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March 7, 2024 By Dr. Viral Thakkar 10 Comments

Vitamin B12: The Energy Nutrient many of you should be thinking about!

As a medical practitioner, I am appalled by the number of patients suffering from B₁₂ deficiency. Patients complain about fatigue, vague pains, tingling, numbness, loss of concentration. Many tests are conducted with no results and the one missed is the test for vitamin B_12.Vitamin B₁₂ is the only vitamin that contains a trace element – cobalt – which gives this vitamin its chemical name – cobalamin – which is at the centre of its molecular structure.

B₁₂ is required

For the manufacture of red blood cells; deficiency leads to a characteristic kind of anemia
To support the normal function of nerve cells, and to manufacture myelin, the insulating material that surrounds some of our nerve cells and speeds neural transmission. B₁₂ deficiency impairs brain function. Advanced B₁₂ deficiency causes dementia resembling Alzheimer’s.
The deficiency leads to difficulty in regeneration of new healthy cells- mimics all of the effects of aging.
B₁₂ is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body, especially affecting DNA synthesis, fatty acid and amino acid metabolism.

Vitamin B₁₂ is produced by some species of bacteria in colon. The colon is followed by the small intestine & is a part of large intestine and hence the B₁₂ produced there is not absorbed which results in the need of supplementation.

Who should be concerned about B₁₂deficiency?

If you are or were a vegetarians / a vegan – get yourself tested
Babies born to mothers who are vegetarians
Risk of B₁₂ deficiency increases with age. So test yourself and fortify your meals
Pernicious anaemia – is an autoimmune condition that affects your stomach. In your stomach, Vitamin B₁₂is combined with a protein called intrinsic factor. This mix of Vitamin B₁₂ and intrinsic factor is then absorbed into the body in part of the gut called the distal ileum. Pernicious anaemia causes your immune system to attack the cells in your stomach that produce the intrinsic factor, which means your body is unable to absorb Vitamin B₁₂.
Conditions affecting your intestines – E.g. Crohn’s disease (a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system)
Some types of medicine – E.g. proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) –a medication sometimes used to treat indigestion – can make a Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency worse.
People suffering from Atrophic Gastritis (the stomach line becomes thin)
Surgery where a part of the stomach is removed, including weight loss surgery like bariatric surgery.
Smoking, drinking & stress increases the requirement of B₁₂
Few autoimmune disorders
Chronic illnesses leads to a deficiency of this diseases

Move towards a B₁₂ rich diet if you have the following symptoms

Weakness, tiredness, dizziness or lightheadedness
Smooth tongue
Palpitations and dyspnea
Pale skin
Constipation, diarrhea, a loss of appetite, or dyspepsia
Nerve problems – numbness or tingling, muscle weakness,
Loss of weight
Mental problems – memory loss, or behavioral changes, confusions
Glove & stocking neuropathy (tingling of palms & forearms, feet till knees) – in this scenario B₁₂ deficiency is the majorly deficient apart from other nutrients

Sources of B12

Sources of B₁₂are animal products (meat, fish, and dairy products), fortified foods. Ensure sufficient quantities of these foods to maintain your B₁₂ levels. If your count is low, consider oral or injectable forms of the vitamin. But why reach that stage?

Have the above mentioned foods in your routine. The best part of this Energy Nutrient is that the excess is excreted by the body or stored in the liver for use when supplies are scarce. Stores of B₁₂ can last for up to a year. Unfortunately sometimes catching the B₁₂deficiency late can result in permanent damage. Any neurological damage due to B₁₂ deficiency cannot be reversed. Ensure that your B₁₂ levels are maintained at levels 200 to 900 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL).

#BeTheForce

March 6, 2024 By Hardika Vira 5 Comments

10 tips to retain nutrients while cooking

We try different methods of cooking- boiling, sauteing, frying, grilling etc. Everyone has their own unique way of preparing a particular dish. Isn’t it? We never realize why one is following particular steps for cooking as compared to the other. Ever thought about nutrient losses that might be occurring while cooking?

I thought of writing this blog as I have seen my “cook” cooking in some different ways wherein you will end up losing all nutrients. I am sure many of us might be doing the same unknowingly.

