Search Results for: acidity

October 15, 2015 By Rimjhim Chaturvedi 1 Comment

How to fast right? This Festive season

Today marks the third day of Navratri and most men and women fast through these 9 days of the festival. But, does anyone know what it means to fast right? Yes! You read it right! Fasting right! One would question, what could possibly go wrong with not eating?? The answer – A lot! could go wrong.

Many people fast during the navratri for various reasons. Some for religious beliefs others to just weigh a little lighter or just give your system a break or detoxify! Whatever, be your reason for fasting, it is important to do it right !

When done properly fasting has its own benefits for the body. It helps in re-setting the electrolyte balance, detoxification and freedom from bloating and water retention.

Well, a healthy fast should not put your body through stress. It should help you achieve your goal or purpose of fasting and make you feel good emotionally and not leave you irritable or feeling drained or sick. It should give you a feeling of fulfilment and accomplishment and make you feel energetic the next day and reduce cravings.

Starting the fast –

Start your day with a glass of warm water.
Have tender coconut water as this will keep you hydrated and energized through the day.

Through the day –

Do not stay hungry for a long period of time as that would bring about a drop in the metabolic rate, lower blood glucose levels and blood pressure resulting in giddiness and headaches. Staying hungry for a long time sends out a famine signal to the body which then goes into a conservation mode. It conserves all the energy or calories from your next meal and stores it as fat for future use fearing it might have to go without food for a long time! Bang goes your efforts to loose weight and burn fat! Therefore, it is advisable to have plenty of fruits and cucumber through the day as it will keep you hydrated and provide essential micro nutrients to keep you going. It will also help the body balance it’s pH and stay alkaline. Make sure you include papaya as they are one of the best foods to cleanse the liver, purify blood, reduce inflammation and remove harmful toxins. Also, if you eat papaya through the day, it will help in digesting the meal that you eat later during the day. It will help prevent constipation that might occur after fasting.
Drink tender coconut water or buttermilk. These would provide you with all the essential electrolytes and energy and also help the body attain an alkaline pH.
Snack on unsalted nuts and dry fruits and makhana (foxnut) through the day. Makhanas (foxnut) are a rich source of fibre, calcium and potassium ad are an ideal low calorie snack. CAUTION – they are highly addictive too!
Avoid sugar through the day. Have natural sugar in the form of dates, raisins, figs, apricots and prunes. Use jaggery and honey to sweeten things.
Avoid dairy products like milk and yoghurt. Choose coconut milk or almond milk. A fast is beneficial when we maintain an alkaline pH and dairy or milk is highly acidic in nature. That is the reason why some people experience acidity, bloating and discomfort during or after a fast. So, have buttermilk, coconut water, nimbu pani with honey or coconut milk instead and reap the benefits of fasting.
Avoid tea and have herbal teas instead. You can even sip on warm water with lemon and honey through the day. Lemons are great sources of vitamin C, which helps make glutathione, a substance needed for detoxifying the liver. They also contain a phytochemical called limonene, which enhances phase two detoxification of the liver and get rid of chemicals inside of the body.

Ending / breaking / opening the fast –

Always break your fast by having a glass of water or coconut water as this would hydrate you and activate your digestive enzymes and intestines and prepare your body for the food you are going to eat.
Certain fasts require you to break or open the fast by eating certain foods. In that case, have a glass of water and after 5 minutes have a small quantity of the recommended food item and then have fruits. After that you can eat a proper meal.
Refrain from a fat laden meal at the end of the day and avoid puris, kachori and deep fried sago vadas as they are deep fried and loaded with fat and also a source of empty calories in large amounts which are nutrient deficient. Moreover, eating a fried dish after a day’s fast is difficult to digest and leads to acidity. Opt for healthier options like roasted or boiled sweet potato and Singhada or lotus seeds.

If you are required to eat kootu ka atta ( buckwheat flour) or singhade ka atta ( water chestnut flour) then opt for healthier options like cheelas * instead of deep fried puri, kachori or pakodi. Remember not to feast while you fast!

Besides having powerful antioxidant properties and being a rich source of beta carotene, vitamin C and potassium, sweet potatoes contain a strong chelating agent – compounds that can bind heavy metals like cadmium, copper, mercury, and lead to help detoxify the body.

Use Sendha namak (Rock salt) instead of regular iodized salt or table salt. Sendha namak is low in sodium ad rich in potassium and helps in re-setting the electrolyte balance.
If you are fasting for entire 9 days, one will have to get back to normal diet very gradually. Start by having coconut water. Move over to a non citrus fruit like apple or banana. Then have semi solid foods and finally progress to a proper whole meal !

Please do not fast if you have a medical condition or are unwell and / or are on medication.

So, this navratri wish you happy FASTING! Try fasting the above mentioned way and transform your body. Feel the changes at many levels and do share with me.

Feel free to write in and ask for recipes * cheela recipe, reasoning behind the tips or if you have any queries.

May 25, 2015 By Anushree Ashtekar Leave a Comment

Red Signal to Excess-Part 2 – Moderation is key to Good health

In Part 1, we saw how good things in excess can adversely affect our health. In this follow up blog, I talk of bad things in excess, which is also not right.

Let’s take a look at some of these bad things in excess and how it could be detrimental to our health.

1) Excessive consumption of junk/processed foods: Fast food means food that can be made and served quickly. These junk foods are mostly processed, containing large amounts of refined carbohydrates, added refined sugars, added salt (sodium) and bad quality fats. They are high on calories but, minimal on nutritional value. Eating junk/processed foods instead of fresh, whole, nutritious food has many adverse effects on the body. Junk foods and drinks are packed with refined sugars which cause insulin spike gradually leading to insulin resistance and Type- 2 diabetes.

The empty calories just go easily go into the body fat store leading to obesity which can further give rise to severe health issues like heart problems, respiratory problems, etc. The trans fats in the junk foods, increase the LDL cholesterol levels and subsequently decrease the HDL cholesterol levels. Lot of salt (sodium) causes water retention, high blood pressure and enlarged heart muscle. Too much sugars cause acidity which destroy the tooth enamel causing dental cavities. MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) found in processed foods create stomach distress. Some of the artificial colors and preservatives used in processed foods are found to be carcinogenic (cancer causing). Drinking too much of soda can leach calcium out of the bones making them soft and brittle. Also, the aluminium soda cans are inwardly lined with an epoxy resin called bisphenol A (BPA) which protects the metal can from the reaction of acids in the sodas. This BPA is found to be disrupting normal hormone functioning that can lead to obesity, diabetes and reproductive cancers.

2) Excessive alcohol consumption: It is no big secret that alcohol consumption has no good effects but, chronic heavy drinking has many bad effects. Researchers have found alcohol to be linked to more than 60 diseases. Alcohol can cause liver cirrhosis. Alcohol is empty calories so, can cause unwanted fat storage in the body. Alcohol disturbs the working of the sympathetic nervous system leading to high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke and kidney disease. Heavy drinking can cause gastritis (stomach irritation), inflammation of pancreas, decrease in immunity, nerve damage (alcoholic neuropathy). As people age, their brains shrink but, heavy drinking can cause faster brain shrinking leading to memory loss and other symptoms of dementia. Depressed people drink to ‘feel good’ but, in fact, drinking leads to further depression. Alcohol can aggravate the condition of gout. It can worsen the condition of an epileptic and cause seizures even in non-epileptic individuals. Chronic heavy drinking can lead to cancer of the mouth, esophagus, liver, breast, and colorectal region.

3) Excessive cigarette smoking/tobacco chewing: Nicotine is a highly addictive drug that alters the brain chemistry making it both, physically and psychologically addictive. According to AHA (American Heart Association), nicotine causes short-term rise in heart-rate, blood flow and blood pressure which, in a long term, can cause cardiovascular complications. Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke causes fat buildup in arteries leading to hardening of the arterial walls (atherosclerosis). Tobacco smoking and chewing, both, can lead to oral and lung cancers. Smoking/chewing tobacco can also cause tissue damage in various organs of the body and dental diseases.

