Author: Arushi Goel

Hidden Culprits Affecting Your Immune System

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  • Sugar

Sucrose can suppress the immune system, which initially leads to weight gain and leaches precious minerals from the body. Sugar is detrimental to your health and is one of the factors that weaken the immune system.

Sugar

  • Lack of Sleep

Some people might have noticed, they are likely to catch a cold or some infection if their body don’t get an appropriate sleep. Not getting enough sleep can be the factor that might affect immune system. It may lead to more inflammation in a body. Although researchers aren’t very sure how sleeping span can boost the immune system. Although getting enough sleep at least of 7 hours for an adult — is one key for good health and immune as well.

Lack of Sleep

  • Drugs

Many researches on drugs suggests that they increase a person’s susceptibility to infection by crippling the immune function. Drugs are included in many people’s lifestyle that affects the immune system.

Drugs

  • Alcohol

Alcohol is known to cause long-term serious consequences for a person’s body and mind. Drinking a limited amount of wine every day has generally been considered a good way to promote cardiovascular and brain health. But alcohol on daily bases is one of the other factors that can affect immune system.

Alcohol

  • Refined Grains

Refined grains, such as instant rice, white flour, pasta, and other types of fast food that contains few nutrients and little fiber that are also factors that weaken the immune system. Prolonged and excessive consumption of refined grains or highly processed foods containing pesticides and preservatives can weaken the immune system.

Refined Grains

  • Chronic Stress

Mild stress can be fine for the body. The way we manage, react and deal with stress is significant factor how stress affects our body. Many people ignore stress but it is one of the ways how we weaken our immune system.

Chronic Stress

avocado

Surprising Health Benefits of Avocado

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An avocado is rather a unique type of fruit which is high in healthy fats, whereas most fruit primarily consists carbohydrate.

Various studies have shown that avocado has powerful beneficial effects on health. It doesn’t contain any cholesterol or sodium, and are low in saturated fat.

Here are various health benefits of avocado. Few are mentioned below:

  • Avocado has Nutritional values

Avocado is a fruit from an avocado tree, called Persea Americana.

This fruit has high nutritional value and is added to all sorts of dishes due to its good flavor and rich texture. Now a day, avocado fruit has become a popular food among the health-conscious public. It is often referred to as a super-food. which is not surprising given its health properties?

  • Contains good amount of Potassium

Potassium is a nutrient that most people aren’t getting enough of.

Potassium is helpful in maintaining electrical gradients in the body’s cells and serves various important functions. Avocados are actually very high in potassium. with a 100 gram (3.5 ounce) serving containing 14% of the RDA, compared to 10% in bananas, which are a typical high potassium food.

  • Osteoporosis prevention

Vitamin K is essential for bone health, half of an avocado can provide approximately 25 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin K.

This nutrient is overlooked in avocado, but is necessary for bone health.

Vitamin K is often overshadowed by calcium and vitamin D when thinking of nutrients important for maintaining healthy bones.

  • Lower risk of depression

Foods containing high levels of folate can help in decreasing the risk of depression. As folate helps to prevent the build-up of homocysteine, a substance that can impair circulation and delivery of nutrients to the brain.

  • Natural detoxification

Adequate fiber promotes regular bowel movements, which are crucial for the daily excretion of toxins through the bile and stool.

Many studies have shown that dietary fiber may also play a role in regulating the immune system and inflammation.

5 Basic Ways to Manage Your Stress

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Stress occurs when you perceive commands such as at workplace, school or from relationships and are over your ability to cope. Stress at some level can be beneficial at times, may be to boost the energy that help people to get through situations like exams or work deadlines. Whereas, an extreme amount of stress can have health consequences, affecting one’s immune, cardiovascular and neuro-endocrine and central nervous systems, and take a severe emotional toll. For that matter, it is required to know the ways to manage your stress.

Every individual is different, and so are their ways to manage their stress. Some people prefer pursuing hobbies such as gardening, playing music and creating art, while others find relief in more solitary activities: meditation, yoga and walking.

Here are five healthy ways to manage your stress in the short- and long-term.

  • Take a break from the stress-or

It may seem difficult to get away from a big responsibility at workplace, a crying baby or a growing credit card bill. But when you give yourself permission to step away from it, you let yourself have time to do something else, which can help you have a new perspective or practice techniques to feel less overwhelmed.

  • Exercise

The research keeps growing — exercise benefits your mind just as well as your body and is useful for how to manage stress level. Even a 30-minute walk, run, or dance session during a stressful time can give an immediate effect that can last for several hours.

  • Smile and laugh

Our brains are interconnected with our emotions and facial expressions. When people are stressed, they hold some stress in their face as well. So, everyone need to manage stress for a happier life and laughs or smiles can help relieve some of that tension.

