Healthy Talks

Recently, I was attending a spiritual session where someone said something that made me pause completely.

They said, “Things happen for a reason. Do your work with good intentions and leave the rest to God”.

At that moment, I smiled politely but inside, a storm began.

I kept thinking… Is it really that easy?

Can we truly just “let go” when things fall apart, when our hearts ache, when plans crumble, or when life stops making sense?

For the next couple of hours after that session, that one sentence kept echoing in my head, replaying again and again. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised, the answer isn’t simple.

Because the truth is, every single one of us is carrying something within us, may be a :

A silent story.
A quiet pain.
A fear, a loss, a dream that didn’t turn out as expected.

We all wear smiles on the outside but deep inside, we’re holding worlds that no one sees.

Do you know the irony of this era, We live in an age where everything is available instantly from food, comfort, entertainment to even companionship. But somehow, peace of mind feels miles away.

No doubt we’re surrounded by abundance but yet many of us feel empty. I mean we can have luxury, success, vacations, gadgets but often, what we lack most is stillness.

And without realizing it, we’ve become robotic, efficient tend to rush from one task to another, from one notification to the next, but emotionally exhausted without pausing to ask ourselves:

“How am I really feeling?”

And when the silence does come, it feels uncomfortable.
Because in that silence, our unhealed parts speak the loudest.

Lately I felt, Social media has connected us to everyone yet disconnected us from ourselves where we scroll, compare, and measure our worth against others’.

We think, “They must be happier… more successful… more peaceful.”
But the truth? Everyone is fighting their own unseen battle.

You know, the friend who always looks confident might be struggling to hold it together or the colleague who seems strong might be breaking quietly at home or the person smiling in that vacation photo might be trying hard to escape their own mind.

We’ve become experts at hiding pain and masters at pretending everything’s fine.

You know that day, as I sat quietly after the spiritual session, something shifted in me. I realised, Resilience isn’t about pretending everything is okay or not forcing yourself to “move on” overnight or that not toxic positivity.

Resilience is the art of bending without breaking.

It’s about allowing yourself to feel deeply the pain, the confusion, the heartbreak and still choosing to stand up again. Not because life suddenly becomes easy, but may be you learn that you are stronger than you thought.

Resilience is when your soul whispers, “Even this shall pass.”

It’s when you fall apart and rebuild again and again and each time, you rise with more grace, more wisdom, and more compassion for yourself.

To me, resilience is not just strength.
It’s softness.
It’s surrender.
It’s trust, that even when things don’t make sense now, they’re shaping you into someone wiser and more grounded.

I also experienced that peace is not found in the next promotion or the next trip, or the next perfect routine. But it begins the moment we stop fighting with life and start flowing with it.

It lies in the small moments of life which we rarely give importance like: being fully present with someone you love, taking a deep breath between chaos, and reminding ourselves, “I’m doing my best, and that’s enough.”

I think we don’t need to have it all figured out rather just need to stay open to learn, heal and grow.

Why i am sharing this because I want to tell you, yes you, If life feels heavy right now, know this you don’t need to have all the answers.

You’re allowed to rest.
You’re allowed to cry.
You’re allowed to feel lost.

Because even in those moments, you’re learning something vital, the language of your own resilience because things are not falling apart but they’re rearranging for your growth where every challenge is shaping you into the person you’re meant to become.

So take it slow.
Breathe deeply.
Trust that this phase, too, is part of your becoming.

And remember you are not alone in this my friend, no matter if the world glorifies strength as never falling. But remember true strength your true resilience lies in falling and rising again, each time softer, wiser, and more kind to yourself.

So the next time someone says, “Everything happens for a reason,”
smile not because you agree blindly, but because you understand now sometimes, the reason is to awaken the strength that was sleeping within you all along.

Much love to you all.❤️

Hello, my beautiful readers.

How are you all? I hope life has been kind to you and that you’re finding little moments of joy every day. It’s been a long time since I’ve put my emotions into words and shared them with you. You might be wondering where I’ve been—or perhaps you haven’t, but I’d still like to tell you!

The truth is, these past two years have been a whirlwind. I’ve been caught up in the chaos of work, responsibilities, and the illusion of being “too busy.” In the process, I sidelined one of my greatest joys—writing. Writing for me isn’t just about words; it’s a way to pour my emotions, knowledge, and passion into something meaningful.

As we step into this fresh new year, I’ve taken a pause—a much-needed “switch-off” from the noise around me. And in doing so, I’ve come to a realization: we’ve become so preoccupied with our aspirations, work, and digital lives that we’re missing out on the simple joys that truly enrich our souls.

Do you remember the last time you took in the smell of rain, listened to the chirping of birds, or had a deep, meaningful conversation with someone close? These little things used to bring us joy. Now, we often find ourselves physically present but emotionally absent, burdened by work pressures, relationship struggles, or even our own self-doubt.

But here’s the thing I’ve learned—and I want to share this with you: life isn’t about perfection. It’s about balance. It’s about cherishing the good moments, learning from the tough ones, and choosing not to let negativity consume us.

And this is where Rafiki, the wise mandrill from The Lion King, comes to mind. Remember how he told Simba:

“Don’t dawdle. Hurry up!”

It’s such a simple yet powerful reminder to not waste time dwelling on past mistakes or misfortunes. Rafiki teaches us that life’s lessons may sting, but they’re also what guide us to grow. We can either run from the past or learn from it—and that choice determines whether we stay stuck or move forward.

So, as we embrace this new year, let’s make a pact with ourselves: no more putting our lives and health at stake for things or people that drain us emotionally, mentally, or physically. Let’s work towards being our best selves, not for others, but for the peace and joy it brings to our own lives.

Here are some simple ways to make 2025 your most balanced and fulfilling year yet:

1. Let go of negativity: Whether it’s a person, habit, or situation that doesn’t serve you, learn to distance yourself from it.

2. Reflect on the past year: Review your struggles and victories. Be grateful for how far you’ve come and what you’ve learned.

3. Visualize your goals: Focus on what truly matters to you. Follow your passion, accept imperfections, and celebrate small wins.

4. Take breaks when needed: Rest and recharge. Self-care isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

5. Balance your spaces: Set clear boundaries between your personal and professional life to protect your peace.

6. Embrace mistakes: Don’t fear failure. Instead, learn and grow from it.

7. Prioritize your health: Nourish your body with healthy food, stay active, and make time for self-care.

8. Adopt a “Hakuna Matata” mindset: Let go of unnecessary worries. Focus on what’s within your control and let the rest be.

Life isn’t always easy, but every day is a chance to start fresh. So, let’s step into this year with high spirits, ready to embrace all its ups and downs with courage and grace. Remember, the goal isn’t just to survive—it’s to thrive.

Here’s to a year filled with joy, growth, and simple pleasures. As Rafiki would say, “It can hurt, but the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” Let’s choose to learn, grow, and move forward.

Thank you for being here with me, and I can’t wait to hear about how you’re making this year your own 😊

Cholesterol is an essential molecule for our life.

Wait what you’re saying, Cholesterol madam ! Many of you might be surprised by this pronouncement right, But I will pertain to the same assurance and further clarify that people, this waxy fat like substance found in all the cells of our body which is considered as a bad guy actually serves many important functions for us like: build structure of cell membrane, make hormones (which works like chemical messenger), helps the metabolism to work efficiently, produces some compounds which help our body to digest fat, absorb important nutrients, to make Vitamin D and so on.

I mean it’s just like criticising a dedicated worker who works day and night for an organisation but still didn’t get a word of appreciation and gets hypersensitive. Same with cholesterol which as a matter of fact is essential for so many things but still is a brute especially when that whole body checkup report freak you out by seeing those bold values on that piece of paper.

Won’t you agree that Nature bestowed us with so many natural things which actually works naturally in our body to keep us healthy but our carelessness imbalances the things, thus throwing us in many health malady, Agreed! Well our body itself makes the cholesterol it needs, approximately 80% of our body makes the cholesterol to keep us healthy and only 20% comes from the food claimed as per The Harvard Special Health Report.

Now this cholesterol executes its job as described above but cannot travel by its own, so aid by the proteins present in blood which helps them to undertake their journey called as lipoproteins. Now here is the climax, there are different types of lipoproteins which sway our life with different purposes:

• LDL, Low density lipoprotein aka Bad cholesterol.Why? Because they carry cholesterol from liver to rest of body cells and the cells bolt on the particles in surplus amount and you know eating anything excess is poisonous so in the same way too much LDL in blood leads to build up plaques in the arteries, thus raise the risk for heart disease and stroke.
• HDL, High density lipoprotein aka Good Cholesterol as it Carries the cholesterol from other parts of body back to liver and then our liver withdraws the excess cholesterol out from the body.
• VLDL, Very Low Density Lipoprotein, a kinsfolk from from LDL family and also contributes to the build up of plaque in arteries but differ in one perspective that it carries the triglycerides.

Now are you acquiring the visuals that if our body stores too much cholesterol in the blood then it gets combined with other substances and can lead to atherosclerosis thus making the coronary arteries narrower and narrower or even blocked which can cause chest pain or even a heart attack.

So the optimal values for the total cholesterol level under 200mg/dl considered normal ; LDL values should be less than 100mg/dl and HDL optimal values should be 60mg /do or higher is considered safe.

Now the moral of story “HDL ko badao and cholesterol ko bagao” but wait let me present you some pearl of wisdom of this plot where many of us must be reciting what causes high cholesterol? Why my levels are high even after leading a healthy lifestyle or How can I lower my cholesterol and blah blah…

Firstly, broadly we all are now stranded in the modernism era of lavished lifestyle with contrasting eating and living patterns, I mean much sedentary with no physical activity and transmutation of our own traditional diets and it’s epic curriculum into western style patterns into the bargain, where we love to completely rely on highly-ultra processed foods, junk items, artificially made and synthetic coloured foods which are manufactured somewhere in a large plant but not naturally from our locally known and seasonally grown plants.

Secondly, Cholesterol levels vary with age, sex, weight like: males tend to have high cholesterol levels with increase in age and in females they tend to rise after menopause.

Thirdly, there are some health conditions and lifestyle factors that can raise your cholesterol like: type 2 diabetes, obesity, familial hyper cholesterolemia (an inherited condition), high B.p, smoking, alcohol consumption etc. So it’s better to get your cholesterol level checked about every 5 years as per CDC recommendations.

So better kick up your day with 30 min. of any regular physical exercise routine, eat whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, vitamins , minerals, legumes, fish, good fats. Include the percentage of essential fats in your diet which can be found abundantly in nuts, seeds, certain cold pressed oils etc.

Limit the dependency of life on saturated fats, trans fat found in all sort of packaged food items and on alcohol consumption too, instead rely on balanced meals from all the food groups, unsaturated oils, complex carbs and healthy loving practices to ourself.

So here am environing the recital with hefty words by Anne Wilson “Good Health Is Not Something We Can Buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account”.

For further more health updates and information, follow us or you can contact me.

Have you ever sensed that disagreeable urge to move your legs especially in the evenings – night time hours or you might have felt some uncomfortable sensations you are encountered which begins after the rest for an extended period of time, for eg: long travelling while sitting in a car or airplane or sitting for prolonged time etc.

You might find an uncontrollable urge to move your legs to boot by reason of an agonising pain which is trolling you like anything. Well this abnormal, unpleasant sensation is actually called as Restless Leg Syndrome which affects majorly legs/feet, usually happens both sides of the body and less commonly affects the arm.

This unconditional sensation is rather sometimes difficult to realise and people often relate their conditions to muscle cramps, tingling, electrical sensation, sensation of bugs under skin, numbness and often name this disquiet state along with clanking in legs as you tossed restlessly in bed with either arthritis or osteoporosis and selflessly medicate themselves with calcium without doctor consultation. But still they didn’t get any relief from their condition.

The cause of Restless Leg Syndrome is a mystery itself with some researchers beliefs that it might cropped up due to a genetic predisposition or due to any environment trigger. While some admit that it might be a consequential effect of an imbalance in the brain chemical “dopamine” which sends message to control the muscle movement. Well it can also occur due to some hormonal changes or sometimes during pregnancy especially during the last trimester while the symptoms eases itself after delivery.

RLS doesn’t lead to any any serious complications but symptoms range from mildly bothersome to severe incapacitating and affects majorly to tribe affected by some already medical conditions like : Diabetes, Alcoholism, Iron Deficiency, Kidney Failure, Spinal cord conditions, High blood pressure etc.

The most serious concern of RLS is that it interferes with the sleep which lead to fatigue and you might be very well aware that sleep deprivation and fatigue both are dangerous for your overall health and general well-being which rather situate an individual at high with additional morbidities: heart disease, depression, insomnia, stroke, early death too.

To my surprise people with Restless Leg Syndrome never seek any medical advice as it affects their day-normal activities and they are often preoccupied with depression, insomnia without knowing the root cause of their problem and adopting the around the world unlike experimental treatments.

Some Do’s and Don’ts to RLS

• Reduce the intake of caffeine, alcohols, tobacco, lot of sugars etc.
• Make a regular sleep and wake-up schedule routine.
• Exercise everyday as some studies concludes that aerobic exercise and lower body resistance training done three times/week can ease the RLS symptoms ( moderation is the key).
• A foot wrap can help in relieving the RLS symptoms.
• Soak in hot bath before bed followed by a gentle massage/stretch leg muscles.
• Cut down the processed foods, packaged foods, sugary canned beverages. Rather opt for whole fibre foods, dark leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, seeds, poultry, seafood, nuts, iron-fortified foods etc.
• Add folate, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin D3, potassium, vitamin E , iron rich foods to your diet.
• Remove all digital devices from your room while sleeping. Make sure the room you sleep its window shades/curtains block the light.
• Try to put pillow between your legs as it might prevent your nerves from compressing.

For more information you can simply write to me.

Stay safe and Stay healthy.😊

Few years back when I was preparing for my public administrative services, I reached ahead of time for my classes and realised there was enough time for my batch so I used to spend my spare time for a crossword aficionado in my best-loved cafeteria. During those days I was a CCD lover. So after parking my car, I stopped by there and was just waiting for my order. Suddenly I saw some figures sitting just adjacent to me …. they were making heart-to-heart melancholy talks. I guess they were in there twenties. Two of them were married as the way they were narrating their after marriage life changing progress report was testimony to the above fact while the third one partook the role of their close confidante.

They were chitter-chattering all their way about their compromises, unsettling quarrels from kinfolks, responsibilities to share, expectations, managing paroxysms of kids, handling better half jitters, their own struggles etc. In short a “tale of woe” recitation. And then suddenly an eye-opener revelation made by one of them, “Look at me how I used to be before and now am completely lost, tenanted by blue devils, I have no time for myself and look at this body which receives honeyed words from all over the tribe.

Now what is the fun of telling you this story ? Right, as I also sensed the same while scribbling it but found it funny …. No rather seriously that this is just one example that how we ruined our whole lives and then lamenting our own modelled fuss by reproaching others.

How? O.k then be true to yourselves for further probing. Tell me how many women’s actually made any me time for themselves or do you remember when was the last time you cooked your favourite meal or ever racked your brain that there is a life apart from kids, husband or kinsfolk and more importantly when did the last time you take care of yourself???….. You won’t believe when I hearken the low spirited comments of an upskill women that “Now I have spend half of life in this shit now the rest of the life shall too pass” and some dyed in the wool conservative creatures who continue to insist, “Aurat hona bi kahan aasan hai bahut se khwaab dil mein hi dafnane padte hain”. I can give so many relatable silly notions on the same which distress me deep inside that why women live their lives in hopelessness and seriously it is a grief-stricken notion for all the women who were brought up to believe that self-sacrifice is the highest female virtue.

