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All you want to know about Inflammation

When you think pain, think inflammation.
 
Inflammation is a good thing. It’s your body’s way of rising up to fight out 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 back down to normal.
 The problem arises when that does not happen.

Have a torn ligament or muscle pull that you are 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 one of the reason people struggle to lose weight, experience excruciating joint pains,
 age faster than normal, 
feel tired through the day, 
higher chances of cancer and heart disease, suffer from 
Fibromalgia/Headaches/Migraines, 
have higher chances of Alzheimer’s/Dementia, struggle with diabetes,
 feel depressed and low.

Silent inflammation like the ones described above 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, and SGTP is imperative, but what most people miss out on is checking their CRP levels (C-Reactive protein). This is an important protein level to check, and a simple blood test will cover that for you. This 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 through 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.

Overtraining causes inflammation.
 Vigorous exercise, inconsistent exercise, and high-intensity training that 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.
 Stress causes inflammation (chronic stress).
 Improper nutrition (high-fat foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, doughnuts, white sugar, aerated drinks, salty foods, packaged foods), and smoking causes inflammation. (I’ve seen CRP levels fall in a smoker’s blood report within 10 days of kicking the butt)

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How to keep your inflammation in check:

Smart and moderate exercise such as meditation and controlling your stress and BP levels, nuts and seeds, 
green leafy veggies and fruits,
 good fats (like nuts, olive oil, coconut oil) helps in keeping your inflammation under check. Finally, I should not be saying this, but it has been proven that a small amount of alcohol can actually lower CRP levels. Vitamin D3
 and Curcumin (turmeric extract) are some of the best spice-based inflammation fighters.

Understanding and managing inflammation is crucial for maintaining good health and preventing chronic diseases. By incorporating anti-inflammatory foods, regular exercise, and stress management into your routine, you can significantly reduce inflammation and improve your overall well-being.

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 

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

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Bite these Snacks if you are diabetic

Planning three times meals for a diabetic is not a difficult task but, snacking options is what they lack information in. I personally realised this when I was planning a menu for my Mom who is a diabetic. I prepare meals for her and I tried every possible new dish, a recipe that I knew. However, after a point, it was a task for me. Finding snack option was like most of them were packed with carbs and this raises the insulin levels.

Then I researched on the same and got these healthy snacking options. These can help other diabetics too. The key is to choose snacks that are high in protein, high in fibre and healthy fats so that it keeps you a full until your next meal. The choice of food should be nutrient dense.

hard boiled eggs

  1. Hard-boiled Eggs: Why this? Because its protein content really shines and perfect to slow down the spike in blood sugar levels.

yogurt with berries

  1. Yoghurt with Berries: It’s an excellent diabetic friendly snack. Its rich in antioxidant prevents damage to cells of the pancreas. Their high flavonoid content helps with regular blood sugar. Limit to one serving per day.

nuts and seeds

  1. Nuts and Seeds: Nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios are perfect on the go snack. They are high in good fats, good carbs and a lot of fibre for appetite control. You can opt for seeds like pumpkin, flaxseed, sunflower. Grab around 15 (a small handful) and make sure not to go overboard, because they are high in calories.

hummus-raw-vegetables

  1. Hummus with Raw Veggies: This is another delicious snack that diabetics can enjoy without any guilt. Hummus is high in fibre and healthy fats and low in carbs. Take around 1/3 of a cup of hummus and dip with bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, celery, or broccoli.

avocado

  1. Avacado: Perfect snack option! The high fibre content and mono-saturated fatty acids in avocado make it diabetic friendly, preventing blood sugar to spike high! Since its high in calories, restrict to half or one-fourth avocado at one time.

apples with peanut butter

  1. Sliced Apples with Peanut Butter: Yummy! You can eat any fruit simply or have it with peanut butter. Apple is rich in Vitamin C, B and Potassium while peanut butter is rich Vitamin E, Magnesium and Manganese. All of which is known to help manage Diabetes. Both are rich in fibre. The polyphenol antioxidants they contain are thought to protect pancreatic cells from damage that often worsens diabetes.

