Health News

Drinking fresh nutrient rich juice instead of usual coffee or tea in the morning, have you thought about that? It is true that many of us drink hot cups of coffee or tea in the morning without taking into consideration the need of nutrients. This could be good in the short term but in the long term it could lead to few issues for us. Point is that we could swap the tea or coffee we drink in the morning with a fresh nutrient rich drink that would be good for our health. Not many would know that the combination of carrot and ginger juice would do wonders for our health. By drinking this combination, we could get the much needed vitamins, antioxidants etc in us and that would be superb for our health. Benefits of this simple health habit are Supports eye health: For our vision to be good, vitamin A is needed.  By drinking this juice combination, beta carotene present in the carrots would be converted to vitamin A by our body. Our eye health would be supported especially in low light conditions. Intake of ginger would help to lower inflammation and puffiness in our eyes caused due to long hours of screen time. Improves digestion: A digestive tonic that would work gently but effectively is this ginger and carrot juice combination. It must be taken into note that ginger would help us to avoid indigestion, nausea and boating etc and the fibres in carrot would help in digestion. This juice would improve our gut health. Strengthens immunity: Our immunity would get boosted by the combination of carrot and ginger. The vitamin C and antioxidants in carrot and anti-inflammatory properties of ginger would be superb in boosting our immunity. By drinking this combo juice in the monsoon season especially we could be free from infections. Recovery from illness would be speeded up also. Good for skin health: Not only for gut and immunity this combo juice would be superb but also for our skin health. Signs of ageing would be delayed in us by intake of carrot and ginger containing antioxidants. It is believed that the antioxidants in this juice would fight free radicals. It was confirmed by a study in 2021 that this juice would reduce acne and redness due to anti-inflammatory effects. Supports detox and liver function: Our liver healthth would get better by this combination of juice. It is worthy to note that ginger would help in flushing out toxins. Point is that carrots would break down fat and help in the production of bile. Manage blood sugar levels: The low glycemic index or GI of carrots plays a role here. Intake of carrot would not cause a sudden spike in our blood sugar levels. Intake of ginger would improve insulin sensitivity in us. For those who want steady energy levels, this combo juice would be superb. This juice would be a diabetes friendly option when consumed in moderate amounts.

In some persons, their bodies won`t be able to digest or break down lactose. This condition is termed as lactose intolerance. It is known that lactose is present in milk and other milk products etc. Lactase is an important enzyme that helps our body to digest lactose and when our small intestines do not make sufficient amounts of this enzyme then lactose intolerance occurs in us. Symptoms of lactose intolerance in us are Bloating: It is worthy to note that bloating in the abdomen is one of the most common symptoms associated with lactose intolerance issues. Some persons would feel full after drinking milk and this is mainly because of fermentation of undigested lactose in the colon. This could lead to gas and discomfort etc. Diarrhoea: Loose motion or diarrhoea is also an important symptom of lactose intolerance. Water would be pulled into the intestines as the body cannot break down lactose properly. This would lead to diarrhoea. Stomach cramping: Those who are lactose intolerant would get abdominal cramps in them and would find it very difficult. Point is that these cramps could be mild to severe and could appear 30 min to 2 hours after intake of dairy products etc. Flatulence or gas formation: Gas formation could lead to huge embarrassment for us.  Lactose fermentation in the colon could lead to increased gas etc. Sometimes, gas formation in us can also happen due to some medications also. Nausea: There are some people who feel nauseated after the intake of certain dairy foods. Vomiting might also occur when large amounts of lactose are consumed by them, especially in an empty stomach. Rumbling sounds in stomach: Excessive gas and fluid in the intestines can lead to hyperactive bowel sounds mainly after consuming dairy products. This might indicate digestive distress associated with lactose intolerance issues. Constipation: Not only diarrhoea, there are few persons with lactose intolerance who experience constipation also. So, please take care. After intake of dairy products, some people might feel unusually tired also. This might not be a digestive issue but might be associated with systemic inflammation. Rashes or skin breakouts: Those persons who have lactose intolerance in them would get rashes or skin breakouts etc and would find it difficult. Inflammation linked to poor lactose digestion would be shown by these symptoms on the skin.