Despite am a very firm believer that women need genuine moments of solitude and self- reflection to acknowledge herself first, prioritise her health because nobody actually sympathise her the way she empathise the whole world without parading the effects of those havoc hormonal rush she inherited with which uphold her life beginning from the adolescence to elderly.

See here am not publicising the anecdote on feminine sacrifices as there is no comparison nor I am a gender biased. I strongly believe that men’s equally have a lot of responsibilities which are so challenging on their part too but I am against to the patriarchal approach concept by muttering what the actress Alia Bhatt reiterated its brands message “Why do boys have all the fun”🤩……

So ladies if you’re still reading this then please make certain self analysis and work to improve yourself as you don’t need to prove any shit to anyone about your capabilities, what to do or what not and be selflessly real you- somewhat weird, many times intelligent, witty, funny, adventurous, crazy etc as there are jam-packed of other things which make you delighted. Be your own definition of amazing.

I can sense even now it is not very convincing and myriads of you are murmuring it’s not easy in our culture or the part of life am dealing with so many responsibilities. Somehow I agree with you but that doesn’t mean that you don’t want to give a try to adore yourself for your own sake or are you still deadlocked with a situation what others will think if I made certain self love commitments to myself.

Think for a while if you take care of your self, accentuate your likes-dislikes or your hobbies a bit, you start feeling more lively and balanced, hence you happy = everyone happy? No this equation never exists you can’t make everyone happy my friend but yeah at the cost of your sufferings you can. So the equation of your life should rely on your happiness = your growth because then you will be more centred to dealt any unpleasant situation.

Some self caring rituals:

• Give yourself a permission to relax and ease down from your daily routine work.
• Don’t forget to focus on the good, be obsessively grateful for what you have and be happy in the anticipation of what’s coming to you.
• Do something you love which makes you delightful like reading, writing, dreaming, singing, dancing, painting etc..just for you.
• Accept yourself who are you now, the past is just over.
• Step outside for some fresh air or engage in some short mindfulness breathing exercise or a walk or a run… do what you feel like.
• Listen to a podcast or a song or watch the movie that makes you happy. What about this..treat yourself with your favourite food.
• Get a good sleep and keep away from your phones for couple of hours.
• Set some boundaries, ask for what you need, put yourself first sometimes, ask for help and try to say no with no guilt. Trust your instincts.
• Try to realise the expectations of perfectionism.
• You can’t control other people feelings, their words, their actions better manage your thoughts and work on yourself.
• Eat healthy home-made nutritious diet with surplus amounts of vitamins and essential fats and remain hydrated.
• Upgrade your circle by spending time with people you love, practice mindfulness.
• Feed yourself with love even without anyone and be optimistic by greeting all kind of emotions with confidence that allows us to learn from our own mistakes.

So get up and embark the new journey by falling in love again with yourself. Cmon bring out that notorious radiant inner child buried somewhere inside you in a hurry to become a discreet perfectionist creature. Let’s together learn the Art of growing without loosing our inner child.

Lastly, as I always say it’s not selfish to love yourself or to take care of yourself or making your happiness a priority. It is actually necessary because once you start loving yourself everything falls in line and if you nourish yourself in this way it will definitely help you blossom in the direction you want to go because “Zindagi na milegi dobara” and you only live once.

Hello again! I have discoursed at great length in my previous blog about the epic fact of Free-radicals and Antioxidants which i consider is apparent enough. Now there must be some questions patently puzzling you about, how to procure these antioxidants rather in which suitable form which is not only effective but safer too.

Yeah I can sense that bustle. So without wasting time let’s directly come to the point. As I have affirmed in my previous blog that the best and safest way to get antioxidants is from the diet and believe me you can’t get anything better than that. Additionally simplest approaches for the same are also propounded there too. So let me tell you the ways by which we can incorporate them in our diet :

• Firstly the most essential antioxidants that oftentimes we obtain from our healthy diet are: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Flavonoids, Glutathione, Cur-cumin, Resveratrol etc. So Better consume all seasonal fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, whole grains, olives, green leafy vegetables, different spices etc. Understand this simple strategy that the whole foods can furnish us with different combinations of antioxidants that work together to provide best protection for our health.
• Eat more plant based foods, now dont dishearten yourself if you are non-vegetarian. Better eat your poultry items in moderation…just balance your meal with different veggies, fruits, whole-grain and the Canada or Mediterranean food guide are the good exemplar of the same but don’t forget your elite Indian food guide which have been courteously quoted in our Ayurvedic texts also.
• Use healthy cold pressed oils with variant varieties. Never stuck on one particular type, such as: canola oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, mustard oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, groundnut oil, sesame oil, etc.
• Never over cook your food to mushy level and better use a very small amount of water while steaming your vegetables, this will help in retaining the essential nutrients.

Now my bosom friends one thing I would like to utter, kindly dont vanish your cultural roots especially in foods because they are setup in a very shrewdly manner according to our Indian genes, susceptibility, with different geographical conditions etc. But the ever stupidest things committed by us nowadays are obeying other cultures exoticism categorised food and shadowing ours which are not only grown in our home land but travel considerable distances to explore our native land by offering less or nullified nutritional value “exotic foods” but eventually looks irresistible magnificent on our Instagram #Blueberry# Dragon fruit # Mangustaan and god knows what show casting circle posts but not for our health . So be generous by applying a bit common sense which can be expected from the one of the most genius species on earth.

I am much obliged for enduring my gyan but proudly I would like to draw your attention by asking one simple thing, “whats wrong in Indian diet and why you forget your own land indigenous Ayurvedic beliefs which mentioned “Naasthimoolam Anoushadham” – there is no plant that has no medicinal properties which been echoed by all over world but overlooked by us.

Anyways according to one research, traditional Indian diets, spices and medicinal plant are rich sources of natural antioxidants and as I discussed above that foods such as – fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts contain thousands of compounds that are antioxidants and here some our own region foods which are rich in antioxidants are listed, such as: Rajma (Kidney beans), Tomatoes (contains 3types of antioxidants), Barley (popular for antioxidant), Spinach, Organic desi ghee, Micro-greens ( like: moth, sesame, fenugreek, etc are the treasure troves of nutrition), Bael (Amrit fruit), Raw honey, Pomegranate (one of the healthiest fruit on planet), Indian gooseberry (your only amla), Beetroot etc….the list never ends. So what you waiting for…..go and standardise your diet pal!

But here we have some boatload of people who still want to know what about supplemental form of antioxidants? So for them one thing I want to clarify that the supplements have concentrated doses of isolated antioxidants that impact health differently than natural derived foods and taking high dose of any kind might be unfit for everyone as they may interfere with body’s natural signalling pathways and even harmful in some cases. But again there is no deny on that concentrated forms have various beneficial health outcomes too.

As it was said that “ Athi Sarvathra Varjayeth” (means anything consumed in excess, is not good for health. Be moderate). Similarly moderation is the key for antioxidants supplements too, believe me there is no as such any magical pill yet invented to cover your health problems but sadly we feel better to befriend these “pills” rather to bring a generous shift for leading a healthy life by certain life style modifications.

So here I am wind down the story that antioxidants protocol is not as simple as it sounds because they come from many sources : naturally produced in the body, some from the foods and some in concentrated doses. So be kindhearted and always take recommendations from your doctor or nutritionist.

For any other queries you can directly contact me. Till then stay safe and stay healthy.😀

Have you ever bust a gut to get the picture about what exactly will be the reason that the human race of this century are inclined with different diversity of diseases, many of which even not heard before. Earlier this was not the occurrence as the beings of that epoch were more active, healthy, happier and satisfied than this day and age.

Indubitably at present the life expectancy is also whopping enough than earlier with more lavish and comforting life we are savouring, as a result our generation beings are less metabolically healthy than their peers. Thanks to the scientific-cum-technological inventions and faster socio-economic development!

Forbye we used to splash out our finances and eat more healthier food than previous generation. In essence, over the last 100 years we are ingesting a healthier diet than before but if it so…then why the plot of different diseases, such as: cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, obesity, inflammatory conditions, cancer, atherosclerosis, asthma etc is reaching to epidemic proportions.🤔

Well to answer this scepticism I would like to gather your attention on the most well known personalities whose vogue is scattered all across the globe upto such extent that the whole food industry gets as mad as a hatter. So ladies and gentlemen put your senses together for — “Free radical and Antioxidants”.

Consider these free radicals as the main villain of our story which tends to remain unstable in nature by forging large chain chemical reactions in our body and its accumulation inside us deteriorate our health. Besides antioxidant is the gallant idealised persona who tends to rescue our body by stabilising free radicals for its flourishing set up. But the problem sprang out when the proportion of free radicals out balanaces the antioxidants which leads to rise numerous diseases, such as : cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, neurological disease, kidney disease, sexual maturation, high cholesterol, insomnia, high uric acid, obesity, diabetes etc. Hope you all are relating to the above mentioned query!

Never overlook one more thing that without the antioxidants these free radicals would cause serious health issues eventually resulting in death too. So antioxidants are the tease tail for the survival of all living things on this planet for leading a healthier version of themselves.

Now the question comes how free radicals are formed inside the body, well the possibility is through various endogenous and exogenous sources such as:

• Endogenous sources like: inflammation, mental stress, cancer, intense or excessive exercise, bacterial and fungal infection, drugs, aging, stress, ischemia etc.
• Exogenous sources like : environmental pollutants, use of pesticides and insecticides in crops, packaged eatables, heavy metals, radaiation, certain drugs, cigarette smoke, high intake of polyunsaturated fats, diet high in sugar, alcohol etc.

Many researchers comment that low or moderate ratio of free radicals plays beneficial roles inside the body but the problem arises when free radicals outnumber the antioxidants (from the above sources mentioned above). And it is also certainly precise to utter, that it’s completely impossible to avoid free radicals exposure and oxidative stress to happen inside the body!

So what to do then ? Right.

Just increase the level of antioxidants pal by various ways and make certain lifestyle choices regarding diet, exercise and environment which can minimise the effects of oxidative stress thus lower the free radicals formation inside the body… How? Arey , the bestest way to keep on track your antioxidants levels is through good healthy diet which is optimal for good health. Simple!

Now what about the dietary supplements. Can we take antioxidants supplements ? See this is very controversial inquiry but as per the research, the natural food-derived antioxidants are very different from those of found in supplements as it contains concentrated dose of isolated antioxidants compound that can impact the health differently. Even some studies reveal that taking certain antioxidants supplements may interfere with body’s natural signalling pathways thus adversely impact the health.

But again one thing might began to bang you, that how can we be so sure that the food or diet we are eating will provide us the enormous amount of antioxidants as nothing is in bona fide form these days, every thing is interfered with technology. No doubt on that but just understand one thing “balance is the key” for any good thing to happen otherwise you know that even a nectar is poison if taken to excess. So here are the simplest approaches you should follow:

• Best strategy to get daily dose of antioxidants is from heathy diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains etc).
• Always go for seasonal, traditional and local.
• If above tricks gets hold off then go for supplement but it should be a certified good plant based antioxidant supplement only after taking advice from your nutritionist or doctors but that too on short time interval. Don’t ever try to become self destructive doctor.

See by making certain lifestyle changes we can offer tremendous changes to our body, our health, our mind and our environment too. And one thing I always say that age is just a number so don’t ever let age to tyrannise your mind about what you can do and what not. So ladies kindly start looking for your self, have good-healthy nutritious meal, keep exercising, pamper yourself beyond just the fat loss, starving, artificial glow world and by relying on artificially made foods.

So stay tuned with me for further suggestive aspects about how to get antioxidants from various sources with the contrasting effects of natural and man made antioxidants on our body very soon.

Till then stay safe and happy.😋

Hello wonderful people, hope you all are doing well and safe.

What a fascinating thing uttered by the billionaire businessman Zong Qinghou ,“ Many people find themselves with illness as they become successful: higher blood pressure and diabetes”. Besides we take ownership of being diseased by croaking to the simple process of physiological ageing and overlook the actual matter because diseases like hypertension mostly lean on environmental factors than the beautiful ageing process.

Dialogue on Blood pressure, sounds boring as nowadays it is very conventional talk, so what’s unheard-of story I am gonna narrate now…Right. Well to answer this query I would like to gather your few minutes to gobble (up) the whole blog as it will certainly avail the facts on this global burden disease. The amount of popularity circle high blood pressure have gained especially in Oldage or adult age, to interpose a gesture towards showcasing our age in certain melodramatic style, “ Ab is age mein yeh toh normal hai”. I mean whatever be your explanations, one thing just remember that the changes in our lifestyle, dietary and stress patterns, certain medications, physical conditions etc have increased the prevalence of this disease.

Revealing Blood Pressure

Have you ever realised what this blood pressure actually means? It is a pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessel, now for a moment compare these vessels as a hosepipe which feed water to your plants. Similarly in body (these vessels) they used to supply blood to the whole body.

Now think for a while if the pressure of water (blood) gets very high, the hosepipe (vessel) definitely gets damaged. Similarly the damage effect will counterfeit the nearby organs (like- heart, brain, kidney etc). So no more gyan let’s come to point that the normal resting blood pressure in an adult is approximately 120/80 mm Hg. Now this blood pressure get influenced by lot of situations like – your emotional state, hereditary, activity levels, arterial stiffness, certain health diseases, dehydration, certain medications, severe infections etc which can either up-shoot (hypertension) or hit at rock-bottom (hypotension). Simple!

The Giant Antagonist (High Blood Pressure)

Hypertension befall in a “silent killer” category and according to research more the levels of High blood pressure, the more risk of your health . And then the generous efforts shepherded towards unhealthy lifestyle choices do the crowning accomplishments.

It can damage the health in many ways like- can affect your heart , brain, kidneys, eyes, lead to sexual dysfunction problems etc. Mind it high blood pressure is seriously dangerous as it make the heart to work harder to pump blood to the body .

Not only this, having high blood pressure in midlife is linked to having poor cognitive function and dementia later in life. And it is very relevant to pronounce that today’s prolonged stress may predict tomorrow’s heart problems so why we don’t we lead a life ahead in a balanced healthier way.

The Uncharted Champ (Low Blood Pressure)

The most misconstrue form of blood pressure which doesn’t receive much introspection in medical field too, as low blood pressure might seem desirable for some but for some it is a major havoc causer. So yeah it didn’t gain much limelight of elite category but don’t take it lightly. As it affects each person differently. I mean what is considered low b.p for you may be normal for others but if it bothers you then it may be the genesis of some underlying health conditions.

Hypotension come to pass because of the following reasons- heart problems, endocrine problems, dehydration, heat stroke, inadequate diet, blood loss, diabetes, severe infections – allergies ( anaphylaxis), certain medications etc.

Not only this many times you have noticed sudden drop in your b.p levels in various forms like:

• Low Blood pressure on standing up, most common in older adults, also affects younger ones (Orthostatic hypotension)
• Low Blood pressure after eating, especially after one- two hours of eating, affects mostly older adults (Post prandial hypotension)
• Low Blood pressure after standing long periods, affects mostly young adults and children (Neurally mediated hypotension) etc.

The complications are dizziness, weakness, fainting, nausea, sweating, fatigued, inability to concentrate, risk of getting unconscious etc. Understand sometimes it gets very difficult to diagnose the actual cause of it even after having adequate diet which results in a bizarre full life so better keep journal of your symptoms and jot down reasons as it aids what triggers you but if still you are not bothered then you can cherish having coffee for short instant relief whole life. Choice is yours!

