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September 24, 2023 By Saba Mirza 7 Comments

Natural Mouth Fresheners

Many a times, when I ask my players to avoid having sweets or fruits immediately after a meal, their usual reply is, ‘oh! But, this is a very Indian thing. We don’t feel complete finishing the meal without a sweet or a fruit. We are accustomed to this post meal sweets ritual since ages and we need that to refresh the mouth and the breath from the typical smell of our spice rich meals!’ Or else, most say they need to keep chewing some mint flavored gum or some artificially flavored mouth freshener when they are working for long hours or while traveling.

But, how about replacing these artificially flavored, preservatives added, empty calorie loaded mouth fresheners with more real, natural, very nutritious breath fresheners which are present in abundance in the nature and which are readily available in your kitchen cabinet?

Here I am enlisting few of them:

Water: Dry mouth is the foremost reason behind that foul smelling breath. Drinking water more often keeps your mouth moist and promotes the release of saliva, the enzymes which keep cleansing the mouth from the growth and collection of foul smelling bacteria. You can make it more refreshing by infusing the water with cut pieces of lemon, mint leaves and a small piece of ginger. Keep it overnight in the fridge and drink that water in the morning.
Fennel Seeds: Many of our elders still use these very refreshing seeds as an after meal ritual. Apart from giving a distinctive sweet taste to your mouth, they are excellent to prevent flatulence and acid reflux and promote the secretion of gastric juices for better absorption. Roast them, store in an air tight jar and chew them after meals.
Mint Leaves: Why to go for an artificially scented mint flavored mouth freshener, when you can have the original and much more nutritious mint leaves in your kitchen garden or in your refrigerator. Chew the raw leaves or drink a mint tea by boiling them in water and experience an instant freshness in your breath.
Parsley Leaves: Chew on the raw Parsley after meals or garnish your curries with it. Recent studies suggest that this ancient herb may help in reducing the ‘garlic breath’ through a process of ‘enzymatic deodorization’.
Lemon Candies: These refreshing and nutritious treats come in handy when you experience prolonged mouth dryness. You can create lemon ice cubes by mixing lemon juice with water. As they melt in your mouth, the lemon’s tartness triggers saliva production, effectively moistening your mouth and providing a refreshing sensation.
Cinnamon: Chewing on cinnamon sticks kill the bad smelling bacteria by releasing essential oils in the mouth, and it’s peculiar taste is great to freshen you up. You can make cinnamon mouthwash as well by boiling few sticks in water and using the cooled down water for mouth wash.
Citrus fruits like oranges and berries: These antioxidant rich fruits are again great to cleanse your mouth by destroying the toxins and the germs. Start your day with a fruit or have them as mid meal snacks, as these are the times when the mouth is usually dry for a longer time.

If the bad breath is not because of any underlying illness like tonsillitis or other buccal (oral) cavity infection, these are the sure way to feel refreshed throughout the day.

The bottom line is to figure out the reason behind that bad breath (like dry mouth, bad bacteria) and choose the right method or ingredient for yourself to get rid of the bad breath.

We trust you found these natural breath fresheners beneficial. If you’re looking for personalised guidance on holistic health, consider subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. Share your thoughts in the comments below and explore more health topics in Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

September 8, 2023 By Anusha Subramanian 2 Comments

“All you want to know about knees and Knee injuries and how to fix it”: Dr Anjana Laungani

Dr. Anjana Laungani

In the last decade or so people have taken to extreme sports like Running (Marathons), Ultra Marathons, Trail Running, Cycling and High Altitude Trekking. But, most are not aware of how to take care of their body or that they should go for a full body assessment to check if all is ok before they start on an extreme activity.

They do not realise that over doing these activities does not help the body in the long run. Many do it because their friends are doing it and many do it because they think this is the only way to prove to people that they are fit, not realising that over doing such extreme sports and doing it without enough knowledge can lead to fatal injuries. One of the worst injuries that people develop is knee injuries.

How can one avoid such injuries while training? Let us understand from Dr Anjana Laungani, a renowned physiotherapist from Mumbai who consults celebrities and has her own brand of a clinic – Physio Rehab in Mumbai tell us how people develop knee injuries and what can be done to avoid and treat such injuries.