Here are 10 simple tips which will help you retain nutrients while cooking. So that you can ensure highly nutritious food being served to your loved ones.

When peeling the skin of vegetables do peel as thinly as possible. The nutrients in vegetables and fruits are concentrated just below the skin, so peeling before boiling increases the loss of Vitamin C, Folic Acid and other B vitamins. The peels of carrot, radish, gourd and ginger can be scraped instead of peeling. Peel only when absolutely necessary.
Do not cut vegetables into very small cubes as the surface area of vegetable increases that comes in contact with oxygen, destroying more
Don’t soak vegetables in water to prevent discoloration-Almost 40% of water-soluble vitamins and minerals are lost in the water. If you must soak, use up the soaking water to knead the dough, prepare soups and gravies
Salads should be prepared just before serving and should be served in closed dishes to avoid excessive exposure to air.
Do not throw away the excess water drained after boiling rice or vegetables. When preparing cottage cheese, the water left over after curdling (called whey)-is extremely rich in good quality proteins and vitamins and should be used up in preparing gravies, kneading dough or simply had as a refreshing drink after flavouring with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Do not keep milk open or exposed to light, as a considerable destruction of riboflavin can occur.
It is preferable to cook vegetables in a minimum amount of water keeping the vessel covered and to consume it as soon as possible. Reheating cooked vegetables further destroys vitamins.
Root vegetables should be boiled with skins on and then peeled after boiling. This helps the nutrients to migrate to the centre of the vegetables, helping better retention of its nutrients. Do eat with skin on whenever possible.
Baking soda makes cooking water alkaline and thus helps retain the colour of vegetables as well as speed up the cooking process, BUT it destroys thiamine and vitamin C.
Deep frying and heating for a long time or heating at a high temperature should be avoided during cooking. If food material is heated above 70⁰C for a long duration, proteins become hard and coagulated. In this form, they are not easily absorbed by the body. Thus, overcooking results in loss of precious nutrients.

Do ensure you try these tips and make your food nutritious. Since Healthy food = Healthy you. These insightful cooking tips empower you to create meals that are not only delicious but also rich in essential nutrients. By adopting a mindful approach to cooking, you can preserve the goodness in every bite, contributing to a healthier and more balanced life. Share your thoughts in the comments below, and find more articles on Nutrition here. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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March 5, 2024 By Trishala Chopra Leave a Comment

How to fight against the common illnesses with natural remedies!

Common illnesses like cold and cough, fever, headaches can be even more common than we can think! We have no practical solution for these illnesses other than popping over the counter (OTC) pills to suppress the symptoms and waiting for them to reoccur.

If that one pill doesn’t work, they pop up the second one and after the second one doesn’t work they end up in doctor’s cabin asking for some more medicines. Taking these medicines over and over again is simply abusing our bodies. Side effects of the medicines are no less which gives us a chance to try and change our approach.

Remember how our grandmothers resorted to old traditional home remedies for better health? Those remedies are now being used as a part of naturopathy treatment. Before reaching out to these over the counter pills, let’s try and combine our herbs, spices and right diet to fight these illnesses.

Let’s understand each common illnesses one by one:-

Common cold

I am sure each one of us has suffered from common cold and can completely relate to its symptoms. It is perhaps the most common illness in the world. There was a research where data was collated to find out maximum sick leave reason and the data revealed that common cold topped the charts. There is no permanent cure for common cold.

Well, I have seen people taking antibiotics for getting rid of common cold. Antibiotics can do nothing for a common cold. If you are prescribed one then you might as well ask your doctor to give you something else because antibiotics only work against infections caused by bacteria but common cold is caused by a virus.

There is no permanent cure for common cold. There are more than 200 strains of viruses and it is difficult for the body to build up immunity against every strain which is why you see common cold hitting you always!

Symptoms of a common cold:

A severe headache
A sore throat
Fever
Congestion
Watery eyes
A cough
Nasal congestion
Sneezing

How to prevent the common cold?

(i) Include antioxidant-rich foods in your diet

It is important to boost your immunity and Vitamin C can act as an excellent immune-boosting nutrient.
Include raw fruits and vegetables which has PRANIC energy in your diet.