Hypertension Prevention

• Avoid eating excess sugar, saturated fats, artificial and packaged foods.
• Cut back too much sodium, too much caffeine, alcohol , tobacco etc.
• Consume plenty of fruits, vegetables, low fat, low calorie diet rich in whole grains and high in fibre.
• Achieve healthy weight by getting daily dose of physical activity.
• Manage stress by doing some breathing exercise, some asanas (shavasana, bhujangasana, vakraasana, tadasana etc) and pranayams.
• Increase the intake of potassium calcium, magnesium in diet.
• Some Ayurveda approaches like- add teaspoon of coriander and a pinch of cardamom to one cup of freshly squeezed peach juice, moong dal soup with some cilantro, cucumber raita, have amla once a day, basil contains the compound Eugenia that used to lower down the high b.p etc.

Hypotension Prevention

• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat well balanced diet with smaller meals frequently.
• Consume salt to your diet but avoid alcohol.
• Intake the food rich in vitamin B12, folate and iron.
• Avoid to spend much time in outdoors in extreme hot weather, increase your hydration efforts.
• Avoid prolonged bed rest and wear compression stockings.
• Some Ayurveda approaches: drink carrot and beet root juice, eat almonds- raisins- figs soaked overnight, have soup of black channa, take 1/2 spoon of turmeric along with aloe Vera gel etc.

See the Ayurvedic perspective for low b.p is different like- the poor blood circulation in people with Vata body; poor liver function and anaemia with pitta body; congestion with kapha type body.

My whole intention to write this blog is to create awareness that diagnosis alone based on B.P measurements neglects the other contributing factors described above. So the better way is to educate the patients on the same so that they put generous effort to change their lifestyle along with medications (if they are dependent) to lead a healthy life ahead.

For more information follow http://www.allthingsabouthealth.fitness.blog 😇

Gall bladder……the most depreciate organ of humans body rather I surmise it should nomen as a “Gala-Bladder”- the bladder which upholds all the stress during our gala (big party occasions) i.e: messy lifestyle, erroneous eating practices, sedentary lifestyle etc….in short a bogus and malfunctioned human creature, thus such type of beyond the pale practices leads to store the toxins in our body which culminate in the form of diabetes, high blood pressure, low immunity, fatty liver, obesity, gall stones etc. Let me tell you this underrated organ has prestigious rapport in some cultures where gall is associated with brave person with brave behaviour and a seat of powerful decision-making too.

And see the crises begins when that hot-paunch and diseased body now lambasting that platter of food which is cooked by your lovingly kinswomen and grown with so pure intention by the farmers but see duniyan ka dastoor that we are still snatching those plant-manufactured foods which seem to be overseeing there business with money minded intention by the sake of our health.

Ok fine, No more gyan! Why am avowing this because nowadays cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal) has become so normal at very early age and these brave heart hero’s still not bother at all about what actually had happened. Now you will mutter…Madam, One with gall bladder removal can lead a perfect life, So what’s the big deal? Fine if it is a trifling matter, but when we keep on repeating the same mistake and not learning the lesson then it is definitely a big deal. It’s like a mistake repeated more than once is a decision…..Yes decision of living a diseased life ahead with Bollywood style ‘Umar ke saath kat rahi hai ab beta’. And what are those mistakes will be disclosed shortly but pehle pate ki baat.

See, your gall bladder is a pear shaped organ that just hangs down below the liver and stores and collects the bile produced from it. Now this bile is greenish-yellow digestive fluid (consists of fats, amino acids, steroid hormones, electrolytes, bilirubin, water, bile salts, waste products etc) which actually performs some major functions, like: to carry away the waste, breakdown fat during digestion, absorption of fat soluble substances (Vit. A,D,E,K), acts as bactericides -kills harmful microbes that may be present in the food, aids immune system, act as a doorway to exit bio transformed toxins from the body and one more thing it is also excreted out from body in faeces giving our poops a dark brown color.

Now what happens, this pear shaped organ may be full of bile before our meals and when we eat meals it empties itself, becomes flat like a deflated ballon and wait for the signal so that it squash the store bile into the small intestines to digest the fats. Now here is the turning point that people whose gall bladder is removed by whatsoever reason, there will be no control to this designed flow of bile as it gonna continuously release this hot potion into the gastrointestinal tract whether required or not thus irritates the intestine and possibly is the reason for diarrhoea, inflammation, fat malabsorption etc.

Hurdles for Healthy Gallbladder:

If your gallbladder is healthy then it’s having a strong muscular wall and will perform all gyaan I mentioned above but if something went wrong then you can access some symptoms: pain (in mid to upper right section of abdomen), nausea, chronic diarrhoea, unexplained fever, jaundice, unusual stool (light coloured) and urine (dark coloured) etc.

Some potential gallbladder problems : gallstones in gallbladder, gallstones in bile duct, gall bladder inflammation, cholecystectomy (infection of gallbladder), gallbladder cancer, abscess of gall bladder, perforated gallbladder (tear in gallbladder), procelian gallbladder (calcium deposition) etc.

Gall bladder attack:

Beware of this attack which is commonly known as gallstone attack, as I said earlier if pain emanate from the upper right side of your abdomen then it may be related to it but the possibilities can also differ aside from that like in case of heart burn, pneumonia, kidney infections, appendix etc the same sensation can be felt.

There will be a sudden sharp pain which can last for hours too or some sort of cramping in right region or intense pain which results in difficulty to sit and sometime this gall bladder pain may spread from abdomen to the back between your shoulder blades or to right shoulder. So be aware!

How gall stones formed:

• When liver secretes excess cholesterol than bile which results into crystals thus form stones.
• When liver secretes too much bilirubin (a chemical that produces when your body breaks down the R.B.C’s) this also results in gall stones formation.
• Genetics/ Irrelevant fastings/ Hormone treatment/ Anti- conception medication/ Under-overweight/ Inappropriate methods for weight loss etc .

Making the same Mistake:

• Not sticking to healthy daily diet, eating processed food items, lot of spices, lots of saturated and trans fat etc.
• Still Leading a sedentary lifestyle which is devoid of any exercise or physical activity.
• Being overweight and then going for crash/ fad diets / weight loss supplements etc thus stressing the whole system.
• Skipping the food (homemade, traditional, local, seasonal etc) and reaching to those packaged/ready to eat items.

Thus the whole body malware gets infected!

How to keep gallbladder Happy:

• Don’t ever skip your meals at any cost and if it is so then bile gets build up and raises cholesterol level then you know the story.
• Eat wholesome meals : whole grains, fruits, all sorts of vegetables etc which not only lowers your LDL cholesterol but protects the heart also.
• Maintain a healthy weight but please avoid any types of fad diets.
• Hydrate yourself as it cleanse your body, treat ailments, helps joints- muscles to function properly, increases brain function and energy etc, thus maximise all sort of physical performance, what else you want.
• Don’t be a couch potato, better keep moving, engage in some physical core exercises.
• Have smaller meals instead of large meal at a time.
• Avoid too spicy, too salty, too fried, high fat diets, carbonated drinks, processed-packaged & bakery confectioneries etc.

Some Ayurveda Approaches:

In Ayurveda, practitioners use some kind of herbs which are categorised as cholagouge (herbs that activate gall bladder to make it contract and empty excess bile into intestines) and choleretic (which stimulates liver to secrete more bile and stave off the accumulation of cholesterol in the fluids, remove gallstones from gall ducts, maintain liver health etc).

Some of them are : Turmeric, Aloe-Vera, Kalongi, Black-pepper, Ginger, Chamomile, Peppermint, Hing, Fenugreek etc.

For more information, feel free to communicate.☺️

Presenting the storyline of Hernia, which scientifically connotes when an internal organ of the body such as intestines pushes through an opening or weak spot in a surrounding muscle that normally holds it. I know you didn’t get it, Right! By the way don’t go with its name it can affect both male and female.

Better, understand that when an organ or it’s tissues budges from its normal position to the other position which most of the times can be accessed by yourself as a bulge or lump in the affected area especially when you are standing, coughing, bending down etc, like in Inguinal Type Hernia (most common).

Hernia are not life threatening but they have to be treated as they cannot go away by their own but if you left it untreated then they can cause too much pressure to nearby tissues which can further cause swelling, pain in the surrounding area or may trap your intestines and don’t let enough blood supply to it which actually leads to a worrisome situation. According to Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, hernia get misdiagnosed in women’s with the ovarian cysts, endometriosis or other abdominal issues.

So it requires careful examination by your doctor where they gonna first do some physical examination to find out the bulge with list of questionaries to actually know the exact cause with proceeding further to some clinical investigation like abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, MRI scan etc. The diagnosis for Hernia varies with its type (which am gonna tell you shortly) for eg: in case of Hiatal hernia your doctor may provide you OTC medications for relieving you from the stomach acid discomfort etc while to the other type where the bulge or lump may be treated with medications or if not then your practitioner decides which type of surgery is best to operate for your condition on the basis of size of lump and severity of symptom.

There are many types of Hernia and some of them discussed below:

• Inguinal Hernia: It is the most common types with 75-80% chances of happenings in abdomen (the belly) where your intestines pushes through a weak spot near groin area (area between where your upper thigh and lower abdomen meets). You may notice a lump there which may give you bit discomfort or pain while coughing or while lifting heavy objects or sometimes painless too.
• Hiatal Hernia: It occurs when the upper part of your stomach protrudes up through the diaphragm and into chest region with some specific symptoms like: Heart burn, nausea, throat irritation, chest pain, trouble swallowing etc . It is most common in people over 50 years old.
• Umbilical Hernia: It’s prevalence ratio can lie in between 3-10% commonly in children and babies where you may notice a bulge near your child’s belly button as they cry and can be painless but needs a proper attention when there is a pain, swelling or vomiting. This type can disappear away by itself because the abdominal muscles get stronger as the child grows if not, then surgery can be used.
• Ventral Hernia: There is 2% chance for this type to occur which can be present either by birth or get acquired up at some point in lifetime like: obesity, any strenuous activity, pregnancy, at the site of surgical incisions. It can occur at any location on your abdominal wall with some discomfort while lifting heavy objects, sitting/standing for long time or strain during urination or bowel movements etc.
• Femoral Hernia: It includes a lump in the groin or inner thigh region with some nausea, stomach pain or vomiting in severe cases.

Now let’s begin with question how it is caused? Well there are many underlying causes that weakens the muscle or build up the strain, like: condition by birth (congenital condition), family history of Hernia, age, strenuous exercise or lifting heavy weights, pregnancy, constipation, obesity, smoking etc.

As I mentioned above that it can cause complications so an early medical care and some lifestyle changes can ease your symptoms like:

• Maintain a healthy diet which includes whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables. Eat rich food in smaller quantities don’t over feed yourself.
• Avoid citrus and acidic fruits- oranges, lemons, cranberry, lemonades etc .
• Limit high fat dairy products, butter, creams sauces, confectioneries, sugary items.
• Avoid processed flesh foods, red meat, fried meat etc.
• Drink plenty of water, aloevera juice, vegetable juice to reduce incidence of acid reflux and bloating.
• For immediate relief use ice packs which help to reduce the inflammation, pain, swelling in abdomen or groin area.
• Avoid lying down or going to sleep immediately after your meals.
• Maintain healthy weight.
• Do not smoke.
• Perform some yoga asanas and core exercises helps in strengthening the weak abdominal muscles. Care must be taken to avoid any type of exercise which includes heavy weight lifting as it may increase the pressure at the site of your hernia.

So if you sense of having hernia then it would be better to contact your doctor as many people wait until they experience pain or discomfort or the increase in lump size etc which actually gets worse and many times one is left with surgery as the only option.

More than a year has passed since Mr. Corona has completely transformed the lives of mankind in horrendous way world wide, thusly playing havoc not physically but emotionally too. And if we look back you get plenteous of chronicles about such type of pandemics which depicts that it’s not new that humanity have encountered with such viruses for the first time, Right.

Nor you will disagree with this gospel that these viruses are one of the most liberal ideology kinda person who tends to share their presence on this planet like other creatures, but in Mr. invisible form (even many are undisclosed ones too). In short viruses are found wherever there is life, some cause menace while some shows no noticeable reaction.

The whole intentionality to write this blog is not to foreword you about this virus as we are well versed about it now, thanks to google baba. But to address the challenges to revivify a normal life once again from this covid-warfare attack which is bringing many complications during its recovery.

As a lot of hindrances are immigrating during post-covid recovery which is eminently seen after this second wave thus posing the albatross in the form of “post-covid syndrome” or “long-covid” (coughing, itchy throat, body aching, fatigue, fever,hair loss, nail issue, shortness of breath, altered sensorium, panic attacks etc) wherefore jeopardising the lives not only with physical stress but psychological stress too (anxiety, depression etc). I can sense these jitters and perplexity so would like to share some suggestions which definitely assist those who encountered with it.

Things to access during post-covid recovery :

• For certain days, check your oxygen level (during rest or any activity) and body temperature, especially those who get severely infected.
• Make an appointment with your doctor for a general follow up after a week.
• People with certain comorbities: Diabetes, High B.P, Cardiovascular issues or other ailment, please monitor your condition.

These are few general assessments required for few days as lot of secondary complications are seen in most post covid patients because in general the viral infections actually can kill, change or damage the cells and have tendency to attack certain cells in your body like: liver, kidney, blood, respiratory system etc. So just be little careful.

General guidelines:

• This time is very uncertain so better devote your mind in positivity rather than bat about hopelessness. Better engage yourself in any hobbies- reading, singing, dancing, listening podcast, painting, call your friend, support others, play puzzles and memory games etc.
• I know it’s get very infuriating when there are fluctuations in the health status especially after covid that at one moment you feel o.k but on the other you get drained off. But understand this is completely normal as your body have resist this covid battle and need some time at its own pace to recover, what it needs is care and courage from you to stay certain in such uncertain time. So take proper rest in post-recovery week too. Don’t Rush.
• There is so much chaos in post-covid recovery because of the occurrence of aftermath complications, it once again makes you worried, so here by being physically active you need to strengthen your mental and emotional levels too which can be achieved by some dose of meditation, deep breathing and little stretches. There are so many guided meditations you get online.
• From the last year we are unabruptly using this and that herb without any recommendations which can harm your body rather than causing any good to you. Understand we Indians have a very balanced and clever cooking style where you use good combinations of spices. So don’t consume excess kadhas, concoctions, herbs, supplements without advice. Understand balance and discipline is the key to attain good health which needs a full dedication to thrive for healthy lifestyle.

Post covid Diet:

One of the most crucial and important aspect of this whole story is the diet you are going to have after covid. See each individual have their own tendencies to handle the internal destruction caused by this virus, so whether it’s a mild or moderate or severe infection the damages it done needs proper care to rejuvenate again. So some recommendation are as follows:

• Start your day with Luke warm water stored overnight in copper vessel as it claimed to robust the immune system. You can either add a lemon or honey to it on alternative basis which further is beneficial for health (a natural detoxifier).
• Don’t start your day with any caffeinated drinks- tea, coffee. Better have any seasonal fruit- apple, banana, papaya, pear, peaches etc.(any except citrus one).
• Soak some nuts overnight (almonds, raisins, figs, dates, walnuts etc) and eat them in the morning.
• Perform some daily stretching asanas, pranayama followed by meditation (according to your capacity). See this is crucial time for your overall health which strengthens your immune system. Daily dose of them improves the oxygen circulation, blood circulation, lift your spirits up and detoxifies you (both physically and mentally).
• Make a strict routine for your meal timings, don’t skip them at any cost and incooperate good nutritious calorie dense diet. Understand this time you have to be very careful to include good protein rich diet in every meal as they supply amino acids for building body tissues and replace worn out tissues which is very much needed to counterbalance the damages by virus.
• Eat plenty of fruits, leafy vegetables, roots, tubers etc. with generous amount of nuts and seeds as it gonna provide you with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• Avoid packaged food items and junks, as they will only weakens your immune system, rather incooperate healthy snacks, eg: roaste black channa with jaggery, roasted fox nuts, roasted or boiled peanuts (if there is no dry cough), cashews & coconuts, chickpea chat, khakra, rice puff bhel etc.
• Keep yourself well hydrated in any form eg: water, buttermilk, coconut water, sherbets, Saturday water etc this maintains the fluid and electrolytes balance in the body.
• Drink milk in night, you can add turmeric or peppercorns or pippali etc . These are some medicated milk for any kapha type disorder or sometime add half a teaspoon of grounded almonds or cashews (good tonic and energiser) if feeling low in energy levels.
• Protein options for Vegetarians: cheese, sprouted dal dosa or chillla, black channa (soup, boiled, curry), soya nuggets, moth dal soup, chickpeas etc. Though plant protein cannot provide you all essential amino acids so food combinations is recommended like:dhokla, khichri, vegetable-gram pulav, fermented foods etc it enhances the protein quality of your food.
• Protein options for Non-vegetarians: eggs, chicken, fish, meat, milk etc.
• As a general rule, a well-balanced meal provide all sorts of nutrients, so there is no need of any artificial supplements. But if you have some health issues then talk to your nutritionist or a health care practitioner.

