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Foods for healthy bones

Fruits-and-Vegetables

Bones are a crucial part of our body. They are responsible for many of our body’s crucial functions, including movement, organ protection, production of blood cells, storage of minerals, and support for the rest of our body. Strong bones are like the foundations and support walls of a building; if they are strong the building is strong and can weather all sorts of conditions for years to come. Healthy, strong bones enable us to lead long, healthy life.

A balanced diet rich in fresh, whole foods is the foundation for good bone health. For strong bones, the key nutrients we look for is Protein, calcium, vitamin D, Fruits and vegetable (antioxidants).

Protein

  • Protein helps to form collagen fibre which is the framework for bones. Adequate intake of protein is necessary for healthy bones. Low protein intake can create a risk of bone fracture

Calcium

  • Supports your bones and teeth structure, while Vitamin D improves calcium absorption and bone growth.

Fruits and vegetables:

  • Most of the fruits and green leafy vegetables are a good source of potassium which helps to promote the bone health
  • Fruits and vegetables are a good source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals …thus help to maintain muscles and support them

Good food for bones

Foods Nutrients
Dairy products: Milk, curd, buttermilk, Paneer, Chesse Calcium
Ragi, Til, Rajgeera, coconut Cereals
Lean Meat: fish, chicken and  egg whites, Sprouts and pulses Protein
Sunlight Vitamin D
Banana, sweet lime, orange, muskmelon Fruits  ( High in potassium )
All green leafy vegetables like methi, cabbage, cauliflower leaves, kale, collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, aluwadi (Colocasia/Taro) leaves Vegetables ( source of potassium )

Tips to increase bone health

  • After your 30’s keep a check for vitamin D and calcium levels in your body.
  • Have foods that are rich in calcium, proteins, vitamin and minerals
  • Quit Smoking as smoking increases bone loss. Limit your drinking. Decreased estrogen level in women thus leads to low absorption of calcium which leads to loss of bones and drinking hinders the calcium absorption.
  • Avoid table salt (avoid too much of sodium) in food as it leaches the calcium from the bones (Restrict processed food where salt is used as preventives), use tomatoes, tamarind pulp, lemon to restrict the salt intake.
  • Stay active. Walking is the best exercise or try weight-bearing exercise against gravity as it strengths the bone by stimulating bone cells which helps the bone to become denser and stronger.

Not looking after your bones can increase your risk of breaks and this can impact your health. A break can affect your quality of life and even cause severe pain or disability.

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11 Top Testosterone boosting foods for men

testostorone rich foods

Have you been working out hard in the gym with no results? Have you wondered what could be the reason? We are all aware that workout does a lot of good to our body. A regular workout does everything from increasing your odds of living longer to supporting your memory function and for men, a good workout can also boost your testosterone.

While testosterone is the primary sex hormone in men, it is also responsible for everything from muscle development to hair growth to mood regulation to sex drive. So yeah, it’s pretty important when it comes to your health and well-being.

But, at times despite the work out the testosterone levels could be low and hence the desired results from the workout is not visible. But, there is nothing to worry. One can increase their testosterone levels naturally by eating the right foods.

Here is a list of testosterone boosting foods

  1. Brazil Nuts: This tree nut is an excellent natural source of the mineral selenium and a great testosterone booster. The high selenium content is mainly responsible for Brazil nuts positive benefit on T levels. Brazil nuts also have a good ratio of fats. These nuts contain zinc, amino acid Arginine and fatty acids which are needed to make hormone testosterone. Arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide, important for vasodilatation and known to increasing testicular blood flow for better hormone production. Brazil nuts are packed with the most bio-active form of Arginine. Just have 3-6nuts per day and boost your T levels.
  2. Beans: Are rich source of fibre, protein and zinc. Beans pack a bigger shot of zinc than any other member of the veg family. Add it to a food that’s high in protein and fibre\ and low in fat, and you have a winning combo. You can opt for baked beans, lima beans, navy beans, and kidney beans –All are good choices.
  3. Eggs: Testosterone is synthesized from cholesterol, and as such, food containing cholesterol is a good source of building blocks for testosterone. Start your day with three or four eggs or egg whites cooked in olive oil coconut oil. You can also opt for boiled eggs too.
  4. Cruciferous Veggies: Elevated oestrogens levels lead to fat accumulation and can interfere with muscle growth. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage may help a man’s body excrete excess oestrogens and increase the amount of testosterone available to cells. Indole-3-carbinol, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables, may increase the excretion of estradiol (one oestrogen hormone) thus increasing the testosterone production. Since these veggies are rich in fibre..it also helps you to keep full and thus helps in fat loss too.

