your kids: Do you tend to vent about the frustrations of parenthood on the phone? Be careful. "It can be really hurtful if your kids overhear you criticizing them or talking about some mistake they made," says Kennedy-Moore. "They're likely to feel ashamed and then angry."

What you should do instead: Don't get in the habit of complaining about your kids. "Be discreet about your kids' indiscretions," says Kennedy-Moore. Try not to repeat them to others.

Complaining: Adults tend to complain a lot -- especially about their jobs. What's the problem? You're modeling a bad attitude that your kids could apply to school -- or later in life when they have jobs.

What you should do instead: Talk about the positive aspects of your work. "If you worked on an interesting project recently, make sure to mention that," says Kennedy-Moore.

Upsetting world events: "For kids, the world is a small place," says Kennedy-Moore. "They may overhear you talking about the news and assume that burglars are going to be coming to their house, or a tsunami may hit their town."

What you should do instead: You shouldn't shield your kid completely from world events. Just help them put the news in context and reassure them, Kennedy-Moore says.

Swearing: Many adults swear in front of their kids on occasion. Don't overreact when your kids imitate you -- that will just make the words more exciting.

What you should do instead: Try hard not to swear in front of your kids -- and never swear at them, says Kennedy-Moore. If you can't seem to control your profane outbursts, Kennedy-Moore has a suggestion. "Tell your kids to collect a quarter from you every time you swear," she tells WebMD. "They'll like doing that a lot."

Even if you're careful, your kids will wind up overhearing things that they shouldn't. Here are tips on how to handle that when it happens -- as well as suggestions for making it less likely.

Ask what they heard: If you suspect your kids have overheard something, ask them. Tell them that they won't get in trouble if they tell the truth. They probably know that eavesdropping is wrong, so they may not want to reveal it.

Reassure them: Help your kids put what they heard in perspective. If they're upset about an argument you had with your spouse, explain that adults sometimes disagree but that you'll work it out -- and that arguments do not mean you're getting a divorce.

Be proactive: Don't think you can hide something big from your kids -- like losing a job or the illness of a close relative. "Trying to keep kids in the dark about things like that just doesn't work," says Sachs. Instead, level with them in an age-appropriate and reassuring way. You'll spare them a lot of confusion and anxiety later.

Get privacy when you need it: Have something sensitive you need to discuss? Do it somewhere else. Go for a walk. Close the bedroom door for a few minutes. Don't try to whisper or talk in code and hope your kids won't notice.

Allow selective eavesdropping: There is one real benefit to a child's tendency to listen in.

"One of the best ways to praise the child is indirectly," says Kennedy-Moore. "If your child overhears you talking to grandma about how hard she is working in math class, that can really boost the child's self-esteem." Kids are more likely to believe your praise when you're not saying it to them.

fruit juice is damaging our kids teeth, dentists warn

The British Dental Association has urged parents to stop giving their children juices and smoothies because of the high sugar released in the crushing process.
Around 25 percent of UK toddlers regularly consume fruit juice while two thirds eat sugary sweets and snacks, the UK's Daily Mail reported.
In Australia, one in four parents feels guilty about their children drinking fruit juice, according to an industry report titled Getting the Guilts: Parents on Kids' Food.
Released in January, the survey found over half the parents said their children drank fruit juice at least three times a week. And of those parents who felt guilty about their children drinking juice, 73 percent attributed this guilt to being unsure whether it was the healthiest choice.
While the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines say that a small glass (125ml) of 100 percent fruit juice can contribute to a daily fruit serve, Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, told the Daily Mail a different story.
"Fruit juices are becoming increasingly popular and the fruit content can make them seem like a good idea," he said.
"However, they contain very high levels of sugar and acid and so can do a lot of damage to the teeth.
"At such a young age it is unrealistic to remove sweet foods and drinks altogether from a child's diet. To combat this, it is important to try to keep their consumption to mealtimes, and ensure they only drink water or milk between meals.
"Bear in mind it is better for the child's teeth and general health if they have three meals a day instead of seven to 10 'snack attacks', many of which will contain sugar."
The warning comes after a study by the Daily Mail found a 500ml serving of Ribena blackcurrant juice contains the same sugar as 13 Oreo biscuits.
So why is it worse to drink juice than eat fruit? Professor Laurence Walsh, head of the School of Dentistry at the University of Queensland, has said it's not just the concentrated sugar that's the problem.
Juices contain acids that can dissolve the enamel of the tooth, leaving the inner parts of teeth exposed, which leads to sensitivity.
"That's why if people drink either large amounts of orange juice or are regular users of soft drink, they start to notice that their teeth get sensitive as the acids dissolve the outside structure of the teeth," Walsh told the ABC.
Making the mouth more acidic also encourages the growth of cavity-causing bacteria.
But juice it is also contributing to weight problems. Fibre is removed in the juicing process, so there is nothing to line the intestine and slow the absorption of sugar, which will turn to fat if not used.
Walsh recommended limiting kids' juice consumption by choosing, 100 percent fruit, no added sugar options and diluting it with water. He also said using a straw will be better for the teeth in the long run.