For any other information you are free to ask me.😇

Well I haven’t got the faintest idea about how many of you are familiar with endometriosis or upto what extent you amass the consciousness with the same. I am affirming this because it takes around 7-10 years to harmonize the exact diagnosis of endometriosis. Now you all must be pondering is it so? 🤔

Well quite anomalous Na. But it’s true because many of its symptoms are coupled to the trait of other condition (gonna reveal soon) which actually bemuse the practitioner, thus entangle them to role out the exact problem which unfortunately lead to misdiagnosis.

But the matter of great concern lies around “Why it takes an exceptional time to interpret”, Well to my understanding the major dilemma manifests to the customary taboos and myths, which prevents us to openly discuss about it, by the virtue of which many of us silently bear the excessive chronic and debilitating pain which actually is not normal.

Furthermore, still we find it embarrassing to talk and candidly I don’t know what kind of discomfit emotion we love to experience where it seems to have birthright (born as female) to dealt with it silently in pain but not for meagre days or months but for years and years, thus equivalent to put your health at stake…..See endometriosis doesn’t have any age barrier, it can affect anyone (in reproductive age from 12-52). Moreover due to its enigmatic proclivity, many often experience a long delay in diagnosis.

In uncomplicated way, just understand that there is a formation of tissue similar to endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus which thickens and renews itself each month making ready for pregnancy, if you conceive and if not then the endometrium sheds in a process known as menstruation) grows outside the uterine cavity.

And normally there is a myth to which we dwell our entire lives that this growth can only develop in the reproductive organ but actually it can spread to the bowels, appendix, diaphragm, bladder, peritoneum (lining of abdominal cavity), rectum or even lungs.

See the exact cause of it is unknown. It’s symptoms also vary from mild to moderate to severe which can be determined on certain factors like- it’s location, size, depth of implant etc.

It can be troublesome in many ways:

• Abnormal and painful periods.
• Severe pain in lower abdomen, pelvis or lower back pain before or during menstruation .
• Painful Sexual intercourse.
• Infertility.
• Diarrhoea, Constipation, Nausea, Bloating, Cramps etc.
• Painful urination, blood in urine etc.

You remember what I mentioned earlier about the camouflage genre of endometriosis, for eg: As it was seen majorly in women’s who have some sort of gastrointestinal related issues often misdiagnosed with IBS, Chrons Disease, Celiac disease because often doctor mishear its occurrence to the other parts of body (mentioned above) accompanied with the counterfactual presumption that the painful bowel and pelvic pain with vomiting are normal during menstruation.

See, with mother wit you can sense the normal and abnormalities which implies that, “An individual who experiences the painful period doesn’t mean that gets encountered with endometriosis”. Rather one should grasp the extremity of their situation if it is making you completely helpless in doing your normal chores even after gulping untold doses of painkiller then it’s not normal and need proper diagnosis which will be possible only if your doctor is well experienced to not only relate it upto reproductive parts but also consider its essence to other parts of organs too.

Now you will be definitely thinking how to tackle this condition because it would definitely bring the paradigm shifts to life, if left untreated and I will redress your query with an honest-to-goodness stroke that, well it has no cure yet but wait…..it’s symptoms can be managed. Firstly your doctor will experiment the all sorts of conservative approaches like- pain medications, hormone therapies, contraceptives, etc and if all tactic goes in vain then the “Golden standard of diagnosis” is opted i.e surgery (to remove the implant and to have it done biopsied).

However, making dietary changes is a complementary approach that may help some women in managing their symptoms. Yet more research is to be needed but what we can do, is to take the edge off with the nutriments which triggers its symptoms and pick out the variants which would possibly relieve its symptoms, like-

• Diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
• More veggies and fruits.
• A wholesome food.
• Avoid trans-fats.
• Limit the saturated fats, caffeine, alcohol, processed foods etc.

Some other approaches like – exercise and alternative therapies like- meditation, yoga, massage, acupuncture etc definitely soothe the endometriosis symptoms by leading towards tranquility, thus bolstering the self-reliance which might have been brought down by the years of stress in pursuit of proper resolution (diagnosis) and don’t you agree with cool- headedness the life on this planet is rudimental.😀

Hello, my exquisite ladies, how are you doing?

So on this very moment my entire work wholeheartedly summate to that age of muliebrity where at certain age our existence escapade on the roller coaster ride where the men-o-pause sorceress bide its time to scare the bejesus out of our lives in order to venture out a general phase of malaise which is actually uneven and odious for many.

Yes it is our dearly mean-minded “Menopause” bestie which suddenly reveals its real self by unreservedly jeopardising the lives of woman with palpable emotional and physiological changes — from hot flashes, uneven periods, anxiety, fatigue, headaches, hair loss, weight gain to high risk of disease like- heart disease, osteoporosis, risk of breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and alot.

All the brownie points should be given to the hormonal fracas because with increasing age our bodies oestrogen levels are at stake which actually sapped dilatory in order to lay hold of retirement for its overall participation in ovulation (release of eggs) and menstrual cycle ….. Hush a big relief to womans.

But my friends it’s not too easy to avoid the melancholic effects of it because as our dear ovaries are now failing but also giving their one’s best shot to keep estrogen production up, Right. Sometime they are rapturous and overshoot the production while on some days it is in the dumps and can’t produce enough. And with this whole hugger-mugger, our body hormones make a mess of the whole body process to undergo due to which our whole brain chemistry too get affected and breeds the trouble effects on emotions which endure the sensations like – irritation and depressed on mere days because DJ hormones jingleling the song which makes us realise that we are burdensome and no one is mine but surprisingly on some days DJ babu do some improvisation with romantic or honey singh playlist where we move to nirvana stage and don’t bother to get affected by any shit.

And you know what is most breathtaking adventure that these shifts on playlist creep up on some of us in mid 30’s or mid 40’s and embarks the traces of symptoms of so called “perimenopause witch” which rules over to our lives for several years before the appearance of “great granny menopause witch” to surcharge the same. So in short the pre-menopause gradation begins several years before menopause and conventionally pre-menopause lasts for about 4 years but for some it may last only for few months or drag on for 10 years and ends only when woman have gone 12 months without having their period (actual menopause).

Menopause is such a chaperone who executes its responsibilities tender-heartedly with esteem privileges to make us irritated with irregular periods, sudden feeling of warmth to whole body, vaginal dryness, sore breasts, frequent urination, fatigue, depression, racing heart beat, changes in libido etc and then successively these entitlement get so intense that it come across as, where the hell is my lullaby fairy gone because those disturbances of hormones already influenced our moods, temper and now the things get worse that now it seems that it’s been a decade to have that good night sleep and this continual process completely overtakes our circadian cycle and due to which other problems starts taking place— drain energy, sluggish digestion, emotionally unstable, cravings, high B.P, diabetes, fatty liver etc.

Furthermore with due respect we women’s are so obliged towards our “Nari dharma” that we take no notice to ourselves in this beautiful journey and abandon to prioritise our life too by eating properly, timely, getting physically active etc, which unfortunately out-turn to many diseases I mentioned above but the most common is weight gain specifically on the waistline (visceral fat) which happens mostly when you are reaching towards menopause. Have you noticed that!. This happens due to the scale down of estrogen levels which lowers your metabolic rate at this stage because it sways the adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity (simply understand breakdown fat) and thus with low levels of estrogen, the abdominal fat deposition increased and then voila, a crowning achievement by us with inadequacy exercise regime, our muscle mass gets loosen up and now overall bone health also gets detiorated. Cheers to unceremonious approach ladies!

These above brought up dilemma are the brief accounts and I think we are very much responsible enough to these repercussions because we always empathise with all here and there chores for everyone effervescently but the moment comes to our own selfcare then we relinquish them by the stake of our Health.

See we are omniscient beings and are very much awared the physiological changes befall in this particular feminine body and menopause is one such evidence which definitely brings so much complications, where one more time our body gets acclamatized to these transitions, where sometime it seems that the whole body is working against you and sometimes not.

Well, I know many of such things are out-of-hand but there are other approaches where we can pull the strings which definitely tranquillize the effects. And why not if we instead enjoy this shift by minor revisions in our living syllabus with generous effort by thinking that menopause is just the phase in our lives not the end of our lives or rather i must say it is the beginning of new life of aging which actually nourishes to all intents and purposes to this very existence which is circumambient by the vast life past experiences and deliberately increases our resoluteness, consciousness and pollyannaism approach.

Yes tell me, Don’t you agree, Haan ! I know myriads of you acquiesce with it but what is standing in the way of that panache, is that procrastinating approach which block our prana (energy) as we get aged. But let me proclaim that together we can redefine that zest in our lives so that we can dote on this length of life too and yes those suggestions am definitely gonna dole out with you in my next blog. Till then let’s perceive theses changes which I now many of us are witnessing and instead of that gloomy outlook let’s understand what our body is actually articulating.😇

Hello my magnificent ladies/girls, Hope you all are doing well, So far you get the picture from the scarehead what shall we confer— Yes, you’re right it’s apropos to the most horrendous part of our lives i.e Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (the name itself is soooh intense) which jog into our memories about those bitchy witchy week discomforts which are bitterly than anything. Jokes apart, it is a condition that affects the woman’s social health, physical health, work productivity and even the emotional state during certain days of the menstrual cycle.

Don’t you all concur that a woman’s body undergoes through a lot of changes from birth itself where her whole body gets metamorphose unremittingly (development of primary and secondary sexual characteristic) where her first menstruation cycle anticipated with eagerness to make her intimate with this grandiloquent fact of woman’s saga which then gets ahead towards the midlife (i.e child bearing age) to last reproductive age where now once again she needs to be aware of that menopause fairy which not only intervenes her sleep but mood, patience and eats out her brain, rather in Bollywood estyle “Mujhe Neend na aye, mujhe chaen na aye”… I mean these whole vicissitudes gross lot of emotions where several times they have to proof every one that whether she is ovulating or bleeding or concepting or struggling with PMS where her body, soul, energy levels, abilities are constantly shifting, that this gender role is nonsense and she would never fall when she can fly. Proudly woman!

For some menstrual cycle is a chill pill but for others (more than 90% of menstruating women) it’s such a thunderbolt event where she have to absorb to pin up that pain, weakness, endless mood swings, unwanted cravings which can get severe to (among 3 to 8% of women) depression, panic attacks, extreme anxiety, anger etc, which most of the women dealt every month!. It’s discern like, a conjoint outcry which is stirring internally and can rip the whole shebang.

But why we are still conscience-stricken over this issue and au courant our girls on this and why not make a healthy environment where daddy’s Little angel closely conversate with both parents or what if in conjugal loyalty your man understands you and most important to perceive at what point we need some professional help. There is nothing to suppress or ashamed off pals, it’s just a natural detox for the females (yes, discomfit for many) with a sinuous hormonal harmony which is responsible for the creation of our existence. Simple!

PMS Island

Pre menstrual syndrome is a state of condition which begins from 5 to 11 days, before our menstrual cycle and typically goes away slowly once menstruation begins. Studies have shown that symptoms of PMS starts in the late 20’s right to 40’s and get worsens during a womans late 30s & 40s as the body starts transitioning towards menopause.

The actual cause of it, still not known but many believe it is relatable to fluctuations in both the sex hormone and serotonin levels at the beginning of menstrual cycle (as well all know that our lovable estrogen and progesterone hormones keep on fluctuating during certain times of month) or certain minerals & vitamins deficiencies which may also play a crucial role.

What we have to puzzle out is that prodome of PMS can be alike or overlap with other conditions like: Perimenopause, Depression, Anxiety, Chronic fatigue, Thyroid, IBS etc. The fundamental difference is that its symptoms come over in a discrete pattern (month after month). But care should be taken when it gets worse (we are occupied by self harming thoughts or it affecting your work, relationship etc) then it’s better to take a professional help.

How it feels:

Suddenly you feel 5 LBS heavier, trapped with abdominal bloating & pain, sore breasts, cramps, lower back pain, unwanted aches in legs, constipation, diarrhoea, headaches, sensitivity to lights, crying spells on silly things, depressed thoughts, sadness, anxiety, fatigue, acne, cravings (especially for sweets, sweet-sour, fast foods), nausea etc. And the bravery act is that there are no choices but to go work or take care of your whole family or manage people tantrums and pretend like I am damn fine.

Wait this is not the end, as I stated earlier that though there are very less percentile of womans who have severe form of it which is called as PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) with manifestations like: depression, suicidal thoughts, anger with extreme mood swing, lack of interest in daily activities, insomnia, trouble thinking etc.

An Open Letter from PMS.

Dear All,

My name is PMS and I am a noteworthy gift from the hell because of all the discomfited luxuries you womans have to experience by me. But please don’t misunderstand me, am not that too bad. May be I transmogrify from the lack of care and concern practices of you because by someways you have forgotten to take care of you (that art of self care is forfeit) or O.k o.k I agree there are some genetic prevalances too. Am sorry ladies, but here I want to apprise the other stratum (Patriarchial faith believers) that please never ever estimate them as incapacitated because you can’t bleed for 7 days straight and don’t die… I don’t think so ! Trust me I never challenge your supremacy my angels because you have that power that god put in you to lift you up….Ayee shapath.

But what I beseech that please perceive your painful malaise journey with your doting better half to understand you in this dim time, as they really are not aware about what it feels like (thanks to society beyond the pale notions). So my male compeers please provide best possible care to my feminine angels who are constantly available for you in the times of hardships. Now it’s yours responsibility my pal to emotionally support them by keeping aside your Mantram for a while and why not if you offer them something hot meal (trust me they need it), it doesn’t lessen your masculinity.

Yours and Yours only,

PMS.

SOME HOILISTIC APPROACHES TO PREVENT AND MANAGE PMS:

There are some approaches if we take care, then we can ease the symptoms,as there is not a standard cure of it according to researchers.

