It is quite surprising to realize that the best and most popular cocktails recipes are very simple and can be made at home. Over many decades, mixologists have come up with remixes of exciting cocktails that have become popular, and are very easy to prepare. Here are 3 zingy cocktails that you can make quickly. Lemon Orange White Wine Sangria This makes for a perfect choice on a very refreshing sangria for hot afternoons or barbecue parties. It can be made in large amounts and refrigerated for hours before serving too. Here, we have ingredients that serves 15 people or more. Ingredients Large oranges – 4 (sliced) Lemons – 8 (sliced) Limes – 8 (sliced) Mint leaves – 1 cup Citrus vodka – 2 cups Agave nectar – 8 tsp Dry white wine – 7 bottles Add all the sliced fruits and mint leaves in a pitcher. Pour the agave nectar, virtues vodka, and finally dry white wine into the pitcher and stir well. Serve with ice. Fresh Pineapple Margarita An easy cocktail for tropical parties and summer weekends. Ingredients Pineapple – 2 slices White tequila – 2 ounces Triple Sec – 1 ounce Fresh lime juice – 1/2 Sea salt – 1 tsp Sugar – 1 tsp Cayenne – 1/2 tsp Mix the salt, sugar, and cayenne in a dish and set aside.

Kids can be bustling most of the time. They seem to have energy that lasts throughout the day. Eagerness to learn and a curious nature are just a few reasons why some children can be so full of energy all the time. And as parents or caregivers, it is up to you to keep them well-nourished so that they can pursue their goals. Helping you in that regard are three popular healthy snack recipes that are ideal for energetic children. Egg omelet Let us start with the ubiquitous egg. Hens nurtured with organic feed and allowed to move around in open, natural spaces like a barn or poultry farm lay more flavorful eggs. Also, because no antibiotics are allowed, organic eggs tend to be safer for children. Providing 71% calories, one single egg from free-ranging hens also contains 5-6% fats and proteins. Not only that, the percentage of selenium, phosphorus, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B complex that are present in natural eggs are quite beneficial for active children. Vitamin B helps break down protein, carbohydrates, and fats into energy required by the body. Phosphorus plays a crucial role in deciding how the body uses energy. Apart from helping in the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues, phosphorus works with B vitamins to store energy too.

Cholesterol is assimilated from the foods you eat, and your liver also produces this waxy fat-like substance. Cholesterol helps in making cell membranes, Vitamin D, and hormones. Like everything else, too much cholesterol can form plaque and be harmful to the heart. Genetics, smoking tobacco, and lack of physical activity can cause high cholesterol. But unhealthy eating habits too is a significant cause of increased cholesterol levels. Here are five foods you can enjoy without worrying about cholesterol. Fruits Fruits are first on the list of healthy snacks that will not increase your cholesterol. Many fruits contain potassium, and a soluble fiber, pectin, which helps reduce cholesterol. It gets done in a two-pronged approach, by eliminating excess and by preventing the production of new cholesterol compounds. Pectin is present in fruits like apples, pears, gooseberries, oranges, guavas, plums, strawberries, lemons, grapes, and cherries. Just grab a bowl of fresh fruits when you feel like snacking. They make you feel full and yet do not add any calories. Aim for at least 3 cups of fruit every day to keep cholesterol at bay. Nuts Nuts are known to reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and some can even raise good cholesterol or HDL (high-density lipoproteins).

Maintaining steady blood glucose levels is the goal when one has diabetes. Also, avoid other health complications like cardiovascular issues, nerve and kidney damages, cerebrovascular damages, retinopathy, and peripheral vascular disease that could arise from diabetes. This can be prevented by watching what foods one eats and how much they eat. In general, if a person is diabetic, low-carb, low sugar, high fiber, rich in fat, and protein diet are recommended. Here are four foods safe for people with diabetes. Dairy products One should figure out the right kinds of dairy products they can have if they are diabetic. Dairy products contain calcium, potassium, and magnesium all three minerals that help with diabetes management and prevention. Research shows daily servings of natural yogurt helps improve your gut bacteria. Probiotics in yogurt are connected to a healthy balance of blood glucose levels in the body and are proven to reduce the risk of Type-2 diabetes. Milk products, in general, have a low glycemic index because the natural sugars and proteins in milk slow down the break up of carbohydrates and release energy steadily. However, note that excess fat from a vast amount of dairy can interfere with insulin response in the body.

There is no evidence to suggest that any particular type of food affects schizophrenia. However, it is true that a wholesome diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, dairy, omega-3 fatty acids, and other trace minerals help schizophrenia patients maintain a healthy body weight and keep fit. Along with medication that helps in keeping them stable, excellent nutrition, safe lifestyle habits, and regular exercise are good for mental well-being and proper body functioning. Since people showing symptoms of schizophrenia tend to sometimes follow unhealthy eating habits, here is a simple food guide that might help manage this chronic mental condition better. Include all food groups Schizophrenia patients veer towards a high-fat, low-protein diet that leads to weight gain and other health complications like high blood pressure or diabetes, in addition to the existing condition. The goal hence is to modify dietary eating patterns to include all food groups in proper amounts. Schizophrenia patients should get adequate fiber from fruits like apples, pears, and berries; Vitamin B and folic acid from whole grains, nuts, seeds, green vegetables, spinach, fish, and eggs. Also, tap into potassium present in sweet potatoes and kidney beans, zinc from oysters and crabs, and yogurt for healthy gut bacteria.