(ii) Include Bioflavonoids rich foods in your diet

Bioflavonoids were once known as Vitamin P.
These compounds help in fighting against the common cold.
Lemon, sweet lime, chillies, green pepper, grapes are good sources of bioflavonoids.

Natural remedies to cure a common cold:

(i) Ingredients:

Lime juice
Cayenne pepper
Manuka or organic honey
Water

Method:

Dilute 2 tbsp of lime juice + Pinch of cayenne pepper + 1 tsp of manuka honey in a ½ cup of warm water.

Dosage:

Have it early morning on empty stomach to prevent cold.
Take this concoction 3 times a day before breakfast, lunch and dinner if you are suffering from cold.

(ii) Ingredients:

Fresh ginger juice
Fresh garlic juice
Turmeric powder
Elaichi or Cardamom

Method:

Brew 2 tbsp of fresh ginger juice + 1 tbsp of fresh garlic juice + pinch of turmeric powder + 2 elaichi (cardamom) pods in 200 ml of water
Boil this decoction and then simmer it for 2 minutes.
Strain the water and add 1 tsp of a mishri or khadi shaker, drink this decoction warm

Dosage :

3 times a day till cold and cough subsides

(2) Fever

In my opinion, fever is the most misunderstood common issue. Everybody has a different definition of fever. Whenever your body temperature crosses 98.6 F, chances of getting fever becomes high. Medically, temperature above 100.4 F is termed as fever.

What causes fever?

It is important for everyone to know what causes fever. Fever is actually a response to your body against foreign invaders.

What are these foreign invaders?

Virus

Bacteria

Fungi

Toxins

Drugs

These foreign invaders are considered to be pyrogens or fever-producing substances. These pyrogens trigger the brain to raise the body temperature so that the body can fight these foreign invaders.

I have seen people popping up pills with a slight rise in body temperature. I have given this explanation above so that people understand that what is this fever and why does it happen? Your immune system is very smart, it will manage things on its own for a while. Taking fever-reducing medicines means that you are interfering with your immune system’s work.

Usually, fever reduces in a day or two. If it doesn’t then please visit your healthcare practitioner before popping any pills. Fever can be a symptom of any disease.

Staying with fever is not a good idea, I understand. But, taking medicine for the same is a very bad idea. Try these natural remedies to reduce your fever, it will not interfere with your immune system and will give you some relief as well.

Ingredients:

Dill seeds (Suva seeds)
Peppercorns (Kali Mirch )
Kalonji
Cinnamon powder
Water

Method:

Boil 1 tbsp of roasted dill seeds + 1 tsp of peppercorns powder + 1 tsp of Kalonji in 150 ml of water for about 6 mins. Let it stay warm for about 15 mins.
Strain this mixture and add a pinch of cinnamon powder
Drink this mixture warm
Repeat it till the body temperature reduces.

(3) A headache

This topic can be an article in itself. Discussing headache is a huge thing but to cut it short headaches have numerous causes and headaches are divided into 3 categories:

Primary
Secondary
Other

Primary headaches include a migraine, stress, cold and cough induced headaches. Secondary headaches include headaches caused by structural problems in the body especially head and neck.

Here are some natural remedies to manage a headache:

Eat 5 black raisins + 1 tsp of sesame seeds twice a day. Keep chewing it and then drink lukewarm water
1 glass of fresh tomato juice once a day
Soak your feet in Epsom salt and relax for a while. A headache will be drastically reduced.

Hope these tips help you in dealing with common illnesses!

Note: If your symptoms do not get better then please see your healthcare practitioner.

Opt for natural remedies to combat common illnesses, embracing the wisdom of traditional healing. From immune-boosting foods to age-old home remedies, prioritize your well-being the holistic way. Empower your health with these simple yet effective solutions. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

March 4, 2024 By Dr Manali Rao 5 Comments

Hypertension during Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most blissful times in every woman’s life. Along with the happiness comes a sense of responsibility. Along with the responsibility come all the advices and the worries about antenatal period. What to expect? Whom to believe? What advices are to be followed? Having gone through all of this recently myself, I can say that pregnancy is one heck of a roller coaster ride.

Many women face complications during pregnancy. Some related to Physical health and some related to Mental health. Out of the problems related to physical health, Gestational Diabetes (GDM) and Pregnancy induced Hypertension (PIH) are of utmost concern.