It is really tough to control our hunger especially during the late nights. There are many who try hard to keep their blood sugar levels stable and for these persons snacking late night would be a difficult task. Bitter fact is that by eating too little they would wake up feeling hungry by around 2 am. If they eat too much, they would be spiking their blood sugar levels. How would you feel if you came to know that there are some foods that would not spike the blood sugar levels even if you consume them before bed time. Sound’s incredible isn’t it!! These foods are Plain Greek yoghurt intake: It must be noted that Greek yoghurt is rich in proteins with little sugar. Point is that eating this food would keep us feeling full. Moreover, this food would slow down digestion and prevent a spike in blood sugar levels in us. Our gut health would get boosted by eating Greek yoghurt and that is due to the presence of probiotics in it. The presence of calcium in this food would help us to sleep well. Almonds intake: It was confirmed by a research study in 2002 that intake of almonds would help us to control our blood sugar levels. That is due to the presence of fibres etc in them. Our sleep quality would get better by the presence of magnesium in this food. Intake of almonds at night would prevent our stomach from getting empty and would provide healthy fats and proteins for us. Intake of almonds would not spike our blood sugar levels. Boiled eggs intake: Our blood sugar levels would be managed well if we eat boiled eggs at night. The reason is that eggs are low in calories but high in healthy fats, proteins etc. Tryptophan that is present in the eggs would help the body to produce melatonin or sleep hormone. This would help us to have sound sleep in the nights without any spike in the blood sugar levels. Moong dal soup intake: Another food that would not mess up with our blood sugar levels when we consume in the nights is moong dal soup. It must be noted that the complex carbohydrates in this soup would break down slowly providing energy but without spiking the blood sugar levels in us. By adding ghee, cumin to moong dal soup, there would be better digestion for us. Paneer cube intake: For night time hunger, it is good to eat paneer cubes. Truth is that this slow digesting protein rich food would not cause any spike in the blood sugar levels in the night. We would be able to sleep well. Chia pudding (without sugar etc): When we eat chia pudding at night then we would not get any spike in the blood sugar levels. It is believed t that the chia seeds in this pudding are full of fibres and healthy fats etc and these would slow down digestion in us plus promote stable blood sugar levels in us.

It is natural that we all enjoy the monsoon because of the fact that it provides huge relief from hot scorching weather. Bitter fact is that if you think monsoon weather provides only happiness for us then you might be wrong. More humidity in the monsoon would result in the growth of bacteria and mosquitoes etc. This would further lead to bacterial infections and diseases etc. Pregnant mothers would have poor immunity levels in them and due to that they would get affected with illness easily in the monsoon weather. There are few monsoon infections and every pregnant mother must know about these without fail. Dengue: When a pregnant mother gets dengue fever( caused due to a bite of Aedes Aegypti mosquito) then her platelet count would decrease and she could get dehydration and early labour etc. Malaria: Pregnant women could get issues like severe anaemia and low birth weight etc due to malaria.  Bite of female anopheles mosquito would cause malaria. Leptospirosis: Organ related complications and miscarriage etc would occur when a pregnant mother gets affected by leptospirosis. It is due to the bacteria leptospira. Typhoid: Salmonella typhi is the cause for typhoid fever in us. Truth is that especially in the monsoon only typhoid spread occurs more. Pregnant mothers could get high fever and pregnancy complications due to typhoid.  Hepatitis A.E: Unfiltered water or faulty cooking methods etc could transmit these viruses. When a pregnant woman gets affected by Hepatitis E then foetal loss and liver failure etc would occur. Gastroenteritis: Pregnant mothers` overall health would get affected by gastroenteritis or stomach flu. Fungal, parasitic and bacterial infections could lead to gastroenteritis. Dehydration and nutrient loss could take place. Fungal infections: Hormonal changes in the pregnancy time could lead to skin infections especially during monsoons. How can a pregnant woman protect herself from these infections? Pregnant women could avoid monsoon illnesses like flu, cold and respiratory issues etc by following personal hygiene practices. Pregnant women must eat only washed fruits and vegetables etc. They could get food borne diseases like diarrhoea and food popoisoning etc by intake of unhygienic foods and unwashed fruits and veggies etc. It is necessary to consume immune boosting foods like fruits that are rich in vitamin C and green vegetables. It is possible to boost immunity during an emergency when a pregnant mother drinks water and stays hydrated.

