Healthy Living Archives

November 4, 2020 By Mamta Joshi 1 Comment

What Is The Circadian Rhythm Diet & How Does It Help?

Have you heard about the Circadian Rhythm Diet or the 7am to 7pm diet and the recommended dietary habits & restrictions it involves? Surprisingly, there are no dos and don’ts on eating. It’s all about when you should eat. The basic idea of this diet is to reset meal timings to the same one as our ancestors i.e. between sunrise and sunset – basically scheduling meals during daylight hours.

Circadian Rhythm Diet also known as Body Clock Diet is basically a form of time restricted eating plan where we eat in sync with the body’s internal clock which gets regulated by change within the environment, mainly, light and darkness, and are controlled by a small area in the middle of the brain. This can affect metabolism, hunger, sleep, body temperature and other bodily functions.

The hormone cortisol, also known as the “get up and go” hormone is linked with body metabolism and hence weight. It rises and falls during the course of the day. If someone eats when metabolism is at peak, calories consumed would be utilized well and not deposited as fat. On the other hand, food eaten at the wrong time may lead to weight gain.

Circadian rhythm is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats every 24 hours and can be divided into 2 phases:

Eating and metabolizing phase: Metabolism is high when cortisol is at its peak and slow when cortisol levels are down. The body releases cortisol naturally twice per day: once in the early morning and later in the evening and at that time, the stomach too is ready with the right amount of hormones and digestive enzymes and even good gut microbes to digest the food. So for health benefits eat with the Sun. In response to daylight, cortisol rises, insulin sensitivity increases and melatonin decreases, making one feel active and energized. Cortisol supports thyroid function and metabolism, and contributes to the energy needed to complete daily tasks.
Resting and healing phase: When the sun sets, the body naturally wants to wind up and prepare for sleep. The sleep inducing hormone melatonin rises up, while cortisol and insulin sensitivity reduces. So food consumed later at night when cortisol levels are decreasing is more likely to be stored as fat.

As soon as one finishes dinner, the body slowly gets slow on metabolism, the body clock resets, going into repair and rejuvenation mode so that damaged cells can be repaired and replaced with healthy new cells and allergy causing chemicals or pathogens cannot attack the body. Thus, late night munching leads to weight gain and it disrupts the body’s natural healing mechanism too.

Highlights Of The Circadian Rhythm Diet

Eat during daylight.
Have breakfast and lunch as the biggest meals of the day, and dinner, the smallest.
Have about 75% of nutrition before 3 pm
Do not eat anything post dinner.

Benefits Of This Diet

Helps maximize weight loss efforts
Reduces the risk of obesity
Improves digestive health
Improves metabolism
Improves sleep, mood and energy levels
Reduces inflammation in the body
Lowers the risk of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Promotes longevity

Those who schedule their meals between 12 hours (7 am to 7 pm) might have a much better circadian rhythm and health unlike those who delay dinner and eat within 15-16 hours (7am to 11pm or more). After 12-16 hours of fasting when we have the next meal i.e. breakfast – the body gets enough time to heal/repair as required. Don’t eat anything post dinner as the body enters the healing and rejuvenation mode. Compounds that encourage the inflammatory response rise at night. This is likely because the body is better at fighting infections while it is at rest, and energy can be poured into the effort, rather than into other functions like metabolism.

Even if the food choice & calorie consumed is the same, those who eat during daylight have better health than those who delay. Food at the wrong time can disturb the internal clock and break the metabolic balance in our body, and that can push us towards disease. Biological rhythms are meant to protect us. Disturbing this rhythm can lead to weight gain, hormonal issues, mental health issues, metabolic diseases like type -2 diabetes and heart problems.

So do give this Circadian Rhythm Diet a go and let us know what you feel in the comments below! We hope this article helps you. For more informative articles such as this, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

November 2, 2020 By Sunita Arora Leave a Comment

Boost Testosterone Naturally With These 10 Foods

Testosterone is an androgen, a male sex hormone, though females need it too. After the age of 30, most men experience a gradual decline in testosterone. In an attempt to boost testosterone levels, some men switch to T-Booster Supplements. While 90% of the T-Booster supplements in the market claimed to boost testosterone, researchers found that less than 25% of the supplements had data to support their claims. Many of the T-Boosters also contained high doses of vitamins and minerals which is more than the tolerable limit and not good for health at all. As per the FDA, unlike drugs, supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure diseases. The safest and most effective way to boost testosterone levels naturally is through Nutrition. Good levels of magnesium, zinc, omega-3 and vitamin D in diet can all help to sustain your healthy testosterone levels.

