Healthy and nutritious food is very important for maintaining a good health. Healthy food involves regular and timely food, juices, nuts, snacks and much more. A balanced diet, good food habits are essential for a healthy life.
In the normal course of life, we forget to take necessary nutrition that is required for our body and hence we tend to get into many life style diseases. It is very essential for a person to know and understand the benefits of nature’s creation like fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.
You can find useful articles on nutrition and health benefits of various fruits and vegetables. Read on and add these to your daily life. The value of food is more when it is taken in a systematic manner and also by understanding the benefits of every bite we take Spinach : Spinach is rich in iron and calcium. It helps overcome iron deficiency.
Beetroot : Beetroots contains good amount of folate, potassium and manganese. They are less in calories and are effective in curing skin problems.
Mango : Mangoes are a very popular and widely available fruit. It is rich in potassium and is a known antioxidant.
Tomatoes : Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant.
Musk Melon - Tropical Delight : Musk melon is a tropical fruit which is been cultivated for a very long time. It is a rich source of vitamin ‘C’ and is effective in reducing body heat.
Cabbage - Healing Properties : Cabbage is a well known common vegetable. It is low in calories and is long known for its healing properties.
Papaya - A rich source of Minerals and Fibre : Papaya has high nutritional benefits. It is rich in Anti-oxidants, Minerals and Fibre. It also helps in Skin Treatments.
Oats - Fibre food that cures constipation : Oats have some unique fatty acids and antioxidants which together with Vitamin E slow cell damage.
Nutritional benefits of Watermelon: Watermelon is highly refreshing during summer. It does not contain cholesterol and helps in eye sight also.
Nutritional benefits of Banana: Banana helps in the treatment of Depression, Anemia, Blood Pressure, Brain power, Constipation, etc.
Almond: A highly Nutritious fruit : Consumption of Almond lowers cholesterol levels, reduces the risk of lifestyle diseases and gives overall wellness
Egg: A nutritious food : Egg is a healthy and nutritious food. Lecithin in eggs prevents the absorption of cholesterol of egg and other sources too
Calcium: The bone builder: Calcium Builds Strong Bones. Get calcium from greens, beans, or fortified foods. Vitamin D controls your body’s use of calcium.
Healthy food for Stress Free Life: Nutritious and balanced diet is a must to free yourself from the physical and mental diseases and relieve stress
Mushrooms - A highly nutritious food: Mushrooms are rich in minerals, vitamin D (ergosterol), thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), dietary fibre as well as all the essential amino acids and are low in fat and calories.
Gooseberry (Amla) : Rich in Vitamin C: Amla or Gooseberry has many nutritious benefits. The amla has been found to be the most abundant source of Vitamin C in the plant kingdom
Examinations are a time of anxiety and nervousness — not only for the students but also the parents.
To increase productivity and take the exams well, it is also necessary — besides studying hard — to focus on eating habits, sleep patterns, mental and physical fitness.
Here are some tips — for parents as well as students — to beat the examination blues.

Eat right
· A balanced diet is important, especially during examinations. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide children reserves of energy and increase their ability to concentrate.
· With a healthy diet of vegetables, fibre and fruits, your mind stays alert. If you have heavy junk food like pizzas and burgers, it slows down
· Spicy and salty food just prior to the exams can lead to a lot of sluggishness during the exams. Green, leafy vegetables, fruits, salads and pulses should be encouraged during examinations
· Home-cooked meals — Dal, rice, Roti, a vegetable (alternate between a green, leafy vegetable and sprouts), salads, and a seasonal fruit.
· Many a time, children munch on chips, wafers, etc during studies to beat boredom; instead, eat walnuts, nuts, or fruits
· Avoid excess tea, coffee and chocolates. “Though they stimulate you temporarily, they will get you tired
· Have a small meal prior to the exam; it will help you to be more wakeful during the exam. A heavy meal will make you sluggish
Take care of the eyes
Exam time means a lot of reading, writing, stress and strain. Make sure not to overexert or strain the eyes.
“Make sure there is ample light in the room where the child is studying. Reading with a night lamp is a strict no-no,” says Dr Aniruddha Joshi, an eye surgeon.
Use a table and a chair to study and write, Dr Joshi says. “Leaning on the table or reading in the sleeping position for a long time will strain your eyes.” 
Rest your eyes after half an hour of continuous reading; blinking helps. Avoid rubbing the eyes. Splash cold water instead.
Sleep is important
Do not compromise on sleep. A short walk, a glass of water or just glancing through magazines before going off to sleep will help de-stress.
Get outdoors
Students must have at least 15 minutes of outdoor activity even during exams. It helps them exercise and relax their muscles.
No bans, please
This one is for parents: Don’t ban extracurricular activities for your child. A short stroll in the garden, brief play time (can be a board game too) or some television will help de-stress.

