Health & Nutrition

How to Sleep Better

March 21, 2023

Are you struggling with your sleep cycle? It\’s ironic how people promote sleep deprivation for hustle culture when better sleep is the most important part of one\’s lifestyle. Proper rest ensures a healthy body as well as mind. Not getting enough sleep can make you feel sluggish during the day while oversleeping can make you feel tired. Apart from this, lack of sleep can also lead to various heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many more such lifestyle diseases. Research has proved that lack of it hampers the human ability to concentrate, thus affecting productivity levels. Hence, you need to avoid being a night owl to ward off such issues and live a quality life. There can be a lot of reasons for getting insufficient sleep, and most of them are treatable by making the right lifestyle choices. So, here in this article, you will see why sleep plays such an important role in your daily life and get practical tips that will help you to sleep better. Why Sleep Is Important Before you try out methods for effective sleep, you must understand why a proper sleep schedule is important for your health. As per various research, sleep has proven to have a significant effect on your brain health, heart health, metabolism, hormones as well as on the immune system. Healthy amounts of sleep can help in refreshing your mind to boost your attention levels whenever needed. It helps your brain to relax yet works continuously in processing your thoughts and storing memories. Thus, lack of sleep leads to impaired memory, increased stress, deteriorated communication skills, and slowing cognition. This makes it pretty clear if you don\’t get enough sleep it can degrade your quality of life crucially. The recommended amount of sleep for various ages is as follows: Newborns: 14 to 17 hours Infants: 12 to 15 hours Teens: 8 to 10 hours Adults: 7 to 9 hours The reason why younger age groups are advised more hours of sleep is due to the fact that during the initial stages of life, the brain is still developing. And, longer sleep ensures that all the functions required for adequate growth are carried out in the most effective way. Role of Nutrition Sleep is one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle, thus naturally has a strong connection with what you eat. An adequate amount of nutrition can help in sleeping better. Studies suggest that the type of diet you are following can influence your sleep quality as well as quantity strongly. Therefore, it is essential to focus on consuming nutrition-rich meals. Banana, Kiwi, Chamomile, Tart cherries, Pistachios, pumpkin pie/spice, turkey, peanut butter, chickpeas, oats, walnuts, avocado, and lavender tea stimulates sleep and provide a good amount of nutrition. Tips to Get Better Sleep Now we get to the part where you can find practical and most effective tips, and help you reap the benefits that come with a good sleep schedule! In the Morning Maintain a Wakeup Routine As soon as you wake up drink a glass of water. Start your day by going for a workout or meditating and try to have a healthy breakfast option. Take in the Sunshine Studies suggest, going for a morning walk or a sunbath to acquire Vitamin D can stimulate a good sleeping rhythm. In the Afternoon Limit Caffeine Consumption Excessive caffeine intake causes sleep deprivation by blocking the sleep-promoting chemicals in the brain and disrupting the cycle. Avoiding caffeine at least 6 hours before sleep can also help in falling asleep better. Avoid daytime naps Avoid heavy meals that cause sleepiness during the day, as they can worsen the night routine for people who already have troubled sleeping patterns. At Night The perfect bedtime routine consists of putting away your phone, listening to relaxing music that soothes your soul or reading a peaceful book, and positively writing a gratitude journal! Let’s see what all habits can help you fall asleep quickly. Create a Sleeping Ritual Aromatherapy Certain scents are known to help your brain relax better. There are a variety of essential oils available to choose from and they can be used in a number of ways, primarily by applying to certain parts of the body or using in diffusers. These can help you in falling asleep quickly as well as improve sleep quality. Bedtime Yoga Bedtime yoga can be helpful when you need to let go of stress and just relax to sleep better. You can try poses like the Child\’s pose, Butterfly stretch, and Corpse pose to relax your body and get ready for a good night\’s rest. Warm Shower Taking a warm water bath half an hour before sleeping can improve your body\’s temperature and signal your brain that it\’s time to fall asleep. Limit Use of Gadgets It is evident how using electronic gadgets at night can affect both your physical as well as mental health. Actively using your phone while in bed can delay your sleep and lead to disturbed sleeping patterns. Practice 10 minutes of meditation Just like yoga, practicing meditation can help your body feel better and relaxed. You can try guided meditations or even just breath in and out at a slower pace and experience calmness in your body. This can help you avoid staying awake due to stress or overthinking. Daily Habits for Better Sleep Try to get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This will create a schedule for your body and naturally improve your nap routine. Clean up a bit and make your bed. Even just having a tidy bed with clean sheets can help in sleeping better at night. Enjoy a hearty, nutritious breakfast. It is best to eat larger meals in the morning and smaller ones just before bed. A warm glass of milk is recommended as it contains tryptophan, which acts as a natural sleep inducer. Conclusion There are ample reasons to prioritize proper rest, it helps in maintaining your health, minimizing

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How to Gain Weight in a Healthy Way