  • Get social support

Sharing your concerns or feelings with a close friend or relative is another best technique to manage stress. But it’s important that the person whom you talk should be trustworthy.

  • Meditate

Meditation is a good exercise for how to manage your own stress. A mindful prayer can help the mind and body to relax and focus. Mindfulness can help people see new perspectives, develop self-compassion and forgiveness. When you practice a form of mindfulness, people often release emotions that may have been causing emotional stress.

Spinach for Anemia, Beneficial Or Not?

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Iron deficiency cause anemia but the lack of vitamin B12 also cause this disease. First, you should consult a doctor to diagnose the main reason of the anemia. If it is caused by iron deficiency, you should use spinach for anemia.

This cure will increase your hemoglobin value of your blood.

Also, there is something you should know; unlike the general belief that spinach for anemia is not good, and not a source of iron. But it has nearly same amount of iron with parsley. Spinach is known as the ‘synonym of iron’. Spinach can be taken in cooked, frozen or juice forms to overcome iron deficiency and anemia.

Spinach, as home treatment for anemia

Spinach is one of the richest sources of iron. Spinach loses its iron contents almost to half levels while cooking. Therefore, the best way to consume spinach for anemia, to gain iron is to drink it as juice.

Is spinach bad for anemia? Not really, but there is one negative aspect of spinach which should be tackled before spinach gives best results i.e. its high oxalic acid content stops absorption of iron into blood stream. This deficiency can be easily overcome by consuming citrus fruits with spinach. Following concoction of Spinach and orange juices is one of the best home remedies to increase hemoglobin.

  • Extract juice of spinach to fill half a glass.
  • Add 1 glass of fresh Orange juice to it.
  • Drink the concoction. It tastes well

The Drawbacks of Spinach as an Iron Supplement

Iron is an essential mineral that plays a vital role. About two-thirds of the iron in the body is found in a protein called hemoglobin, while the remaining amounts are tied to myoglobin or other proteins.

Spinach is rich in non heme iron and this iron from myoglobin works to carry oxygen to muscles. As spinach merely provides non heme iron, one drawback is that you may be depriving your tissues and organs of the iron needed for basic functions.

Some people consider spinach as one of the foods to avoid if you have anemia. As another drawback of relying on spinach as an iron supplement is that it can cause a form of iron deficiency, known as anemia.

When iron from the body is depleted, you experience pale skin, weakness and a compromised immune system.

This deficiency can occur due to the inadequate intake of iron-rich foods, excessive bleeding or from poor absorption.

To avoid a deficiency, you need to include foods with heme iron in your diet, with variety of iron-rich foods.

An Easy and Affordable Diet For Thyroid

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Thyroid disease is an unassuming swelled and puffed gland in the neck that secretes all-important hormones that controls almost all major functions of a body. It includes how we digest the food and use energy.

Many things can put a person at risk for this inactive thyroid, some of which are cannot controlled, like inheritance from family. Fortunately, everyone can control how and what to eat. Here are certain foods with proven potential to improve and include in diet for thyroid.

Foods to be included in diet for thyroid:

  • Yogurt

Yogurt, commonly known as curd. It acts as protective shield for thyroid symptoms. This is because yogurt is naturally rich in vitamin D, and not getting enough of the nutrient puts you at a higher risk of obesity and thyroid diseases.

Yogurt

  • Plenty of Water:

Drinking adequate water is highly beneficial for everyone’s well-being. A person with thyroid problem needs to go beyond the normal intake of water. As a regular diet, drinking at least 8 glasses of water is recommended for a day. But a thyroid diet plan requires additional glasses of water for every pound of weight he/she wishes to lose.

Plenty of Water

  • Intake of Fiber:

Any thyroid patient needs to consume the recommended amount of fiber to lose weight efficiently. Eatables that are good sources of fiber are great foods for thyroid. It includes various fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables and whole grains. You can increase the intake of fiber both in the forms of supplements and foods.

Intake of Fiber

  • Green Tea:

Hypothyroid patients often feel dull and too tired to work out without much activity. But to control or lose weight, they require more energy to exercise. Adding a cup of green tea in the diet for thyroid cure can make them feel energized, rejuvenated and motivated to exercise.

Green Tea

  • Chicken

Animal protein is brimming in amino acids, particularly tyro-sine—the building block of thyroid hormone, and it is effective food for thyroid disease. And its dopamine element is necessary for weight management. A lack of tyro-sine in the diet may lead to an under-active, sluggish thyroid, and deficiency in dopamine is associated with weight gain caused by food cravings. Tyro-sine is found in dairy products and leafy greens, but poultry has the added benefit of being naturally low-fat and rich in vitamin B12—deficiencies of which are also common among people with sluggish thyroid symptoms.

Chicken