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January 29, 2024 By Luke Coutinho 1 Comment

What Antibiotics and Pills can do to your body?

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The over prescription and wrongly prescribed antibiotics and medicines kills’ thousands of people worldwide every year. It is even said that the number of deaths caused by long term and incorrect use of these medicines are higher than road accident deaths.

Not only can it cause something like death, but the bigger problem is overuse of antibiotics and medicines causes our bacteria to become more and more resistant to these drugs, eventually they stop working, and then the need for more powerful drugs that do more harm, come into the picture.

Antibiotics, first used in the 1940s, are certainly one of the great advances in medicine. But overprescribing them has resulted in the development of resistant bacteria, that don’t respond to antibiotics that may have worked in the past. Plus, whenever kids and adults take antibiotics they run the risk of side-effects, such as stomach upset and diarrhea or even an allergic reaction and the immune system gets weaker and compromised.

We need to remember that antibiotics can only work on bacterial infections and diseases and not viruses. The body’s immune system can fight off some viruses before they cause  illness, but others (colds, for example) must simply run their course. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.

So if you are taking antibiotics for colds, coughs, virals, it’s so wrong and harmful.

Every time you swallow antibiotics, you kill the beneficial bacteria within your intestines. When you do so, you upset the delicate balance of your intestinal terrain. Yeasts grow unchecked into large colonies and take over, in a condition called dysbiosis.

Yeasts are opportunistic organisms. This means that, as the intestinal bacteria die, yeasts thrive, especially when their dietary needs are met. They can use their tendrils, or hyphae, to literally poke holes through the lining of your intestinal wall.

These result in a syndrome called leaky gut. Yeasts are not the only possible cause of this syndrome. Some scientists have linked non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as naproxen and ibuprofen to the problem. Given their ability to alter intestinal terrain, antibiotics also likely contribute to leaky gut syndrome.

In addition to possibly causing leaky gut syndrome, I believe that parasitic yeasts can also cause you to change what you eat in that they encourage you to binge on carbohydrates including pasta, bread, sugar, potatoes, etc. So, it should come as no surprise that weight gain counts as one of the telltale signs of antibiotic damage and subsequent yeast overgrowth.

By altering the normal terrain of the intestines, antibiotics can also make food allergies more likely. An array of intestinal disorders can ensue, as well. Sadly, most doctors claim ignorance concerning their patients’ intestinal disorders rather than admit that the drugs they themselves prescribed actually caused the disorders to begin with.

Tons of antibiotics are fed to livestock on a daily basis, purportedly to proof them against bacteria. This practice not only possibly contributes to antibiotic resistance in humans — many experts feel weight gain, and not disease prevention, is the real reason antibiotics are so widely used. Fat cattle sell for more than thin cattle. That’s all very well, but imagine what the antibiotics thereby possibly present in dairy products could be doing to our children’s health.

Remember, antibiotics are dangerous mycotoxins — fungal metabolites. Just as importantly, medical experts have written articles maintaining that these drugs kill people. But, other experts insist on remaining skeptical as to the problem, even though these same experts readily recognize the link between weakened immune systems and death.
Also, keep in mind the post-antibiotic importance of restoring the intestinal terrain with plain yogurt and probiotics. If you are experiencing bloating, belching, gas, constipation, diarrhea, GERD, or other intestinal problems then probiotics can play an important role in restoring your intestinal terrain.

That a new generation will grow up knowing of the dangers inherent in taking antibiotics is a good thing. That doctors will continue randomly prescribing fungal toxins should teach us the importance of knowing medical facts before blindly accepting any prescription. Please study the antimicrobial benefits and the immune system stimulants that nature provides. Know also that, in some instances, antibiotics may become necessary.

I can’t stress enough the importance of consuming foods rich in natural probiotics, especially if you have an infection of any kind. Your gut serves as your second brain, and even produces more serotonin—known to have a beneficial influence on your mood—than your brain does. It is also home to countless bacteria, both good and bad.

These bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by at least 10 to one, and maintaining the ideal balance of good and bad bacteria forms the foundation for good health—physical, mental and emotional. Most disease originates in your digestive system. This includes both physical and mental disease. Once you heal and seal your gut lining, and make your digestive system strong and work properly again, disease symptoms will typically resolve.

I encourage you to use nature and lifestyle changes to heal yourself and your children and use antibiotics and medicines only when you really need them.

Like I always say, ‘ The human body is designed to heal itself, if we give it a chance’

#BeTheForce

November 17, 2023 By Dhwani Bagadia Leave a Comment

How to Heal a Leaky Gut

heal a leaky gut

In the previous article, we addressed the symptoms and causes of a Leaky Gut. If you have been experiencing any of the symptoms, here’s what you can do to heal your gut!