She explains that the knee is the most common joint in the body that gets injured and one must understand why that happens. It happens because knees are in between the foot, the hip and the back. Knee sorts of gets whacked around because of any problem that might be there in the foot or in the hip or in the back.

“I call the knee the middle child syndrome, you know how in the family we have an elder child, a younger child, and a middle child gets really whacked around by them and bullied. The knee is exactly treated that way,” says Dr. Anjana.

According to her when one looks at knee injury one should also look at the foot, hip and the back. Because these could actually be the cause of the knee problems. When one is participating in extreme sports, you are not just climbing or running or walking only with your knees, the knee works as a team with the foot, the hip, and the back. This is called the Lower quadrant of the body and they have to work in synchrony with each other.

All those with knee injuries should always get themselves assessed entirety looking at how is the foot alignment. For instance, if you are flat footed you will be prone to injuries. If an individual has a hip muscle which is extremely weak especially the gluteus muscle will he develop knee problems, the risk factor is very high if the individual does not have a very good core muscle that gives him the power to run. Then all he would do is jam the weight of his body into his knee. So commonly according to Dr. Anjana only 20% of people have direct knee problems but 80% have knee problems due to other issues.

It is therefore very important to get assessed and looked at by professionals especially a physiotherapist who can do what we call as a lower limb kinetic chain assessment, these evaluations will give you a very good idea on where the problem is coming from. You need to look at foot you need to look at the hip muscles you need to look at the core muscles which could probably give problems to these areas.

Dr. Anjana says it is best when people approach physiotherapist when they do not have an injury and consult for how to avoid injuries rather than go for treatment after getting themselves injured.

Physio rehab is one such clinic where one does not have to go only when in pain. She and her team work with those who wish to improve their fitness so that they can undertake physical challenges like treks, pilgrimages, adventure holidays, overseas travel etc.

Ranveer Singh with Dr Anjana Laungani at PhysioRehab: Dr Anjana first worked with Ranveer Singh when he had suffered a back injury during the shoot of ‘Lootera’. Thereafter PhysioRehab once again came to his help when he shattered his right shoulder while doing a stunt for ‘Bajirao Mastani’. PhysioRehab helped him come back to fitness and perform all his action shots for the film.

Dr. Anjana has practiced for over 25 years and put together this clinic as a vision to be able to provide quality, scientific physiotherapy services to the community which she thinks was lacking when she started. “I feel that physiotherapy needs to be approached in a more scientific manner, there has to be proper assessment, proper diagnosis and most importantly patient education. I think the patient first needs to understand what is it that is going on with them and actually give them a sense of responsibility,” she concludes.

January 24, 2019 By Luke Coutinho 3 Comments

Inflammation – What you should know?

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. Lowsilent 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

January 23, 2019 By CHARMI GOGRI 13 Comments

Vegetarianism: Pros and Cons

The philosophy around going meatless or adopting a vegetarian lifestyle has become increasingly popular. People are being more aware of foods that are nutrient dense (and those less so) which helps them to stay healthy and fit. So is veering towards a plant-based approach the best way to go? A growing number of people seem to think so. A Vegetarian resource group conducted a poll and found that there was rise in people adopting vegetarianism/veganism compared to previous year’s data in USA, similar data was shown for Europe, Israel and India as well.

Before we fall in to the discussion of “Should people become Vegetarian?” however, it’s important to understand what vegetarianism actually means as well as the benefits and potential risks associated with it.

“Vegetarian” broadly refers to those who restricts consumption of animal products like meat, fish, poultry etc., and largely rely on plant based foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, dairy, pulses etc., for living. Within this group, there are various levels of vegetarians. These are classified from most restrictive to those who are less so.

Vegan : They do not consume animal products or animal by-products like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk/milk products, honey etc. Also, they don’t use animal products like silk, wool, leather etc for commercial use. In other words, these are individuals who not only do not eat animals, but who also choose not to use products that come from animals.

Lacto-Vegetarian: These individuals don’t consume meat, poultry, fish or eggs. But, they readily consume milk and milk products like yogurt, and cheese. Most of the Vegetarians in South Asian subcontinent fall under this category.

Ovo-Vegetarian: They avoid meat, poultry, fish and DAIRY. But, allow themselves to consume eggs.

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: People under this level restricts meat, poultry and fish. However, they consume egg as well as dairy. This is the most common type of vegetarian across the globe.