5 Garlic: Garlic is an active ingredient, allicin, enhances testosterone levels and inhibits cortisol, a hormone that competes with testosterone by limiting its actions and breaking down muscle tissue. Season some foods with garlic, but eating crushed garlic cloves provides the most direct benefit.

6 Oyster: Oyster is loaded with Protein, magnesium, lots of zinc. Along with increasing physical endurance, oysters pack more zinc than almost any other food source. Just six oysters give you almost seven times the recommended daily allowance of zinc, and zinc plays a key role in muscle growth and testosterone levels.
Eat a serving of oysters once a week — raw or cooked but not fried.

  1. Pumpkin seeds: They are good source of zinc -a mineral that plays a role in thousands of different enzymatic reactions in the body, including those involved in testosterone production. Sprinkle more testosterone-boosting pumpkin seeds into your diet by adding them to oatmeal, yogurt, and salads, and even add them into your protein shakes.
  2. Coconut: Coconut can not only help your diet taste like a tropical meal, it can also keep your T-score at healthy levels. That’s because the giant nut is a source of saturated fat, which plays a role in testosterone production. A healthy person can take up to 8-10 percent of their calories from saturated fat to help keep testosterone at its peak without any major concern over increasing your risk of heart issues.

9 Wheat Bran: Who would have thought that brown wheat bran could help peak up your T-levels? But the fibre-rich bran of the wheat kernel is an excellent source of the mineral magnesium.  One study found that magnesium was more effective at boosting testosterone if paired with high-intensity exercise. Add wheat bran to your flour or oatmeal, pancake batter, and protein shakes.

10 Pomegranate: This beautiful red fruit has been used medicinally for centuries. With high levels of antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E and iron, researchers have found one glass of pomegranate juice/one fruit a day can increase testosterone levels between 16 percent and 30 percent, can improve mood and increase libido too.

11. Whey protein- or ricotta cheese: This is high in protein and low in fat.-This not only fix your protein dose but also helps in increasing testosterone production restricting body’s production of cortisol hormone. So Have it as post workout meal or grab as mid snack.

So, stack these foods if you haven’t already and enhance your workout and overall physical health!

 

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8 healthy food pairings to boost your health

Milk-And-Yolk

This must have happened many times that some food products taste horrible when eaten alone and tastes too good when combined with some other food products?

That’s the way nature has designed it for us. Nature has pre-planned the best food combination for us, it just takes the right time to know it! Well, it’s not just about the taste but, it is also about the nutrients which you get out of those food combinations!

Have you heard of food synergy? Different components in a single food can work together to benefit our health, and so can components in different foods that are eaten together. David Jacobs, PhD, a researcher from the University of Minnesota, loosely defines food synergy as the idea that food influences our health in complex and highly interactive ways. Simply put, Food synergy is nothing but nutrients that work together better.

It reminds us of how a variety of foods in our diet will help us live a healthy life! At GOQii we are celebrating Food Synergy….Let me take you through some food synergies that you adopt in your daily life.

(1)   Rosemary and meat

Rosemary-STEAK

Not many people must have heard about rosemary but, it is a very useful herb which is an excellent antioxidant having a good amount of carnosol and carnosic content. This herb is native to Mediterranean. People who cook non-veg might have no idea about what happens to the meat when it is cooked at a very high temperature. Well, when meat gets exposed to high temperature, carcinogenic compounds such as heterocyclic amine is formed which is very dangerous. If meat is marinated with rosemary herb, these carcinogenic compounds will be neutralized because of its antioxidant properties.

A study by Dr. J. Scott Smith of Kansas State University in Manhattan further endorses the above statements. He studied Heterocyclic Amines (HCA’s), which are carcinogenic compounds that form when meat is cooked at high temperatures. He found that adding rosemary extract to ground meat reduced the amount of cancer-causing compounds created during grilling. He attributed this to the antioxidants found in the rosemary extract.

(2)  Green tea and lemon drop

green-tea-with-lemon

Green Tea is a great elixir and did you know that by adding lemon to your cup of Green Tea you can reap a lot of benefits. Various studies have also proved this to be right. Catechins, the main health compound in tea tied to reduced risk of cancer, heart attack, and other diseases, unfortunately, isn’t absorbed very well in the intestines. After digestion, less than 20 percent of catechins remain.

In two studies, by Purdue University, researchers found that adding lemon juice, other citrus juice, or vitamin C helped the body absorb as much as 13 times the healthy catechins than normal. The addition of lemon juice caused 80 percent of the catechins to remain. The studies tested the effects of absorption with both rats and a human digestive model.