October 4, 2022

Whether you are burdened with work or your studies, it can be quite tough to stay healthy. Things can get quite complicated when you have to plan your meals and take care of your nutrition as well. And if not taken care of, you may gain weight or lose weight at extreme levels. And while people are generally aware of overweight issues, people need to know more about underweight issues. Being underweight can have serious implications in the long term leading to a weakened immune system, poor bone health, fertility problems, nutritional deficiencies, and more! Apart from a poor lifestyle, certain medical conditions can be responsible for making you underweight. People try out a lot of different remedies to reach their ideal healthy weight range like working out in the gym and other diet forms hoping that it would help. But, in most cases, they miss out on the right strategy suitable for them and are unable to see results. In this article, we will understand more about the harm of being underweight and how you can gain weight in a healthy way. How to Check if you\’re Underweight? In the current day and age, all of us see the crazy glorification of being skinny on the internet. Thus, it can be hard to determine whether you are skinny with a healthy BMI, or you are dangerously close to being underweight. The most common way used by the majority is to calculate one\’s body mass index or BMI. It is a measure that considers your height and weight and gives out a number through which you can determine if you lie in the healthy weight category or underweight. A BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be a healthy weight range. But if you have a BMI less than 18.5, then it means that you are underweight. If you fall into this category, it\’s time to make changes in your lifestyle for the better. Why you can\’t Gain Weight? If you aren\’t able to gain weight, the chances are that you have already tried stuffing yourself with food. You may have even gone for hours of exercise without seeing any progress. This indicates that there is something you are not doing right. While there are various factors at play, it is your daily calorie intake that will help you with gaining weight. This basically means that without consuming enough calories, you won\’t gain weight no matter what you do. To be more specific, you need to be in a calorie surplus to gain weight in a healthy way. However, there might be a few cases where you are already in a calorie surplus but still cannot gain weight. This can happen due to various other reasons some of which include the following: Factors Affecting your Weight Gain Fast Metabolism: A fast metabolism means that your body burns all consumed calories at a very fast rate. Thus, the current calorie surplus you are in may not be sufficient to gain weight. Intense Physical Activity: Since regular and intense physical activity burns a lot of calories, you may not be eating enough calories for the same. In other words, you might not be in a true calorie surplus and unable to gain weight. Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions like hyperthyroidism, diabetes, PCOS, and others can affect your appetite and metabolism. And for many people affected by these, it can cause unintentional weight loss. If you have disturbed hormones, that too can affect your weight. Mental Health Issues: In case you are unfamiliar, both your mental health and gut health affect each other due to the gut-brain connection. If you are going through any kind of mental health issues, then it can definitely affect your gut health and metabolism. And hence, it can affect your current weight. Family History: According to recent research, your weight might be affected due to genetic mutation. However, usually, families with a history of a low BMI tend to be underweight because of their common lifestyle habits. Healthy Tips to Gain Weight While there might be multiple reasons for you being underweight, you can still overcome them by making the right lifestyle changes. You simply need to make the right lifestyle changes and essentially get into a healthy calorie surplus. Some of the simple changes that you can make in your lifestyle to gain weight in a healthy way include the following: 1. Calorie-rich Food to Gain Weight Your daily food intake plays the most important role in both weight gain as well as weight loss. When it comes to gaining weight, you can either start eating more or replace your current food meals with other calorie-dense options. Such calorie-rich food meals will allow you to increase your calorie intake without increasing your meal portions. However, it is highly important to make sure that you are also taking care of your nutrition intake for a healthy weight gain. For starters, you can try adding things like dates, nuts, smoothies, full-fat yogurt, eggs, meat, potatoes, and others to your diet. With the right combination of these and other food items, getting into a healthy calorie surplus will be fairly easy. 2. Regular Eating Intervals for Gaining Weight Even with calorie-dense food options, you may have to eat a lot of food. And depending on your calorie surplus food intake, you may have to eat large food portions. Because that is not possible for everyone, you can simply eat at regular intervals instead of eating in large portions. Even if you have a small appetite, managing multiple meals in a day is much easier than eating large portions of food. In other words, try having multiple meals in a day instead of three major meals with extreme portion sizes. 3. Avoid Junk Food for Healthy Weight Gain The other thing to keep in mind is that all calories are not equal. Since you would want to go for a healthy weight gain, choosing calories dense but healthy food

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Best Pre and Post Workout Meals

September 20, 2022

These days, more and more people are becoming more aware of the importance of working out. Hence, everyone is hitting the gym or training at home. However, very few know the importance of pre and post workout meals. Apart from training regularly, taking the right diet is also highly important if you wish to gain muscle mass. And this not only includes your food meals throughout the day but also your pre and post workout meals. Unfortunately, there is a myth widespread among people that one should keep their stomach empty before hitting the gym. But in reality, eating right to get energy and proper nutrition for your workouts is highly crucial. And this is only possible by having the right pre workout and post workout meals. So, if you also work out on an empty stomach, this guide is just for you! We have covered all the important information about pre and post workout meals down below. You can also find their nutrition info, ideal timings, and most importantly, the best pre and post workout meal ideas. What are Pre Workout Meals? So as you can guess by the name, a pre-workout meal is something that you eat before your workout sessions. But is any meal taken before workouts going to be a pre-workout meal? The answer for this is obviously no. In short, pre-workout meals are the ones that offer sufficient energy for exercising without making you bloated or feeling full. However, there is still more to pre-workout meals as you will see later on. To better understand what exactly a pre-workout meal is, you need to consider these two vital points: Nutrition from Pre Workout Meals: While all three macronutrients are equally important, your focus needs to be primarily on carbohydrates when choosing a pre-workout meal. And to be more specific, should go with meals that offer simple carbs instead of complex carbs. By eating simple carbs, your body can get energy much faster than it gets from complex carbs. Because of this same phenomenon, you may have even heard about carbo-loading in the past. It essentially means eating meals with simple carbs to perform your best while working out. Without a proper pre-workout meal, your muscles may run out of energy. This may resulting in feeling fatigued and exhausted while working out. While fats and proteins also provide energy, your top priority should be simple carbs for pre-workout meals. Timing of Pre Workout Meals: Speaking of time, eating your pre workout meals at the right time is also quite important. If you have ever tried a pre-workout meal in the past, then you must know that you should refrain from eating right before exercising. Because if you eat anything right before your workouts, it can make you feel stuffed and even bloated which will certainly affect your performance during workouts. Since even simple carbs take time to break down, a time gap is needed between your meals and workouts. However, a long gap will make you run out of energy by the time you start exercising. Based on these facts, it is recommended to eat your pre-workout meal 30-60 minutes before your workouts. It depends on what you\’re eating and the type of exercises that you do. But most people also eat three primary meals in a day including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Thus, while choosing the timing for your pre-workout meals you need to consider these too. Depending on your workout timings, you can either eat your primary meals as a pre-workout meal. Otherwise, you can eat your pre-workout meal between your primary meals and workout sessions. For most, it is going to be a small meal or snack for a pre-workout meal. Best Pre Workout Meals for Muscle Gain Now that you know the important things to consider while picking a pre-workout meal, choosing one should be fairly easy. But, if you\’re unfamiliar with nutritious meals, then check out these best pre-workout meals for muscle gain: Coffee & Biscuits: Even though it may sound quite simple, the caffeine from coffee and carbs from multigrain or digestive biscuits can give you a good amount of energy for your workouts. Fruit Bowl: In case you want something even simpler as your pre workout meal, then you can go with a simple fruit bowl which will offer you a good amount of carbs, natural sugars, and a wide range of micronutrients. Banana Smoothie: You can also consider this since both banana and milk offer you plenty of energy for your workouts. Peanut Butter Sandwich: A peanut butter sandwich offers more than just carbohydrates. It also contains fats and proteins which makes it an all-rounder pre workout meal. What are Post Workout Meals? By now you must know pretty much everything about pre workout meals. However, to get the best results from your training, eating the right post workout meal is also quite important. As stated above, a pre workout meal is there to help you get the energy needed for workouts. On the other hand, a post workout meal is needed for post workout recovery. Your muscles go through a lot of wear and tear during heavy workouts. And when provided the right nutrition while repairing, the muscles grow bigger than before. This is the phenomenon behind muscle build-up from workouts. So, for this process, your muscles need to restore glycogen, which is the stored energy used during workouts. All this can happen only if you consume the proper nutrients. Thus, it is imperative to take care of your body to speed up your muscle recovery. Coming up, we will dig more into the nutrients you should be focusing on for post workout meals. You will also learn about the ideal timing for your post workout meal to get the best results. Nutrition from Meals: After a workout, the right meal can really make the difference you need in your fitness journey. So, while a balance of every macronutrient is desirable, you need to focus more on the consumption

