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Benefits of Fennel Seed Water

Benefits of Fennel Seeds WaterThe age-old secrets of health can be found in the simplest of ingredients in our kitchens. We just need to unveil them. Fennel Seeds are used in traditional rituals and celebrations as a symbol of Nature. In Ayurveda, Fennel Seeds are considered very beneficial. It is used to increase stamina and promote longevity, also used by nursing mothers in order to increase breast milk. Fennel Seeds are extensively used in Indian recipes.  It is an effective aid to digestion, treating bloating, gas, or cramps and also acts as a diuretic.  In foods and beverages, Fennel Oil and Fennel Seeds are used as flavoring agents.

Health benefits of Fennel Seeds:

1) Fennel Seeds for Constipation, Indigestion, Acidity, Bloating and IBS: Fennel Seeds are very useful in treating these disorders because it contains Estragole, Fenchone and Anethole. For those with IBS, the volatile oils found in Fennel Seeds can help kick-start digestion by promoting the production of gastric enzymes.

2) Managing Blood Pressure: Fennel Seeds are also a very rich source of Potassium, which is an essential component of cells and body fluids. Hence, it helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

3) Improves Eyesight: A handful of these seeds can do wonders for your eyesight as well.  Fennel Seeds contain Vitamin A, which is essential for good eyesight. The extracts of these seeds were used in ancient times to improve the symptoms of Glaucoma.

4)  Purify Blood: The essential oils and fiber in these seeds are very useful to flush out toxins and sludge from our bodies, thus helping to cleanse the blood and clear the skin.

5) Relieves Menstrual Pain: Fennel Seeds help in reducing menstrual pains, alleviates symptoms of menopause, shorten the length of the menstruation cycle, reduced period-related nausea due to the presence of estrogen.

6) Promotes Breast Milk Production: It has estrogen which increases Prolactin levels and increases breast milk production.

7) Reduces Hair fall: The antioxidants and nutrients present in Fennel Seeds strengthen the roots of your hair and give your follicles extra strength.

8) Reduces Cholesterol: It contains high amounts of fiber, which decreases re-absorption of cholesterol, and thus, lowers the risk of heart related diseases.

9) Improves Brain Functioning: Fennel Seeds are rich in potassium, which stimulates electrical conduction throughout the body.  Which in turn improves brain functioning and cognitive skills. It acts as a great brain booster and improves brain-based skills.

10) Improves Vision: It helps improve eyesight, alleviate high eye pressure, pink eyes, dry eyes, tired, watery eyes and almost all eye related problems.

Some Other Benefits:

  • Gargling Fennel Tea can relieve inflamed gums and treat bad breath
  • It eases muscular pain
  • Fennel Water is used to relieve colic pain in newborn babies
  • Fennel Water eases morning sickness in expecting moms
  • Used as a spice in many different cuisines all over the world
  • Sugarcoated Fennel Seeds (Saunf) have been used as a condiment after food to improve digestion

How to use Fennel Seeds:

a)  Fennel Tea: Extract of Fennel Seeds is not the same thing as fennel tea. Fennel tea is less processed and more likely to be pure and the measurable, beneficial impacts of fennel tea suggest multiple reasons for drinking it.

Here is a recipe for Fennel Tea:

  • Take 1 teaspoon of dried Fennel Seeds per cup of tea and pour hot water over it
  • Make sure you do not boil the Fennel Seeds as this will kill most of its nutrients
  • Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. You will get a light yellow infusion
  • Drink it 2-3 times a day
  • The best time to drink this tea is after meals to help treat digestion problems and its sweet taste, much similar to that of licorice, can serve as a wonderful after dinner treat

b) Fennel Water: Take one glass of water and add one tsp of Fennel Seeds and soak it overnight. Drink it early in the morning. This water helps in reducing acidity and constipation.

Do you want to know more about Fennel Seeds? Stay tuned for the second part on the Benefits of Fennel Seeds.

We hope this article helps you. If you have your own special style of using Fennel Seeds, let us know in the comments below! For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Do Grains Cause a Leaky Gut?

leaky gut

If you’re suffering from chronic diarrhea, constipation, gas or bloating coupled with a poor immune system, your issue might be more than something to do with ‘what you ate last night’. There’s a fair chance that you might be suffering from a leaky gut.