Ways to Heal a Leaky Gut

One of the best ways to heal a Leaky Gut is to consume a healthy, well-balanced diet with optimum nutrition. The process includes:

  • Remove: Excluding the toxic and inflammatory foods as it causes the gut to become leaky and adding good and healthy nutrients that will result in healing the gut. Remove products which affect the environment of the gut negatively.
  • Replace: For appropriate digestion and absorption, including important healthy nutrients for proper break-down and absorption of the nutrients i.e. digestive enzymes, HCL (Hydrochloric Acid) and bile acids.
  • Reinoculate: It is quite difficult to restore the important bacteria to improve the good gut bacteria.
  • Repair: It is important to provide essential nutrients for the gut to be restored. To revive the lining of the gut wall it is important to consume L-Glutamine supplement.

Necessary Dietary Modifications

Listed below are a few ways in which you can heal a leaky gut, improve gut health as well as good gut bacteria.

  • Reduce the Intake of Refined Carbohydrates: Harmful Bacteria grow more when there is an excess intake of sugar and can harm the gut barrier function. Avoid unhealthy, processed, junk and fried foods.
  • Include Probiotic Supplements: This helps improve the beneficial gut bacteria. Probiotics include curd, buttermilk, and probiotic supplements.
  • Eat Fermented Foods: Fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, saukerkraut, kefir and kombucha, help improve gut bacteria.
  • Include Plenty of High Fiber Foods: This includes fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole-grains that feed the beneficial bacteria.
  • Reduce the intake of alcohol and Quit Smoking
  • Avoid or reduce stress

Common Questions Asked

How long does it take to heal a Leaky Gut?
To get an idea about this question, we need to go down to the cellular level. 300 square meters is the surface area of the gut. The enterocytes are the lining cells of the gut that keep reviving/restoring in a gut which is normal and healthy.  A new lining of the gut is seen every two to three weeks. For those individuals who do not have any medical disease or conditions, studies prove that that gut-healing might take around 2-12 weeks (higher range may-be for those who have other medical conditions).

In another study by Harvard published in the Medical Journal Nature, states that those who are keen on healing their gut majorly have an underlying cause as an issue will take a longer time to heal by making it more complex and slow i.e. like a journey.

In-case whenever you decide to change your time in terms of diet and lifestyle, that restores the gut functioning, skin gets clearer, energy increases, bloating reduces, loss of weight, betterment in the conditions like eczema, asthma, allergies, migraine, depression, eagerness/anxiety, auto-immune disease and much more. This again varies depending on several factors/causes.

How do I know my Gut is repaired?
There are a few signs which indicate that the gut is fully repaired. Firstly, you’d want to check whether your gut has healed completely or not. This can be analysed via the symptoms that you experience. Below are a few points which should help you analyse:

  • Digestive Issues, food sensitivity vanish/fade away along with skin issues
  • Auto-immunity lab markers improve, returning to optimal self (quality of life improves)
  • Your energy and stamina return
  • Improved mood
  • You came back to proper weight.

You can also check it through a spectrum, with one side being no inflammation & healthy balanced gut with no symptoms and other end being leaky gut with several symptoms.

Even if the gut is repaired, it could have its draw-backs where you need to work to get back to normal health. Be calm and firm on following your gut-healthy protocol. It will not only help you get your health back on track but it will improve your quality of life as well!

We hope this article helps you make the necessary changes and heal. Do share it and leave your thoughts in the comments below. You can find more articles like this on Gut Health here. If you want expert advice or further guidance on improving digestive or gut health, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

August 19, 2023 By Urvi Gohil 1 Comment

Healthy Eating: Sauerkraut (Fermented Cabbage)

sauerkrautNothing is more important and essential than maintaining immunity and proper gut health. If you are seeking good immunity and gut health, you should definitely try this Sauerkraut recipe. While it originated in China over 2000 years back, it is very popular in Germany. It’s basically chopped cabbage that undergoes anaerobic fermentation and gives you major health benefits. It can be a side dish to your main meals or you can add it to your meats and sandwiches.  