Don’t get obsessed
Talk about things other than examination. This will have a relaxing effect. Share some jokes, some interesting anecdotes of the day to lighten up the atmosphere at home.
Calming techniques
Practise deep breathing, meditation, and other relaxation exercises as part of your daily routine and encourage the child to use them during the examinations.
Be neat and tidy
Give a thought to your clothes, not just while going for the exam, but also during studying. Remember, neat and tidy clothes help lift spirits.
Humour
Laughter, as they say, is the best medicine. You could try watching Tom And Jerry for a while. It will help you relax.
WHY NOT COFFEE /TEA TO STAY AWAKE?
Do you realize that the tea and coffee consumed to stay awake during the night is actually doing more harm than good. And the culprits are the calories that go along.One teaspoon of sugar contains 200 kilocalories. If you take 5 cups in the night that simply means 1000 calories and similarly five cups contain 1000 kilocalories. Sugar rich food and juices should be avoided at all costs.
What should you eat then?
The answer might be boring but as you would expected green leafy vegetables and whole frit should be eaten in plenty.
HOW TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY?
The list of herbs for anxiety is long. Anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, depression - whatever you call it, it’s an unpleasant sensation. Down through the centuries, many herbs have been used for their effect in curbing anxiety. It seems that most homegrown herb teas have a positive effect on the nerves.
Peppermint
One of the simplest herbs for anxiety is
peppermint. It is easy to grow and very good tasting. Use one teaspoon of the dried herb or about a tablespoon of the fresh leaves to a cup of boiling water. Let the herb steep for 5 minutes. Sweeten with a bit of honey if desired. Enjoy the tea in a quiet room and then go lay down.
This is one of the best natural treatments for a nervous headache or the stomach ache that results from nerves.
Melissa (Lemon Balm)
There are several other common plants among the mints that are useful herbs for anxiety. One of these is melissa or lemon balm. It has a refreshing lemon scent that tastes wonderful in tea.
It is not one of the best herbs for drying but it is easy to grow, so you can have fresh leaves for tea during the temperate months.
Chamomile
Chamomile is not a mint, but otherwise it is similar among the herbs for anxiety. Its little daisy-like blossoms makes a delicious relaxing tea. It is so good at calming anxiety that it might just put you to sleep.
Passionflower
Other herbs that are often used with chamomile in relaxing blends are hops and passionflower. Both of these can promote sleep. Passionflower is considered a mild sedative.
Another herb for anxiety that relaxes and energizes at the same time is the Ayurvedic herb ashwaganda. It strengthens and tones all the systems in the body.
For those who don’t like drinking tea, a relaxing sleep pillow or eye mask can deliver relaxing help through the aroma of herbs for anxiety.
To make the pillow, sew around three sides of two 8 inch square pieces of thin cotton or silk. Turn to the right side and stuff the small pillow with a mixture of dried lavender, hops, and chamomile blossoms.
For an eye mask, cut two rectangular pieces of silk (recycle an old blouse) that are 3-1/2 inches by 9 inches. With right sides together sew around the perimeter, leaving one short end open. Stuff with a mixture of flax seed (for weight) with lavender and hops. Sew up the final edge.
Now lie down and place the pillow near where you can inhale it, or place the eye mask across your eyes. The silk will feel nice and cool. It can be placed in the refrigerator if you need more cooling. Now relax with these herbs for anxiety.
IMPORTANCE OF HAND & EYE COORDINATION
Hand-eye coordination can be described as the ability of an individual to control his eye movement and process the visual inputs in the correct way, in order to guide the movement of the hands. We make use of hand-eye coordination in almost each and every aspect of our daily routine. Apart from that, there are certain specific situations, like playing tennis, juggling balls, solving board puzzles, etc, which require greater degree of coordination. It is not too difficult for a person to improve his hand-eye coordination, providing he is willing to work towards the same. In the following lines, we have listed a number of ways through which you can improve your hand-eye coordination.
 How to Improve Hand Eye Coordination 
· Take part in different types of sports, mainly those that require hand-eye coordination. Ping pong, tennis, billiards, golf, baseball, squash, etc are some of the games that will do a great deal of benefit.
· Start playing catch with your friends, be it with a football, baseball or tennis ball. It requires considerable degree of hand-eye coordination, leading to an over-all improvement.
· Write letters or numbers on a big ball, like basketball, football, etc. Play catch with it and as you catch the ball, try to call out the last letter or number that you saw on it.

· Eat food items that are rich in zinc. This is because researches have shown that around 20 mg of zinc in a day can improve hand-eye coordination. Pumpkin seeds, whole grains, sunflower seeds, animal proteins, beans, nuts and almonds are rich in zinc, while legumes, whole grain breads and cereals block its absorption.
· Start playing video games (Surprised? Do it for a limited time). They require great hand-eye coordination.
· Playing with yo-yos and doing board puzzles is another effective way of improving hand-eye coordination.
· Try to learn juggling. Not only will it improve your hand-eye coordination, but also impress those around you.