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How to Overcome Emotional & Stress Eating

Emotional & Stress Eating: Causes & Solutions

August 22, 2022

The modern world as we know it can be quite tolling on our mental health. And this can lead to all sorts of mental health issues like stress and anxiety. However, the issues don\’t stop there since mental health issues can lead to further health issues because of things like stress eating. If you are hearing about stress eating or emotional eating for the first time, then you are definitely at the right place! We will be going through all the important details regarding emotional eating and learning everything about it. More importantly, you can learn about the symptoms of stress eating and how you can overcome emotional eating with simple lifestyle changes. What is Stress Eating or Emotional Eating? When people turn to food to pacify themselves in a state of emotional imbalance, we call it emotional eating. Emotional eating is associated with mindless eating without being actually hungry. Although, if you’re an emotional eater, you might think you’re hungry when you’re stressed out. But, there is a difference between feeling hungry because of stress and being physically hungry. Actual Hunger vs Emotional Hunger To better understand emotional eating, let\’s learn about the differences between actual hunger and emotional hunger which leads to emotional or stress eating: Emotional hunger feels more like a sudden craving, whereas physical hunger comes gradually. If you are emotional eating, you will end up binge eating without minding the food quantities. For example, you may eat a whole bag of chips or a whole tub of ice cream without realizing how much you are eating. Emotional hunger comes after an emotional trigger and physical hunger generally takes place around your usual meal timings. While emotional hunger will be satisfied after eating a lot of food or feeling mentally better, physical hunger will be satisfied by eating just as per your usual appetite. Emotional hunger makes you turn to your favorite comfort food only and you will be eating particular food items. On the other hand, you will be open to more options if you are feeling physical hunger. Even if you end up eating a lot of food due to physical hunger, you won\’t feel guilty afterward. On the other hand, emotional hunger will definitely make you feel bad about binge eating. Whenever you are physically hungry, you will feel the effects of it in your stomach due to a growling sensation or something similar. However, emotional hunger is all in your mind and it is more of a thought than a feeling in your stomach. Symptoms of Stress Eating While there are various scenarios that can lead up to stress eating, the overall symptoms or reasons leading to emotional eating will be usually similar. Even if you recently had lunch or dinner, you may end up getting stressed due to work, studies, personal issues, or any other thing going on in your life. And if any of these factors make you crave eating snacks, then it is definitely a symptom of stress eating. While it is fairly normal to face such an experience once in a while, depending on food to overcome mental stress and agitation on a regular basis is definitely a matter of concern. Stress Eating is More Dangerous than you Think Now that you know more about emotional & stress eating, let\’s learn more about the dangers and effects of emotional eating: Weight Gain Relying on food to temporarily improve your mental health will make you eat much more food than required. Hence, it can result in serious weight gain issues over time. Lifestyle Diseases Since stress eating generally makes you eat comfort food including junk food and processed food items, it can lead to various lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart problems, and much more. Economical Effects Apart from its effects on your physical health, eating a lot of food due to stress and anxiety can also have economical effects since you may end up spending a lot on food that you generally wouldn\’t eat. Mental Toll Even though you are opting for stress eating to overcome mental stress, emotional eating itself will also lead to a mental toll. If you are stress-eating on a regular basis, you will eventually start feeling guilty for the same which can make you further stressed about your health. Why do People Turn to Stress Eating? There can be multiple possible reasons leading to emotional eating including financial stress, relationship stress, work-related stress, and so on. Stressing out creates a sense of emotional vacuum in the mind. Because of this, people turn to stress eating as a way to overcome the stress in their daily lives. Eating food will make you feel psychologically full, thereby creating an illusion of filling any emotional void. These cravings are mostly for comfort food and fast food items that act as a dopamine hit and make you feel better. This is obviously a temporary relief because the hunger is for emotional fullness, not physical. And as discussed earlier, this dopamine hit comes at the cost of all kinds of health effects. Identifying Emotional Triggers Leading to Stress Eating: If you are struggling with emotional eating, then there are definitely some emotional triggers that make you do so. And if you want to overcome stress eating or emotional eating, identifying these triggers is highly important. Some common emotional triggers leading to stress eating include: Daily Life Stress As mentioned earlier, stress from various events in your daily life is one of the biggest emotional triggers of stress eating. Behavioral Habits For some, eating habits can be carried from their childhood to their adulthood. This simply means that if your parents rewarded you with food while feeling low, then you may build up a habit of the same. Social Gatherings While hanging out with friends is definitely great to reduce stress, people tend to hang out at restaurants and cafes. Hence, you may end up binge eating or stress eating in the name of a

