Archives for May 2017

May 10, 2017 By Dr. Viral Thakkar 39 Comments

Tulsi or Basil: Queen of Herbs

I have always wondered as to why ‘Tulsi’ is given so much importance in India.I have known my aunts and great grand aunts telling me the story of Tulsi being the consort of Lord Vishnu. As an inquisitive child, I questioned this. “How can a plant be a consort? A plant is a plant! Period! It gives oxygen and takes in carbon dioxide.”

Today, as a doctor, I feel that the importance of many plants is hidden in folklore. Unfortunately, the folklore remained and the importance is now dying away.

In this article, I try to bring out the importance of “Tulsi”- The Holy Basil, which is also considered as the queen of herbs! Tulsi is grown in almost every household in India for religious purposes. But I suggest we all grow it for its medicinal purposes (at the cost of paying hefty fee to doctors for minor ailments!).

Tulsi is

Antibacterial
Antiviral
Antifungal
Antipyretic
Antioxidant
Antiseptic and
Anti-cancer.

Tulsi helps in cold & cough because of its antiviral&antibacterial properties. Juice of basil leaves along with ginger and betel leaf juice mixed in honey taken twice or thrice a day is beneficial. For extreme cough one should add a pinch of black pepper powder with little black salt in above mixture.

The antipyretic properties of tulsi work on Fever of any origin like malarial, fever due to influenza, cold or fever with pain in ribs. Take juice of 10 to 12 basil leaves with honey three times a day.

Tulsidetoxifies. Consumption of 10 Tulsileaves with jaggery regularly for 15 days controls formation of worms in abdomen. In case of ringworm, the juice mixed with camphor to be applied daily on the affected part twice daily. Tulsi consumed daily keeps the stomach clean because of its properties.

Regular intake of juice of 15 to 20 basil leaves mixed in aloe vera is beneficial in liver disorders.

The mixture of Tulsileaves and clove powder on teeth provides instant relief from pain. Leaves dried in the sun and powdered can be used for brushing the teeth. Leaves dried and mixed with mustard oil are used as toothpaste. This paste is very good for maintaining the overall dental health, countering bad breath and massaging the gums. The paste is also useful in treating pyorrhea (gum disease) and other tooth disorders.

The anti-inflammatory properties of tulsi helps to diminish swelling and pain.

The holy basil is a great diuretic and detoxifier for the kidneys. It reduces the uric acid levels in the blood (one of the main reasons for kidney stones), helps cleanse the kidneys. The presence of acetic acid and other components helps in breaking down kidney stones and its painkiller effect helps dull down the pain of kidney stones. To relieve kidney stones one must have the juice of tulsi leaves with honey, every day for six months to help wash out the stone from the kidney.

Holy basil is a purifier and will give you a glowing skin if eaten raw. It purifies the blood prevents the appearance of acne and blemishes. Its antibacterial and antifungal properties prevent breakouts on acne prone skin. The anti fungal properties reduce itchiness of the scalp and hair fall. Mix the powder in coconut oil and apply regularly to the scalp to prevent hair fall.

Consuming 10 – 12 leaves of Tulsi per day helps to reduce stress (Read on stress induced migraine).

According to Shyamkant Padoley, an eminent botanist, “Tulsi gives out oxygen for 20 hours and ozone for four hours a day along with the formation of nascent oxygen which absorbs harmful gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide from the environment”.

Ensure that tulsi becomes a part of your daily diet today! It is cheap, it is available at your doorstep & it has no side effects!

May 3, 2017 By GOQii Editor 7 Comments

GOQii ‘India Fit’ 2017 reveals alarming facts

1/3^rd Indians over 30 years suffer from Lifestyle diseases

4% people are suffering from high cholesterol, followed by 7.7% with diabetes and 6.7% with thyroid
Improper nutrition, lack of sleep and stress are adding to the fitness woes of Indians
Kolkata is the unhealthiest city with 35.7% population suffering from at least one lifestyle diseases; Bangalore is the new fitness capital of India closely followed by Mumbai and Pune on second and third spot
Average step count of Indian increases from 6680 to 7746 steps

GOQii, the health and wellness ecosystem that is striving hard to get Indians to be fit and healthy and prevent illness, has recently released it’s India fit report which reveals some hard facts. As per the GOQii India Fit’ 2017, while, the average daily step count of an individual across India is 7746 steps, a steady increase over last year’s figure of 6800 step counts, it still does not match the recommended daily step count of 10,000 steps by World Health Organization in order to lead a healthy lifestyle.

According to the report, Bengaluru and Much as moved ahead of Mumbai and is dubbed the most active city with a daily average step count of 7915. Bengaluru and Mumbai are followed by Pune. Younger population (below 35 years age bracket) in Bengaluru and Chennai is more active as compared to people in other cities.

While it is overwhelming to note that people are walking and striving to be fit, the alarming fact is that chronic lifestyle diseases are a cause for concern in the current times and the epidemic is spreading like wildfire here in India. There have been disruptive lifestyle changes in the country over the past two decades mainly due to the rapidly evolving urban economy and the Indian Middle class.

Chronic diseases (eg, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer) and injuries are the leading causes of death and disability in India, and this is only likely to increase in their contribution to the burden of diseases over the next two decades.

As per the GOQii India Fit’ 2017 report, 33% of the Indian population above 30 years of age is suffering from one or more lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cardiac problems including high cholesterol, blood pressure, thyroid, and Cancer. Close to 9.4% people are suffering from high cholesterol followed by 7.7% suffering from diabetes and 6.76% people suffering from thyroid.

Based on data from over one lakh subscribers of GOQii both male and female from across 8 fitness conscious cities in India namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune, the report states that since 2015 there is a consistent increase in lifestyle diseases. As per data, a major cause for concern is high cholesterol among individuals.