Here are some approaches:

• Drink plenty of fluid as lack of fluid in our body will exacerbate PMS. Have some hot fluids: Luke warm water; non – caffeinated tea (ginger- Black pepper tea/ cumin+dill seeds+ fennel+ ginger tea/ Ajwain tea) etc.
• Eat a well balanced diet with whole grains, fruits, vegetables.
• Take care of your digestive system, as when bowels are regular then the pitta and vata are naturally balanced which can ease down PMS symptoms. So have soups from green leafy vegetables, consume warm milk with dash of fresh turmeric/nutmeg/coconut oil/ghee.
• It is well known that Aloe-Vera is the women’s best friend, as it contains minerals, vitamins and a substance called as lignin which improves quality of blood, soothes the skin etc, so better consume aloe Vera juice in moderate basis.
• Massage the lower abdomen gently with Luke warm sesame oil to downward stokes. Use the hot water bag to calm down cramps.
• Don’t skip breakfast at any cost, I know many times there is loss of appetite, nausea prevails but better have some thing nutritious in small portions.
• Supplement your diet with Calcium, Magnesium, Iron,Vitamin D, Vitamin B, folic acid, Vitamin E rich foods.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks, alcohol, sugary foods, too much salty and processed foods in order to prevent bloating, sleep-deprivation, constipation water retention etc.
• Have enough sleep of eight hours, as during menstrual process our body is hard at work as hormone levels fluctuate and uterine lining sheds, so don’t engage in much activities and find healthy ways to cope up stress— yoga, meditation, massage ( in short don’t force your body out of your limits).
• Exercise regularly as it will not only boost your mood but ease down the bloating and also improves the mental health. And if you find it comfortable then, practice some yoga with light stretchings , breathing exercise, meditation ..don’t stress your body just listen to it carefully.

See PMS condition is a routine matter worldwide which affects women’s quality of life and regardless of sentience there is still lot to do. We should uplift our girls to adopt healthy life style (by making it a part for yourself and live them too, inspite of speeches) and should propose the foundation of effective reproductive health in schools and colleges too, so that they rationalize the correct and current particulars regarding this aspect of health too and then together let’s create a health culture which is disconcert and stress free which concomitantly do not impact our productivity and mental state at least.

Please don’t forget to share your views.😋

Bienvenue to the sphere of Detoxification which is imitated by all and sundry, hats tip to all the constructors for this courteous approach to mankind by advancing the magical potions which is at the top-tier in the nutrition industry and drummed-up in the form of “body detoxification” drinks, which all the human tribe is following enthusiastically. Bravo!

But what if I vouchsafe, that there is one biggest detoxification organ inhabited in us which not only brings off the crucial functions or rather I should state that about 500 (< more than) tasks it makes out via other systems and organs. Besides that, this superlative organ also protects us from the beaucoup types of toxins which are either exposed from the environment or what we ingested — alcohol, smoking, processed foods, nutritional supplements, use of plastics, drugs, pesticides, house hold chemicals, toxic makeups etc… So ladies and gentlemen here am presenting the most chutzpah natural detoxifier organ of our body — Liver, Undoubtedly!

Cheers to our obnoxious behaviour towards, one of the most vital organ (perhaps second only to the lungs and heart) by misreckoning its bona fide nature apropos to us, but we keep on swamping its potential and burdensome it’s work which gradually slows down its pace and prevents it further from handling the load, thus burgeoned the toxins which built up and then surprise- Abruptly we came to know that we get acquire with some sort of liver disease (the most common one) “Fatty Liver” or “Fatty fever” which suddenly trap us in its way without causing much noticeable signs and symptoms and please don’t take it for granted because it’s an forewarning of something in Bollywood style “Abhi toh party shura hui hai” — I mean we are at borderline reach to other disease.

But thankfully liver possesses a remarkable ability to heal and rejuvenate itself (as about 25% of a liver can regenerate into a whole liver) which again makes it different from its buddies. You will be surprised to know that some cultures assess the liver as the seat of soul— like the ancient Greeks consider it as seat of life and intelligence (regenerative capacity of liver referred as “ immortal”). While Plato and Talmud, believes it as the seat of “ anger, darkest emotions and the Persian, Urdu, Hindi language propitates it with courage and strong feelings.

Ok not so much gyaan but lets spell out why so much “Sotela” behaviour with liver, by taking it Halke mein and thus by creating the hostile work environment for it. So let’s revamp its significance.

Pre-eminent Invoice Of Liver:

Liver is a wedged shaped organ, sits just under your rib cage on the right side of your abdomen. It is both the heaviest internal organ and the largest gland in human body— that’s what you see in Wikipedia.

It is an accessory digestive organ which plays an important role in metabolising all your food which contains carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, lipids. Liver carries out multifarious functions— production of clotting factors, produce cholesterol necessary for cellular health, produce immune factors to fight infections, metabolises medications and toxins, store & release glucose as needed for energy, stores a multitude supply of vitamins A,D,E,K etc.

Brief Highlights Of Fatty Liver:

Fatty liver is becoming increasingly common not in other countries but it’s prevalance can been seen well in India among adults and children’s too. It can fall out into simpler form to complex to severe set up— Simple (build up of excess fat in the liver), Steato Hepatitis ( Excess fat and inflammation), Fibrosis (Inflammation of liver causes scarring), Cirhosis (Scarring Of Liver has become widespread).

It happens when too much fat ( it is normal to have tiny amount of fat) builds up in the liver cells — more than 5% and the main problem with this disease is that it does not always cause noticeable signs and symptoms or if shows that too befuddled like :

• Fatigue & weakness, fullness in the right side or central of abdominal area, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, moderate to severe abdominal pain etc.
• Elevated levels of — triglycerides, insulin levels, LDL, cholesterol, liver enzymes (AST &ALT)…

So now it must be clear that it is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, other disorders characterised by insulin resistance or may be it muttering that buddy please be careful further for your future endeavours with health. (Time to consider my dear friends).

Fatty Liver Guise:

• NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER (NAFL): It is one of the most common form of fatty liver disease in adults and children. It occurs when fat builds up in the liver of people who didn’t drink alcohol. Its higher prevalence in those who are overweight or obese & those with diabetes or prediabetes.
• NON-ALCOHOLIC STEATO HEPATITIC (NASH): It occurs when NAFL gets promotion with excess fat and an inflamed liver that now damages our liver cells. If left untreated can cause scarring of liver and increases the risk of cirrhosis or liver cancer.
• ACUTE FATTY LIVER OF PREGNANCY (AFLP): It is one of the rarest form which actually appears in the third trimester of pregnancy and if lest untreated then can pose a problem for both mother and growing baby.
• ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (AFLD): Well this one is a return gift for those who drinks gallons of alcohol which damages the liver and leads the fat to build up.
• ALCOHOLIC STEATO HEPATITIS (ASH): It occurs when excess of fat is now accompanied with inflammation (those who drinks alcohol) and again if left untreated then may cause liver failure.

Causes:

• Excess intake of Alcohol.
• Obesity which actually lead to low grade inflammation and promote liver fat storage.
• If one carry too much body fat around waist (visceral fat).
• High intake of refined carbs, processed foods, sugary beverages, physical inactivity exercise etc.

Strategies To Overthrow It:

1. As I always say- Eat seasonal, fresh whole foods, fruits, nuts, green vegetables, bitter greens etc
2. Avoid all forms of packaged foods, processed foods, sugary drinks etc.
3. Bring on that homemade ghee into your kitchens as it is the easiest fat for liver to digest.
4. Use healthy fats (omega 3 fatty acid, monounsaturated fats) found in fish, walnuts, vegetable oil, flax seeds, nuts, sesame, olives etc .
5. Reduce the intake of animal product, especially red meat or processed ones.
6. Use amla, turmeric, garlic, ground coriander, cumin, fennel, fresh cilantro, lemon etc in your preparations.
7. Have Turmeric and lemon tea (natural detox tea).
8. Include selenium, Vitamin A,D,E, Iron , Potassium etc rich nutrients to your diet.
9. Keep your cholesterol and triglycerides check.
10. Have a consistent meal timings, waking cycle, sleeping cycle for a overall prosperous health.
11. Please be physically active which is an effective way to decrease liver fat with all above recommendations.

Now we all are well bossom with the domino effects of Diabetes which is doubtlessly a lifestyle monster that has launched into our lives. Now what?. Possibly we advance towards by dashing off that table sugar a supervillain of our lives collaborated with the gratis guidelines from all over the world which enlighten us to lash out the specific macronutrients from our diets or feast on salads or those miraculous drinks. On top of that now myriads of us ween to give up our favourite foods. Right!

Now from here the journey of our enthusiasm gives rise to browse or looking at the shelves of our local super markets for the best alternative to sugar, yeah you got it—- Our life saviour “artificial sweeteners” or better if I would say that now a days every one of us either with or without diabetes used to prefer these artificial sweeteners in a hope that they are of less calorific value, more healthy and helps us in weight loss. I really appreciate such, advertisements where a health freak girl advices her sweet Jija Ji to replace One teaspoon of sugar with the artificial sweetener in Lemon water. So loving na!

Well it’s scientifically true but let’s simply understand the simple common sense concept that when our food choice interchanges from its native state (farm grown, homemade, traditionally made) to unnatural phase (plant made) for eg: artificial sweeteners, lite biscuits or sugar free biscuits or those diet cokes, sophisticated yogurts, fizzy drinks, processed foods etc, then actually the whole scuffle emanates which our bodies have to put up with.

Let’s deem in a way that how actually these edibles are nutritive and whatever they are assuring us in terms of natural, sugar free, healthy, lite etc buzzwords, they still are more processed and much refined not those which are produced in their natural form by the Mother Nature and if taken moderately with active lifestyle nothing can trouble us up til there is no default genes inherited to us.

I know managing Diabetes is tough but it’s not impossible and equivalently it doesn’t mean that now we have to give up our favourite foods. Then what it is. Right? It is a combination of Moderation of anything ( a well balanced meal + physical activity) which is based on the principle that don’t have too much or too little of anything, Simple. And I think this is the main fundamental aspect of keeping ourselves healthy in any form. So let’s acknowledge the whole concept of managing our diabetes with few simple and commonsensical approaches.

Few Tips To Bother Ourselves!

Yes you heard right, here I would like you all to bear my accompany for the short tour to realize how incredibly we have gone to rack and ruined our whole body and ourselves:

• Irregularity in eating and sleeping patterns which distrupts our biological clock (it regulates functions— sleep schedule, appetite, body temperature, hormone levels, alertness, daily performance etc).
• Keeping long gaps between meals over short gaps (especially for diabetic patients).
• Mindlessly eating sugar free items— sugar free drinks, lite biscuits, sugar free ice creams, sweets, artificial sweeteners, all sorts of convience foods etc, are completely nutritient deficient, loaded with preservatives, taste enhancers and highly processed.
• Some miraculous drinks bizarre — fenugreek water (in excess can affect blood sugar levels, lowers your blood pressure, not good for pregnant females etc), cinnamon water (regular cinnamon is a rich source of coumarin which in high amount can lead to liver damage & toxicity, can make you hypoglycaemic, leads some allergies due to presence of cinnamaldehyde). It’s better to include these spices in your food while cooking. Understand everything in customary range is a safer choice.
• A Desultory way of snacking, dieting and avoiding few foods with a knowledge that it might cure the present disease but will definitely make you a package of deficiencies with increased chances of advent of others issues also.
• Remaining offhand about your health like: physically inactive, not exercising and maintaining a sedentary lifestyle approach which worsens the blood glucose level and leads to long term complications of nerve pain , kidney disease, heart disease, weaker bones, high blood pressure, increased level of LDL..in short more stressed and depresses you.

The Farther Tale Of Sweeteners .

Well before we go any further, conceived it that it’s wholly one’s own choice to pin one’s hope on these artificial sweeteners. Generally whether you are diabetic or not, always gollop modest sugar in devil-may-care form. Re-read it and emphasise on “less” not divest it from your diets. See many times we have seen that most of us believe that when a person gets diabetic he/ she cannot have any sweet fruits and go for regular usage of sugar free teas or cuisines with that artificial sweeteners which according to us are zero on calories but definitely gonna promote fat accumulation and is linked to the kind of hypothyroidism which will impact your gut health which then gonna affect your normal microbiota which is interlinked with impaired glucose tolerance and thus increases the risk of diabetes, weight gain, gastrointestinal issues, can usher over eating because of the presence of chemicals in these sweeteners . This is what a source of “Harvard Health Publishing” vocalize.

Forbye to it, “American Diabetes Association” also indicates that any fruit is fine to eat for a person with Diabetes, so long as that person is not allergic to a particular food. Not merely this even a meta analysis from the British Medical Journal found that high fruit intake was significant associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

We have understood that sugar in our tea, fruits or in any traditional homemade sweets don’t harm us but that sugary fed brownies, pizzas, burgers, cookies, cake, that packaged highly processed confectioners, those sugar free eatables and that which we virtuously add into our tea/ coffee/ sweets are the trouble maker, which we eat mindlessly during breakup’s, mood swings or at cravings.

Take Heed to What Body Needs.

• Ayurveda says that diabetes develop as a result of the diminished functioning of Agni ( fire) in our body which may trigger high blood sugar levels.
• Eat a well balanced meal, which means eat diverse diets from all the food groups. (Mentioned in my blog, “ Food: Let Revamp It’s Understanding”).
• Include cereals, dairy products, fish, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, legumes etc as they are rich source of many vitamins which are specifically required for Diabetes as neuropathy is a common problem among them (pain, tingling, numbness in arms, hands, feet’s etc).
• Include whole grains in your diet as they improve the beta cells of pancreas to function and increase the insulin secretionand thus insulin sensitivity and moreover whole grains are enriched with minerals, vitamins, healthy fats, like— (barley, whole wheat flour, bulgur, oats, bajra, buckwheat flour, amaranth flour, Popcorn ( desi) etc). Barley is the best grain for managing diabetes.
• Eat fruits, don’t worry about the fact that they are too sweet and can fluctuate our blood glucose. Understand fruits are sweet in nature that sweetness is their Prakriti and they don’t harm us, eg- apples, bananas, cherries, grapes, orange, Sapota, peaches, berries, pear, plums, strawberries, papayas etc, as they are rich source of many micronutrients, antioxidants, dietary fibre.
• You can include cashews as snack in your diet as it is rich in fibre, protein, healthy fats, contains variety of vitamins, minerals and helps in preventing blood sugar spikes.
• Go with traditional cooking styles which uses generous amount of spices in food which our body easily assimilates and here are few spices which are anti- diabetic— asafoetida, turmeric, cinnamon, mustard, coriander etc
• Include amla in your diet as it is one medicine that triggers insulin secretion.
• Avoid skipping your meals and try to have your meals on time all day.
• Include diet rich in Magnesium, Chromium, Inositol, Manganese, Taurine, Zinc etc .
• According to American Diabetes Association, Get physically active by engaging in any regular exercise, workouts, strength training, aerobic exercise as they play a critical role for Blood glucose management and overall health in an individual with diabetes and prediabetes (do consult your doctor).

Diabetes is one of the colossal Global Health Emergencies of 21st century, cried out by “International Diabetes Federation”and let me tell you that, our country has procured the first place in this “D” for dia- bee-tees malady than its counterparts. Wooh! Thanks to the trend of urbanisation & lifestyle changes – incredible sedentary lifestyle, less physical demanding work and global nutrition transitions which providing us the increased intake of processed food which are completely nutrient deficient.

Grievously, it’s affecting more than 62 millions of Indians and according to Indian Heart Association, in coming years India is projected to be a home to 109 millionaires not dollars but individual with diabetes by 2035. I know many of us must be cudgelling our brains to surmise it – Doesn’t matter what happens in this 14 years gap, Kal kisne dekha hai mam?. But what if I adduce from “National Institute Of Diabetes and Kidney Disease” which accepts that diabetes actually soul- stirring our body in severe forms and can lead to heart disease & strokes, damage our nerves, kidney diseases, eye diseases, gum diseases, sexual & bladder problems, depression, dementia, sleep apnea etc. Furthermore in Asian countries like ours, it is disproportionately high in young to middle age adults.

What this insinuate is that, combination of genetic susceptibility plus adoption of a highly processed foods with the low dose of activity, following a sedentary lifestyle by us is exploding and alarming this cause that not gonna only perturbing our lives but our childrens too and definitely expose danger to next generation.