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Benefits of Physical Activity

July 13, 2022

Being active is a great way to keep all sorts of health problems at bay. There are various benefits of physical activity for everyone irrespective of your age. Regular physical activity is highly crucial for improving your health and vitals. Regular exercise can assist in preventing or delaying various health issues. Moreover, being active can make you feel and look better today and in the future. In fact, lack of physical activity can result in frequent hospital visits due to various lifestyle diseases. Thus, we are here with a complete guide on the benefits of physical activity for beginners: Benefits of Physical Activity To start, let’s take a look at the benefits of physical activity. Explore these seven ways in which exercising can make you healthier and happier: Helps with Weight Control Regular exercise can help in losing weight and avoiding weight gain by burning calories . The more intense your workout, the higher amount of calories you\’ll be burning. Regular visits to the gym are always beneficial even if you aren\’t able to work out each day. Any amount of exercise is better than nothing. Enhances Mood Do you need an emotional lift? Or are you looking to relax after an extended day? An exercise session at the gym or going for a brisk walk can definitely help. One of the best benefits of physical activity is that it releases endorphins into your brain. These endorphins make you feel calmer, happier, and less anxious. You even feel more confident about yourself with regular physical activity. Reduces Stress If you\’re stressed, it is recommended to go for some sort of physical activity. Stress not only affects the quality of your sleep but also the immune system. It causes a build-up of harmful oxygen radicals in the body that lead to different diseases. Thus, physical exercise can be highly effective in decreasing stress. When you\’re feeling stressed, consider going for a short workout session or a brisk walk. You\’ll surely notice changes in your disposition. Strengthens Muscles And Bones As you age, you begin losing muscle mass and bone density. That\’s why a lot of women over 30 suffer from arthritis, loose skin, and osteoporosis. Regular physical activity increases mineral density in bones to protect them from osteoporosis. Strength training can also help increase strength, muscle mass, and endurance. Lowers High Blood Pressure High blood pressure can cause heart attacks, strokes, or even death in extreme cases. It is usually caused by a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, or genetic inheritance. If you are suffering from high blood pressure or hypertension, it is important to ensure that you eat right and stay physically active. Relief from Physical Discomforts Physical activity can help with joint aches like lower back or knee pain. A good workout routine can be helpful for persistent aches and long-term injuries. Although, make sure to consult a doctor first for your workout regime in case of joint aches. Increased Energy Levels Your body goes through a surge of hormones when you exercise. These hormones offer a boost in energy that can help you overcome fatigue and improve focus. This boost in energy is particularly beneficial for those suffering from chronic fatigue. Benefits of Physical Activity for Child Development Physical activity is extremely crucial for mental and physical growth of children and teenagers. Thus, children should be encouraged to exercise from an early age. The benefits of physical activity also help create links between brains and nerves. It helps with brain development, motor skills, personal awareness, social interactions, imagination, and more. Regular physical activity even increases oxygen flow in the body and removes toxins. It also helps in keeping all vitals in check for growing children. Hence, even children and teenagers should also stay physically active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is essential for improving their physical and mental health. How to Increase Physical Activity? Now that you know about the various benefits of physical activity, let\’s see how you can increase physical activity in our daily lives: Household Chores: Doing chores is an excellent method to stay active and fit. So make it a habit to tidy up and clear up your home on a regular basis. Walking Meetings: You can increase physical activity at work by having call and in-person meetings while taking a walk. Public Transportation: Try to use public transport instead of a personal vehicle. Taking the bus or train will allow you to walk large distances to stay active instead of sitting in your car. Take the Stairs: You can simply take stairs instead of the elevator to increase your physical activity. Even if you are only climbing a few floors, it will still add up quite a lot to your daily physical activity. Dance and Aerobics: Dancing is an enjoyable and exciting way to increase your physical activity for weight loss. It\’s a great way to pump your heart to increase endurance and burn calories. Dancing is a great way to work out without using any equipment. Tips to Avoid Injuries during Physical Activity While regular physical activity is quite important, you should be careful and avoid all injuries. For the same, you can consider these points: Warm-up for 5-10 minutes before and cool down for 5-10 minutes after your workouts. Start slow and gradually increase your activity unless you work out on a regular basis. Select the right clothes and shoes specifically for your exercise. Replace your shoes every six months as the cushioning wears away. Exercising in humid and hot weather can result in overheating and dehydration. Make sure to stay hydrated and avoid working out in extreme temperatures. Avoid exercising if you\’re feeling sick or tired. Reduce your physical activity if you can\’t complete an exercise routine or feel tired after exercising or throughout the day. Conclusion Physical activity is crucial if you want to shed weight, reach fitness goals, and improve your vitals. There are various health benefits of physical activity irrespective of your age and gender.