Women's Weight-Loss Surgery May Benefit Later Offspring

Weight-loss operations in women could be a genetic bonus for the health of their future children, a new study suggests.
Researchers found differences in the activity of genes in children born to women after they'd had gastric bypass surgery compared to their siblings born before surgery. The changes suggest that the kids born after surgery, to thinner mothers, will fare better in terms of heart health because of benefits gained in the womb.
"It appears that there's an effect that is transmitted to the next generation," said study co-author Marie-Claude Vohl, a professor at Laval University in Quebec City. "This may have some consequence later in life for the health of the children."
The study isn't definitive, and researchers don't know exactly how much the health of kids may be affected by being born to a thinner mother. It's also not clear if there's something unique about weight-loss surgery or if the key is to simply drop pounds.
Weight-loss surgery, which aims to limit the amount of food that patients can eat, is no simple matter. It's expensive, involves risk and is not always covered by insurance. However, severe obesity is itself a major health risk.
In the new study, researchers examined the genetic makeup of 50 children who were born to 20 mothers before or after they underwent gastric bypass surgery.
The researchers suspected that the genes of children born after surgery would act differently than those born before. They found several thousand genes that did just that, and the differences in the post-surgery children suggest they're in better shape health-wise.
As far as physical differences, children born to mothers before weight-loss surgery weighed more and had greater waist and hip girth compared to the others. Children born to mothers after weight loss-surgery had better fasting insulin levels and lower blood pressure.
"It's more evidence that the benefits of gastric bypass surgery extend beyond the original aim of weight loss," said Dr. Francesco Rubino, a metabolic and bariatric surgeon with the Catholic University of Rome, who was not involved with the study. Other research has linked weight-loss surgery, in some cases, to major improvements in diabetes.
What's going on? It's not a matter of the mothers transferring different genes to the children based on whether they'd had surgery. Instead, weight-loss surgery seems to affect the activity of the genes in the children's bodies even outside the womb, he said.
Dr. Edward Phillips, vice chair of the department of surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles, said it's a mystery how that might happen.
"If you're a fetus, you're bathed in a bunch of chemicals and hormones," Phillips said. "But when you're out in the real world, why wouldn't your own genes go back to the basic set of what they were supposed to be?"
Could weight-loss surgery in fathers have a similar effect on their subsequent children? Researchers don't know. There are other questions too. Might the children born after their mothers had surgery be exposed to a different kind of environment than their older siblings, especially in regard to food? Could that affect how their genes act?
Phillips said those questions need to be answered. But, he said, this is still "an exciting early study" that opens the door toward greater understanding of genes and weight.
The study appeared online May 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

what body shape are you?

A survey by the men’s fashion retailer Jacamo claims to have identified seven typical male body shapes.
It also discovered that men are most confident about their physiques at the age of 28, with confidence declining steadily after that. Overall almost three-quarters of the 1,500 men surveyed disliked their bodies.
“Men are changing and so is masculinity. In our younger years, we are still struggling to find our identity and who we are,” said Professor Brendan Gough, a psychologist at Leeds Metropolitan University.
“But when we get into our late 20s and reach 28 we become more comfortable with our bodies and assured about ourselves.”
“When we get into our 30s our metabolism decreases and we start to put on weight.”
So whether you’re body confident or not, which body shape best describes you? Here are the categories, from string beans to snowmen.

