lifestyle tips Archives

September 22, 2020 By Madhu Soni 1 Comment

6 Foods That Trigger Migraine

Migraine is a severe headache accompanied by nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Initially the pain may be very mild, but gradually builds up to a throbbing pain. You may experience pain in one area or the pain may shift and sometimes, affect the entire head. It varies from person to person. The pain can go on for hours or even days.

What Triggers A Migraine?

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact triggers for a Migraine. Medical science states that inflammation of the neurotransmitters causes migraine. Hormonal imbalance, stress, change in season, change in physical activity, etc. are all possible causes for this debilitating condition. However, certain foods have shown to play a major role in provoking the migraine.

Alcohol: High consumption of alcohol causes dehydration and this causes the brain to react in a different way. This could be a major trigger. Apart from other alcohols, red wine, which is considered to be good for health, can cause migraine.
Chocolate: Although nitric oxide is very good for the heart and blood vessels, nitrates present in chocolates tend to cause migraine as dilation of blood vessels can activate this condition.
Processed Food: Most fast food, chinese food, ready to cook meals, instant noodles, pasta, oats, chips and other fried snacking options have an active ingredient called monosodium glutamate (MSG) which is considered safe to eat, but is said to be linked with migraine.
Fermented Food: contains histamine which may be a possible reason. Cheese, pickled vegetables and fruits, dry fruits, sauerkraut, kimchi and vinegar come under the umbrella of fermented food. The high salt content in most of these foods may act as a trigger.
Citrus Fruits: like oranges, lemons, melons etc. are also known to trigger this condition. These citrus fruits may cause gas formation which may kickstart the migraine
Leftover food: Stale food is said to be one of the reasons for igniting a migraine as the tyramine content increases during the storage period, hence making one more vulnerable to this pain. If food is not stored at the right temperature, it can trigger the pain.

We hope this article helps you! Stay away from these foods if you have a migraine condition. Do consult your doctor and stay safe! For more on nutrition, what to eat and what to avoid, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

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June 16, 2020 By Navnee Garg Leave a Comment

Does Food Cooked In Different Utensils Impact Your Health?

If cooking is an art, then the utensils are the canvas. With different cuisines in our country, even the variety of utensils are different – each has its own use. This makes it essential to know how the metals react to different foods. While we’re busy choosing fancy non-stick cookware or microwave friendly utensils, we need to understand that they aren’t safe as they can harm your health in the long run. Back in the day, clay pots, iron, brass and bronze utensils were used for cooking as they not only preserved the nutrients in food but also enhanced the taste.

How Do Different Utensils Impact Your Health?

Stainless Steel: It is the most commonly used iron alloy made up of chromium, nickel, carbon and silicon and has aluminium or copper coating at the bottom for heating purposes. Stainless steel is considered the safest metal to use for cooking as it does not react with food or flake or leach harmful chemicals into the food leading to no adverse effects on the immune system.
Aluminium: Our baking utensils are mostly made up of aluminum as the metal is ideal for high temperatures. Aluminum also has a larger than life use in our Indian Kitchen, in the form of utensils or a foil wrap. Food cooked in aluminum utensils tends to absorb aluminum because aluminum dissolves into food and water during the cooking process. But cooking alkaline foods in aluminum is completely safe for our immune system as the amount of aluminum soaked is very less. It is always better to avoid cooking acidic food like tomatoes or sauerkraut in aluminum as it can react quite badly with the metal and may release harmful compounds in your meal, making it dangerous to consume.
Cast Iron: A very popular metal for our kitchens. All our kadhai, tavas and skillets are made of Cast Iron. Cooking in iron is an excellent way to add some iron in our diet as it leaches iron into our food. Iron is not only a metal but also an essential mineral required by the body. Imagine cooking an iron rich food in an iron pan, this would help you add value to the daily required Iron for your body. For example , premenopausal women require 18mg of iron per day and A serving of scrambled eggs cooked in a cast iron skillet increased from 1.49 mg to 4.76 mg of iron. And along with it, we can prepare tomato sauce in an iron pan that can provide 5mg off iron which is 60% of RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance). Infact, cooking regularly in iron utensils can help you hit the struggle to achieve daily iron RDA.
Non-Stick: Mostly called as Teflon coating, this is an easy cookware to use and clean. But unfortunately, as a Nutritionist, I do not recommend excessive use of these utensils as the chemicals used to manufacture the non-stick coating can harm human health by causing abnormal thyroid hormone levels, liver inflammation, cancer, elevated cholesterol and reduced immune system response. We can use non-stick for a few recipes like pancakes, cheela or dosa which is not a daily staple meal. But, I would not recommend making paranthas or subzis on a daily basis.
Glassware: Considered another Neutral cookware and a good heat conductor to consider for baking your dishes. Although a few unhealthy components such as lead and cadmium leach out in food while cooking but the amount is minimal to harm human health.
Ceramic: is considered to be the safest when it comes to healthy cooking. An environment friendly cookware made using all-natural clay, water and gas. This can be a great replacement for dishes we cook in Teflon non-stick pans and pots as it does not affect the immune system adversely.
Copper: An excellent metal to promote health from your kitchen. Copper utensils with tin or nickel coatings can be used for cooking rice due to its antibacterial properties or storing drinking water due to its medicinal properties, the ability to improve the digestive system, slow down ageing and heal wounds faster. Copper can also detoxify the body and increase Hemoglobin. But you need to take care while cooking in copper as acidic foods react with copper and can hinder the taste.