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White vs Brown Sugar vs Jaggery vs Honey

July 5, 2022

What is the best part of a meal? Most people will agree it to be the dessert! Any sugary dessert that you may have after a meal or as a snack during the day, can be quite satisfying. But more than its taste, sugar has a large number of health effects that we will be discussing here along with the difference between white vs brown sugar vs jaggery vs honey. Sugar happens to be one of the most commonly used ingredients in modern food culture. Many of us start our day with a cup of coffee or tea along with some sugar cubes. Others consume chocolates and other desserts containing sugar after their meals. Moreover, sugar also happens to be a key ingredient of foods and beverages such as ice creams, packed juices, cold drinks, energy drinks, energy bars, etc. In short, all of us consume sugar on a daily basis. While sugar may tempt your taste buds, consuming it in excess can be quite problematic. And because of the health risks associated with sugar, many people have started using other alternatives such as honey and jaggery. People who are diabetic or have cholesterol problems use stevia to balance the sugar portion in their diet. However, choosing the right sweetener for your meals and desserts can be quite confusing since there are various options available out there. Apart from artificial ones, you can find various natural sweeteners like white sugar, brown sugar, jaggery, honey, and others. Thus, today in this article, we will take a look at the differences between white vs brown sugar vs jaggery vs honey. You can learn everything about these sweeteners and their properties down below. What are the Different Types of Sugar? Sugar itself can be classified as white and brown sugar which are explained down below: What is White Sugar? White sugar contains 99.9% sucrose. Also known as table sugar, it is manufactured by processing and refining the natural sugar found in sugar beet or sugar cane. Elements such as moisture, ash, minerals, and compounds that give sugar its color are removed by refining the sugar which makes it colorless. White sugar is considered an empty-calorie food since it only has calories and does not offer any nutrients. As for its calorie content, white sugar contains 390 kcal per 100 grams. What is Brown Sugar? Brown sugar is manufactured by either limiting the refinement process to retain the content of molasses or by mixing refined sugar with additional molasses. In other words, brown sugar is nothing but white sugar which has a higher molasses content. Brown sugar comprises 93.5-96.5% of sucrose and 3.5-6.5% molasses. The content of molasses in this sugar makes it appear brown in color. The higher the molasses content, the darker the color. When compared to table sugar, the calories present in brown sugar are lesser since it contains 375 kcal per 100 grams. Although, unlike white sugar, brown sugar also comprises 11 percent of the daily value of iron along with other nutrients like calcium, potassium, and magnesium in small quantities. What is Jaggery? Those who do not want to consume sugar can rely on jaggery to fulfill their sweet cravings. The production of jaggery is much simpler compared to sugar. It is made by crushing sugarcane to obtain sugarcane juice. After that, the sugarcane juice is heated to produce thick crystals. These crystals are further solidified to offer them the shape of blocks or rolls. Compared to white or brown sugar, jaggery is a slightly healthier alternative. The nutritional value of jaggery is higher than its counterparts, and it comes with some health benefits. Starting with its calorie content, jaggery contains 380 kcal per 100 gram. But unlike sugar, it even has other nutrients like 0.4 grams protein, 11 mg iron, 100-150mg magnesium, and 0.5-2 mg magnesium. While some people use jaggery for home remedies, it can lead to various side effects such as increased blood sugar levels, weight gain, nose bleeding, and indigestion if consumed in excess quantities. White vs Brown Sugar The main difference between white and brown sugar is the content of molasses. When molasses is separated from sugar, it gets refined and becomes white sugar. When molasses is added to the sugar during the manufacturing process, it becomes brown, hence the name. The texture and color of the latter are defined by the quality of molasses and the level of processing. In short, they both have almost the same nutritional value and taste. And the primary difference between these two is their color. Brown Sugar vs Jaggery Although brown sugar and jaggery have the same brown color, there are differences between the two. Manufacturing Differences between Brown Sugar vs Jaggery Brown sugar is made by mixing refined sugar and a controlled amount of molasses. It gives sugar a toffee-like flavor and color. Because of these factors, this sugar is used to make cakes, barbecue sauces, cookie dough, and other food items. On the other hand, jaggery is made using palm sap or sugarcane juice. The juice is heated and reduced into a thick brown paste, after which it is hardened. As it remains unrefined, jaggery has many flavors. The predominant flavor tastes like caramel or fruit along with notes of smoke. Nutritional Value Differences between Brown Sugar vs Jaggery Both brown sugar and jaggery have varied nutritional values. The content of molasses in brown sugar results in small quantities of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Despite this, there are no real benefits of consuming brown sugar as it is nothing but empty calories. On the other hand, jaggery has a slightly higher quantity of iron and essential minerals. The rich content of jaggery makes it a slightly healthier alternative to white and brown sugar. Sweetness Difference between Brown Sugar vs Jaggery The level of sweetness is another point of difference between brown sugar and jaggery. In comparison, brown sugar is sweeter than jaggery. If you want to substitute brown sugar with jaggery,

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Plant and Animal Protein: Which is the Best?