What is a Leaky Gut?

A Leaky Gut, as the word suggests, literally means that the gut/intestine is leaking. Technically, the permeability of intestinal mucosa increases and as a result, a protein called Zonulin and consequently bacteria, toxins, digestive metabolites, and bacterial toxins leak into the bloodstream.

This increases the toxic build-up in the body which manifests itself on the skin, colon, hormones, lungs, liver, lymph and kidneys in the form of bloating, diarrhea and constipation. Autoimmune response could include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Celiac disease, migraines, a weak immune system and hormonal imbalances, etc.

The exact cause of a Leaky Gut is not known, but potential causes include a poor diet, chronic stress, toxin overload and imbalances in the gut microbiome or dysbiosis.

The Role of Grains in Increasing Gut Permeability 

Dietary guidelines advise one to eat adequate amounts of (whole) grain products per day and are promoted as the fiber-rich foundation of a healthy diet. The question is, are grains really necessary as a part of our diet or can they be harmful?

Yes, grains are the main source of our energy for daily activities, brain function and even supply us with Vitamins B Complex and minerals like Zinc, Chromium, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium and Manganese, etc. that boost numerous biochemical reactions taking place in our body every moment. Having said that, grains & legumes also contain certain anti-nutritional compound/chemicals which can make them inflammatory and can affect some people.

What are the Anti-Nutritional Compounds in Grains? 

1. Gluten
Gluten is the main structural protein complex of grains like Wheat, Rye and Barley. They are incredibly widespread in modern diets due to the increased intake of processed/refined flour food products such as bread, cakes, pastries, sauces, ready meals and breakfast cereals.

Research has shown that a person with gluten sensitivity, ingesting gluten significantly increases intestinal permeability immediately after the consumption. Studies have shown that the daily consumption of wheat products and other related cereal grains could contribute to the manifestation of chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases.

Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that gliadin, by releasing Zonulin and wheat germ agglutinin can both increase intestinal permeability and activate the immune system and have also been confirmed in human studies.

2. Lectins
Grains have different types of lectins but all are not harmful. The harmful ones are Agglutinins and Prolamins. Agglutinins are a natural insecticide to protect crops from insects. But to get a higher yield of crop, grains are genetically modified (GM) to produce more of their natural insecticides which in turn make the grain inflammatory.

Prolamins are also not easily digested and most grains contain a Prolamin similar in structure to gluten. For example, Orzenin in rice or Avenin in oats or Gliadins in wheat.

3. Phytates and Phytic Acid
Phytates and Phytic Acid in the seeds of grains inhibits digestion and absorption of certain minerals (specifically zinc, iron, and calcium) by binding with them in the gut. These are vital for our immune system to function properly. Usually, a small amount of Phytates in diet does not cause a problem, as long as you’re getting adequate nutrients from the rest of your food. But mineral deficiencies may result when grains form the staple diet.

How Can You Manage a Leaky Gut? 

  1. Go for gluten-free grains like bajra, rice, maize, and gluten-free oats. Even ‘gluten-free food products available in the market contain some food additives, food preservatives, some amount of fibre and added sugar which can further damage the gut lining. So, beware and read the nutritional label!
  2. Go for non-GMO and heirloom varieties of seeds that are passed down from generation to generation. Make sure to soak grains overnight in water mixed with a little bit of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, sprout and slow cook them. These methods also activate Phytase, an enzyme present in the plant that breaks down Phytates.
  3. Don’t rush through your food, chew it slowly and thoroughly so that small particles of food can be well digested and absorbed in the intestine.
  4. Adopt an anti-inflammatory eating plan. Include plenty of colourful, fresh fruit and vegetables, seeds, soaked nuts, plant protein such as beans and lentils and oily fish. At the same time, exclude sugar, processed foods, red meat and alcohol. Fermented foods can replenish natural gut bacteria. Try curd, fermented pickle, sauerkraut, kefir or kombucha.
  5. Vegetables from the nightshade family (Solanaceae) like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (brinjal) and potatoes, are high in lectins that can damage the gut lining. They don’t even breakdown while cooking. So those with autoimmune diseases should avoid these vegetables as well.