10 Foods To Boost Testosterone Naturally

If you have low levels of testosterone, then start including the foods listed below to boost testosterone levels.

Garlic: is called a cortisol reducer because it contains allicin which is very helpful in lowering cortisol levels. Cortisol is produced in the adrenal gland, where testosterone is produced as well. By reducing cortisol in your system adrenal gland, it helps to produce more testosterone effectively. Have 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic in the morning with water or honey and use garlic in cooking food regularly to improve your testosterone levels.
Pomegranate: is an old aged symbol for fertility, supporting heart health and is used to boost testosterone levels as well. Studies have shown consumption of pure pomegranate juice, around 300ml, increased testosterone levels significantly while lowering blood pressure and reducing stress with improved mood.
Almonds: A nutritional powerhouse for men’s health, almonds are loaded with healthy fats, vitamins and minerals that help support testosterone production. It contains high levels of minerals like Zinc, which is known to raise testosterone levels in people who are Zinc deficient. Have 5-6 soaked almonds daily to see changes.
Bananas: are the food factory of important vitamins and minerals that aid in the production of testosterone. They are rich in an enzyme called bromelain which boost testosterone levels and are excellent for maintaining energy levels. You can add Bananas in your diet in the form of shakes, smoothies, mix with oat’s porridge or curd, etc.
Spinach: is one of the most popular superfoods, which is rich in iron, magnesium and is an excellent testosterone booster. It has been known as one of the best testosterone boosting foods which is easily available during all the seasons. You can make spinach soup, smoothies or you can add spinach in your curries, sandwiches, etc.
Honey: contains boron which is kind of a natural mineral associated with helping testosterone levels, building strong bones and muscles. You can replace white sugar in your tea/milk/smoothie with honey. You can also add it to your porridge but make sure it is raw, organic honey and not the processed one.
Lemon: is a citrus fruit which is a great source for boosting testosterone levels. It also has vitamin A, which is required for the production of testosterone. You can have lemon water, add lemon in your salad, soups, etc. to improve testosterone more fruitfully.
Eggs: are packed with testosterone boosting nutrients because they provide a generous amount of high quality protein which is essential for maintaining adequate levels of testosterone. Eggs are also rich in good cholesterol, Vitamin D and omega-3 which boost testosterone levels and help in building muscle. Have 1-2 eggs with yolk in your diet daily to improve your testosterone levels.
Fish: Good quality of Salmon and Tuna work well to boost testosterone levels by 90%. They are super-rich in Vitamin D – which helps maintain sperm count and due to the good amount of omega-3, it boosts testosterone levels effectively. You can include these fatty fishes in your diet 2-3 times a week.
Ashwagandha: is a popular Ayurvedic herb, also called Indian Ginseng or Winter Cherry, It is a natural T-Booster that also helps men who are struggling with infertility. Studies have shown significant improvement in semen quality and also a drop in stress levels in the men taking Ashwagandha. Daily doses of 125mg of ashwagandha all the way up to 5g have shown benefits in clinical trials. But it may interact with your thyroid, blood sugar and blood pressure medications. So you should always consult a medical professional before starting it.

Before beginning to consume any of the foods listed here, please consult a doctor to check for allergies or any other issues these foods may cause. Changing your diet is one of the most effective ways to maintain healthy testosterone levels but physical activity, sleep quality and weight management are equally important.

If you lack sleep, you find it harder to exercise and easier to gain fat and if you gain weight, your testosterone production drops. If your weight is healthy you find it easier to exercise and get good sleep and if you lose weight, your testosterone levels can jump right back up to normal!

We hope this article helps you! For more information or guidance, check out LIVE sessions by our experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

October 20, 2020 By Meenakshi Sharma Leave a Comment

What Is Visceral Fat & Why It Is Dangerous

You might have heard of the term belly fat but you might not be aware of terms like subcutaneous and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is the kind you can grasp with your hand on any part of your body. It is situated under the skin. Belly fat or what experts call visceral fat is a particularly dangerous type of fat that forms inside the abdomen. It’s a type of fat that surrounds the internal organs, like the liver and intestines and is also known as ‘active fat’ as it influences how hormones function in the body.

You can have too much belly fat even with a normal BMI. So pay attention to your waist circumference rather than the number on the scale.

