Search Results for: supplements

July 13, 2015 By Neha Morche 1 Comment

What are Prebiotic and Probiotic bacteria?… And their effect on human well being

Bacteria that most of us are aware of are supposedly ‘BAD’ and have ill effect on our health. But, what if I tell you there are ‘Good Bacteria’ as well. Surprised! Then don’t be. There are indeed bacteria which are actually good for us especially for our digestive system.

Most of us are aware of Preboiotics and Probiotics but, are you aware of their function? They largely help in absorption and digestion in other words it means it improves gut system.

Prebiotics :

Prebiotics are natural, non-digestible food ingredients that helps in promoting good bacteria in your gut. These are found in bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, soybeans and whole-wheat foods. Prebiotics are also known as friendly bacteria as it can reduce asthma and eczema in children

Probiotics

Probiotics are naturally found in your gut. They are actually live micro organisms that balances gut flora and increases immunity. Probiotics is also used for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, for specific allergy symptoms, reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance. Probiotics are found in dairy foods including yogurt, cheeses, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh and soy beverages.

Probiotics helps to protect the body from infection. It helps with better digestion and nutrient absorption apart from helping in detoxification and cleansing our body. Probiotics have been shown to support liver function.

Unfortunately, there are numerous factors which creates imbalance between “good” and “bad” bacteria, and thus interfere with our body’s natural ability to heal and detoxify itself. It is done by chlorinated water, stress, oral contraceptives, refined foods and poor digestion, antibiotics also affect the gut flora.

Probiotics can be consumed in supplement form but, while buying them it’s bioavailability is equally important as not all Probiotics gets absorbed. There are also supplements available in the market in form of capsule (for adults), powder (for children) and liquid too. However, it is always better to opt for natural sources over supplement as sugar present in it makes our system environment acidic. This acidic medium kills the ‘good’ bacteria and aids to grow ‘bad’ bacteria. Thus, probiotics are unable to work efficiently.

Be sure to include food sources of prebiotics and probiotics on your grocery shopping list because they aids creating a healthier you.

May 6, 2015 By Ami Shah 7 Comments

5 ways to boost your hemoglobin

One day, my client came to me for the regular follow up. She looked pale to me which ideally was never the case. I tried to find from her why was she looking pale. I probed her to find out if she felt tired after doing any work. And, she said she feels lethargic throughout the day and can’t walk for more than 10 minutes. She felt breathless. I immediately asked her to get her Haemoglobin checked and when she got me the reports. I was surprised to see that her hemoglobin was just at 9. She was definitely anaemic.

The ideal range for women as you all would be aware should be above 12-16mg/dl for children 11-13mg/dl and for males 14-18mg/dl. I believe in “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Nourish your body with a good dose of iron through nutrition rather than popping in supplements. I told her about hemoglobin boosting foods which I would like to share with you all.

Garden cress seeds: Few years back, this seeds were not commonly known. As, the awareness on health is spreading, this seeds have created its own space in the fitness industry. It is known as Halim (Hindi) or Aliv (Marathi). It is one of the richest vegetarian sources of iron with good bioavailability. 100gms of garden cress seeds provides 1.5mg of iron. It is often given during pregnancy and also it acts as Galactagogue which stimulates milk production in lactating mothers. Daily recommendation is 2 tsp. You need to soak the seeds for a while so that it emanates less heat. If you are trying for the first time, start with ½ tsp to see if your boy easily accepts it because of its heat. You can have garden cress in different forms such as it can be added in kheer, ladoos and be sprinkled on salads.

Haeme Iron– It includes liver/oysters/red meat. Liver (pork/beef/chicken/turkey) gives roughly around 23mg of iron in 100 gms. Oysters/mollusks give around 28mg of iron in 100 gms. However, as we know these foods are very high on cholesterol and saturated fats. The frequency of these meats should be minimal. Once in a week 2 medium pieces can be consumed. Also, try to go for either grilled/baked/steamed to make it healthier.

Pumpkin seeds- Like, garden cress seeds these seed are gaining popularity these days. 100 gms of pumpkin seeds serves around 8 mg of iron. Pumpkin seeds are not only rich in iron but also in calcium, magnesium, and manganese and iron. Include at least 2-3 tsps in your daily routine. You can have it as a mouth freshener or else sprinkle it over salads.
Spinach– 100 gms of cooked spinach gives around 3.75mg of iron. It is packed with calcium and fiber too. So, next time don’t forget to add this lovely looking greens in your salads/soups and veggies.

Dark chocolate– To your surprise, dark chocolate with 75-80% cocoa contains around 17mg of iron. It is also packed with antioxidant. Next time, you can enjoy dark chocolate without any guilt. While savouring, portion needs to be monitored. You can have 2-3 pieces of the chocolate.

The daily recommendation allowance (RDA) for iron:

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
Birth to 6 months	0.27 mg*	0.27 mg*
7–12 months	11 mg	11 mg
1–3 years	7 mg	7 mg
4–8 years	10 mg	10 mg
9–13 years	8 mg	8 mg
14–18 years	11 mg	15 mg	27 mg	10 mg
19–50 years	8 mg	18 mg	27 mg	9 mg
51+ years	8 mg	8 mg

* Adequate Intake (AI)

In animal foods, iron is often attached to proteins called heme proteins, and referred to as heme iron. In plant foods, iron is not attached to heme proteins and is classified as non-heme iron. Heme iron is typically absorbed at a rate of 7-35%. Non-heme iron is typically absorbed at a rate of 2-20%.

Also, Vitamin C rich foods like kiwi/amala/lemon/guava/strawberries/sweet lime/oranges enhances the absorption of iron. Henceforth, whenever you consume any iron rich food, don’t forget to have a glass of lemon water along with it which would double up the absorption of the iron.

February 12, 2015 By Neha Morche 1 Comment

Aloe Vera- Wonders of the spiky green plant

Cleopatra is known for her beauty and one of the reasons for her immaculate beauty can be credited to the spiky green plant Aloe Vera which she is understood to have used daily in the gel form and was part of her beauty regime. Today, this very fruit plant is used in several personal care products and medicines. Dubbed affectionately as the ‘Plant of immortality’ by the Egyptians 6000 years ago, Aloe Vera has rejuvenating and healing properties. The ancient Greeks used it to cure everything from baldness to insomnia.

Aloe Vera, also known as a Wonder plant has tremendous benefits. No wonder that it is wildly used in cosmetics, herbal remedies and food supplements.

If you have observed the leaf of Aloe Vera closely there are yellow (latex) found just under the skin and white color gel found inside the leaf. Both of these have medicinal properties. It is rich in calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, zinc, manganese, folic acid, amino acid and Vitamin A,C,E,B1,B2,B6.

Benefits :

Aloe Vera’s white gel has enzymes, fiber, amino acids which helps in digestion and digestive disorders like colitis and irritable bowel syndrome.
It has anti-bacterial, anti-viral properties to help boost the immunity of the system, helps maintain oral hygiene.
It has laxative properties to relieve constipation.
It is anti-inflammatory and helps to reduce the inflammation of Rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an auto-immune disease which affects the entire body. The immune system attacks the body tissues, especially, the membranes lining the joint.
Aloe Vera juice is used for lowering sugar levels. But, Consult your doctor before consuming Aloe Vera juice
It has anti-carcinogenic properties to fight against the cancer.
It is rich in magnesium lactate which works very well for chest congestion.
Vitamin C present in it is the best natural source to fight against the cold ad cough.

Aloe Vera for the Skin :

It is suitable for all skin types.
Aloe Vera in the gel form has great soothing effect and therefore when applied on the irritable area of the skin, it reduces skin irritation.
Its anti-microbial property helps in curing acne, pimples and lightening of the skin.

Aloe Vera for the Hair:

It has Proteolitic enzymes which helps in removing dead skin from the scalp and removes the excess sebum to promote hair growth.
Because of its alkaline properties it maintains the pH of the scalp to keep hair moisturized.
Its anti -fungal property helps in reducing the dandruff.
To keep our hair more soft and smooth we can add Aloe Vera gel to our regular conditioner and use it daily.

But, here is a word of Caution:

Aloe Vera is power packed with loads of nutrients to treat our body in the most natural way, however, in certain treatments it may cause adverse effects if not taken under supervision like excess amount may cause diarrhea and may lower blood sugar which leads to loss of potassium from the body. It may inhibit some drug reaction internally and may cause allergic reaction on the skin.

February 9, 2015 By Amrozia Sayyed 4 Comments

Preparing the body for pregnancy

Every couple desires to have a baby someday and all of them wish that from pregnancy to child-birth all goes well. Planning well is the key. Like as the saying goes-“The most important step of all is the first step” And therefore why not start the very first that is conception be on a healthy note!

Why do we only focus on women when she is pregnant why not when she is preparing to get pregnant. So that her pregnancy is smooth.

Here are the five importants things that should be looked upon to start with a healthy pregnancy and getting ready for a beautiful change in your life….

1 2 3…I wanna be fat free:

Before pregnancy, it is important to have a body weight close to your ideal body weight. During pregnancy on an average women gain 10-12 kg of weight which is required. While you are pregnant no doctor or health care professional will ask you to diet or follow a fat loss programme or low carb diet, etc. So better to start the best moments of your life with the best body.

Low body weight of women at reproductive age is mainly because of under supply of nutrients such as Vitamin A, E, C, Zinc seleniun, iron and folic acid, essential fatty acid etc which play an important role in fertility.

In overweight and obese women there is high fat storage which leads to hormonal imbalance one of the common reasons for infertility. Fat cell release estrogen (hormone) which delays ovulation and disturbs menstrual cycle and act as a natural birth control. Other condition associated with obese women and pregnancy is gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.

But, ladies all these can be managed with simplest remedy that is exercise and eating right…

So wanna be mummy get into those sports gear and start with your exercise…Your baby would love to see a healthy mom at his/her first glance.

Tip: Better to start with pregnancy with a healthy weight to give birth to a healthy baby and minimize the health risk too. Try to exercise at-least 3 days in a week.

Most wanted- Folic acid and iron:

Folic acid supplements before pregnancy is must. The neural tube formation that is crucial for brain development happens in the first four weeks of pregnancy. This is the stage where in most mothers are unaware that they are pregnant especially when it is an unplanned pregnancy. Hence, it is very much important for all women of reproductive age to replinish their folic acid daily.

To lower down the risk of neural tube defects one must take folic acid for at least three months before pregnancy and continue during pregnancy. Also along with supplements include food that are high in folate every day such as dark green leafy vegetable, beans, lentils, oranges etc.

Likewise iron is very much important to support the healthy development of the foetus. Due to increase blood volume during pregnancy it also increases the demand for iron in our body due to growing foetus. The better iron stores before pregnancy the better absorption of iron during pregnancy. Iron rich food includes whole grains, beans, red meat (but has saturated fats too), eggs and poultry etc.

Small tip: Better to have iron rich food with a Vitamin C source such as lemon water or amla which will aid in iron absorption. Also avoid caffeinated beverages.

Healthy omegas:

We live in a world where we are constantly surrounded by options in food which are fat rich junk and sugar filled caloric meals. Both ultimately contributes to fat storage in our body. Food such as meat, dairy products and many other processed food available in the market are high in saturated fat. It’s our choice or selection to get the good fat in our diet. Fatty acids rich in oily fish, nuts and oilseed are rich in essential fat that is omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These essential fats are required for proper functioning of hormones in the body. And a slight disturbance in hormones has a great impact which in turn will affect the menstrual cycle causing infertility. It is always good to opt for lean fat which is present in white meat rather than red meat which is again high in saturated fat. The processed meat is even worse because it comes with combination of high sodium contents along with preservative.

Tip: Make a mixture of sunflower seeds, flax seeds, almonds, pumpkin seed and sesame seeds and use it a our garnish for sprinkling over the salads. It has good amount of essential fat.

Get that dose of Antioxidants daily:

Antioxidant act like a defense system in our body to de-activate the free radical species and hence preventbody from damaging. These antioxidant protects the reproductive organs (ovum, eggs, etc) of a woman from damage by these radicals and ensure their normal functioning. The DNA is also protected from antioxidant which forms as a base to the child’s development.

Make sure the mother preparing for pregnancy makes a special note to count antioxidant rich food in their diet such as fresh colourful fruits and vegetables, nuts, etc

Keep away from stress :

It is the most important aspect which is mostly overlooked . High stress level can affect fertility too. Women who have delayed ovulation have high cortisol level which is a reason for infertility. Brain sends signals via hypothalamus to release hormones which will trigger ovulation. In women with high stress levels these signals are altered and thereby disturbed menstrual cycle and fertility.

Tip: At-least devote 5 min of your day to meditation, indulge in your hobbies, best to de-stress. Also first thing in the morning is to thinks how will you tackle your day, get a plan and then get in to action.