Many of us would feel totally surprised if we come to know that there is a direct relation between poor kidney health and our eyes!! Yes, it`s true!! For our lives to be healthy and normal, it is a must that we must have good kidney health. Just like our heart, lungs, liver etc, kidneys are also vital organs in us. Various factors for kidney damage or kidney failure in us could be due to high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes,  presence of autoimmune diseases, infections etc. The windows to our overall health are our eyes. Point is that certain symptoms in our eyes would indicate damage to our vital organs. The fact is that symptoms that occur in the eyes or ocular symptoms would appear early in us and they would be the first external signs associated with our kidney damage. Especially in those with chronic conditions like high BP and diabetes etc, eye symptoms would be related to underlying kidney issues. That our kidneys are not functioning well would be shown by these eye based symptoms. Please take care. Puffy eyes in the morning: When kidneys don`t function properly or kidney dysfunction, then protein would leak into the urine. This condition is termed as proteinuria. It is an indication of damaged kidney filters or glomeruli. Truth is this is common in early kidney disease. Blurred vision: Persons with diabetes or high BP would have blurred vision if they have kidney disease in them. The blood vessels present in our retina would get damaged due to high blood sugar level leading to diabetic retinopathy and high BP would result in hypertensive retinopathy. By these, we could get vision based issues in us. Dry or itchy eyes: Waste products would get built up in the blood and this is termed as uremia. Tear production would get reduced due to this build up and would lead to inflammation of conjunctiva. The eyes would become dry and itchy. Dryness would become more severe in more advanced stages. Reddish or bloodshot eyes: Tiny blood vessels present in the eyes would get inflamed because of the uremia condition. This would make the eyes appear reddish or bloodshot. It is worthy to note here that some kidney conditions are associated with auto-immmmune issues like vasculitis etc resulting in redness in the eyes, pain in the eyes etc. Vision loss or changes in vision etc: We must never ignore our sudden loss of vision or changes in our vision. The vision issues in kidney patients can be because of artery occlusion or hypertensive crisis etc. There are also possibilities of vision issues due to dialysis complications also.

Do you know that in urban India CAD or Coronary Artery Disease is prevalent and it ranges from 7% to 13%? Your heart health depends on various factors among which some are visible and others are invisible. One most common issue that affects our heart is CAD or coronary artery disease. Not many of us know the fact that issues such as CAD are solely caused by high cholesterol levels. Point is that exercises and regular checkups are suggested by the doctors for the sake of heart health. It is believed that knowing multiple factors that could lead to CAD would allow for a more comprehensive approach for its prevention and management etc. What is CAD? A disorder that affects the vessels that are responsible for supplying blood to the heart is CAD. Plaque build up would cause arteries to get blocked and this can lead to heart attack, heart failure, abnormal heartbeats or arrhythmia etc in us. Many would feel chest discomfort or pain that comes and goes in intervals with a predictable pattern. This is one common symptom of CAD. Shortness of breath is another symptom. Lesser known reasons for getting CAD are Atherosclerosis: It is noteworthy that the important cause for getting CAD is atherosclerosis. This is a gradual build up of plaque and it would block artery leading improper blood flow. Truth is that the plaque build up would even start from childhood also. Diabetes or insulin resistance: There are more chances of getting CAD if the person has high blood sugar levels or diabetes. Fact is that elevated blood sugar levels would damage the blood vessels permanently. Moreover, plaque formation would get accelerated. High blood pressure or hypertension: It must be noted that high BP would exert force against the walls of arteries. As a result, a small injury would be created in the linings of arteries. By this, plaque would be formed and arteries would get hardened. The elasticity of arteries would reduce over time and due to this bringing more blood to heart becomes difficult. There would be more stress on the heart due to high BP. Please take care. Tobacco or smoking: Inner lining of the artery would get injured due to harmful chemicals from smsmoking. It is true that chemicals would result in the cholesterol deposits that stick to the arteries. Oxygen supply would be reduced by smoking, elevates heart rate and increases BP.