Planning to cut down on excess carbs? Does your diet primarily consist of salads? Are the salads you’re eating increasing your weight rather than reducing it? Well then, we bring you 5 easy-to-make low-calorie salad dressings. Most salad dressings make you pile up weight through sugars, excess carbohydrates, artificial flavors, and trans fat. The recipes we bring you use natural components and are low in calories but high in taste! Most of the ingredients mentioned should be available at your home. The salad dressing recipes mentioned should be consumed before one week of their preparation, unless they have vinaigrette in the dressing, as then they can last for up to two weeks. So here we go! Low-fat Greek yogurt ranch dressing Stuffed with protein and healthy fat, the low-fat Greek yogurt ranch dressing can be used for dipping your favourite vegetables and can be used for all types of salads Ingredients: Low fat Greek yogurt (¾ cup) Garlic powder (one teaspoon) or a clove of garlic (mince it finely) Dried parsley (one tablespoon) or a quarter cup of fresh parsley (minced) Onion powder (two teaspoons) or a quarter of a medium sized onion (finely cut) Dried chives (one tablespoon) or fresh chives (minced – two tablespoons) Salt (one teaspoon) Black pepper (¼ teaspoon) Lemon juice (two tablespoons) Dijon mustard (two teaspoons) Buttermilk (half cup) Method:

Nearing your 40’s and having irregular periods ? You may be transitioning into a new phase biologically. Welcome to the menopause stage. Women in the United States reach their menopause around the age of 50, but due to lifestyle changes and other factors, the average age of menopause is slowly coming down. All women face menopause in their life – it’s a part of female life. But you have to understand that menopause brings with it a host of other physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms, which if not addressed properly would disturb the internal equilibrium. In order to help you gracefully transition into menopause, we have listed the 10 most significant symptoms of menopause and have also outlined the strategies for handling them: 1. A sudden hot sensation As menopause sets in, the estrogen levels in the blood tend to fall. If the fall is gradual, you will miss the temperature differences, but if it is sudden, you will feel a hot sensation suddenly that will spread from the head to the toe of your body for no reason. This is called “hot flashes”. You can avoid these hot flashes by staying in places where the temperature is cool, and avoid getting tensed or anxious (as these emotions trigger hot flashes).

Nausea and vomiting during the early phase of pregnancy , particularly in the first trimester, is very common. Though there are various causes attributed to it, there is no conclusive evidence on why nausea and vomiting occurs. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is a normal physiological phenomenon that settles down before the 12th week of pregnancy. This is also known as morning sickness, as the symptoms are profound around sunrise. Even a slight smell is enough to stimulate the gag reflex; making a woman averse to lots of foods. South Asian physicians attribute this gag reflex to the physical pressure of the growing fetus on the underlying abdominal organs, which affects the motility of contents in the intestinal tract forcing it to throw upwards. American studies, on the other hand, suggest that it might be due to the hormone hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin), whose levels in the body are increased during pregnancy. For women with severe nausea and vomiting, these levels are much higher. Estrogen levels are also associated with increased nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. There is no conclusive evidence for this, but there are definitely strategies to effectively handle nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Severe retching, vomiting, and dehydration warrants medical attention.

Finding it difficult to run? Getting tired and fatigued easily at the gym? Not able to understand why your sporting performance is not improving? Perhaps you have neglected an unsung hero of your fitness – the core. When people talk about fitness, they generally think about broad shoulders, beefed up pectorals, elevated traps, strong thighs for men, and a shapely look for women. This, in turn, leads to the neglect of the most important aspect of your fitness – namely, the muscles that form the core. Core training is one of the most misunderstood words when it comes to fitness training. Most people confuse core training with abs training. Core muscles, though anatomically not well categorized, are generally considered to be the groups of muscles present in the mid section of your body – extending from the upper torso to the hips. They protect the spine, stabilize the body, and give the body a toned look. Why do I have to strengthen the core? In order to take your fitness to the next level, you have to focus more on getting the core muscles strong. For example, runners usually have strong legs. They can run long distances ; but after some time, when fatigue sets in, their form changes.

Pregnancy is a phase marked by a lot of physiological changes . Sometimes these physiological changes cross the mark into the pathological state that warrants attention and medical intervention. One such physiological symptom that must be watched for is pedal edema or ankle edema of pregnancy. There is always fluid retention in pregnancy, but when it goes above normal, it cannot be ignored. Ankle edema is a normal physiological phenomenon Normally, the blood from the lower part of the body and legs moves upwards through the inferior vena cava to reach the heart. It has to work against gravity. During pregnancy, the growing fetus presses on the blood vessels obstructing the normal blood flow through the veins. This leads to the accumulation of fluid in the most dependent part of the body – the legs. A minimal accumulation of fluid in the legs up to the ankles is normal. In order to ascertain the physiological nature of the edema, it must be present on both legs and show pitting on pressure. This usually resolves if the legs are elevated for some time. Pathological edema usually extends above ankles up, to the knees and even the legs. Pathological edema is usually present with other co-morbid conditions.