With every food we buy, whether processed or not, it is imperative to know what you are or what you’ll be eating – meaning the nutritional value that you get from your meal. Food or dining is not simply a form of entertainment or filling one’s stomach; it’s also about caring for your health and physique.For sure you have heard or read of Quinoa, the super food, many times already; or even if this is your first time. I’m sure you’re still excited and curious to know what it contains that people are branding it super food and mother of all grains. In this article, you’ll learn of not only the nutritional value in 1 serving of Quinoa (1 cup = 170 to 185 g), but also some of the real value (benefits) you get from Quinoa Nutritional Value based on a 2000 calorie diet.Quinoa Nutritional Value – Calories (185.5 kcal)Calorie is the main source of energy that you get from the food you eat. 6 calories is enough to sustain your skeletal muscles and bones and brain’s activities throughout the day! If you eat 1 serving of Quinoa in every meal of the day, you are already sustaining your body the energy it needs to function all day long.Quinoa Nutritional Value – Total Fat (4g)This makes Quinoa really interesting for weight losers. Of course, you cannot escape from taking in fats, forever. In fact you should not totally avoid them because they are needed for body maintenance – brain development in children, and growth support and energy. Fats are also for soft skin and shiny hair. Not to mention, fats are also needed by the body when producing hormones.Quinoa Nutritional Value – Cholesterol (0mg)Oh yes, you’re seeing it right. 1 cup of Quinoa does not contain cholesterol. Cholesterol is like fat in terms of health benefits. But don’t fret you already have the fats you need, you won’t need additional which will come from cholesterol.Quinoa Nutritional Value – Sodium (13mg)Nutritionists and doctors advise us to take 1500mg or less sodium a day. So hurray! You can eat 3 servings of Quinoa (1 for each meal) a day together with another one of your favorite dish, without consuming so much sodium (just make sure the other dishes you’re pairing Quinoa with contains 500mg of sodium each).Quinoa Nutritional Value – Carbohydrates (29g)Carbohydrates from Quinoa are good carbs. They are slow releasing, making your craving for junk foods lower. In a 2000 calorie diet, you should be taking in 250g of carbohydrates. In one cup of Quinoa, you are almost getting the right proportion of carbohydrates per calories your body needs. The level of carbohydrates is also ideal for diabetics in correcting the level of their blood sugars.Quinoa Nutritional Value – Protein (8g)Each day, you’ll need around 40-50g of protein. The good thing about protein from Quinoa is that it has a balanced composition of all the essential amino acids that are needed by the body to alleviate diseases and disorders. It is known to combat anxiety, control ADD in both the adultQuinoa Nutritional Value – Calcium (66mg)2500mg of calcium a day is safe, as per scientists and doctors. No one has overdosed in calcium yet, in fact, most of us are calcium deficient. But nonetheless, we don’t need this much calcium. Eight ounce glasses of milk per day, then you are already getting enough calcium. 1 ounce of milk contains about 35mg of calcium. This means you are already getting almost double the amount of calcium in an ounce of milk when you eat 1 cup of Quinoa. Hmm, talk about healthy!Quinoa Nutritional Value – Iron (3.93mg)Iron is the chief component of our red blood cells. It is necessary for producing hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the one that carries oxygen throughout our body. The amount of iron that a pre-menopausal woman needs is 18mg. A post-menopausal woman needs 8mg, same with men; breastfeeding women need 1 more mg; pregnant women need a lot of iron (27mg)! If you eat Quinoa, you are already sure you have 1/6 or 1/3 the iron you need.Quinoa Nutritional Value – Vitamin E (1.2mg)Vitamin E is very abundant in grains and green leafy vegetables; and just a trivia, Quinoa is a quasi-grain. It is really a vegetable, just like spinach. We need at least 15mg of Vitamin E a day. Vitamin E protects us from harmful free radicals because it is an antioxidant. Quinoa already makes sure you get a dose of some Vitamin E already.Quinoa Nutritional Value – Zinc (2mg)Usually, zinc is found in meats, and not in grains. Imagine eating a grain that already provides you with zinc, that’s something rare. Zinc provides stronger immunity, helps heal wounds faster and promotes good eyesight when you age. The usual amount of zinc that a person needs is 15mg daily.Quinoa Nutritional Value – Fiber (2.51g)Ok, you already know Quinoa is not really a grain. But who cares? It contains fiber anyway. You need around 15-30 grams per day. Fiber is the nutrition that is helping our body increase bowel movement – making you burn those fats faster and easier. Another trivia is that fiber lowers women’s risk of developing breast cancer by a huge percent.

How often have you faced the situation when you are trying to sleep, but you are not able to? You might end up spending the entire night tossing and turning in your bed. Situations like this may occur to anyone, maybe due to some worry or out of excitement for something that’s going to happen the following day. However, if it becomes a usual affair, it can be terrible, indicating sleep problems, such as insomnia, sleep deprivation, sleep apnea, etc. It can do more damage than one could imagine.Since the mind and the body rely on correct sleep pattern to function normally, a good eight-hour sleep is much needed for a healthy life. Cutting corners on sleep could be detrimental for both mental and physical health. In other words, compromising on sleep to meet certain responsibilities or to get a bit of extra leisure time can have severe negative effects on both mental and physical health, causing a high stress level, irritability, cardiac morbidity and numerous other health issues.While a lot of people are unable to get their forty winks owing to significant changes in their lifestyle, a few others may go through the ordeal due to various social or environmental factors. But whatever be the reason, sleep deprivation can be dangerous, resulting in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.It has been observed that most Americans are sleep deprived, and the condition is alarming for those with psychiatric conditions. Clearly, there is a strong relationship between sleep deprivation and the development of numerous mental health issues. Some common health issues that develop in people who are constantly sleep deprived are:

Depression: Generally, an individual dealing with depression is first monitored for any symptoms of sleep disorders, following which the diagnosis for depression is made. Studies have shown that people dealing with insomnia are more likely to develop depression later in their lives as compared to those without any such problem. Moreover, depressed individuals with sleep problems are more prone to commit suicide than those who get a proper sleep.

Anxiety: Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues that can be triggered by the lack of adequate sleep. A person may experience problems such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and panic disorder when deprived of sufficient sleep. On the other hand, if a person with an anxiety disorder has sleep problems due to it, can see the symptoms worsening, leading to delayed recovery.

Bipolar disorder: Also known as manic-depressive illness, this disorder can make an individual either sleep excessively or experience restless sleep. Studies have shown that dealing with a manic or depressed episode of bipolar disorder along with difficulty in sleeping can pose significant hindrances in treatment, and hence, delay in recovery. The person might also feel low on energy, less motivated, and lack of interest in daily activities. Suicidal thoughts due to a combination of bipolar disorder and lack of sleep are also common in such individuals.

Recovery road mapA sound sleep not only ensures physical and mental health, but also helps in preventing the development of various mental illnesses. It is quite possible that mental disorders and physical illnesses coexist, but the cause-and-effect of this relationship may not be clear. A discussion of all symptoms with the doctor can help in identifying if a physical illness can be attributed to a mental ailment, or vice versa.