If grains are the staple food, they may obstruct digestion and contribute to a leaky gut. For those with autoimmune diseases or gluten sensitivity, it would be wise to completely exclude grains, pseudo-grains, legumes and nightshades. Also avoid nuts and seeds if they cause any inflammation. Once the intestinal gaps heals, medicines are reduced or stopped and there are no symptom, you may have these foods once in a while.

Medically, Leaky Gut Syndrome is a hypothetical, unrecognized condition.

We hope this article helps you! Do leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below! For further guidance speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Inflammation – What you should know?

Benefits_of_Fish_Oil_Blog_Reduce_Inflammation

When you think pain, think inflammation. Inflammation is a good thing. It’s your body’s way to rise up to fight germs/bacteria/infections, heal bruises when you fall, heal torn ligaments/tissues/tendons etc. Once it does its job of fighting out these invaders or foreign organisms, the inflammation should reduce to normal. The problem is when that doesn’t happen.

Have a torn ligament or muscle pulls that your struggling to heal? Seen the best doctors, therapists etc., and still not fixed? Struggling with arthritis and joint pain? Check your CRP (C-Reactive Protein) levels and focus on reducing inflammation. The cure is in reducing inflammation.

Many of us live with chronic inflammation and that’s dangerous. It’s also the reason people – struggle to lose weight, experience painful joint pain, age faster than normal, feel tired thru the day. Also with chronic inflammation there are higher chances of heart disease, Alzheimer’s/Dementia, struggle with diabetes, feel depressed. Low silent inflammation can destroy your nerves and cellular health, suppressing and weakening your immune system, leading to deadly diseases like cancer, etc.

What’s scary is the fact that you can be extremely healthy and fit, but silent inflammation could be eating into you from inside, which is one of the many explainable reasons why cancer or heart attacks can strike down a healthy and young human being.

Checking Cholesterol levels, Vitamin D3, B12, SGOT, SGTP is imperative, but what most people miss out on is checking their CRP levels. (C-Reactive protein). This is such an important protein level to check and a simple blood test will cover that for you.

CRP level will tell you volumes about the amount of inflammation you have in your body. In my years of experience what stands out in a cancer report of a person is an increase in CRP levels and white blood cells and the immediate action is to reduce inflammation thru food and lifestyle change. Diseases breathe in inflamed environments, in environments that are acidic and in environments where there is less oxygen supply to the cells.

Over training causes inflammation. Vigorous exercise, inconsistent exercise and high intensity training which is not planned for your body type will make your CRP levels soar and kill your immunity, which is why many trainers ask their clients to take a Vitamin C and E post workouts. Running marathons without proper nutrition causes massive inflammation.

Chronic stress, Improper nutrition (high fat foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, doughnuts, white sugar, aerated drinks, salty foods, packaged foods), Smoking causes inflammation. I’ve seen CRP levels fall in a smokers blood report within 10 days of kicking the butt.

How to keep your inflammation in check:

– Smart and moderate exercise

– Meditation and controlling your stress and BP levels

– Nuts and seeds, Green leafy veggies and fruits

– Good fats (like nuts, olive oil, coconut oil)

But, it has been proven that a small amount of alcohol can actually lower CRP levels.

-Vitamin D3, Curcumin (turmeric extract) is one of the best spice based inflammation fighters

Inflammation, the silent orchestrator of health woes, demands our attention. CRP levels offer a symphony of insight. Embrace a melody of smart exercise, mindful nutrition, and stress soothers like meditation. Share your thoughts on inflammation and for more insights, explore Healthy Reads or connect with a certified expert through GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. Your journey to well-being awaits!

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Why should we eat more turmeric?