Now still you want to snooze this dismay and savour our entire life in defending this cause- That is very common now a days yaar so it’s completely normal or will inculcate the certain lifestyle modifications in our lives which is the most effective way to go easy with it – The choice is completely yours.😊

So let’s go through the story of the villain of our lives- Diabetes, revealing its causes to it’s odyssey’s in the most generous species of earth- Obviously Humans.

The Telltale recital of Diabetes:

In most basic form, when our blood sugar (blood glucose) levels are too high and we need to work to bring down the levels by seeking medical attention. This not a satisfactory answer. Right?

Well scientifically, there are 2 plots of the story:

• Either our body cells are not able to make its own insulin hormone by the specialised cells of pancreas called as Islets (Beta cells) which is a contributing factor for the development of Type1 Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes/Insulin-Dependent Diabetes). Around 5 percent of people are suffering from this.
• And If able to make, but not effectively utilised by our body cells or consumed then that’s too in small amounts, which is called as Type2 Diabetes (Insulin-Independent Diabetes). Around 90-95 percent of individual have this type.

Understand, blood glucose is the main source of energy which comes from the food we eat and insulin is that key which helps to unlock our body cells so that the sugar (glucose) from our food gets entry into them and utilise it in an optimum way so that we get energy for doing our daily chores, including gossiping too. See there are different variations too, for eg:

1. Type 1 Diabetes & Type 2 Diabetes (discussed above).
2. Gestational Diabetes, (GD) which develops in some women when they are pregnant and most of the times it goes after baby is born. But if somebody is having GD then they have a greater chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes later in life.
3. Monogenic Diabetes, a rare form of diabetes that either can be a NDM ( Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus) in new born & young infants and MODY ( Maturity Onset Diabetes Of The Young) a common form than NDM and usually first occurs in adolescence.

Now if you all are agog to interrogate arising how such fluctuations eventuate right through us , then kindly scroll up your touch screens and here you see—Ta-da….causes of course.

Fons et origo (causes) of Diabetes:

Well there is no possible causes of development of this disease as it varies — Depending on individual, Its genetic makeup (don’t relate it with beauty makeup), Type Of Diabetes, Our lifestyle and so on, for eg:

• For Type1, the known risk factors can be : a family history (of Type 1) and moreover it’s an autoimmune cause (where our body is attacking itself) so there is no specific causes but it may get triggered by some viral infections, chemical toxin in the food, genetic predisposition etc. It can develop at any age but more likely to develop when we are child/ in teens/ young adults.
• For Type2, the major known multifactorial risk factors can be : prediabetes, obesity, family history (with Type 2), living a sedentary lifestyle, gestational diabetes, if you have non-alcoholic fatty liver, high B.P, higher triglycerides, have PCOS, a bad diet etc.

These all are on the basis of Researches of National Institute Of Diabetes & Kidney Disease (NIH); Centre Of Disease Control (CDC) & Prevention, The Global Diabetes Community.

Credible Symptoms :

• Symptoms of Type 1: It appears over several week of : Excessive thirst, Frequent urination, Feeling tired all the times, unexplained weight loss, Blurring of vision, Itchiness around penis/vagina, Pains in stomach, Unexpected cramping, loss of appetite etc.
• Symptoms of Type 2 : It develops gradually over several years of : Feeling tired during day ( specifically after meals), Often feeling hungry, Frequent urination, Numbness and tingling sensation in hands, feet etc, Feeling abnormally thirsty, Blurred vision, Itching of skin, Slow healing of cuts etc.

Perplexity in Diabetes Route:

You know what is distressing when we have to completely bargain our lives on medications like: People with Type 1 will need to go onto Insulin injections for lifetime with no other option whereas people with Type 2 and most other forms will have to rely on tablets but can boast onto injections if blood glucose levels remain too high.

I mean this disease bemuses the whole human entity as if we don’t follow our timely schedules and particular doses of taking pills, injections, diet (which many of us not generously follow) make us more vulnerable to either:

• Hypoglycemia, when blood sugar levels are too low which can spring if the person uses more insulin or drugs that causes the body to produce insulin than they need which can be noticed by – sweating, chills, pale face, rapid heartbeat, nervousness, feeling dizzy, nausea, headache etc.

In this case a person should immediately take some candy, sugar drink too relieve the symptoms.

• Hyperglycemia, when blood sugar is too high and a person may notice- Frequent urination, increased thirst, difficulty in breathing, fruity chemical smell on breath, nausea, a dry mouth etc.

So the whole gyaan is laid out to cognize the severity of this disease so that we come out from the delusion of its increasingly common form and better latch on to the idea of adopting— a healthy diet, get physically engaged, make schedule for exercise so that we can reduce the severity effects of it or may reverse the whole mess (type2).

So stay with me as am definitely gonna share how to manage diabetes which rely on the essence of self management, beliefs about efficacy of treatment, self efficacy control.

The momentous of good nutrition is very eminent, the way we undeniably put down the efforts to unify the diversity of healthy foods to our family members platters from the neonate to dotage is admirable. But somewhere there is a dismay which stimulates the nerve-racking questionnaire in mind that why my child is not eating properly or growing up or having poor appetite or why am I suffering with lot of diseases, what should I eat or not at this age … and this never ceases.

My friends the interpretation to above niggling thought is our obliviousness that, “nutritional needs of our body vary throughout the life cycle which is actually based on the growth and development that takes place in our body”. You have noticed that the nutritional needs of an infant & children are totally different from that of adults and which further anew when grandpa is going to gash his 60th birthday cake. But we barely use our intelligence to realise this fact.

Understand the young people from infancy through adolescence are growing in terms of increasing in size of the body as well as development and maturation of the organs & systems (Brain, kidney, liver, hormonal glands etc) that takes place internally which is a characteristic that we adults do not share because the whole development and growth in us have been consummate up till now and so with this our requirements for nutrients also changes which is only for the maintenance of body, better immune system, support pregnancy/ lactation.

But we are jammed with the confusions about all we read and hear. Most people are left in a state of indecision about the terminology to achieve optimal health. It seems the more we read, the more uncertainty we experience. So ladies and gentlemen let’s end this bewilderment by acknowledging the nutritional requirements through out the life span from infancy to old age.

Stage1: The Boss Baby

• Infancy is the critical period of development which lays the foundation for future growth of a child because all round growth and development of baby is very rapid during this first year of life.
• This period is full of transitions as your baby now comes from the safe protected environment (mothers womb) into an environment which places a lot of stresses on it and now baby has to make an effort to get the food it needs and has to deal with infections.
• Put the baby on breastfeed within an hour of birth because the nutritious colostrum which is your baby’s first food is full of protein, antioxidants, a natural laxative, regulates body, antibodies etc. So breastfeeding is unique, easily digested, full of nutrients and protects baby from many infections, allergies during this vulnerable period.
• It is advisable that after 6 months along with Breastfeed add some complementary foods to yours baby diet in small quantities which are gradually increased with pace- like- 6-8 months feed 2-3 times, 9-11 months feed 3-4 times, 12-24 months feed with an additional nutritious snack.
• Foods like, Cereals (rice/ chappati soaked and mashed in milk/ curd/ dhal), fruits (mashed -banana/ mango/ papaya/cooked apple). By the 7th or 8th month soft cooked dals, khichadi, Pongal etc properly mashed can be given to them. Egg yolk can also be given but egg white should be given only by the end of first year.

Stage 2 : The Mighty Bheem and Chutki

• After twelve months to 6 years, these babies now called as toddlers which now can crawl or walk and talk and also run and play. This is the age which forms the foundation for a lifetime of good nutrition and health practices. Not only this their brain thoroughly develops during this stage so they tend to behave like Sherlock Holmes.
• They are very active and try to become selfless by eating their own meal ; why not they want equal share in every terms like the adult members do. So by the one and half years your child should be eating the same food as the rest of family but care should be taken that it shouldn’t be too spicy because their digestive tract cannot take that spicy and oily foods so their nourishment should come from solid foods.
• During second and third years, toddlers need less food than we expect and mothers get worried by thinking, it is a poor appetite but note that preschoolers don’t grow very rapidly as they did during infancy.
• They also have some health problems and are more susceptible to infections like, diarrhoea, fever, measles, dysentery etc but there is no need to worry, this is quite obvious because now the child’s milk intake from mother (breastfeed) may gradually decrease and the protection it receives also lessens, so their body is taking some time to build up its defence system.
• Let your child to try all kinds of vegetables and fruits by making them more appealing don’t transmit your likes and dislikes on them, most importantly never use food as a bribe for good behaviour or punish them by not giving them especially the food they like.
• So it’s necessary to feed your child with a balanced meal from all food groups, (chappati, eggs, rice, milk, dhal, fruits, curd, papad, all seasonal veggies (specifically put the new ways to feed them with green veggies, orange/ yellow fruits and veggies as these are the protective food groups which prevent them from infections, diseases).

Stage 3 : The Dexter and Dee Dee

• This age also called as middle childhood which begins from 6 years up to 12 years and they are bounded by daily routine of school and extra curricular activities. In this period there is a steady increase in their height (5to 6 cm approx.) and weight (2 to 3 kg/year) with little growth in head size with trunk and legs growth.
• Children’s of this age are more resistance to disease than preschoolers. Not only this, the end of this period varies between the sexes and between children, so one thing is necessarily to be kept in mind that the girls should have an adequate iron intake so they have sufficient storage before they reach menarche.
• The child has a poor appetite like preschoolers but on the whole however the child will be eating more amount of food and in most cases accept all wider dishes. Likes and dislikes have been established but they might not be permanent.
• Your child is spending more time in school so there meal timings should be adjusted according to their schedule. Care should be taken that child should have good breakfast, include not only cereal but also protein rich foods and fruits which supply vitamin C.
• In daily diet in addition to an adequate intake of cereals include at least 2 serving of fruits, vegetables ( including 1 green leafy/ yellow/orange), 2 servings of dhal, milk (400ml) etc.

Stage 4: The Johnny Bravo

• This age called as Adolescence or teenage which begins from 12 upto 19 which is a unique period of dynamic change which may be referred as growing age, where not only a boy or girl attain physiological maturity but the adolescent also becomes increasingly independent and tries to be adult. Note no other group is as concerned about their bodies or is as sensitive and hurt by criticism as in an adolescent.
• At the end of adolescence the individual has functional reproductive organs and has attained final physical growth. The velocity of physical growth in adolescence is second only to the growth rate during infancy.
• So when you feed these over figure conscious group, remember that food and nutrients needs are going to be higher during the growth spurt (so include calorie and protein rich foods) but energy requirements will depend on the amount of activity they are involved in.
• Include a well balanced meals with all form of cereals, pulses ( 2..5-3 servings), milk, dairy products, fruits (2-3), green leafy veggies (1), roots and tubers( 1.5-2), other vegetables (2) etc these foods provide them essential minerals- calcium ( for increased skeletal mass), iron ( for expansion of blood volume), zinc ( for development of sexual organs, generation of new skeletal and muscular tissues) etc and vitamins- A, B- complex, C etc.

Stage 5: The Flinstones

• The period of this stage begins from 25 years upto 60 years and more often called as adulthood. So the main concern of this age group is to maintain their body in good health, to counter the physiological alterations in metabolism like pregnancy and lactation that do increase nutritional requirements, to prevent the development of diseases – heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, hormonal changes etc.
• Age, occupation and level of activity can determine the nutrients needs of an adult. Always eat in accordance with your energy expenditure so that you don’t put on weight, so we should eat mindfully because many people complain of heartburn, constipation, lack of vitality, fatigue etc because we eat more than our requirements and do not exercise or stay physically active as we used to be in childhood.
• Include a well balanced meal with all food groups ( mentioned in my previous blog “ Food: Lets Revamp its Understanding)- cereals, millets, seasonal and local fruits, pulses, green vegetables, tubers, orange/yellow (100g) at least 2-3 in a week, dairy products, milk (100ml- 3 servings), fats/oil (5g- 3 to 4 servings) etc, through this our body gets essential amino acids, complex carbs, good fats, essential vitamins, minerals which help both male and females in achieving good health.

Stage 6: The Muriel and Eustace Bagge

• This stage is called as old age where there are changes in appearance, mental outlook and body functions of people as they move from adulthood to middle age and then to old age. As we grow older our body is the sum total of care, use, misuse or neglect it has undergone.
• This age undergoes with considerable changes for eg- some lose their teeth, digestive issues, Osteoporosis, loss of memory, anaemia, weaken immune system so they are more prone to infections etc, this is so as we get up in years the body renew less cells and tissues. So we need less energy to keep it going and this can be achieved by proper meal planning so we get all forms of nutrients.
• Be sure to include foods from all the groups in minimum number of servings of each in order to maintain normal body weight, pressure cook there foods to ensure soft texture. Some special needs for calcium, iron, iodine with generous amount of vitamins, (especially vitamins C & E- antioxidants) from fruits, veggies is to be taken which reduces the risk of cancer, cataracts , heart diseases etc. Those who are lactose tolerant can include ragi, almonds, tofu, soaked figs, apricots, raisins, til etc to meet calcium needs.
• The need for nutrients in this age is not altered but utmost care is to be taken that while selecting foods to meet energy needs, it is advisable to reduce (not eliminate) the animal fat as these are linked with higher rate of atherosclerosis. Better include good fats vegetable oils ( groundnut, til, coconut) moderately.

Thus the basic principle of nutrition remains same throughout the life cycle what matters is the proportion, essential requirement of certain nutrients and the mindfulness approach while selecting and gushing them according to ones need.

  “Annam Brahma Raso Vishnu, Pakto Devo Mahesvarah
   Evam Gayatva Tu Yo Bhunkte, Anna Dosho Na Lipyate”

This Shloka verbalize “the creative energy in the food is Brahma, the nourishing energy in the body is Vishnu, the transformation of food into our consciousness is Shiva and if we know this, then any impurities in the food we eat will never become a part of us”.

Now why am apprising this with you all because ofttimes I scrutinize, our mindset towards food is paradigmly changing. Today each one of us want to acquire a healthy life and unequivocally myriads of us are diligently working their fingers to the bone- be it physically active through exercise, yoga, walk, running etc; chomping a healthy diet like: living on salads, soups, smoothies by following many fad diets but still we are unfit somewhere and the contestants of weight loss journey programme have also wearied themselves by starvation, still not procured the expected results or if so then that too on short term basis.

Let’s ask our own selves- Where we are falling short? I mean if we are following a healthy lifestyle then why we are still in this endless loop of not getting actually fitter.

Firstly understand, being healthy doesn’t mean you are merely free from any illness or if you look slimmer then that will depicts how much fitter you are. But being healthy is all about our physically, mentally and social well being, that’s it. No matter how much time you are draining your energy in gyms and galloping extravagance foods but up till-until our familiarity towards “food etiquette” not mutate then we can’t acquire a good health status.

Do you know “Okinawan people” are the longest living and healthy people on earth. They have strong beliefs and practices about food & diet. According to them “food maketh the man” and the food they eat is “nuchi gusui” or medicine for life. Not only this according to our Indian civilisation and Old literatures, every community that lived here have clear abundant separate food beliefs systems- they considered food as a source of strength & gift from god.

Food is one of the most important aspect of our life. According to many researches, food plays 80% and exercise 20% for a person to stay fit and healthy. Understand the whole human body is designed in a very complex form, everything works in a systematic manner. Our body tailored somewhere with our ancestor genes which need some kind of foods but our marathon on becoming fitter have lost the essence towards our traditional beliefs like “Ayurveda” whose sole principles are being followed by all over the world except us and traditional foods over exotic foods which are not only native to our land but also provides round about the same amount of nutrients than our own land grown local foods.

Here I want to draw your attention towards the most important ingredient of our life “food” which not only gives us energy and stamina for work but also gives emotional stability and security. And please don’t forget the right kind and amount of food gives us the appearance and feeling of radiant good health through good nutrition.