June 15, 2022

In case you want to have a healthy body, it is highly important that you have a balanced diet that includes all the essential nutrients like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Because of the importance of nutrients like protein, you might be confused between plant and animal protein sources. Since protein can be found in both plant and animal protein sources, choosing between plant and animal-based food items can be a bit confusing. Thus, we are here with a complete guide on plant vs animal protein, differences between proteins, benefits of plant and animal protein, and much more. Protein and its Importance Protein plays an integral role in the growth of the human body. It serves as the building block for your tissues and muscles. Proteins can also work as an energy source for your daily activities. When you incorporate protein into your daily diet, it improves your overall health and body growth. This nutrient also performs other body functions such as strengthening immunity, maintaining cell structure, acting as a catalyst in many chemical reactions, regulating the functions of hormones, maintaining organ structure, and ensuring the overall development and growth of your body. Since you can get sufficient protein from both plant and animal food sources choosing the better one can be quite confusing for most. Thus, let’s take a deeper look at both of these. What is Plant Protein? Plant protein is the protein that comes from food items sourced from plants and trees. Even though plant proteins are considered “incomplete” by most, that is not the reality. While some plant protein sources may lack certain essential amino acids, you can combine multiple plant-based protein sources. These combine together and make for a complete plant protein source. Plant protein sources also consist of phytonutrients like antioxidants. These also include a lower amount of saturated fat and a higher amount of unsaturated fats. What is Animal Protein? As the name suggests, animal protein is the protein that gets sourced from animal-based food items. It is considered a complete protein and provides all the essential amino acids required by your body even if you don’t combine different sources together. And if you are consuming fortified animal sources, it can have higher quantities of nutrients Vitamin D, Heme-Iron, DHA, and Omega 3. Similarities Between Plant and Animal Protein Even though we are here to look at the differences between plant vs animal protein sources, there are still a few similarities between them. Some of the common benefits of plant and animal proteins have been given here: Both plant and animal protein food sources contain protein as well as essential and non-essential amino acids. These plant and animal protein sources also provide other nutrients to the body, namely fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. With either of these protein sources, you can fulfill your daily protein requirement which is needed for various body functions like tissue and muscle growth, cell structures, hormone function, and more. Differences between Animal vs Plant Protein? Apart from the various similarities given above, there are also various differences between animal vs plant protein sources that include the following: Amino Acids Proteins consist of various amino acids and the human body uses twenty different amino acids to build proteins. While your body can make some of these acids on its own, you still have to get nine of them from a healthy diet which are known as essential amino acids. This is where plant and animal protein sources differ from each other as animal protein sources can offer all of them from a single source. On the other hand, you will need to combine multiple plant protein sources if you want to get all of the essential amino acids for your body. Digestibility Plant protein food sources are generally easier to digest than animal protein food sources. Calories & Fiber Animal protein sources are higher in calories than plant protein sources despite which plant protein will keep you full for longer. This is due to the fact that plant protein sources are high in fiber and complex carbs. Nutritional Value The nutritional value of both these protein sources differs. Animal protein sources are rich in vitamin D, Omega 3, saturated fat, zinc, and all essential amino acids. On the other hand, plant protein sources are full of fiber, unsaturated fat, potassium, magnesium, and essentially the majority of the nutrients that we need. Heme Iron Animal protein contains heme iron which is more bioavailable than non-heme iron present in plant protein sources. In simpler words, heme iron has a higher absorption rate than non-heme iron. Antioxidants Plant protein comprises more antioxidants compared to animal protein. What are the Benefits of Plant Protein Sources? Whether you don’t have access to a non-vegetarian diet or you stick to a vegetarian diet as per your choice, plant protein sources can be a great way to fulfill your protein requirements while being vegetarian. And unlike what you would expect, plant protein sources have various benefits as given down below: Protection Against Heart Disease As per studies and research, people who follow a vegetarian diet containing plant protein sources are 30 percent less likely to die from coronary heart diseases than people who consume meat. Protection Against Cancer Eating a plant-based diet also decreases your risk of cancer. Plants include substances called phytochemicals that help prevent cancer. A Healthier Gut Plant protein sources are also rich in fiber which helps you keep your weight in check and protect your gut health. Prevent Type 2 Diabetes People who consume a plant-based diet are at a lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes than people who rely on animal protein to fulfill their protein intake. What are the Benefits of Animal Protein? Animal protein sources can also have their own benefits if included in your diet in a controlled quantity. This includes the following benefits that you enjoy if you are consuming animal protein sources: Low Fat Animal Protein Sources Benefits If you are consuming low-fat animal protein

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Effects of Caffeine on the Human Body

June 6, 2022

A cup of coffee or tea is something that most of us consume on a daily basis for the benefits and effects of caffeine on the human body. And in case you are not familiar with caffeine, it is a white and bitter substance present naturally in more than 60 plants, including tea leaves, coffee beans, cacao pods, and others. In fact, caffeine is not only present in tea and coffee but it is present in some chocolates too. Caffeine is also used as an ingredient in a variety of energy drinks and even in some medications. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given two varied opinions about this ingredient. According to it, caffeine can be both a food additive and a drug. Every day, millions of people consume caffeine to alleviate fatigue, increase wakefulness, and improve their focus at work. However, caffeine not only has its benefits and healthy effects on the body but there can be some other adverse effects of caffeine too. Thus, we are with everything about caffeine and how caffeine affects the human body. Effects of Caffeine on the Human Body Humans eat caffeine on a regular basis in various forms like tea, coffee, beverages, and even desserts like chocolates. Upon consumption, it passes into your bloodstream from your stomach. Caffeine then stimulates your central nervous system, including your nerves, brain, and the spinal cord, awakening wakefulness. However, caffeine can also release acid into your stomach and gut. Thus, some people feel a tinge of heartburn or indigestion after consuming it. When you eat or drink caffeine, it enhances dopamine signaling in the brain. Not only that but caffeine also increases the flow of chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline in your body. The whole mechanism makes you feel fresh and keeps you alert and awake. Benefits and Good Effects of Caffeine? Apart from keeping you alert and awake, caffeine has many more effects on the human body. These effects of caffeine include a number of benefits for the human body including the following: Effects of Caffeine on Weight Loss Even though you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, in some cases, caffeine can indirectly help you lose weight loss. Caffeine can lower a person’s appetite and may have a thermogenic effect in some cases. Thus, it may help in weight loss in an indirect way. Effects of Caffeine on Alertness Merely consuming 75mg of caffeine may increase your attention and alertness manifold. Because of this, many people like to have a cup of coffee before starting their everyday office work. Effects of Caffeine on Sports Performance The consumption of caffeine may also improve physical performance during endurance exercise which makes it a viable pre-workout meal option. However, the effects remain short-term. And while research is still going on, past studies like the CAIDE Study showed that people who drank coffee on a regular basis correlated with a lower risk rate of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Effects of Caffeine on Brain Function The primary function of caffeine is to affect adenosine receptors which are used to promote sleep. In other words, consuming caffeine will keep you awake and alert. Other than this, according to an Australian study, caffeine can correlate to a slower cognitive decline rate. Although, this claim is still being researched before it is completely confirmed Effects of Caffeine on Liver As per the Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics journal, drinking coffee can be related to lower rates of cirrhosis which is known as the scarring or fibrosis of the liver. Caffeine is also linked to lower inflammation in patients that have hepatitis C infections. Furthermore, caffeine is considered to lower the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma liver cancer as well. Effects of Caffeine on Eye Spasms In case you face eye twitching or eye spasms quite often, you will be surprised to know that an Italian study has linked the consumption of coffee with blepharospasm. As per this study, people who drank coffee had a lower risk of developing blepharospasm. What are the Side Effects of Caffeine on the Human Body? The consumption of caffeine not only has its benefits but also comes with some side effects. When consumed in excess, caffeine may lead to various issues like: Anxiety Disorders: Do not consume caffeine in excess if you have anxiety issues. Depending on the amount of caffeine intake, it may worsen your condition. Bleeding Disorders: In case you have some sort of bleeding disorder, the chances are that your doctor must have advised you not to consume caffeine. This is due to the reason that caffeine can worsen bleeding disorders in some cases. Heart Ailments: Stimulants like caffeine can result in a faster heart rate and even cause serious issues like arrhythmias. Diabetes: Caffeine can affect your blood sugar levels because of which its dosage has to be monitored if you are pre-diabetic or already have diabetes. Diarrhea: Excessive consumption of caffeine may lead to hyperacidity. In the worst-case scenario, you may as well fall prey to diarrhea. High Blood Pressure: Consuming caffeine in excess may increase blood pressure for people with high blood pressure. Thankfully, it is not a major concern for people who don’t have blood pressure issues. Low Bladder Control: Caffeine can even affect your bladder control making you visit the washroom again and again. How Much Caffeine Should I Consume? If you consume caffeine in moderation, it doesn’t harm your health. But if you overdo its consumption, expect to experience the above-listed side effects. As per a survey, an average adult consumes 200 mg of caffeine a day, equivalent to 3-5 ounce cups. Taking up to 400mg of caffeine does no harm. The side effects start when you go beyond this limit. Although, the safe limit for consumption of caffeine varies from person to person as per their gender, size, and their sensitivity to caffeine. Who Should Avoid Consuming Caffeine? Consumption of caffeine in any form is not safe for everyone. Therefore, you must be careful about adding it