Lemon is rich in vitamin c (water soluble vitamin) and green tea is rich in antioxidant compounds such as catechin. When both of these are combined, lemon will increase the absorption of antioxidants making this combination the most widely used combination among people!

 (3)  Virgin Olive oil and tomatoes

tomatoes-and-olive-oil

How many of you are aware of the benefits of mixing Olive oil and tomatoes? I have seen many people using this combination mostly as their salad option. Why and how is it healthy we shall find out?

The bioavailability of olive oil and tomatoes is very high. These two Super Foods protect, energize and satiate; together, they amplify each other’s already extraordinary benefits. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene which is a phytochemical/phytonutrient which will help in maintain heart health and can reduce the risk of having prostate cancer drastically. Tomatoes basically have carotenoids which are fat soluble and only with fat, these carotenoids would be available in the body. Virgin Olive oil is very rich in good fatty acids and there is nothing better than choosing olive oil as a support for better absorption of fat soluble vitamins.

Merritt Rosen who holds a Masters in Health and Consumer Psychology from New York University calls Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Tomatoes- the hottest power couple. According to her pairing virgin olive, oil and tomatoes are the best thing one can do. Not only does heart healthy EVOO protect cells against damage and inflammation and promote healthy skin from the inside out, it also helps ensure the absorption of these fat-soluble carotenoids.

 (4)   Milk and eggs

Milk-And-Yolk

Did you know that Marilyn Monroe’s daily diet consisted of two raw eggs whipped in warm milk for breakfast? Rebecca Harrington, in an article in ‘The Cut’ magazine, quoted an old interview of Marilyn Monroe in 1952 to the now defunct Pageant Magazine in which Monroe describing her daily diet said, “I doubt any doctor could recommend a more nourishing breakfast for a working girl in a hurry.”

Milk and eggs are so far the best examples of perfect food synergy! There is nothing like having a glass of milk and boiled egg for your breakfast. Egg yolk is very rich in vitamin D and milk is rich in calcium. Vitamin D helps in increasing the calcium absorption which will keep your bones healthy and thus it reduces the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in the body.

(5)  Garlic and Fish

garlic-fish

Facing cholesterol issues? You must give this food synergy a try. For all non-vegetarians, this food synergy is a boon. Here is why it is a boon?

Garlic is rich in sulphur compounds which help in fighting diseases and fights against the inflammation in the body. Fish is a very rich source of protein. If these 2 super foods are combined together, their power of fighting diseases drastically increases.

Adding garlic to fish will help in lowering bad cholesterol and also maintain your triglyceride levels!

 (6)  Curcuma longa (turmeric) and pepper

turmeric and pepper

There are many types of research and articles which are being published on benefits of turmeric. Although the therapeutic use of Curcuma was recorded as early as 1748, the first article referring to the use of curcumin in human disease was published in 1937 by Oppenheimer. In this study, the author examined the effects of “curcumin” or “curcunat” containing 0.1 g to 0.25 g sodium curcumin and 0.1 g calcium cholate in human biliary diseases.

Curcumin has various properties like lowering bad cholesterol, prevents cancer, boosting liver function and more. But, when it comes to its absorption, only curcumin might not benefit. Adding pepper to it will boost the absorption of curcumin ( the active ingredient in turmeric) and bring out major benefits to the body.

 (7)  Spinach and lemon drops

spinach & lemon drop

We might have heard about spinach being rich in iron and we should include it in our daily diet but we might not know that iron is spinach is not readily absorbed in the body. Absorption of iron is very poor but, if you add lemon drops to it, iron absorption will be increased. Vitamin c helps in increasing the absorption of iron in the food.

 (8)  Rice and vinegar

rice & vinegar

There are many myths about rice and one of them is that a diabetic should avoid taking rice. It is said that rice spikes up the sugar levels. Adding, vinegar to your rice will slow the blood sugar spike. So, diabetics can take rice to some extent and this is also good for people looking for weight loss and loves eating rice!

Conclusion:

It is always good to know about food combinations which will help in boosting your health! Vitamin D & calcium and Iron and vitamin C combination must be taken care off. There are food combinations which should be avoided which will be covered up in my next blog. Until then stay tuned!

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10 Foods that can fill you up

rainbow-smoothies

If you were to describe ‘The Perfect Food’, it would probably be: healthy, delicious, bigger than a morsel and filling enough to fight hunger for hours. “Foods that promote satiety”—a feeling of lasting fullness. In this blog, I have listed down some foods which are healthy and yet filling.