What is Food? More than you think…

Food is something which nourishes our body (our brain, muscles, bones, blood, skin, appearance etc all are made of it) or should I say it is the raw material from which our body is made.

Even “Shreemat Bhagwat Geeta” our holy book also affirms, “ Anant Bhavani Bhootanee”- which means human being is made from food. If you are still not compelled then do notice how we get developed from the single cell our mothers conceived to the present size ( It’s all because of food). Not only this it provides lot of functions:

• Physiological Functions: It builds your body, provides you energy, regulate all the activities of body and protect from infections also.
• Psychological Functions: It satisfies certain emotional needs – have you wondered how much secure, love, attention we felt when familiar foods are served and when we share our food with our friends then we express acceptance & friendship by experiencing such foods which are unfamiliar to us.
• Socio-cultural Functions: We know the importance of food in our culture. Indian culture is full of festivals, celebrations, religious times and days which becomes the source of family & friend gatherings. Through this, food helps to strengthen our social and cultural ties.

Concept of Balanced Diet:

Now we know being healthy means that we are following healthy diet, agreed, but that can not only achieved by having salads, soups, smoothies or by loosing your cultural Indian diet. Please understand, Balanced diet means, when you are taking different types of food from all food groups in such quantities and proportions so that the requirements of calories, carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals & other nutrients are adequately met and a small provision is reserved for extra nutrients to endure short length of leanness. Simple concept!

Let’s Enlarge our knowledge about Basic Food groups:

1. Energy giving foods: From this group our body majorly obtains carbs, fats with fair amount of vitamins and minerals like: wheat, rice, bajra, root vegetables, fats & oil, sugar, jaggery etc.
2. Body building foods: These foods are rich in protein, with good amount of vitamins, complex vitamins and generous amount of minerals like: milk, milk products, meat, fish, poultry, pulses, nuts, oil seeds etc.
3. Protective foods: These foods are the excellent source of minerals and vitamins. These food contains large amount of antioxidants like: green leafy vegetables, yellow/orange rich fruits and veggies, dairy foods, eggs etc. This food group protects our body from infections and diseases.

Present scenario of our food understanding:

You will be agree that in this era of globalisation, there is interdependence of the worlds economies, cultures and populations by cross border trade in goods and services, food, technologies, cultural practices etc all over the planet. And with this we the health conscious species are opting the foods from other food traditions by displacing our food cultures from their roots by making them unhealthy.

Disagree, I know. Let me tell you what we are following:

• Nutritious is not always expensive: We are living in the myth that the food which is highly expensive is highly nutritious. We all agree how enthusiastically we buy exotic fruits & veggies like: kiwis, imported berries, dragon fruit, avocados, broccoli, zucchini, red cabbage, etc with a thought that they are more nutritious but do ask yourself is it so….because the time it arrives to your plate from its journey ( plucking, storage, preservation, transportation) from its native place, will it give you the same amount of nutrition than your local & seasonal ones?
• Starving is not the solution: Many of us think being healthy and fit is something related to starving yourself from food. Thanks to all who are following unreligiously fad diets- keto diet, paleo diet, atkins diet, south beach diet, juice cleanse diet and lot of different variants. Congratulations they are just lowering their metabolism, getting fatigue & nutrient deficient. In short playing with our gene expression (or how our cell responds to their changing environment).
• The so called “cheat days”: I mean seriously this one day of celebration of eating unhealthy foods have different impacts on each individual. For some it may satisfy the need or may boost their metabolism and aid weight loss according to research but for others it leads to uncontrollable and continuous binging for multiple days and even weeks.
• Healthy ready made foods- Is it so: There are lot of food industries which are selling their foods through advertisement by labelling them healthier or sugar free be it yours easy to make any cuisines, breakfast cereals, packed juices, nutritious healthy drinks, sugar free snacks, baked bakery items, canned foods etc. But actually these are the foods which are responsible for your all sort of lifestyle disease. Mind not your traditional foods.
• Inappropriate meal timings: Many of us are eating our meals in completely inappropriate way, like: Most of us are doing our breakfast in the noon and lunch in between (3 – 4), and then dinner probably, when we should sleep. To my surprise, we still think that why we are obese or with full of diseases.
• Wrong food combinations: This might irritates you but it’s a bitter truth- the way we are eating varieties of fruits / vegetable & fruits combinations / raw & cooked ones together in one go (or) adding milk, creams to our curries preparation etc, is completely against the Ayurveda because these wrong combinations are accumulating the toxins in our body and many form of health issues.
• Forgetting our rich and diverse traditional foods: We are living in a menace that we might get obese, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac problems, cholesterol etc because our Indian food is linked to high sugar and high carbs and with this we are ignoring our staple diet and traditional foods which is a combination of varieties of nutritious cereals, grains pulses, our local vegetables with combinations of spices.

Tips for long term achievement :

   Suddham Sumadhuram Snighdham Udarardhavivarjitama|
    Bhujyate Surasam Pritha Mitaharamimam Vidu:||

It means, pure, sweet (natural) & cooling (easy to digest) should be eaten with pleasure to fill half the stomach and leaving the other half of the stomach empty is called Mitahar ( moderate or balanced food). Not understood, let me briefly tell you:

1. Eat mindfully and peacefully without any distractions (mobile, T.V, talking, working etc), this will make you not to overeat. Always have a right quantity and quality of food. By doing so we are lightening the burden of our digestive team and in return they gonna do their job in more enthusiastic way like: digestion, absorption, assimilation of nutrients from your food to the fullest.
2. Try to have fixed meal timings like: breakfast- should be before 9, lunch- before 2, dinner- before 8 (2-3 hours prior to ours good night sleep). Trust me half of your health problems will get plummeted.
3. Say no/eat less/use mindful approach towards processed & packaged food stuff. Believe me they won’t backing you in any type of nutrition but yeah responsible for diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart ailments, high cholesterol and even cancer.
4. Eat a well-balanced meal with no fear of eating chappatis, rice, homemade ghee( in moderation), dairy foods, fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc. Understand our body needs everything in moderation and the love, affection, care and hygiene a person avail oneself while cooking homemade foods, even our 5 star or 7 star hotel can’t beat it.
5. Enlighten yourself by simple food combining rules: Best way to eat fruits: alone or empty stomach; don’t eat acid fruits( lemon, Lime, grapefruit, orange etc) with sweet fruits; melons should be eaten alone; don’t take proteins ( coconut, nuts, seeds) with oily fruit( avocado) or with carbs (potatoes, sported beans/ grains, squash etc); cheese not works well with fruits, beans, egg, milk, yogurt, hot drinks & so on.
6. Why we are forgetting our traditional foods like- fermented foods( idli, dosa, dhokla, ambali, selroti etc) which aid our gut with Homo & Hetero fermentive lactic acid bacterium, essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants etc; dahi (potential source of B- complex vitamins, folive acid, rich in lactic acid bacteria); Rabri (it is a lactic acid fermented milk product with pearl millet (bajra) which has lower glycemic index); ginna (a colostrum based Indian sweet- rich in vitamin A, minerals, zinc, lactoferrin protein etc).
7. Understand traditional foods have less calories which are essential for weight management; less saturated fat- so better for heart; more iron- better for muscles and bones; more zinc- better for wound healing and fight against infections.
8. Go for seasonal and local food, this approach will give you surplus amount of vital nutrients which your body will absorb easily with less preservatives, chemicals and yeah it is pocket friendly too.

We all discern the prominence of food which Mother nature bestowed us. It is the integral part of our existence, as it endow us essential nutrients which is pre-eminent for our body. But our this peer group perhaps misconstrue the nature’s food pyramid and at this moment of life progress towards being the nutritionally challenged society which is alive and kicking on processed foods- pizzas, burgers, fries, convenience foods etc. By this route we are contradicting the food laws afford by creation which subsequently paid-off by boat racing in the sea of diseases, nutritional deficiencies, unwanted food cravings and god knows what!

“Cravings? Of course you have cravings. Your body is crying out for the nutrients it lacks!”

– From “Feeling Light”.

At this moment am endeavouring to accentuate the very well-known yet gloss over discussion about our “micronutrients” which definitely require in small amount even so performs the multitudinous workload of our body from developing the sense of taste, smell to resisting the body against infections. Their eminence is so far ranging that devoid of them our body is nothing, for eg: salt have essential mineral which makes our neurotransmitter (simply understand they are chemicals made by the nerve cells), maintains our body fluid; without some essential vitamins and minerals how you get that strong bones and muscles for your six packs or that voluptuous look and yeah that flawless natural blush skin is also unachievable without them.

Our body is sacred temple and deserves not be inundated with garbage, but lovingly fed nature’s “gold”.

– The encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements.

This can only be obtained if we owe our allegiance towards our well being by upskilling ourselves if we set our heart on to feel well, avoid disease and promote a healthy immune system. So let’s embark the concern of these Micronutrients- vitamins and minerals with their round the clock spadework.

Nutrients- “nature’s endowment to Homo sapiens”

Nutrients- the chemical components for life and growth, our body utilises these nutrients by the process of digestion, absorption, transport, storage, metabolism and excretion. Now these nutrients are broadly categorised as : Macronutrients, present in large amount (our carbs, fats, proteins, water) & Micronutrients, present in smaller amounts ( vitamins and minerals). Here am proceeding with our “micros”as I have mentioned the “macros” in my previous posts.

Whistle-stop tour of Micronutrients.

We all have studied about vitamins and minerals in our science class, so I draw a bead on of not going to hold forth on it so allow me to afford short mark on it for continuous discussion.

1) Vitamins are the organic substance produced by plants or animals, our body cannot synthesise them except vitamin D. They have tremendous job like: help to resist our body against infections, keep our nerve healthy, help our body to get energy etc. They can be easily broken down by heat, air, acid. So next time when you make your orange juice do consume it immediately without any delay. They are sub categorised into :

Fat soluble vitamins : These vitamins- Vitamin A, D, E, K , need fats for their absorption so next time think conscientiously before set foot in starvation world of restricting diets, eg: Vitamin A (is important for your eyes, for reproduction, healthy skin etc), Vitamin D (for our bones & teeth, for proper absorption of calcium in our body etc), Vitamin E ( for for healthy functioning of reproductive systems in body, it act as a antioxidant etc), Vitamin K ( helps in clotting of blood, promote bone health, help to produce proteins for blood, bones etc.).

Water soluble vitamins: These vitamins- Vitamin C and B- complex vitamins are soluble in water and excess of them gets excreted out from urine, eg: Vitamin C ( is needed for healthy development of our teeth, gums, skin and protects ourselves from infections etc), B- complex vitamin ( is needed for producing energy from carbohydrates, proper nerve function, stabilising appetite, for normal growth and maintenance of all cells, good vision, eye, skin etc)

2) Minerals are the inorganic substance that originates from rocks, soil, water. We can absorb them directly from the environment. The major ones are Calcium ( for building strong bones & teeth, normal heart function, muscle contraction etc), Potassium ( known as electrolyte, needed for normal nervous system, regulate heart beat, aid in healing etc), Sodium ( ensures proper B.P level, maintains fluid balance, protects against heat strokes etc), Phosphorus ( for healthy bones, teeth, normal cell membrane function, digestion etc), Sulfur (helps in stabilize protein structures, including some of those that make up hair, skin and nails), Some trace elements : (Iodine for proper growth, metabolism, immunity & building of bones, muscles tissue, transfer of oxygen in our blood from the lungs etc, Zinc for regulating blood sugar, fight against cold, infections, heal wounds, etc. and many others like : Iodine, Selenium, Copper, Chromium etc) Hush!

The all time “attention seeking” deficiencies:

Our inadequate meal patterns, health related issues, restrictions on diets or swaying from balanced diets resulted into certain deficiencies like:

• Eyes issues: Dark circles or bags under the eyes, poor night vision (lack of Vitamin A), nearsightedness ( Vitamin D deficiency), pale lower eyelid (Iron deficiency), etc.
• Hair problems: Hair loss (due to lack of Vitamin B2, B5, D, Zinc, Biotin), hair, dandruff (Selenium, Omega 3’s, Vitamin A deficiencies), dry hairs ( lack of Vitamin A, E, Omega 3’s, Protein etc), greying of hairs, etc.
• Mouth problems: Lesions at mouth, inflammation of tongue, dry chapped lips with ulcers (all due to Vitamin B2), weak tooth ( VitaminA, D, E, K, calcium deficiencies), loss of smell or taste (zinc).
• Skin problems: Dry or rough skin (due to Vitamin A, E), acne during menstruation (lack of B6), red stretch marks (Zinc deficiency).
• Muscle cramping (Magnesium, B1, B2, B6), twitching ( B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin D), numbness or tingling (B12, B5) etc.
• Depression (due to B1, B5, Biotin), dementia (B1, B3, B12, frolic acid), Insomnia ( B3, B5, Biotin, D3) etc.

Our cravings for certain foods like, chocolates, sugary foods, pastas, oily foods, salty foods are the result of the deficiencies caused by lack of essential minerals in body, like: magnesium, chromium, Phosphorus, sulphur, chloride, silicon etc.

-Source from Pinterest

These above mentioned deficiencies are just sparse and a word to caution here is that always seek a professional advice before beginning with supplements in hope to counterbalance your deficiencies rather becoming a self made “hakims”.

Wanna uplift the spirits of Micro...ooh…oes:

• I always say eat a well balanced diet, why because from that you recoup the all nutrients eg: dark green vegetables (a good source for 8 of 14 essential vitamins), nuts & seeds(good sources of your B complex vitamins, calcium, iron), eggs (rich in B-complex vitamins and Vitamin D), red-yellow vegetables & fruits (good source of Vitamin A), pulses (good source of thiamine, calcium, iron, niacin), cereals, dairy items etc……believe me the recital is overlong, so I beseech you to nosh healthy foods.
• Eat well, eat colours, eat variety & seasonal foods with regular exercise.
• Consume everything in a balanced way for eg: “ salt” is considered an evil for high B.P, water retention, strokes etc it’s true but if we take them in adequate amount in our home cooked foods rather from processed foods then how they horror-struck us, this concept applies to all other foods which contain micronutrients.
• Don’t resist on one food choice, for eg now if you presume for strong immune system let’s eat ample of vitamin C rich foods, but do you know high amount of Vitamin C can block body to assimilate mineral copper (copper together with iron enables body to form Red blood cells). Similarly a minor overload of manganese ( which helps in activating many enzymes) can worsen your Iron deficiency.
• Have a good command on antioxidants ( Vitamin C, E, Beta-carotene, riboflavin, selenium etc, they protect body from free radical.
• According to National institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad – every individual should consume at least 300g of vegetables (Green leafy vegetable: 50g, Other veg: 200g, Roots & tuber: 50g) in a day. In addition 100g fruit should be consumed regularly.
• Eat in gratitude with mindful approach.

The major task for us is to maintain the proper balance of these essential nutrients in our diet and i know a lot of confusion arises from discrete views which irresolute us on how to achieve best optimal health by including micronutrients in our diet. For this we can’t shut our eyes to their mode of working, how they absorb in body, what motivates them or what suppress them, factors like relying on supplements and so on, which am gonna share with you in latter part rather very soon. Till then stay safe & healthy and yeah live your life to the fullest.

“Let Food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”- one of the very popular saying from Hippocrates. Don’t you agree ?

Not to the hilt haaaan……I gotcha and the vehemence of dubiety is surfacing you with suspicion, that how anyone can in this genetically modified world radically can hinge on food with sobriety, where the whole shebang is made up of chemicals- be it any crop, fruits, veggies, milk etc; are overwhelmed with the warmth of pesticide formulations, insecticide, antibiotic residues, synthetic flavours, preservatives, soil fumigants etc. And if am gonna shepherd you all on so called “Healthy-diet” gyaan, then we again rejoin the world of deficiencies- cheers to “prime mover of adulteration”.