If a person suffers from painful gout symptoms, then there are some foods they can avoid to stop further aggravating the condition. When excess uric acid (hyperuricemia) accumulates in any of the joints in the body and crystallizes, it is called gout. Purines are compounds broken down by the kidneys to produce uric acid. So, avoid or reduce the intake of foods that contain purine. Remember that a change in diet is not a solution for gout, but it can help alleviate symptoms to a great extent. Here are six foods one must avoid if they have gout. Meat Certain meats have high purine content and can worsen gout symptoms. So avoid them in all forms. Examples of purine-rich meat include all kinds of organ meat like sweetbread, liver, kidney, heart, and brain, game meat like bison, rabbit, venison, turkey, quail, and pheasant, fish and seafood like lobster, shrimp, scallops, sardines, squid, herring, oyster, crab, haddock, mackerel, lobster, anchovies, and trout. Also, bacon, beef, pork, lamb, goose, and meat-based bouillon, gravies, and broth are high in purines. Too much consumption of red meat results in increased production of uric acid and its slower elimination too, thus causing painful arthritis or gout.

About 12 percent of the population, including children, can suffer from a migraine at any point in time, as per a report by the Migraine Research Foundation. Research has proven that there is a link between migraines and the diet of the individual. There are foods that trigger migraines, and there are cases where hunger also leads to headaches and migraines. Here are a few points on how certain dietary habits affect or prevent migraines. Elimination diet One of the major reasons for headaches or migraines are foods that trigger. Researchers have linked migraines to many foods that directly or indirectly induce a migraine, and they have come up with a diet that is called the Migraine-elimination diet. Eliminating the known foods that trigger headaches or migraines is the main principle here. Foods such as cheese, alcohol, coffee, tomatoes, citrus fruits are known to cause headaches and migraines. Eliminating them completely from the diet has proven to decrease the frequency of migraines significantly. While eliminating the triggers, it is also advised to include more healthy foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats more into the daily diet. This means that one is only choosing a healthier lifestyle. Skipping meals or fasting Fasting once in a while is a great way to detox and reduce fat in the body.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most common and re-occurring gastrointestinal disorder worldwide. The number of annual visits to the doctor for IBS has been estimated to be somewhere between 2.4 and 3.5 million in the country. Even though this disorder is not life-threatening, it can create havoc in a person’s daily life at work or home. This disorder can be prevented by understanding the key food triggers and avoiding them from the diet. Here are the major foods and food groups that have to avoided to prevent IBS.  Caffeine For most people in the country, a cup of morning Joe is all that is needed to get their day started. However, caffeine does not just stimulate the brain, but also the intestine, thus leading to diarrhea. Replacing coffee or tea with warm water or herbal tea can help improve the digestive system.  Dairy Dairy products, including milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and many such foods have fat and lactose, which are known to trigger IBS. Fat increases the symptoms of IBS and makes digestion difficult. So, choosing low-fat or no-fat dairy products might make a difference. Most people with IBS are lactose intolerant, which makes it difficult for them to consume any food with dairy products.

Living with COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is not easy. To continuously keep coughing or be breathless can be tiring and crippling. However, there are some dietary changes you could make to manage symptoms better and improve the functioning of the lung. Managing one’s weight is important for people suffering from COPD. It is essential for COPD patients, and a nutritious diet pattern is the first step in that direction. Here are eight diet tips for COPD.  Aim for balanced nutrition Plan ahead and put in the effort to shop for and consume a variety of foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, dairy, and whole grains. COPD patients need more energy to breathe normally because an additional effort is required to bypass obstructed air passages.  Hydrate often  Hydrating with clean drinking water keeps a person’s mucus thin and quicker to cough out of one’s system. It makes breathing easier. People with COPD are advised to drink between eight and twelve glasses of water every day. Those on oxygen therapy (as a treatment for COPD) can feel dryness in the nasal passage. Drinking enough water can help reduce this parchedness.  Get down to eating fresh foods frequently Eat freshly prepared foods at frequent intervals.

It can be said that food does have a gratifying effect on both the physical as well as mental health. While caffeine and sugar can cause an instant surge in blood glucose levels and result in short-term alertness, in the long run, certain foods can help manage a person’s moods better. Here are six such foods that can help manage depression. Saffron Among the most exotic and expensive spices of the world, saffron, is a mood enhancer. Research shows it is a very effective anti-depressant, on par with any chemically produced anti-depressant like fluoxetine. And, the good thing is, saffron does not create any adverse side effects. The long-term ingestion of saffron leads to a stabilization of good moods. Just the scent of this spice is likely to reduce stress and anxiety in people with depression symptoms. The presence of certain chemicals in saffron help alter negative mood, reduce inflammation, and as an antioxidant, it helps protect against cancer too. Berries Berries are fruits rich in antioxidants, a chemical that prevents cell damage caused by free radicals. The polyphenols in berries are associated with reduced inflammation coexistent with depression. As per a recent study, within hours after eating wild blueberries, the research showed mitigation of depression and a surge in positive emotions like alertness and joy.