  1. Baked potato

The potato has been unfairly demonized—it’s actually a potent hunger tamer. Though potatoes are often shunned because they’re considered high in carbohydrates, they shouldn’t be. Whether baked or boiled, they’re loaded with vitamins, fibre and other nutrients. Baked potato get you steady energy and lasting fullness after noshing on them.

Feel even fuller: Eat baked and boiled tubers skin-on to get more fibre for just 160 calories a pop.

2.  Bean soup

Soups have high water content, which means they fill your stomach with very few calories. Broth-based bean soups, in particular, contain a hefty dose of fibre and resistant starch—a good carb that slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream—to make that full feeling really stick. “Once in the stomach, fibre and water activate stretch receptors that signal that you aren’t hungry anymore.

Feel even fuller: Resist the cracker pack on the side in favour of a bigger soup helping. Beans are starchy, satisfying and caloric enough on their own. To give variations to your soup, you can throw lentils, black-eyed peas or kidney or navy beans into a vinegar-based salad too.

3.     Eggs

Eggs are one of the few foods that are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that your body can’t make itself. Once digested, those amino acids trigger the release of hormones in your gut that suppress appetite.

Feel even fuller: Don’t discard the yolks—about half an egg’s protein lives in those yellow parts. Adding vegetables to a scramble boosts its volume and fibre content for few extra calories (an egg has 78Kcal, and a cup of spinach just 7Kcal).

4.     Yoghurt

Yoghurt is the single best food for shedding pounds: Over time, people who downed more of the protein-packed stuff lost pounds without trying. Yoghurt contains dairy proteins which increase satiety, reduces food intake and keeps blood sugar steady.
Feel even fuller: Top yoghurt with fibrous foods like raspberries (4 grams of fibre per half cup) or cucumber (9 grams per three-quarters of a cup).

5.     Apples

Apples are one of the few fruits that contain pectin, which naturally slows digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness. In fact, people who ate an apple as part of a meal felt more satiated and ate less than those who consumed a calorically equivalent amount of juice and applesauce. “Whole apples take a long time to eat for very few calories. Your body has more time to tell your brain that you’re no longer hungry. That means you can eat lots of this low-energy-density, high-satiety fruit and avoid feeling deprived while losing weight.

Feel even fuller: Add apple chunks to oatmeal or salad.

6.     Popcorn

This movie-night favourite is a low-energy-density food—for 90 calories, you could eat 3 cups of air-popped corn but whereas for the same number of calories you can just have a quarter cup of potato chips. This means, that a quarter cup of potato chips has 90 calories whereas 3 cups of plain air-popped popcorns have just 90 calories, so it is more filling. Popcorn takes up more room in your stomach, and seeing a big bowl of it in front of you tricks you into thinking that you’re eating more calories and that you’ll feel full when you’re finished.

Feel even fuller: Sprinkle some red pepper on popcorns or any meal. In a recent Purdue University study, people who added a half teaspoon of the spice to their meal felt less hungry.

7.     Figs

A great natural cure for a sweet tooth, fresh figs have a dense consistency and sweet flesh that’s high in fibre (each 37-calorie fig packs about a gram), which slows the release of sugar into the blood, preventing the erratic high caused by cookies or cake.

Feel even fuller: Split the fig in half and add protein such as a teaspoon of cheese or add walnuts.

8.     Oatmeal

Oatmeal’s filling force comes from its high fibre content and its uncanny ability to soak up liquid like a sponge. When cooked with water or skim milk, the oats thicken and take more time to pass through your digestive system, meaning you’ll go longer between hunger pangs.

Feel even fuller: Sprinkle almonds on top of your bowl. “The nuts pack protein and fibre and contain unsaturated fats that can help stabilize insulin levels,” regulating blood sugar.

9.     Smoothies

While most beverages don’t satisfy hunger very well, drinks blended full of air are an exception: They cause people to feel satiated and eat less at their next meal. Just be sure you’re not whipping your smoothie full of sugary, caloric ingredients like fruit juices or flavoured syrups, which will negate the health benefits.

Feel even fuller: Put ice and fat-free milk or yoghurt in a blender, add in fruit and give it a whirl. Try strawberries, which are extremely low in energy density—they’re 92 percent water!—and bananas, which are loaded with resistant starch.

        10.   Wheat berries

Wheat berries are whole-wheat kernels which contain one of the highest amounts of protein and fibre per serving of any grain (6 grams of protein and 6 grams of fibre).

Protein triggers the hormone ghrelin to tell our brain that we are satisfied and fibre activates appetite-suppressing gut hormones.

Feel even fuller: Toss wheat berries with apples, nuts and other diet-friendly foods to make a super tasty salad.

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