A vegetarian diet is naturally low in fats and high in fiber, but being vegetarian has its own risks. So no matter at what level you happen to fall, and no matter what reason you have chosen to commit to it , there are both pros and cons of being vegetarian. Here are few of them:

Pros of Vegetarianism:

Improves colon health: Fibers present in a plant-based vegetarian diet helps to maintain a healthy colon by improving the good bacteria within it. That’s because fiber is what helps feed those healthy bacteria. It also helps to cleanse the colon when supplemented with optimal water intake. Why? Because fiber can act like a chimney sweeper and remove any excess waste. The risk of colon cancer and constipation decreases with a high fiber vegetarian diet. On the flip side, meats and poultry takes time to digest and thus disrupts the natural balance in the body. They also don’t feed the friendly bacteria in our guts which are required to maintain a healthy gut lining.
Improves the heart rate: A vegetarian diet can help lower cholesterol, and blood pressure, aiding in the prevention of heart disease. A vegetarian diet can help to achieve these benefits as long as it includes food sources with potassium and dietary fiber, such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains.
Reduces risk of Kidney stones: Diet high in animal proteins leads body to excrete calcium, oxalate and uric acid. These are the major components of kidney stones. A diet high in animal protein have higher risk of Kidney stones in USA (15% of men and 7% of women) than diets rich in Vegetarian proteins.
Reduces risk of Cancer: Vegetarians show up to 40% less chance of developing cancer. Also, diets high in animal protein were associated with a 4-fold increase in cancer death risk compared to high protein diets based on plant-derived protein sources (figures based on 2014 study). The changes of contamination are high among meat eaters, on the flip side, consuming enough fruits and vegetables as part of vegetarian diet will help to build up strong immunity and fight cancer cells.
Lowers risk of Diabetes: Consumption of meat and processed meat increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes in both men and women. On the other hand, vegetarian diets rich in whole grains, nuts, legumes and fibers improves the glycemic control in the people who already have diabetes.
Capable of delivering complete nutrition: When Vegetarian meals are optimally planned, all essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals can be supplied to the body. USDA and FAO of UN says “meat is not an essential part of healthy diet”
Weight loss: Vegetarian diet being high in fiber and low in fat helps one to reduce weight or at least prevent gaining those extra pounds from the high fat non vegetarian food.
Helps alleviate World’s hunger: There has been debate about insufficiency of our food supply if the entire world refuses to eat a primarily vegetarian diet. Grains and vegetarian food are required to feed animals and rear livestock in order to produce more meat (Over 10 pounds of plant protein is fed to produce one pound of beef). If that food were diverted for human consumption, world’s hunger can be alleviated.
Ethical view-point: Merciless killing of animals in the name of producing a food supply is on the rise. Cutting out animal products from our diet is a gentler kinder way to live as these warm blooded animals have emotions and can experience stress, pain and fear too. The less demand there will be for meat products, the fewer animals will be raised for slaughter.
For the sake of Nature: There are negative effects of raising livestock on environment. They produce more greenhouse gases than cars. Being vegetarian is one way to reduce carbon footprints and save the planet.

Cons of Vegetarianism:

Lack of Nutrition: Strict vegans/vegetarians might be missing on some of the nutrients like Omega 3 fatty acids (crucial for brain function), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D(crucial for bone health). Meeting protein needs gets hard, too, if meals aren’t planned well. While there are many good sources of iron for vegetarians, the bioavailability of that is lesser compared to non- vegetarian sources of Iron.
May still not be such a healthy choice: Vegetarianism doesn’t automatically mean you have made a healthy choice as it largely depends on the meal choices one makes. A vegetarian diet (if majorly relying on sugar, processed food, fries, refined food, high fructose corn syrup, and carbonated beverages) can possibly be harmful meal choices. An Oreo cookie is vegan. That doesn’t make it healthy.
Use of herbicides and pesticides: To improve production of crops and maintain quality. Numerous chemicals are used in the soil, residues of which can be found in the plant and can find its way to the human body.
The Notion that Vegetarians live longer can be a myth: Undoubtedly choosing high fibrous fresh vegetarian meal is the best choice. Choosing not-so-healthy vegetarian meals coupled with a faulty lifestyle like excessive smoking, frequent drinking, lack of physical activity etc., can decrease your life expectancy (Animal protein or no animal protein)