Curcumin

Turmeric is traditionally named as “Indian Saffron” because of its deep yellow-orange colour and has been used throughout the ancient Vedic culture of India as a condiment, healing remedy and textile dye. It is one of the most researched condiment and is used in almost all Indian curries, this spice has almost no calories and zeroes cholesterol. It is rich in dietary fibre, iron, potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. The wide range of turmeric health benefits come mainly from its main ingredient, curcumin. Turmeric is used for arthritis, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhoea, intestinal gas, stomach bloating, loss of appetite, jaundice, liver problems and gallbladder disorders. It is also used for headaches, bronchitis, colds, lung infections, fever, menstrual problems, and cancer. Some people apply turmeric to the skin for pain relief, ringworm, bruises, leech bites, inflammatory skin conditions and infected wounds. In short, Turmeric provides a wide variety of benefits, but there are seven standouts. Once you know about these seven benefits you’ll be eager to add the spice to your diet.

  • Potent Antioxidant

Curcumin has a huge therapeutic value as boosting immunity is one of its most important properties. Curcumin exerts powerful antioxidant effects by neutralizing free radicals, chemicals that can travel through the body and cause great amounts of damage to healthy cells and cell membranes. This is important in many diseases, such as arthritis, where free radicals are responsible for the painful joint inflammation and eventual damage to the joints.The high antioxidant power of turmeric also helps to put the brakes on aging process.

  • Maintains Healthy Heart

Oxidized cholesterol damages blood vessels and promotes plaques formation that can lead to heart attack or stroke. Curcumin not only prevents the oxidation of cholesterol in the body but is also beneficial in reducing bad cholesterol and improving good cholesterol. In addition, turmeric is a good source of vitamin B6, which keeps homocysteine levels under control and thereby protects direct damage to blood vessels caused by elevated levels of homocysteine.

  • Cancer Prevention

The most promising quality of turmeric is its ability to prevent cancer. Turmeric can be beneficial for preventing breast, prostate, skin and colon cancer. This super spice  helps the body to destroy mutated cancer cells and prevents its spreading into other organs. Moreover, It causes cancer cells to commit suicide. Turmeric prevents cancer progression by 2 ways: first, by enhancing liver function and second by preventing blood supply to cancer cells which may be necessary for their growth.

  • A Potent, Yet Safe Anti-Inflammatory

Curcumin is thought to be the primary pharmacological agent in turmeric. This makes it effective for fighting heart disease, osteoarthritis pain and other health problems related to inflammation. Curcumin is believed to reduce certain enzymes in the body known to trigger inflammation. Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects are comparable to the potent drugs like hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone as well as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin. Unlike the drugs, which are associated with significant toxic effects (ulcer formation, decreased white blood cell count, intestinal bleeding), curcumin produces no toxicity.

  • Promotes Weight Loss

Curcumin promotes weight loss and reduce the incidence of obesity-related diseases. Turmeric stimulates the production of bile which helps to break down fatty foods, which in turn, may help you lose weight. Taking one teaspoon of Turmeric powder with every meal may help in losing weight. This of course doesn’t cancel the fact that you need to eat healthy and exercise.

  • Slows the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease

Curcumin in turmeric has a potential role in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration together with declining activities of daily living and behavioral changes. Various effects of curcumin, including anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant property, improves overall memory in Alzheimer’s patients.

  • Natural Painkiller

Turmeric can be considered as an instant painkiller option. Turmeric is capable of fighting a variety of pain that would otherwise be rated with over-the-counter pain medication which just suppresses the pain unlike turmeric which attempts to heal the pain as well.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas to include turmeric in meals:

  • Add turmeric to egg salad to give it an even bolder yellow colour.
  • Give salad dressings an orange-yellow hue by adding some turmeric powder to them.
  • Season rice, vegetables and curries with turmeric.
  • Turmeric is a great spice to complement recipes that feature lentils.
  • Include the spice as an ingredient in your regular meals.
  • You can make a tea out of turmeric. Boil about four cups of water with a spoonful of turmeric for about ten to fifteen minutes. Strain and drink. The best remedy for a sore throat.
  • Add turmeric into your daily smoothies
  • Add turmeric to a glass of organic warm milk which helps fight cold and flu and a remedy for better sleep

Thus, turmeric is safe and offers a variety of general health benefits, you have nothing to lose by adding it to your daily diet in moderate amounts. We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]