What You Will Need: 

  • Raw Cabbage – 1
  • Mason Jar – 1 (750 ml to 1 L)
  • Pink Salt or Normal Salt –  1-2 tbsp

How To Prepare:

  1. Take a medium sized cabbage and remove the outer leaves and keep them aside. Cut the cabbage into 4-5 pieces and remove the white core.
  2. Shred the cabbage or chop it in a food processor. We need it really thin and finely chopped.
  3. Take a big mixing bowl, add the cabbage to it.
  4. Add the salt. Salt will stop the breathing of any unhealthy micro-organism and will start the formation of lactobacillus bacteria which will help us in this fermentation.
  5. Mix the cabbage and salt well with your hands for a few minutes and then keep it aside for 7-10 min to allow the brine to ooze out. Let it set in the bowl.
  6. Pound the cabbage for a few minutes to allow any more liquid to ooze out, hit it well.
  7. Take a glass jar which is clean, freshly washed and pack the cabbage very tightly.
  8. Clean your hands and start keeping the cabbage in the jar. After adding some, take a wooden spatula or glass and push it in to avoid any air pockets between the cabbages. Repeat the process till the cabbage is over.
  9. Now, take the outer cabbage leaf and tuck it over the cabbage kept in the jar just like you are covering it hard to not allow any air.
  10. Next, add the brine we collected after mashing the cabbage, leave the top 1 inch of the jar free, do not pack it with brine tightly.
  11. Close the lid of the Mason jar (it is okay to close the jar not very tight so that the cabbage can breathe) and keep it in a bowl, there are chances of liquid oozing out after fermentation starts.
  12. Keep this for 3 days and then you can refrigerate and eat it. It should be a bit yellow and tangy.

Highlights of the Sauerkraut Recipe 

  • Eat this with every meal to improve digestion and add in good microbes.
  • It has a very long shelf life and a great way to boost immunity.
  • 70-80 % of your immunity is located in your gut and hence, it is very important to keep an eye on what you are eating. This is the best probiotic, just like curd, to help you with it.
  • Sauerkraut is enriched with nutrients, minerals and a lot of fiber. Apart from boosting immunity and digestion, it can aid weight loss, helps in stress reduction, improving brain health, may reduce risk of cancer and promote good heart health.

We hope you enjoy this Sauerkraut recipe. Do try it out and leave your thoughts in the comments below. Find more healthy recipes here. You can also get recipes customized to your health goals by speaking to a GOQii Coach. Download the app and subscribe to Personalised Health Coaching here to get started!  

#BeTheForce 

June 27, 2023 By Shaeba Shaikh 3 Comments

5 Tips To Maintain A Healthy Gut This Monsoon

5 Tips To Maintain A Healthy Gut This MonsoonThe fresh, dewy weather, the chirping birds and the amazing smell of wet mud! The rainy season has its own charm but along with it, it also brings a host of diseases and infections. One such being a compromised Gut! The symptoms of a compromised gut may include an upset stomach, acidity, bloating, flatulence, gas, etc. making it crucial to maintain a healthy gut during this season.

How Can You Maintain A Healthy Gut This Monsoon? 

Here are 5 simple yet effective ways in which you can maintain a healthy gut: 

  1. Add Ginger/Garlic: These are the most commonly used herbs in our households and they provide us with an array of benefits. Raw Ginger/Garlic acts as a Prebiotic (food) for friendly gut bacteria, thereby improving gut health. Gingerol and Allicin present in them respectively, are found to have antibacterial and antifungal properties which keep infections at bay. Adding fresh herbs to your food/soups or drinking a warm cup of Ginger tea will be a great way to improve gut health.
  2. Eat Cooked Foods Over Raw Foods: Cooking has a bacterio-cidal (Bacteria killing) effect on the food prepared. Humidity provides a conducive environment for bacterial and fungal growth. Raw foods can be a host for bacterial growth. Hence, cooking foods rather than consuming them raw is a better alternative. Eg: Having a veg soup over a raw veg salad will be a better alternative.
  3. Eat Fermented Foods: Probiotics are the beneficial gut bacteria which work as the first line of defense against any infection. They also synthesize Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) and Vitamin K in the body, thereby giving energy. Adding Idlis, dosas, homemade curds, Khimchi, Kefir, etc. to your diet will improve the number of probiotics and thereby improve gut health.
  4. Consume Fruits/Vegetables Immediately After Cutting: If vegetables or fruits are cut and left exposed to air, it can attract flies or insects which can infest the food. If this food is consumed, it can cause infections and affect gut health. Hence, eat the fruit/vegetable immediately after cutting/chopping it, or cover it if you wish to consume it later.  
  5. Eat Light: Foods such as rice, dal, legumes, soups, vegetables, fruits, Khichdi, etc. are lighter on the stomach and are easily digested and absorbed as opposed to the tempting fried Pakoras, vada pav, etc. which can cause bloatedness, acidity and/or flatulence.

Do keep these tips in mind and maintain a healthy gut for a healthy you! If these tips helped, let us know in the comments below.

You can find more gut health tips here or you can speak to an expert directly by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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