beet and carrort

  1. Beet and Carrot sticks: Simple, easy, and basic is sometimes the best. Perfect office carrying snack. The beta-carotene, fibre, and antioxidants will help to level blood sugar and keep you feeling full. 8-12 carrot is a good amount to go.

boiled beans

  1. Boiled Beans: Super healthy and filler to curb your hunger pangs. Beans are an excellent source of antioxidants, Fibre, Protein, B Vitamins, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Zinc. Consuming them prevent blood sugar spikes and help lower insulin levels after meals.

edamame

  1. Edamame: They are unripe, green soybeans that are still in their pods. They are a very nutritious and convenient snack. It improves insulin resistance. It is typically served steamed, and you can enhance its flavour by mixing it with seasonings of your choice.

chicken and veg soup

  1. Chicken and Veggie soup: It’s like chicken noodle soup, but skip the noodles!  Use chicken and any and all low carbohydrate vegetables you can think of. Seriously, it would be hard to go wrong. The high protein intake, water, and fibre from the veggies make it one of the most satiating and diabetic friendly snacks around.

protein bars

  1. Protein bars / Protein powder: They are a great snack option for diabetics due to the amount of protein they provide. They are quite filling too. You can make protein bars homemade by using peanut butter, whey protein and oats flour. To add sweetness you can use a small amount of raw organic honey or add dates/figs.

cchia seed pudding

  1. Chia seed pudding: Chia seed pudding is made by soaking chia seeds in milk until the mixture achieves a pudding-like consistency. It’s a healthy snack for people with diabetes because chia seeds are rich in many nutrients that help stabilize blood sugar, including protein, fibre and omega-3 fatty acids  The fibre in chia seeds can absorb a significant amount of water, which may help control diabetes by slowing down the digestion process and release of sugar into the blood

popcorn

  1. Popcorn: Air-popped popcorn made with coconut oil is one of the best healthy snacks for diabetics. It’s high in fibre and can easily be made in about 5 minutes on the stove. Sprinkle a bit of rock salt and enjoy!

Tuna roll 1

  1. For NON VEG lovers – Tuna and Turkey roll up is a great handy snack. They are essentially a breadless sandwich wrap consisting of turkey breast slices wrapped around low-carb contents of your choice, such as cheese and veggies. Because of its high protein content. It prevents your blood sugar levels from rising too high

Snack your way and keep blood sugar under control. Stay healthy and happy!

We hope these snack ideas help you manage your diabetes more effectively while keeping your taste buds satisfied. Remember, the key to maintaining stable blood sugar levels is choosing snacks that are high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Stay healthy and happy by incorporating these nutritious options into your diet. For more tips on managing diabetes and healthy snacking, check out Healthy Reads or consult a GOQii Coach by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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TULSI – Solution to all ailments

tulsi-leavesTulsi or Basil leaves is a small light green to dark purple coloured plant, which is often seen to be grown in front off or near houses in a special pot or special small masonry structures in almost every Indian home. Whether you like keeping plants at home or not, this sacred and medicinal plant is seen in every house. It is considered sacred in India and a manifestation of goddess Tulsi, a consort of God Vishnu.

Talking about its medicinal properties, Tulsi is classified as an adaptogen: It adapts itself to whatever ailment the body is experiencing. Name any body part, beginning from your head, eyes, mouth, throat, stomach, or kidney, Tulsi has a cure for it.

Its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make it a much talked about the herbal plant in medicine.

Let’s quickly go through some of them:

  • Head: In heating summer, by applying the paste of crushed Tulsi and Chandan will give you immediate cooling and relief from headaches.
  • Eyes:  Dark Tulsi is known to be rich in Vitamin A and hence no doubt that it helps in curing eye soreness and night blindness.
  • Mouth: Soaking Tulsi seeds in water at night and consuming it in the morning along with milk will surely give you relief from mouth ulcers. I have tried this and it has benefited me by giving immediate relief.
  • Teeth: A paste made by sun drying the tulsi leaves and mixing them with mustard oil is known to maintain dental health and gives you relief from bad mouth odour.
  •  Nose, throat, and chest: Water boiled with basil leaves and a pinch of salt should be used to gargle to get relief from a sore throat. Almost all the ayurvedic cough syrups and expectorants have tulsi as their main component, as it is known to melt the mucus giving relief to bronchitis and asthma patients.
  • Fever: A hot and tasty tulsi decoction made by adding cardamom, clove, coriander seeds, Jeshthamadh or Jashthamadh or Mulethi with a small amount of jaggery helps to bring down fever after one has drunk the decoction in small portions.
  •  Kidney: In case of renal stone the juice of basil leaves and honey, if taken regularly for 6 months will flush them via the urinary tract.

 The flavonoids in tulsi leaves are believed to reduce the risk of platelets forming clots on the arterial wall, preventing coronary heart disease and heart attacks.

Tulsi juice is also beneficial in treating many of the skin infections like ringworm and other skin diseases.

Note: These are only general guidelines as a first aid. It is always better to see a doctor depending upon the intensity of the case.

We hope this article helps you understand the incredible benefits of Tulsi. Have you tried incorporating Tulsi into your daily routine? Let us know in the comments below. For more tips on natural remedies and nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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Top Foods to Increase Hemoglobin Naturally

hemoglobin

Hemoglobin and Iron are two terms that go hand in hand and there’s a simple understanding behind this. 70% of the body’s iron is found in hemoglobin and myoglobin. Hemoglobin is the red colored pigment present in red blood cells which carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of our body. This released oxygen then permits aerobic respiration to provide energy to power the functions of our body in the process called metabolism. 

That’s not where it’s role ends. It is also a part of other cells which are found in some major organs like lungs, kidneys and the skin. Here, it’s function is that of an antioxidant and regulator of iron metabolism. Finally, it also transports carbon dioxide out of the cells and back to the lungs to be blown out of our body. The expected normal range of Hemoglobin in men is above 13 gm/dL and women is above 12 gm/dL, typically which is not difficult to maintain but still is of major concern if goes below the desired levels, creating a condition called Anemia.

Lack of Folate or B-12, blood loss post surgery, heavy menstrual bleeding or internal bleeding due to ulcers or even inadequate intake are some possible causes of low Hemoglobin levels. All of this explains our symptoms of Anemia like exhaustion, skin paleness, headache to abnormal or rapid heartbeat and chest pain. We’ve read and heard of varied iron supplements which can be taken to replenish extremely low Hemoglobin levels but eating the right kind of foods in the correct combinations can help increase hemoglobin naturally and quickly also. 

What Can You Eat to Increase Hemoglobin? 

When thinking about Hemoglobin, the 1st mineral coming to our mind is Iron but here’s the catch – Iron alone cannot increase your Hb. It has to be in combination with Folate or Vit B12 (depending on the deficiency) and Vit. A & C which act as carriers for it’s better absorption. Combining all the above elements finally gives us this list of foods which can help increase hemoglobin naturally. 

  1. Foods like Shellfish, Sardines, Tuna, Mackerel, Eggs and Meat are high on Heme Iron which is easily absorbed in the body and do not require carriers.
  2. Plant foods like Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Beetroot, Pumpkin Seeds, and legumes like Soybeans, Chickpeas, Peas, etc. can help as well. 
  3. Vit. A & C rich foods like Tomatoes, Carrots, Lemon, Red Peppers, Oranges, Pomegranates, etc. should be used in combination with above mentioned foods.
  4. Fortified cereals also help as they are high in Folate.

While some elements are carriers, some can act as an hindrance. Phytic acid and Calcium are 2 such elements which make Iron absorption harder. Hence, avoid taking Calcium supplements or very high calcium rich foods along with Iron rich foods or supplements. Before making any changes to your diet, do consult a doctor, nutritionist or your dietitian. 

We hope this article to increase hemoglobin naturally helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more useful information on Hemoglobin and other health-related queries, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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