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How to Reverse Diabetes?

May 24, 2022

Almost all of us like to indulge in sweets and sweet food items every now and then. In fact, there can be multiple reasons for these sugar cravings. It can be just to celebrate a memorable moment or maybe because of stress. In any case, there is nothing wrong with having sweets once in a while. But what if you simply cannot have anything sweet because of diabetes? So, today in this article, you will learn all about diabetes, how you can reverse diabetes, and how to enjoy your favorite sweets once in a while without serious health issues. Do you know that around 422 million people worldwide suffer from Diabetes! Furthermore, India itself is known as the diabetic capital of the world since the highest number of diabetes cases are in India itself. In the year 2019, diabetes was the direct cause of an estimated 1.5 million deaths around the world. And if people don\’t start taking care of their bodies, millions more will suffer from diabetes. What is Diabetes? Can you Reverse Diabetes? Diabetes is a medical condition where your body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or is unable to properly use insulin present in the body. Because of this, you can face high blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas gland which is present behind the stomach. This insulin is responsible for the amount of glucose that is released into the body. Thus, any hindrance in insulin levels can lead to high levels of glucose, that is sugar, in the bloodstream which leads to diabetes. In simpler words, insulin releases glucose from your bloodstream to your organ cells. This glucose is then used as fuel by your body cells and organs. As a result, if you have diabetes, then your body is essentially unable to properly use the glucose or sugar in your bloodstream as fuel. Role of Glucose in the Body To better understand what exactly diabetes is, you first need to understand the functioning of glucose in our body. Glucose is a type of sugar that the body gets from carbohydrate-rich food items like bread, potatoes, rice, etc. Such food items are broken down into glucose by different enzymes and acids during digestion. And once glucose gets absorbed by the body, this sugar is released into the bloodstream. After this, the insulin helps in transferring the sugar from the blood to the cells which acts as a fuel or energy for the different functions of the body. Glucose also acts as a fuel for the brain and all the various nervous functions. Thus, without glucose, a lot of essential organs might not get enough fuel to work properly. Since glucose is highly important for various body functions, having the right glucose or sugar levels is quite important. Thus, the pancreas keeps a check on blood sugar levels for releasing insulin accordingly. If the blood sugar level increases, your body releases more insulin. Similarly, when sugar levels decrease, your body also reduces the production of insulin. Reverse Diabetes and its Different Types Now that you know the role of glucose in the body and blood sugar levels, let’s look at the types of diabetes that are usually seen in the population. Prediabetes: In prediabetics, the blood sugar level is higher than normal but not as high as type 2 diabetes. Hence, it is the earlier stage of type 2 diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes: This diabetes is an autoimmune condition. Here, the body itself attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas which leads to a lack of insulin in the body. Because of this, blood sugar levels are increased in your body. It is mostly diagnosed in children but can also develop in adults. Type 1 diabetes constitutes around 10% of the total diabetes cases. Type 2 Diabetes: In this type of diabetes, the insulin released from the pancreas is not enough for the body. This is caused due to insulin resistance where the body resists insulin and does not respond to it. In a longer period of time, it can even impair the ability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin. As a result, you face high blood sugar levels resulting in type 2 diabetes which is the most common type. Gestational diabetes: This type of diabetes is seen during pregnancy. During pregnancy, your body develops a bit of insulin resistance. And if you are facing diabetes because of this phenomenon, then you have gestational diabetes. It usually gets better after pregnancy but increases the risk of type 2 diabetes in later stages of your life. Symptoms of Diabetes Getting tested in the early stage of diabetes can help you manage it and reverse diabetes before it turns into serious health issues. So, let’s look at the warning signs and symptoms of each type of diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes tend to show up in the early stages which include the following: Feeling tired Frequent urination Extreme hunger Unexplainable weight loss or weight gain Blurred vision Changes in mood Increased thirst Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes The symptoms for these are not much noticeable in the earlier stages as they are very mild. Instead, they become visible in the later stages which can be as follows: Feeling tired Frequent urination Increased hunger Unexplainable weight loss or weight gain Blurred vision Increased thirst Slow-healing sores Numbness or a tingling sensation in hands or feet Gestational Diabetes Unfortunately, there are no major symptoms of gestational diabetes apart from frequent urination and increased thirst. Instead, the diagnosis of gestational diabetes is regular blood sugar tests. Severe Effects of Uncontrolled Diabetes With time, uncontrolled sugar levels can have adverse effects on your health and can even lead to death in extreme cases. Some of such severe effects of uncontrolled diabetes include: Heart disease Nerve damage Kidney problems Serious eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, blindness, etc. Alzheimer\’s disease Depression Skin and foot infections In gestational diabetes, uncontrolled diabetes can even have effects

