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Search Results for: grains

March 24, 2015 By CHARMI GOGRI 8 Comments

Know the science behind acidic and alkaline foods

ph spectrum

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 ).

 

acid alkaline

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.

Acidic and Alkaline foods

Source: energiserforlife.com

Tips :

  1. Cut out sugar completely. Avoid processed sugars as well – no corn syrup, no agave, no maltose, no aspartame (Check Food labels carefully)
  1. Having fresh vegetable juices in the morning will oxidise the nutrients present in the veggies.
  1. The regular practice of Yoga cleanses the acids from the joints and organs
  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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)
  1. Cut right down on meat. Meat is very acidic. Especially red meat.

Above all, the ultimate goal is balance. What you eat and drink will impact our body’s pH. So eat wisely.

March 20, 2015 By TAARIKA ARYA 2 Comments

Health for frequent travellers while on the move

fitness

A little extra load of work and our daily fitness routine goes haywire. Imagine the plight of frequent travellers. In order to earn our daily bread and butter, travelling to and fro, battling between time zones , drastic weather changes, irregular eating habits and non availability of space and time for exercise can surely make our lifestyle goals hard to attain.

Like every other problem, this one too can be tackled intelligently but, only if you are honest, motivated and determined.

I have gone through this phase in my life too, so here are a few ways, how you could go about in terms of nutrition and activity.

NUTRITION:

  1. DRINK DRINK DRINK!
    Keep sipping water all throughout the journey. Be it via road, rail or air, specially, while taking long flights to combat dehydration (the fatigue it causes), and avoid extreme jet lag. The cabin air is much drier so remember to drink few glasses water before boarding, then another one each hour in flight.2. Organise every trip of yours well to avoid stress. Stress is the main trigger for junk eating.

    3. Avoid leaving home hungry. Eat a quick snack at home so that you are not carried away by the food counters at the stations or terminals.

    4.  Carry some fresh fruits, dry non-perishable snacks along like roasted munchies, nuts, un salted popcorn.

    5. Avoid stopping at take away counters/convenience stores for packaged foods during halts. Opt for something local and fresh.

    6. If you are flying, don’t depend on the airport and airplane food. Either get your own mini meal packed or check out the options available.

    7. Avoid getting BORED !
    Sometimes long hours of travel can lead to boredom snacking . Carry some boredom busters wit you like a great book/audio book. music player, magazines, crosswords/puzzles or just pen down random thoughts.

    8. Keep your meals high on fibre as travelling often means missed bowel movements. Salads, fruits, whole grains do the trick.

    9. Get your daily protein quota. Travelling is a type of stress for the body and a frequent one can lead to more wear and tear.

    10. Lastly, log in your meals. It will help you keep accountable.

    ACTIVITY: 

    1. With regards to activity, if not dedicated exercise, try being as active as possible.

    2. Invest in some travel essentials like ear plugs, eye mask and neck pillow. Remember, exercise will be the last thing you would like to do if you end up having a stiff neck.

    3. Book a room on the third floor and take the stairs. Walk whenever you can between meetings.

    4. Get up and stretch yourself after every 45 minutes to 1 hour as sitting for long can be damaging to our posture. Walk the length of the plane, every hour or two to keep your back happy, your muscles supple, and your blood circulating.

    5. Indulge into some deep breathing exercises, it will help you keep calm or even put you to sleep.

    6. Plan your week in advance so that your travelling time becomes your rest day.

    7. Use the long corridors and long waits for a quick brisk walk in airports / stations. Take stairs rather than escalators.  After all, you have to sit for hours in the plane so make the most of the time you have while you wait.

    8. If driving, take a break every 1-2 hours, and walk around the parking lot of a rest stop.
    – never forget to pack your workout clothes and shoes. They are anyways light.

    Go ahead, have a safe, healthy and active trip.

February 9, 2015 By Amrozia Sayyed 4 Comments

Preparing the body for pregnancy

pregnancy-tips

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:

pregnancy-care (1)

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.

January 7, 2015 By Shimpli Patil Leave a Comment

Phytochemicals- Why is it important to go Colourful?

colors

Life without colours is so boring. Black and white movies evolved into colour films just to make them more appealing. Similarly, a cupboard full of same coloured clothes does not appear that interesting.  We are constantly looking for variety and more colours. The same when applied to eating, not only breaks the monotony but also benefits your body in several ways.

I remember, as a kid, my mother always emphasized on including a variety of fruits and veggies into my meals. She’d come up with all her innovative ways to make sure my meals are as colourful. Gradually, I got to know the reason why she used those tricks. She just wanted to ensure I get the maximum benefits from these colours.

Nature has provided us with numerous colourful fruits, vegetables, grains and herbs. Ever wondered where do they derive their colours from? Well, they contain compounds called Phytochemicals (also known as phytonutrients) which are responsible for the beautiful colours that these fruits and veggies flaunt. The more colourful a fruit or vegetable is, the higher its phytochemical content, especially if they are coloured all the way through (like berries) not just on the skin (like apples).

Phytochemicals basically form plant’s immune system as they protect the plants from UV rays, diseases and fungus. These wonderful compounds are so generous that they extend their benefits to humans as well. I would say a great deal of benefits.

They are known for their antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity and the ability to enhance our body’s natural detoxification system.

Let me take you through some of the best Phytochemicals and their benefits-

  • Carotenoids– Any fruit or veggie you see around which is red/orange/yellow or green in colour, contains carotenoids. They are potent antioxidants and immune boosters. Research has shown that they reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.
  • Flavonoids– This one’s famous! Out of all the phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables, it’s the flavonoids that we eat in the largest quantity. Guess which colours it contributes to… It’s red, blue and purple pigments. Studies have shown that their antioxidant activity is lot more powerful than vitamins C and E.

One of the flavonoids called “Isoflavones” present in soy, are known to reduce the cholesterol levels and thereby reduce the risk of heart diseases.

In women, isoflavones help reduce the menopausal symptoms and are beneficial for women’s overall health.

  • Sulphur Compounds– These are found in naturally occurring whitish foods like garlic, onion, cauliflower, cabbage, mushrooms, grains etc.

These compounds also have been shown to have cancer fighting properties and are beneficial to cardiovascular health.

 

The incredible benefits of phytochemicals is one reason the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Health and Human Services focuses on having at least five servings of fruits and vegetables and several servings of grains every day.

So the next time you are out for shopping, make sure you load up your grocery cart with an array of fruits and vegetables to give yourself a phytochemical boost.

Since different coloured fruits and vegetables have different kinds of phytochemicals, it’s important that you choose a variety of colours in your diet so that you make the most of each phytochemical.

Get those colours and you get better health!

 

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