What is Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH)?

PIH is the development of hypertension for the first time after 20 weeks of gestation without the presence of protein in urine or other signs of pre-eclampsia (a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure along with swelling of hands and feet.). Hypertension (HTN) is defined as blood pressure more than 140/90 mmHg.

What can cause PIH?

There are several possible causes of PIH, namely;
● Being Overweight or Obese
● Lack of Activity through the day
● Smoking and Alcohol
● Family history of PIH
● PIH during previous pregnancy
● Multiple pregnancy (like twins)
● Maternal age (over 35 or adolescent pregnancy)
● Living with a single kidney
● IVF mothers
● Past history of diabetes, hypertension, renal disease
● Placental abnormalities

What are the types of PIH?

● Gestational Hypertension:
Women with gestational hypertension have high blood pressure that develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy. There is no excess protein in the urine or other signs of organ damage. Some women with gestational hypertension eventually develop preeclampsia.

● Chronic Hypertension:
Chronic hypertension is high blood pressure that was present before pregnancy or that occurs before 20 weeks of pregnancy. But, because high blood pressure usually may not be present with any symptoms, it might be hard to determine when it began.

● Chronic Hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia:
This condition occurs in women with chronic HTN before pregnancy who then develop worsening high blood pressure and protein in the urine or other health complications during pregnancy.

● Preeclampsia:
Sometimes chronic HTN or gestational HTN leads to pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by HTN and proteinuria (protein in urine)— usually after 20 weeks of pregnancy. If left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious — even fatal — complications for mother and baby. Previously, preeclampsia was only diagnosed if a pregnant woman had HTN and proteinuria. However, experts now know that it’s possible to have preeclampsia, yet never have proteinuria.

● Eclampsia:
In a woman with pre eclampsia, if tonic clonic seizures appear it is considered as eclampsia.

What signs and symptoms should one look for?

● Presence of protein in the urine or additional signs of kidney problems
● Severe headaches
● Changes in vision, including temporary loss of vision, blurred vision or light sensitivity
● Upper abdominal pain, usually under your ribs on the right side
● Nausea or vomiting
● Decreased urine output
● Decreased levels of platelets in your blood (thrombocytopenia)
● Impaired liver function
● Shortness of breath, caused by fluid in your lungs
● Sudden weight gain and swelling (edema) particularly in your face and hands — often accompanies preeclampsia. But this can also occur in many normal pregnancies, so they’re not considered reliable signs of preeclampsia.
● Spots before your eyes
● Blood in the urine
● Dizziness
If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned, immediately report to your Gynecologist or health care provider.

What problems can you face if you develop PIH?

1. PROM – pre mature rupture of membrane can happen before the mother goes into labor
2. Placental abruption- in which the placenta partially or completely separates from your uterus before your baby’s born. This can deprive your baby of oxygen and nutrients, and cause severe bleeding that can be dangerous to you both.
3. Premature delivery
4. IUGR baby (Intra Uterine Growth Restriction)
5. Liver, kidney and blood clotting problems
6. IUD – Intra Uterine death

What is best way to manage PIH?

Consult your Doctor at the earliest and keep up with your follow ups and the prescribed medications. Along with medicines make sure you follow a healthy lifestyle keeping a close watch on your weight gain. Include the below to aide a normal pregnancy.
1. Bed rest depending on your blood pressure.
2. Manage your stress with the help of Meditation and try indulging in hobbies.
3. Salt restriction goes a long way in reducing your blood pressure.
5. Maintaining a healthy and nutritious food pattern is the best remedy for any form of disorder and works for PIH too.

It is very important to maintain a healthy blood pressure through the entire pregnancy and one must not wait till pregnancy to start adopting good lifestyle practices. Always remember Healthy Mother – Healthy Baby!!

#BeTheForce

Vitamin B12: The Energy Nutrient many of you should be thinking about!

10 tips to retain nutrients while cooking

How to fight against the common illnesses with natural remedies!

Hypertension during Pregnancy

What is Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH)?

What can cause PIH?

What are the types of PIH?

What signs and symptoms should one look for?

What problems can you face if you develop PIH?

What is best way to manage PIH?

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