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Peanut butter is fairly nutritious food consumed by 90% of American households. It has reached the status of a superfood  h igh in healthy  fats  and  protein .  All natural peanut butter is a low carb food. It is high in healthy fats, has moderates amount of protein and has a relatively high amount of fiber. Also, peanut butter  is a rich source of niacin, folate, Vitamin E , a potent  antioxidant  that protects nervous membranes,  along with a host of other essential nutrients and minerals. It's also high in fiber.  Peanut butter is a good source of magnesium, which is an essential nutrient for people with  diabetes . Continuous periods of high blood sugar may reduce magnesium levels in the body. Thiamine is also present which helps the brain and nervous system convert glucose to energy. For full nutritional details see  here . Unsaturated fats, which make up the majority of the fat content in peanut b...

Video games have both positive and negative effect on gamers, kids and adults alike. But, the negative effects receive far more media attention than the positive ones. So, the chances are, mothers are aware of the negative ones only. As parents, we focus more attention on the potential dangers than on the potential benefits of electronic video games, but these games are a normal part of modern childhood. If you know what to look for, video games can be a powerful tool to help children develop certain life skills. Mothers who know both, the positive and negatives effects of video games, will encourage their children to play games which are educational, skill development and more. While video games can teach certain skills or be educational, many children spend too many hours with a controller in their hand. Video games in controlled measure will be beneficial, will make your kids smarter, more agile, sharp, score better in exams. This is true for adults too, and the problems ad...

Play games with your kids this summer to boost their brains Many board games strengthen the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the brains of players. This results in improved cognitive functions such as IQ, memory, information retention and problem-solving. (Shutterstock) Neha Shivhare , Simon Fraser University and David Kaufman , Simon Fraser University Research shows that playing games can enhance our personal, social and emotional well-being, as well as our mental acuity. A study conducted at Harvard Medical School in 2017 points out that loneliness can be more detrimental to health than smoking . Happiness, on the other hand, is strongly correlated with close relationships with family members and friends. Playing both board games and video games with family members provide opportunities to get together and develop these relationships. They stimulate players physically, mentally and emotionally. Games have also been found to ...

Origami,  an art of folding paper into intricate objects, is not just kid stuff. Practicing origami has multiple benefits irrespective of age, improving mental and physical agility, and it is now used in scientific and industrial research activities.  It is a great way to develop logical and spatial thinking, encourage creative activity through the activation of thought processes. Origami helps develop hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and mental concentration. Use of the hands directly stimulates areas of the brain. It helps keep your mind healthy at all ages. It reduces the risk of dementia or loss of memory, independent living, power of recall, strengthen intellectual prowess, challenge your brain, and keep your brain agile. At the same time, the complex and intricate shapes made were used by the scientific and research community to develop newer methods and objects in their respective spheres. Researchers at MIT think they might be able to use the ancie...

The health benefits of dark chocolate and oats are many. And together when made into cakes, they are liked by kids and adults alike.   Chocolate is an anti-oxidant rich super food, its benefits include - keeps in check disease causing free radicals, helps prevent cancer, improves heart health, good overall cholesterol level, better cognitive function and helps in blood pressure and sugar level. Oats are rich in antioxidants and soluble fiber. Since no baking is required, cakes are easy to make. Cakes are better than cookies, as evening snacks for kids.

Health conscious housewives prefer boiled vegetables to oil fried/cooked vegetables. Generally people, especially kids, hate boiled stuff as the oil fried ones tickle the taste buds. Over the years, research has led us to believe that frying vegetables masks the antioxidant properties with a thick layer of fat. A new study has shown that vegetables fried in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) have increased anti-oxidant properties, meaning less risk of cancer, diabetes and macular degeneration leading to poor vision. Frying in olive oil results in a much higher calorie food, but that should not be a concern because olive oil is filled with good fat - monounsaturated fatty acids. Boiling, on the other hand, did not increase the anti-oxidant properties but preserved it, and was transferred to the body only if the broth, the water remaining after boiling, is consumed and not thrown away. ( here ) The benefits taking a spoon of olive oil helps in the ageing process by reducing i...