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Thyroid: All You Need to Know

May 17, 2022

Do you realize how commonly you hear about someone suffering from thyroid? Despite being so common, you might be quite confused that what exactly is the thyroid? It is essentially a gland present in the human body which performs various vital functions in the body. You might be surprised to know that in India alone, around 42 million people suffer from thyroid-related diseases. And in the United States, the estimates say that this number is around 20 million. In fact, a lot of people aren’t even aware if they are suffering from any thyroid disorder. But today, you are in luck because we will help you in learning everything about thyroid. You can learn about this gland, its functions, thyroid-related diseases, lifestyle improvements to make, and much more! What is the Thyroid Gland? The thyroid is a gland situated in the front of your neck. It is a small butterfly-shaped gland that helps in performing various vital functions in the body. This gland is part of the endocrine system, and similar to other glands, it helps in creating different hormones for the body. These hormones act like messengers in your body that carry signals to the different parts of the body to regulate various bodily functions. Since these functions are highly essential for the body, there are over 50 hormones in the human body. As for the thyroid gland, it produces three hormones: Tetraiodothyronine hormone which is also known as the thyroxine or the T4 hormone Triiodothyronine hormone which is also known as the T3 hormone Calcitonin hormone What are its Functions? In an overview, the thyroid gland has an effect on different body functions like breathing, heart rate, metabolism, mood, weight, and others. The three hormones it produces execute different tasks that help the gland maintain the body in a healthy state. The T4 and T3 hormones improve your metabolism and make it faster by increasing the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of your body. This generally happens thanks to the help of iodine which increases the efficiency of all your body cells. In infants and children, the thyroid helps develop and grow the brain and other important tissues dependent on this gland. Even during pregnancy, it also helps in the development of the baby’s brain and the nervous system. Talking about the Calcitonin hormone, it lowers the calcium levels in your blood without affecting your bones. Calcitonin does the same by inhibiting the function of osteoclasts which are cells that break down your bones. In other words, Calcitonin prevents the breakdown of your bones and stops calcium from being released in your bloodstream which gets produced during the breakdown of your bones. Calcitonin also lowers the amount of calcium that gets reabsorbed by your kidneys and released into the bloodstream which effectively lowers the calcium levels in your blood. The thyroid gland also communicates closely with the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland releases the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to control the number of thyroid hormones secreted. This maintains a healthy balance of hormones as it prevents overproduction or underproduction of hormones. Iodine and Thyroid Iodine is a trace element which means that it is required by the body only in minute amounts. It plays a highly crucial part in the functions that the thyroid gland performs. As the two main hormones, T3 and T4 are made in this gland using Iodine. Iodine in the body is absorbed by this gland and the synthesis of the hormones begins which are then released into the bloodstream. Although, the human body is not capable of producing this mineral on its own. Therefore, it is important to have a proper intake of iodine through the food you eat. If your body lacks iodine, your body won’t make enough hormones. An average adult is recommended to take 150 mcg of iodine daily and the need increases for women who are pregnant or nursing. There are a variety of iodine sources present in food items like eggs, dairy, seaweed, cod, iodized salt, etc. Thyroid related Diseases An imbalance in thyroid hormones can affect a number of processes in your body. This can lead to various diseases like the ones we will be looking at below: Goiter The Goiter is a condition where the thyroid gland becomes enlarged or a cell of this gland grows more than its normal size which creates lumps. You can face Goiter due to both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism or even when the gland is working just fine. Symptoms of Goiter Swelling of the neck area Pain in the neck area Difficulty in swallowing Coughing Hoarseness in your voice Although, if you are facing issues with your thyroid, you may face more than just the symptoms of Goiter. You can even have the symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism at the same time. Causes of Goiter Iodine Deficiency: When your body is deficient in iodine, the thyroid gland produces fewer hormones. Due to this, the pituitary gland sends a signal of producing more hormones. This leads to the enlargement of the thyroid gland in order to complete the request made by the pituitary gland. Hashimoto’s Disease: It is an autoimmune disorder that attacks its own cells. This results in reduced production of the thyroid hormone, which leads the pituitary gland to send a signal to produce more hormones, increasing the gland\’s size, and causing goiter. Grave’s Disease: This is another autoimmune condition where the immune system produces a protein called Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI). This protein then makes the gland produce more hormones along with the TSH and increase in size leading to goiter. Thyroiditis: Inflammation caused in the thyroid gland can lead to goiter as in the initial stages it leads to hypothyroidism and later to hyperthyroidism. Thyroid Nodules: The thyroid gland can sometimes develop some nodules which can lead to enlargement in this gland. Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is a condition that occurs when your thyroid gland is not producing enough of the hormones required for body functions. The symptoms of hypothyroidism

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