4) Excessive Tea/Coffee drinking: We all wish to have a cup of tea/coffee to kick-start our day. It’s not too bad to drink tea and coffee. It is the too much drinking that is the concern.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, yerba mate and certain herbal teas. Caffeine is generally a very safe stimulant. It improves alertness and is a mood enhancer. Usually, it is 200-300 mg of coffee that can be safely consumed per day (roughly 3 cups) but, this differs from person to person, depending on their own ‘caffeine sensitivity’. Too much coffee consumption can lead to symptoms like irritability, nervousness, headache, dizziness, insomnia, fever, increased heart-rate, increased thirst, stomach upset and muscle tremors. Same is the case with teas. A cup of hot tea in the morning will boost your energy for the day where as a cup of herbal tea at night will help you relax. Tea contains lesser amount of caffeine than coffee but, there are side effects of having too much of it.

Drinking too many cups of tea in a day can lead to symptoms like restlessness, anxiety, disturbed sleep, skeletal fluorosis (a painful bone condition), yellow pigmentation of the teeth. Green tea is no less. Though healthy, if had too much, it can worsen the condition in people suffering from high blood pressure, anxiety and stomach ulcers.

5) Excessive stress: In this fast paced world, stress is become an inevitable part of our lifestyle. Our body reacts/adjusts to outward changes with physical, mental and emotional responses. This response amounts to stress. Stress is a part of our daily, normal lives. Our body is designed to feel and react to 2 kinds of stress; positive and negative stress. Positive stress is the one where the body prepares itself for a ‘fight or flight’ mode. Negative stress is the one in which the body is continuously facing challenges, without time for rest and recovery. As a result, stress related tensions build up. A person going through stress for a very long time without relief, can enter a stage called as ‘distress’. This distress is indicated by many physical symptoms like fatigue, headache, dizziness, disturbed sleep patterns, high blood pressure, stomach upsets. Stress plays a role in aggravating medical conditions like diabetes, blood pressure, heart problems, depression, asthma, anxiety, skin problems, gastrointestinal disorders, Obesity, Alzheimer’s disease. In many cases, chronic, untreated stress can also lead to accelerated ageing and premature death.

Lastly, I would like to end by saying, “too much of anything, is good for nothing”.

May 19, 2015 By Anushree Ashtekar 1 Comment

Red Signal To Excess Good things we overdo -part 1

Plato rightly said, “Excess generally causes reaction and produces a change in the opposite direction, whether it be in seasons, or in individuals, or in governments”.

We all crave for healthy and fulfilling lives. In order to achieve this, we try to do our best in matters of food, clothing, shelter; in short, have a good standard of living. But, what about when we go overboard while taking care of ourselves? Overdoing something which is usually good for our health also, has it’s own ill-effects. Let’s take a look at some of the ‘healthy’ things that many of us tend to go high on:-

Excessive drinking of water: Almost all of our major body systems depend on water to function properly. Optimum hydration helps in flushing toxins out of the body, preventing digestive ailments like acidity and constipation, regulating body temperature and many other functions. Many a times, people are low on water intake and are dehydrated. But, there are also instances where people tend to go too much on water intake causing a condition known as over hydration. Over hydration is a potentially deadly condition that causes severe imbalance between water and sodium in the body. People, consciously or unconsciously, can go high on water. Especially, when they sweat a lot, increased thirst due to uncontrolled diabetes, some psychiatric conditions like Schizophrenia can cause compulsive drinking of water, certain medications can cause dry mouth and make the person feel thirsty. Also, over hydration due to water retention (inability of the body to get rid of excessive water) can result due to underlying medical conditions such as kidney problems, liver cirrhosis, congestive heart failure and SIADH (Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone). Symptoms of over hydration may include headache, nausea and vomiting, confused or disoriented state of mind, loss of sleep as people frequently get up in the night to go to the loo. If not treated early, over hydration may lead to a hyponatremia (dangerously low levels of sodium in blood) leading to much severe conditions like seizures, muscle cramps or spasms, unconsciousness and coma. The best way to ensure optimum hydration is to drink a glass of water at regular intervals in a day. 8-10 glasses of water per day is usually needed for good hydration but, mostly it differs from person to person. Over hydration can be dealt with by treating the underlying medical conditions and consulting a nutritionist about your hydration status.
Excessive exercise: A routine of regular exercising gives us health benefits like improved cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, musculoskeletal strength and ideal body composition. But, exercising too much can prove detrimental to health. ‘Overtraining Syndrome’ is common among fitness enthusiasts and athletes. It may manifest itself through various physical and psychological symptoms. The physical symptoms of overtraining syndrome are unexplained weight loss, decreased appetite, excessive thirst indicating dehydration, cardiovascular complications(increased Resting Heart Rate), decreased immunity, muscle soreness, increased occurrence of injuries, decreased performance in sports and day to day activities.

Psychological symptoms include fatigue, irritability, disturbed sleep patterns, apathy and hostility. Levels of stress hormones (cortisol) increase and testosterone levels decrease. The adverse effects are seen in both, men and women. Overtraining syndrome can be avoided by following a proper training program with compulsory resting days. Medical treatment for the physical and psychological symptoms.

Excessive calorie control in meals: Calorie counting is termed as an eating disorder. It’s not about how many calories we consume but, what quality of calories we are consuming. For eg; we think that low-fat yogurt is healthier than full-fat yogurt as it has less calories. Whereas, the truth is quite opposite. Low-fat yogurt is less in fat but, high on sugars. Fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are lost when you remove the fat. Similar case with skim milk and regular milk. Skim milk is low-fat but, also completely rid of Vitamins A and D which the normal milk is rich in. They may contain added Vitamins but, they are synthetic and harmful. Egg yolk is discarded due to high fat and cholesterol content but, the yolk is almost twice as rich in all the nutrients as the egg white; the egg yolk can resolve most of the common nutrient deficiencies. Also, these so-called ‘low-fat’, ‘low-sugar’ foods cost more than their regular counterparts. Calorie is not what builds up the fat in your body; it is simply the unit of energy that our body uses for it’s functions. Think about building muscle because, more muscle will raise the body BMR and burn calories for energy throughout the day. Moreover, calorie counting leads to mental stress and does not let you enjoy your meals. The solution to this is quality check of foods, mindful eating and portion control.
Excessive consumption of fruits, fruit juices and dried fruits: Fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, water, antioxidants and fiber. Daily consumption of fruits gives us many health benefits. But, over-consumption has it’s own ill effects. Fruits are nutritious but, also high on sugars. Fruit juices and dried fruits contain denser amount of sugars than the fresh, whole fruits. Overeating may lead to high blood glucose levels and eventually the unused calories go into fat store. Too much sugars can also increase acidity. Fruit contains fiber which if consumed too much, can cause gastrointestinal discomfort like cramping, gas, bloating and loose motions. Fruits are simple carbohydrates lacking amino acids and essential fatty acids so, cannot be considered as complete food. 1 or 2 servings of fruits per day can be recommended. Include a variety of fruits in the diet.
Excessive fiber intake: Fiber is found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. It is needed for healthy digestion process. Fiber gives satiety for longer time and prevents constipation. But, too much of it can cause several health problems. Fiber cannot be easily digested so, too much of it can cause cramping. Fiber speeds up the passage of the food in the gut and too much of it can speed up the passage too fast leading to diarrhea. Too much of fiber with less water intake can make you constipated. There can also be , gas, bloating and flatulence. Excessive fiber can lead to malabsorption of certain nutrients like calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium. The worst effect of consuming too much of fiber can be intestinal blockage and may also require surgery. Have both, soluble and insoluble fiber, equally, and adequate amount of water.
Excessive sleeping/resting: Many of us think about compensating for the weeks’ lost hours of sleep by oversleeping at the weekends. A good night’s sleep is very much essential for good health but, oversleeping comes with it’s own share of adverse effects. Along with the quantity of the sleep, the quality of the sleep also matters. If you try to compensate low quality of sleep with high quantity of sleep, you will end up feeling more tired. Sleeping too much can lead to many health problems like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and depression. It can slow down the brain functioning. According to WebMD research it has been found that sleeping for more than 8 hours can shorten the span of life.

These are some of the healthy things that we over do. In my next blog part 2 we will see how we overdo ‘unhealthy’ things.

To be continued…….

March 24, 2015 By CHARMI GOGRI 8 Comments

Know the science behind acidic and alkaline foods

pH balance in the body is extremely important in fact it is a matter of life and death if its imbalanced. The only people who don’t consider this alkaline/acidity balance as vital for better health are ignorant and pop in a pharmaceutical pill for every illness and bug in the body.

pH stands for power of hydrogen, which is a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in the body. The total pH scale ranges from 1 to 14, with 7 considered to be neutral. A pH less than 7 is said to be acidic and a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline ( 7.35 – 7.45 ).

An acidic pH in the body can occur from, an acid forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a buildup of acids in the cells will occur. This when combined with an arena of other challenging environmental factors (such as lack of rest, psychological stress, and pharmaceutical drugs) will lead to chronic, degenerative illnesses or otherwise deadly conditions sooner or later for which modern medicine can’t claim 100% cure.

Acidic environment will decrease body’s ability to repair damaged cells, decrease its ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness. The reason acidosis is more common in today’s society is due to the drastic changes in the eating patterns as compared to our ancestors. Our food today is far too high in acid producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks.

We use too many drugs (for quick fixes), which are acid forming too. Chemical or artificial sweetners are extremely acid forming. On the other hand eating too many alkalizing foods can lead to its own fair share of complications over time, but the risk of this is seemingly less likely considering the current sorry state of today’s highly addictive people’s faulty diet as well as lifestyle.

One of the best things we can do to correct an acidic body is to clean up the diet and lifestyle. In order to maintain optimal health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods. To restore health and reverse the damage caused by acidic body, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.

A small explanation to make you understand things better, when a person ingests food to fuel the body, the digestive and metabolic process of the body breaks food into a kind of ash which is either acidic or alkaline. The laws of modern biochemistry further explains that it is not the organic matter (such as Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fat) of foods (whether the food itself is acidic or alkaline), but their inorganic matter (such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorous; that is, how they break down in our bodies), that determines either the acidity or alkalinity of this ashy residue.

All foods in nature contain both acid and alkaline-forming elements, pH balance is either achieved or thwarted as a direct result of the foods we choose to eat. Broadly speaking alkaline foods includes most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings as well as seeds and nuts. And, acid forming foods includes meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, and legumes along with all the processed commercial refined foods off course!

Here is the quick list of foods based on their alkalinity and acidity, Have a look at them and follow the tips attached beneath that to make your diets more alkaline.

Source: energiserforlife.com

Tips :

Cut out sugar completely. Avoid processed sugars as well – no corn syrup, no agave, no maltose, no aspartame (Check Food labels carefully)

Having fresh vegetable juices in the morning will oxidise the nutrients present in the veggies.

The regular practice of Yoga cleanses the acids from the joints and organs

Avoid toxic fats like trans fats. Less known fact about coconut oil is it’s not acidic like all other oils when used for frying. Using coconut oil for cooking is the best recommendation.

Stop using deodorants and creams. They have massive chemical load that makes body acidic, also they often suppress the body’s natural functions like sweating, which actually helps to eliminate acid, and pushes the acid back into the lymph nodes.

Stop drinking fluoridated tap water. Tap water is bad, don’t even use it for cooking. Use water from water filter for drinking and cooking purpose.

Highly alkalising foods- you can complement your meals with Wheat Grass, Lemon Grass, Apple cider Vinegar, Alfalfa Grass, Kamut Grass, Oat Grass, Broccoli, Kelp, Cayenne, Cucumber (best taken in the morning or lunch, not at night)