Somehow I also acknowledge the same that up until you boast a reliable source in conjunction with organic foods which are free from any chemicals and from which our body can absorb the maximum nutrients at the best is the safest option. But when this approach seems quite difficult then don’t you think we should at least increase our knowledge on the best possible ways to eat at least seasonal foods, local foods, diversified diet with an active lifestyle and if we still have to thrive on supplements for combating deficiencies then we have to upgrade our supplements etiquette so that they do their actual work rather than keep depositing as toxicities which further worsen our problem with a outcome in the form of serious ailments.

Here am endowing my full-blown scientific exploration to this perplexity which transparently gonna aid us in a certain way so that we at least take the optimum measures for a healthful living in this “chemically jammed era”.

Their involvement and social interplay:

Understand the nutrients enter to our circulatory system from the gastrointestinal tract and in order for vitamins and minerals to reach the blood stream, they must dissolve in stomach or intestines and diffuse across the membrane lining of the digestive tract. Now the nutrients that fail to absorb (which is discussed below) may pass through digestive tract and be excreted in the valuable faeces and urine, thus providing no nutritional value.

Now the salient diegesis which we should be aware that some nutrients which we gain from our food, works together to combat any deficiencies in the body but for some nutrient, to work in pair is dainty and they estrange each other’s path which results to occurrence of diseases in body for eg:

• Vitamin D is required for calcium absorption, you can’t acquire good bone Health status without it.
• Vitamin C is required for Iron absorption but on the other hand it inhibits body to assimilate mineral copper.
• Excess sodium interferes with the natural ability of blood vessels to relax and expand, while also encouraging the body to hold on to water, thus blood volume increases. Now this Uptight blood vessels with more blood flowing through them is abracadabra for cardiovascular related problems. But if our diet have potassium then it encourages the kidneys to excrete sodium, thus counters the harmful cardiovascular effects of sodium surplus.
• Zinc is a little more familiar as an edible substance, partly because people take zinc lozenges in the belief that extra zinc shortens the duration of a cold. Copper and zinc compete for absorption sites in the small intestine. If there’s a lot of zinc around, copper tends to lose out and a copper deficiency may develop.
• Vitamin A and Vitamin E together lead to increase the antioxidant capabilities, protect against some forms of cancer, prevent obesity but the High levels of Beta carotene (a precursor of Vitamin A) decreases the serum levels of Vitamin E.
• Several Vitamin A deficiency can decrease the uptake of iodine and impact thyroid metabolism. Problem worsens when body has too little selenium.

These are just a few interesting interaction which I think are enough to understand why I mentioned in my previous blog to seek a professional guidance when you planning to thrive on supplements.

The story has just begun:

See with the advent of supplement industry there are numerous products in the market and I agree that these industries are marketing for the good cause but when we gulp them without any professional advice then we might be hollow them in over abundance (more than the adequate levels required for our body) or may be they are not absorbing well to our system because we don’t know how actually to take them ( their dosage, their interaction with drugs, etc) which results in toxicities, like:

• Excess Vitamin A can be toxic to developing foetus, chronic toxicity in children (bone pain, lethargy, itching, ringing in ears, scaly rashes, etc), chronic toxicity in adults (vomiting, skin changes, weakness, psychiatric disorders, hair loss, drying of skin, loss of appetite etc).
• Excess Vitamin D can cause excess calcium in body, blood, slowed mental & physical growth, decrease appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, constipation etc.)
• Excess of B-complex Vitamins can lead to headache, hypotension, weakness, anaphylaxis, wheezing, diarrhoea, jaundice, abnormal liver function, yellow-orange urine, sleep problems, rectal bleedings etc.
• Excess of Vitamin E may pose a hazard to people taking blood thinning medications.

I hope now you’re able to correlate with many things of how difficult is it to assemble them in our diets and a minor up down can customise the bed full of diseases. Don’t loose hope I will discuss the major tips to align them but I insist you without any medical advice don’t try to pop them in the form of doses.

Should we take supplements or not

If you are trying to substituting your food with supplements then it’s a big no. Understand a balanced food is nutritionally preferable to pills (supplements) as it upkeep our spirits by providing a natural combination of different nutrients with fibre which you can’t get from capsules, provided you have to work a little hard to plan them in an efficient manner.

Don’t take multivitamins to fix poor diet, rather eat a balanced diet of fresh, wholesome foods.

So if we bring a few modifications in our lifestyle like: eat fresh, seasonal, local, homemade cooked meals with our traditional touch at right time then at least we are suistaining our body with wholesome nutrients but if our body still called for some ancillary support to keep deficiencies at bay then we can seek supplements advice.

Eligibility norms for supplements:

• Those who are unable to consume wide variety of foods, for eg: people who are allergic to some foods or with certain diseases,eg: Celiac Disease, Crohn’s disease, type 2 diabetes etc.
• Those are vegans and vegetarians – why? See firstly it’s not completely right to say that being vegetarian means you are left with few options with essential nutrients to incooperate in your diet. Secondly, what happen when we have poor knowledge of how and in which possible way to gain essential nutrients in our diet then it becomes a mess especially for Vitamin B12 because it’s only found in animals food ( and to your surprise in your fermented foods also) so after taking advice from doctors we can take them as additional source.
• Older adults.
• Pregnant &breast feeding women.
• It improves the health of overall population who is weak and inconsistent.

Best ways to take them.

Before proceeding further I would like to tell you that there are certain estimates set up by every country for the nutrients to be consumed daily to ensure the requirements of all individual in a given population. So it’s better to go through with these values which were updated, revised on the basis of newer research. Currently the RDA (Recommended dietary allowance) requirements for Indians is revised and published in 2020 by ICMR).

• There are particular timings of taking supplements because some of them absorb well with food (remember fat soluble vitamins) like Vitamins A, D, E, K go with fat from a meal.
• The water soluble vitamins- Vitamin C, B-complexes, can go well either with or without food with one exception of Vitamin B12- they absorb better with meal. Note: if you take Vitamin C supplements also then keep 2 hours gap between them.
• Vitamin C and Iron are good friends as stated earlier that Vitamin C is needed for iron absorption, but do take calcium in a balanced way in your diet as it interferes with iron.
• Large doses of mineral can compete with each other to be absorbed. According to research don’t take Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium supplements at the same time.
• Supplements can interfere with many common medications which we might be taking or vice-versa. So the better approach is to stop taking your supplements for short term medications but for long term usage, consult your doctor for the proper understanding.
• Try to go through the ingredients of your supplements are having, understand there is no standard Multi vitamin formula as FDA (Food and Drug administration) doesn’t regulate supplements so look for brand that is verified.
• If you do need a supplement in your diet, look for supplement that contains the vitamins or minerals as there are lot of unnecessary ingredients also there which aren’t required and which is close to your RDA’s of vitamins and minerals.
• Many people thrive on herbal supplements also but these should be taken with balanced approach like: Ginger (excess amount can cause problems with blood clot, heart rhythms, blood sugar levels etc); Aloe (Excess amount can cause kidney problems, abnormal heart rhythms, can lower blood sugar levels if you have diabetes, etc); Black Cohosh (Excess amount can lead to liver problems etc).

Moral of the story:

Incessantly check with a Healthcare practitioner to figure out which vitamins and minerals you may need and what’s the best way to consume them rather than becoming an autonomous medico.😊

Many times we swear word to our Thyroid hormones and never cede a sole option to lambaste them for all our inclusive health complaints from being obese to round the clock weariness to mood swings. And then with crowning achievement we weened, god why i diagnosed with hypothyroidism, it glanced as stout at least with hyperthyroidism i will look leaner. That’s it!

We only baptise it with “fatter and leaner” and never racked our brain afar to it- I mean the root cause of it, how it gonna alter my overall health status. We just exasperate with the discomfit which comes to pass us and endure all our life as a sufferer of it. But here I enjoined you all that here they are not the wrongdoers, it’s we the Homo Sapiens.

Yeah I got you, it sounds nuts. But before pursuing let’s think about it, are we the victims of our hormones or to our inappropriate lifestyle patterns? Lifestyle means, how much we fell associated while doing any deed and how much importance we offer to our body in return which not only nurtures us but acculturate with our unwholesome living patterns.

As i always assert, womans need peculiar care in respect of everything and it can only vouchsafe by herself only, nobody else from out of doors will come and take care of you.

I gravely stupefy when we overlook our eating patterns because we have to feed others first properly, modify our foods preferences because it might be not satiate others taste buds, ill-suited timings for the nosh because what an old citizens kin will think, disturbed sleep patterns, no time to excercise because now i am bushed up by steering the one and all tantrums, so land up with bona fide logic, am not having time and this goes on, which finally ends in depressing mood status, stress, many health issues and yeah thyroid related issues are one of them. Now our journey begins towards medications because we didn’t leave any other option for our body.

Alas, we tend to live in this vicious cycle and compromise with our health. Rather we should procure a savvy approach for grasping the roots of our issues and listen up our body so that they function in a skillful way for which they are actually made for.

Presenting a de facto Thyroid Glands:

In a simple way, it is a butterfly shaped endocrine gland located in front of the neck, below our Adam’s apple ( simply understand it is related to the deepening of our voice). It secretes 3 hormones : T4 ( thyroxine), T3 (triiodothyronine), Calcitonin.

It is estimated that women are 5 to 8 times more likely to be prone to thyroid related diseases.

It regulates our body metabolism (the way our body utilises carbohydrates, fats, proteins), controlling heart, muscles, digestive functions, growth and development in children, bone maintenance, temperature regulation, helps in releasing feel good hormones (dopamine) etc. You will wonder how this small underrated gland acts as a engine that keeps our body running and affects the way nearly every organ in our body works.

Their Action Principle:

Let me make you understand this in a simpler way, the secretion of our 2 thyroid hormones i.e T3 and T4 (a forerunner which gets converted into vital form of T3) is controlled by TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone).

Now TSH is balanced by two other glands,

a) Anterior pituitary gland which is located behind our nose, near the underside of our brain.

b) Hypothalamus which is located undersurface of our brain by TRH (Thyrotropin releasing hormone).

So here’s a chronicle of humans thyroid history in which, the anterior pituitary gland produces TSH which tells thyroid gland to produce T4 and T3. But it also gets the signal to produce TSH from hypothalamus also. So what happens that, Hypothalamus will produce the TRH, which will signal to the pituitary to stimulate the thyroid to produce T4 and T3 by secreting TSH. Hush! Half Mission accomplished.

Proceeding further, when our blood sense less TH levels than normal range, then our brain commands Pituitary to secrete high TSH which in turn secretes high amount of thyroid hormone (T3 and T4), which leads to hypothyroidism.

Alternatively, when our blood sense high TH than normal range, then our brain commands Pituitary to secrete less TSH which in turn secretes low amount of thyroid hormone (T3 and T4), which leads to hyperthyroidism.

What Triggers them:

Any imbalance in our thyroid gland and it’s hormones can cause variety of problems like:

Goitre (it means that thyroid gland might be enlarged which can either be the result of iodine deficiency or an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), Thyroiditis (it means thyroid inflammation which is usually occur from a viral infection or autoimmune condition), Graves Disease (a condition in which the thyroid is overstimulated), Thyroid cancer (uncommon form but is curable), Thyroid nodule (small abnormal mass or lump), Thyroid storm (a rare form of hyperthyroidism), Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism etc.

Hypothyroidism, a prevailing dilemma of life!

One of the most common problem which occurs when thyroid gland gets underactive. Due to which we attain weight, feeling of tiredness, feel cold, weakness and aches in muscles and joints, hair loss, itchy & dry skin, feeling depressed, trouble in concentrating, heavy/ irregular periods etc.

It can contribute further to high cholesterol, diabetes, low bone density, low levels of vitamin D etc.

The underlying causes are many but the major ones are: autoimmune disorder (most common cause, in which our body’s immune system attacks healthy cells), Thyroid surgery, iodine deficiency in diet (major in India), Stress, over response to hyperthyroidism treatment, Congenital Disease (that occurs at or before birth), pregnancy, pituitary gland disorders etc.

Inconveniences caused by them:

Hypothyroidism give on to drop our metabolism with lowering the rate of growth and repair of many body parts and we end up in feeling tired, gain weight, weakness & aches in muscles & joints, hair loss, feel cold, itchy & dry skin, feel depressed, trouble in concentrating, irregular/ heavy periods etc.

The art of making our problem worse:

• Improper diet: Whosoever thinks that by fasting or with fancy diets you gonna win the battle of weight loss is completely wrong. Understand by our inadequate lifestyle we hitherto stressed our body already. Now the remaining entanglement done by getting into restricted diets which leads to nutrient deficiency which in turn give rises to digestive issues by preventing absorption of nutrients which may be functionally deficient thus, resulting in low T3 which are essential for the overall work of body.

Iodine and tyrosine (a protein) is needed for the production of thyroid hormone. Not only this our neurotransmitters, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acid all are involved in this process.

• Over exercise: Due to hypothyroidism our body’s metabolic rate is very slow, so instead of burning calories, the amount of energy our body used at BMR also gets decreases, so our body stores more calories from diet as fat. And now we burnt out overtime in gyms which leads to loss of muscle tissues and further lowers our metabolic rate, which again means you are burning less fat throughout the day.

Researches suggests that 30 minutes of exercise a day may provide additional weight loss benefits and maintains overall fitness. Exercise 150 minutes in a week followed by rest day is sufficient.

• Stress: Any kind of stress either physiological stress( cold exposure, starvation, excessive physical activity, blood sugar imbalances, excessive inflammation etc), emotional stress can distress the whole thyroid function by inhibiting the enzyme (which are again proteins) to convert T4 into T3 (remember I described it somewhere). So what it mean that our so called stress interferes with our thyroid hormone.

Our body makes excess cortisol (a stress hormone) in response to stress which in turn shuts off normal bodily functions like- digestion, reproductive function, thyroid hormone production also.

I know, you might be thinking that what about the thyroid problems which are not in our hands, I mean genetic ones. See we make fewer options on this as we can’t do anything with our genetics but what we can do is to strengthen our Immune system. Understand through Life style measures we can improve the way our Immune system functions because that can ease down our symptoms.

Brief Suggestions have – to do with it:

• Take proper balanced diet loaded with rich green leafy and seasonal vegetables, fruits, wholesome foods, lean proteins, healthy fats. Take adequate diet rich in iodine, selenium, zinc, iron etc.
• Maintain your physical activity, bring variations to it. Remember start with a slow pace and remain consistent towards it. Don’t over exert yourself .
• Do something relaxing everyday for at least 10 minutes.
• Eat mindfully with proper attention, there should be no distractions. Understand hurried or late meals without sparing any thought for the body’s requirements result in imbalance, the root cause of lifestyle diseases.
• Grab 6-7 smaller meals in a day but at fixed timings. Don’t overlook your eating patterns.
• Avoid excess salt and all type of processed foods. In fact they are worse for your proper thyroid functioning.
• Foods like, soya, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, peanuts etc should be consumed in moderate way. In short there are few foods which contains a substance called “goitrogens” which interferes in iodine absorption but only when taken in raw, so it’s better to consume them in balance way after cooking.
• Maintain your sleep patterns in a regular fixed way. This gonna give time to your body to recover and makes you energised for the next day.
• Practice some yoga, meditation, breathing exercise it will help you to combat the stress.
• Understand combination of food and your medications can restore thyroid function and minimise your symptoms.
• Talk to your doctor about your issues, who understands thyroid physiology and better motivate you first for living healthy lifestyle rather than medications.