Every metal has its own pros and cons. The ideal way to cook is to choose the perfect cookware as per the recipe. Try some more ancient methods of cooking in iron, clay/earthen pots as they are not only safe but loaded with various health benefits like retaining/adding nutritive value to the food and helping the immune system.

We hope this article helps. For more tips on health and wellness, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to experts LIVE on GOQii Play.

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June 4, 2020 By Shaeba Shaikh 2 Comments

5 Tips To Maintain A Healthy Gut This Monsoon

Maintain a healthy gut

The 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, bloatedness, flatulence, gas, etc. making it crucial to maintain a healthy gut during this season.

How Can You Maintain A Healthy Gut?

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

Adding 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.
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.
Eating 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.
Consuming 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.
Eating Foods Which Are 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!

Did these tips help? Want to know more? Write down your thoughts in the comments below!

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March 11, 2020 By Luke Coutinho 2 Comments

A Simple Way To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy

Obesity comes with its own set of problems. It just doesn’t mean excess weight and heart problems. A lot more is involved. A common point that most people miss out is the health of their kidneys. Adverts in various media platforms educate and try and sell you the best ‘Dialysis’ options available and a plethora of medication. Dialysis is a painful procedure. It affects people’s lives, jobs, families, relationships, etc.

Your goal should be to never reach that stage if it’s in your control, and in most cases, your lifestyle is the only thing that is really in your control. It’s your choice. Keeping your kidneys working at their best should be a top priority. But, what’s sad is that even if you’re paying attention you could still end up with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Just taking care of your kidneys isn’t enough to prevent it.

The two main causes are high blood pressure and diabetes. In fact, one in three adults with diabetes—and 20% with high blood pressure have CKD. So, if you think this doesn’t affect you or a loved one, think again. About 26 million people have this kidney condition. And the numbers are only getting higher.

Chronic kidney disease can be hard to spot early. Most people find out they have it after a blood or urine test. Their doctors’ first course of action—of course—is to write a prescription. This can include blood pressure medications like beta blockers and even statins. If you don’t catch CKD early, your options could be even scarier, like dialysis or a full-on transplant. But, new research out of China has found a simple, natural solution.

Researchers in China followed 6,363 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). After 10 years they found people who did this were 33% less likely to die. But, this didn’t just help prevent death, it also helped improve the quality of life. These people lowered their risk for needing dialysis—or even a kidney transplant—by 21%. And that’s just the average. This easy, everyday activity may help you live longer with CKD—maybe even avoid it entirely.

We’re talking about walking. It sounds simple, but it’s effective. And for some people in the study, it may have added enjoyable years to their life. The people in this study who walked the most saw an even greater benefit than the rest of the group. Walking for 30 minutes or less at least once a day helped some subjects reduce mortality risk by 59%. And their likelihood of needing a kidney transplant or dialysis dropped by 44%.

Your kidneys may be the most important organs in your body. They act like a filter for your blood. Their main job is to remove waste products and balance fluid levels. But, they also help produce vitamin D and red blood cells. They even help regulate blood pressure.

Chronic kidney disease includes a variety of conditions that cause your kidneys to shut down over time. At first, you may not notice anything is wrong. But, as time goes on, waste levels can build. This may eventually make you feel sick. But it can also lead to high blood pressure and nerve damage. Worse yet, CKD may increase your risk of developing heart disease.

Simply walking for a few minutes a day may help you avoid transplant or dialysis. It may even help you live longer with CKD. But exercise is also a great way to avoid CKD in the first place. Making the switch to high-intensity exercise could lead to impressive results. It may also help lower your blood pressure and diabetes – the two main causes that lead to developing CKD.

So get moving. Exercise should be your only medicine. We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more tips on how to improve kidney health, tune in to experts on GOQii Play.

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