Apparently a lot of us want to be this body shape, probably because we think it’s popular with women.
It’s a classical triangular shape, featuring broad shoulders that taper to a slim (but often toned) waist. We may admire this shape, but only one in 20 of us see ourselves as nachos.
One famous nacho is Olympic diver Tom Daley.

 Far more of us identified ourselves as pears, who are pretty average in every sense but carrying a bit of extra weight round the middle. Among celebs, comedian Michael McIntyre is, apparently, a pear, as is Ricky Gervais (maybe it’s a comedian thing?).


More of us want to be a cucumber than any other shape. It’s the sort of lean (but not skinny) physique boasted by sportsmen such as Andrew Flintoff, the former captain of the England cricket team, and David Beckham, the former captain of the England football team. It’s toned and taut without being pumped up or overly muscle-bound.
According to the survey, 45% of us aspire to this sleek, straight-up-and-down shape - but only 15% of us actually have it.

 This one’s pretty self-explanatory. If you’re built like a brick then you’re naturally broad all over. Just over 9% of us identify ourselves as bricks, and it’s not a bad physique to have. Celebrity bricks include housewife's favourite Robbie Williams.

 We’re not talking about cherry tomatoes here. Nearly one in 10 of respondents identified themselves as tomato shape, which is slightly chubby all over. Tomatoes aren’t obese - nicely rounded might be a better way of putting it - but they could probably do with losing a bit of weight. You don’t find many natural tomatoes. The TV presenter Eamonn Holmes is a classic of the category.

The happy, jolly and - most of all - fat snowman is a shape fewer than 5% us are prepared to admit to being, according to the survey. The snowman is round in both belly and chest, creating a figure-of-eight body shape. Robbie Coltrane typifies the look, as does fellow thespian James Corden.

 
At the other extreme comes the string bean, a lean and slender shape that sails dangerously close to skinny. It doesn’t have to though. Sir Bradley Wiggins is considered a string bean and his cycling competitors know just how much power his lean limbs can generate. Apparently only 4.3% of us describe ourselves as having a string bean shape.
So, which category best describes you? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re the typical British male, it’s probably the pear. If you’re a cucumber, count yourself lucky. And the good news is that the lean, straight-up-and-down look most of us aspire to is not out of anyone’s reach. A good diet and plenty of exercise are all many of us need to attain it.

Light Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

• 2 slice(s) whole-wheat sandwich bread, torn into pieces
• 1 tablespoon(s) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon(s) olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg white
• 4 (6 to 8 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 3/4 cup(s) (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 1 can(s) (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
• 1 clove(s) garlic, minced

---

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in upper third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. In a food processor, place bread, Parmesan, oil, and a pinch each salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form; transfer to a shallow bowl. Place flour in a second shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place egg white in a third shallow bowl, and beat with a fork until frothy.
2. Dip top side of a chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess. Dip same side in egg white, letting excess drip off, then in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. (Do not bread other side.) Repeat with remaining chicken and transfer, breaded side up, to prepared baking sheet. Bake until breadcrumbs are crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with mozzarella. Continue baking until chicken is opaque throughout and cheese is lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, place tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers. Add garlic; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve chicken with a generous amount of tomato sauce.

Lobster-Roll Salad

Ingredients

•   3 slice(s) white bread, toasted very well
• 1 1/2 tablespoon(s) margarine or butter, melted
• 1/2 cup(s) low-fat buttermilk
• 3 tablespoon(s) light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon(s) snipped chives
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) pepper
• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
• 2 stalk(s) celery, thinly sliced
• 8 ounce(s) cooked lobster meat or cooked shelled, deveined shrimp, coarsely chopped

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Directions

1. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes; transfer to large bowl. Drizzle with margarine; toss until well-coated.
2. In another large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, salt, and pepper.
3. To bowl with dressing, add lettuce, celery, and lobster. Toss until well-combined. Divide among 4 serving plates. Top with croutons.

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Tips & Techniques

Tip: Look for cooked frozen lobster or buy a 1 1/2-pound steamed lobster and pick the meat yourself. Round out the meal with a side of oven fries.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

Calories	200
Total Fat	10g
Saturated Fat	2g
Cholesterol	88mg
Sodium	710mg
Total Carbohydrate	15g
Dietary Fiber	2g
Sugars	--
Protein	14g
Calcium