How To Measure It

Waist size: This is an easy way to get a rough estimate. Wrap a tape measure around your waist over your belly button (don’t suck in your stomach). In women, 35 inches or more is a sign of visceral fat. In men, it’s 40 inches.
BMI: Body mass index is a formula for how much you weigh relative to your height. A BMI of 30 or higher is overweight. That could be a sign of visceral fat. In Asia, a BMI of 23 or higher could be a concern.
Hip-to-waist ratio: You divide your waist size by your hip size. Some doctors think the number gives a good idea of your risk for visceral fat. But studies suggest it may be no better than a simple waist measurement.
Body shape: Look in the mirror. If you’re an apple – a big trunk and slimmer legs – it often means more visceral fat and is more common among men. Women are more likely to be pears with bigger hips and thighs. Research shows that upper body fat is more dangerous to your health, which might be one reason why women usually live longer than men.
Imaging tests: These scans are the only way to check the exact amount of visceral fat you have. If your doctor orders a CT scan or an MRI test to check for another medical condition, they can also get a detailed picture of your visceral fat.

Risks & Dangers Of Excess Visceral Fat

Increased Inflammation: If you have more fat stored than you need, especially around visceral organs like the liver, heart, kidneys, pancreas and intestines, your body becomes inflamed. This kind of fat stores inflammatory white blood cells and this is why inflammatory belly fat is linked with cognitive decline, arthritis, diabetes and so on.
Higher Risk of Diabetes: Visceral fat is thought to play a large role in insulin resistance, which means a heightened risk for developing diabetes. Abdominal fat is viewed as a bigger health risk than hip or thigh fat, not only for diabetes but for many other chronic diseases too. Some evidence suggests that pear-shaped women are better protected from metabolic diseases like diabetes compared to big-bellied people. While men are more likely to store noticeable levels of visceral fat, women are definitely at risk, too.
Makes It Harder to Lose Weight: One of the main reasons is that stored body fat affects hunger levels, especially visceral fat. Leptin hormone which is released by stored fat plays an important role in appetite control, metabolism and weight loss . Leptin is a satiety hormone and ghrelin is a hunger hormone are two of the most hormones to pay attention to in reference to losing weight naturally. Your “set point” is basically the weight that your body tries to maintain through control of the brain’s hormonal messengers. When you eat refined carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar, the fat-storing hormones are produced in excess, raising the set point and making it hard to follow a moderate-calorie, healthy diet.
Higher Risk for Heart Disease and Strokes: Fat-generated inflammatory cytokines are the main contributors to heart disease and other inflammatory disorders. When your body is inflamed, your liver becomes overwhelmed with cholesterol and toxins, which leads to plaque buildup in your arteries. Visceral fat is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease markers like high triglycerides, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
More Likely to Battle Dementia: Research shows that people with the biggest bellies have a higher risk of dementia than those with smaller bellies. The bigger the belly, the more negative impact felt on the brain’s memory . In fact, many experts now feel that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) levels rather than BMI should be considered as an important risk factor in the development of dementia.
Higher Likelihood to Have Depression and Mood Problems: Visceral fat is a unique pathogenic fat that consists of metabolically active adipose tissue that interferes with the hormones and healthy neurotransmitter function. Depression is especially associated with greater fat storage in women. In a study of middle-aged women over 50 years old, visceral fat, but not subcutaneous belly fat or waist circumference, was related to depressive symptoms.

How Can You Get Rid Of It?

Exercise: is an excellent way to reduce visceral fat. People should include both cardio vascular exercise, which raises a person’s heart rate and strength training, which improves muscle size, into their routines. Cardio exercise could include running, cycling, swimming, aerobics, circuit training. Strength training could include squats, weights, pushups.
Reduce Stress: When someone is stressed, their body releases a cortisol hormone, which increases how much visceral fat a person’s body stores. People with high visceral fat try to reduce their stress levels by relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, and other stress management tactics, can help a person lose visceral fat more efficiently.
Diet: A healthy diet should include fruit and vegetables, whole grains like quinoa, millets and oatmeal, and lean protein like skinless chicken, fish, eggs, beans, complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, beans. Studies suggest that more calcium and vitamin D in your body may be linked to less visceral fat. So load up on leafy greens like collards, spinach, tofu and sardines are also good picks, as are low-fat dairy foods like yogurt, cheese, and milk.