It is estimated that around 130 million may suffer from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes in the next few years. Apart from these two diseases, the other prevalent chronic diseases are Cardiac ailments, hypertension, and high blood pressure. The risk factors for chronic diseases are highly prevalent among the Indian population.

Vishal Gondal, Founder, and CEO of GOQii says: “Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of chronic diseases due to the disruptive lifestyle changes in the country. Lack of exercise, erratic eating habits, increase in stress levels and poor sleep patterns are just some of the key reasons behind the increase of this epidemic’’.“

Data starting January 2016 through December 2016 was collected to determine the various fitness metrics (rest & activity) such as steps, food, water, sleep, etc. We have been very meticulous in collecting data and then deciphering it to be realistic so as to bring out near accurate results.

Another alarming fact is Kolkata has earned the tag of being the unhealthiest city in India. The majority of the population in Kolkata suffers from lifestyle diseases related to stress, cardiovascular ailments, and digestive disorders. Kolkata also tops the chart with the highest number of digestive disorders. Cities like Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad have maximum cases of obesity amongst Indians. Although awareness around the use of medication amongst people has increased, their lifestyle is still the same as there is no one to tell them the benefits of lifestyle change.

GOQii India Fit’ 2017 report indicates that an average Indian sleeps for 6.72 hours every day which is less than a healthy average of 7-9 hours daily. Lack of proper sleep is a grave concern for 31.3% population. And with age, India is sleeping lesser by the day. This coupled with the lack of exercise and increase in stress is adding to the cause of falling health levels of Indians. People in the age group of 31-60 years are the most stressed people in the country.

Gender wise data reveals that men across category are focused on staying active with weight training, playing sports and running apart from adding more protein in pre and post workout meals to their diet. Women, on the other hand, are focused on weight management and eating healthy. Women also prefer dance, yoga, and aerobics as part of their daily exercise.

Overall, the report recognises the fact that Indians are trying to improve their lifestyle but a lot is yet to be done. Eating right and exercising regularly is the first step in the right direction. ‘’It is encouraging to see that young Indians are increasingly focusing more on preventive health and controlling illnesses as they age. I hope that through such initiatives, we are able to motivate more people to adopt a healthy lifestyle,’’ ConcludesGondal.

May 2, 2017 By Komilla Pareek 4 Comments

All you want to know about Calories

How far is your office from home?
12 kilometers?

Just as kilometers is the unit of distance similarly Calories (Cal or kcal) is a unit of energy.

When we refer to calorific value of food, we are referring to the number of calories of energy provided by that food. With increasing need to lose and maintain body weight, people are getting conscious about their calorie intake.

But, is it really that simple? Do two different foods having similar calorific value give you exactly same energy?

Let me cite an example to explain the above point:

Consider that your office is located in a less populated outskirts of the city and therefore the road to office is less crowded; whereas the movie theatre is located in busy city center.

Would you take the same time and resources to reach both these places? If you take a cab ride, will the charges be same since the distance is same for both the destinations?

The answer is obviously NO. The same concept applies even for food calories. Two different food items with same calorific value may be charged differently by your body to process it, depending on its composition.

To understand this better let’s look at food calories in detail.

How much is 1 Kcal or 1000 calories?

The Calorie you see on a food package is actually a kilocalorie, or 1,000 calories. A Calorie (kcal) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

How do we determine calorific value of food?

The original method used to determine the number of kcals in a given food directly measured the energy it produced. The food was placed in a sealed container-an apparatus known as a bomb calorimeter surrounded by water. The food was completely burned and the resulting rise in water temperature was measured. This method is not frequently used today.Food Composition tables and apps usually calculate calorific value by nutrient composition of meal/food article. 1 g protein /carbohydrate gives approx. 4 kcal and 1 g fat contributes 9 kcal.

So, is the 400 kcal coming from 100 g carbs same as that coming from 100 g proteins?

No, the net effect of 400 kcal will vary depending on the source. Why and how- This info is important for you if you are trying to manage weight!

To process and utilize the nutrients, your body charges different nutrients differently (same as your cab charges differently on different routes for the same distance).

Amount of energy expenditure above the resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for use and storage is called ‘Thermic Effect of Food’ (or Diet induced Thermogenesis).

Its magnitude depends on the composition of the food consumed:

Carbohydrates: 5 to 15% of the energy consumed
Protein: 20 to 35%
Fats: at most 5 to 15 %

Without a doubt, protein is the macronutrient that induces the largest thermic effect of food response.

Does this mean effective calories coming from proteins are lowest?

Yes. Roughly 25% of the calories in pure protein will be burned after consumption due to the thermic effect of food. Fat and carbohydrates, on the other hand, each induce a burn of roughly 5% of the calories consumed due to the thermic effect of food. So, for example, if you consume 400 calories of pure protein you will burn 100 (or 25%) of those calories through the thermic effect of food. If you consume 400 calories of pure fat or pure carbohydrates, only 20 calories (or 5%) will be burned through the thermic effect of food.

Do Negative Calorie Foods exist, foods that take more energy to digest than they provide in calories?

It is theoretically possible to have a negative-calorie food but, there are no scientific studies to prove that certain foods have this effect. Low calorie foods that are high in dietary fiber like green leafy vegetables are often cited as negative calorie. This is not true, it’s a myth.

What are Empty Calorie foods?

Empty calories apply to food such as solid fats or added sugars supplying food energy but little or no other nutrition.

High intake of empty calorie foods leads to Hidden Hunger. This can be one of the reason for weight gain.

For a sustainable and healthy weight loss, focus on nutrient content and not calorie content of food as all calories are not equal.

Tulsi or Basil: Queen of Herbs

GOQii ‘India Fit’ 2017 reveals alarming facts

All you want to know about Calories

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