Boiling, steaming, baking, and grilling foods will help to make meals healthier and lower in fat. On the other hand, certain foods encourage belly fat like trans fats are found in meats and dairy as well as in deep-fried or processed foods. Also avoid sodas, candy, baked goods, and other foods sweetened with fructose. This is why it’s important to kick your sugar addiction and address weight gain and visceral fat formation early on, as opposed to letting the situation escalate. So, read labels and avoid ingredients like “partially hydrogenated oils” or “high-fructose corn syrup”.

We hope this article helps you! If you want to measure visceral fat, you can try out the GOQii Balance – a smart body composition monitor. For more on healthy and unhealthy fats, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

October 19, 2020 By Roopa Tandur Leave a Comment

Which Foods Are Good For Liver Repair?

Liver is the largest endocrine gland located in the right side of the upper abdomen. It has the most important function in the body that includes sorting out:

Which nutrient or medicine should be processed, like proteins into urea
Which nutrient should be converted for storage like vitamins and minerals, sugars into glycogen
Which nutrient should go to the blood and which ones need to be eliminated through stool.
Improving a person’s immunity

Though the liver can regenerate itself, there are many foods which one can consume to keep it healthy and safe. Any damage to the liver can cause metabolic disorder and death. So let’s look at some foods which can help you with liver repair!

Foods That Help Liver Repair

Coffee: Studies prove that coffee drinkers are at less risk of developing liver disease. Caffeine in coffee slows down scarring and helps fight liver cancer especially alcohol related cirrhosis. The acids in coffee can also help fight against the Hepatitis virus.
Green Tea: is high in antioxidants. Hence, it improves liver enzymes and prevents oxidative damage and fat deposition in the liver. Studies prove that green and black tea extracts reverse the negative effect of a high fat diet but the studies also involve large quantities (5-10 cups) of tea so being cautious and consulting a doctor or dietician before deciding on the number of cups per day is a good option.
Berries: Dark coloured berries like blueberries and cranberries contain anthocyanins which give them the dark, deep colour. They help in improving immunity and reduce formation of scar tissues and lesions in the liver. Consuming berries 3-4 times a week also inhibits the growth of cancer cells in the liver.
Grapefruit: contains antioxidants known as Naringenin and Naringin. Studies have shown that antioxidants Naringenin can reduce development of hepatic fibrosis which is build-up of excessive connective tissue leading to chronic inflammation. These antioxidants decrease the amount of fat build up in liver tissues and increase the amount of fat burning enzymes which prevent excess fat build up in the liver, thereby, reducing inflammation. Antioxidant Naringin improves the liver’s ability to metabolise alcohol and reduce negative effects of alcohol to some extent.
Beetroot: is an excellent food for liver health as it helps breakdown toxic waste which can be excreted but acts well when taken in juice form. It contains nitrates and antioxidants which reduce oxidative damage and inflammation by increasing detoxification enzymes and improving bile. Betaine and Pectin present in beetroot helps in removing toxins from the body and prevent their re-entry.
Cruciferous Vegetables: like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale have glutathione which triggers enzymes of the liver that help eliminate toxins from the body. They also help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as they help reduce fat in the organ and inflammation as well. These vegetables have high levels of indole which helps lower inflammation, which is generally present in obese people.
Nuts: are nutrient dense snacks which contain unsaturated fats, vitamin E and antioxidants and micronutrients (selenium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and many others) which help dilate blood vessels, reduce inflammation, oxidative stress and prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Eating a handful of nuts regularly helps keep your liver healthy!
Fatty Fish: like salmon, tuna, and sardine are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which help reduce inflammation and prevent build-up of excess fat and maintain enzyme levels in the liver. Try including fatty fish like salmon and herring 2-3 times a week in your diet.
Olive Oil: contains omega 6 fatty acid which helps reduce inflammation. Studies show that olive oil is a good source of triglycerides which are processed outside the liver and hence help reduce deposition of fat cells in the liver. Having 1-3 tsp of olive oil daily in the diet helps clean the liver and supports weight loss. Be sure to balance this oil with other healthy fats.
Garlic: contains selenium which helps detoxify the liver and activate enzymes that help the body remove toxins. Garlic contains Allicin, which gets activated when crushed. It is a powerful antioxidant, antibiotic and antifungal in nature. The antioxidant compounds in garlic act as a barrier between liver and toxins and keep toxic substances away.
Grapes: especially the red and purple ones contain resveratrol, an antioxidant which helps reduce inflammation and remove toxins, as they contain vitamin C. They also increase antioxidant levels in the body.

We hope this article helps you with your liver repair. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more information on this subject, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce