Know how you can naturally increase your haemoglobin levels at home; read what expert says

When the number of red blood cells in the body are low or more importantly the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal, it results in a condition called anaemia. The common symptoms of anaemia which occur due to a decreased capacity of the blood to carry oxygen are fatigue, generalised weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath. 

The most common causes of anaemia are nutritional deficiencies particularly iron deficiency anaemia, or due to deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid. Women of reproductive age who have excessive bleeding during their menstrual cycles may develop iron deficiency anaemia. Some of the good sources of iron among plant-based foods are pumpkin seeds,  green leafy vegetables like spinach, whole grains and legumes such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, and soybeans. Food rich in Vitamin C like citrus fruits also help in improving iron absorption.

Those who follow a predominantly vegetarian diet may also develop Vitamin B12 deficiency which can lead to anaemia and hence may need vitamin b12 supplements. Folic acid is another vitamin that if deficient can lead to low levels of haemoglobin. Some of the good sources of folic acid are beans, lentils, leafy vegetables, bananas, broccoli, beetroot. It is important to incorporate a healthy balanced diet with enough water intake.

 

Another important aspect to keep in mind is that Anaemia can occur due to inherited genetic conditions, which can affect the production of haemoglobin in the body by either causing a defect in the structure or its function- a condition known as haemoglobinopathies such as Thalassemia, Sickle cell anaemia, etc. 

New-onset anaemia in the elderly especially should prompt evaluation for any underlying cancers. Elderly people who present with iron deficiency anaemia should be evaluated with endoscopies to rule out internal bleeding in the Gastrointestinal tract which can occur due to cancers.

Myelodysplastic syndromes wherein there is an abnormality in the production of the blood also presents as anaemia most often in the elderly. Anaemia is also seen as a presenting feature of Multiple Myeloma, a type of blood cancer that causes destruction of bones, elevated calcium levels and kidney failure. And lastly, when there is low haemoglobin associated with grossly elevated white blood cell counts or lymph node swellings in the body or enlargement of the spleen in the body, it should prompt for evaluation of blood cancers such as leukaemia/lymphoma.

One should not forget that anaemia occurs in the presence of an underlying chronic disease such as Tuberculosis, HIV, autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, and Chronic Kidney disease. It is therefore important to be aware of other causes of anaemia and one should not ignore it and have it evaluated completely with necessary blood investigations and imaging as required by the treating physician.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Benefits of drinking water in copper mug for 10 days

Well, this isn't my experience, but wanting to share what I read about benefits of drinking water from a copper mug/ vessel. Anyway, this habit has become quite fashionable, so much that the cost of copper mugs and vessels has shot up ! The author's name wasn't mentioned .


Have you noticed the comeback of copper mugs, glasses and jugs in the market? The practice of drinking water stored in a copper vessel overnight is not new but age old. Our ancestors stored water in copper vessels before having it, as it is believed that the process killed harmful bacteria and microorganisms in water.

So, today when we have ROs and water purifiers, the practice might seem worthless, but it’s not. The benefit of having water stored in a copper mug is not one but many.
My personal experience

And here is my personal experience when I tried it for just 10 days.

I remember, it was around Christmas that me and one of my colleagues went to buy Secret Santa. My friend bought a fancy copper mug as a gift for someone and it was from here that I thought maybe I should try it too.

Before sleeping, I washed my brand new glass and filled it with water and kept it covered on my side table.

Next morning, I got up and the first thing I did was to have water from the copper glass. Because, it’s the winter season, the water was too cold. I still continued the practice for almost another week.

Sometimes it’s the charm of new things that make you develop some healthy habits. I made sure to wash the glass every night and drink that water the first thing in the morning.

Though I did not feel any major changes apart from one that I felt thirsty throughout the day. I usually drink too little water and this turned out to be a beneficial habit for me.

Another change that I noticed was, my bowel movements improved after I started having copper water.

Another change that I noticed was, my bowel movements improved after I started having copper water.

Almost on the ninth day, I felt a little sore in my throat after gulping down that cold water. It didn’t take much time and next day, I had a nasty cold.

Since I stay alone, I always call my mom first whenever I am under the weather. And so this time too I called her to inform what had happened. The first thing she told me was that maybe the cold water that I was having as soon as waking up made my throat sore in the first place. She explained how the practice is absolutely healthy and has tons of health benefits but maybe this is not the time to continue with it.

So, for now I have kept the glass back in the kitchen while waiting for my throat to recover.

​Benefits of having water in copper glass
Copper is a trace mineral, which is essential for human health. It has antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. Unlike many other nutritional elements, your body cannot synthesize copper and thus you need to get it from dietary sources. Some best dietary sources of copper are seafood, whole grains, lentils, nuts, seeds, cereals, potatoes, peas, chocolate and dark green leafy vegetables. And drinking two-three glasses of water stored in a copper vessel is another easy way.

According to Ayurveda, this little step can balance your all three doshas – kapha, vata and pitta. It also ensures proper functioning of different organs and many metabolic processes.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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Eat this one superfood to fight iron deficiency

As per the data from the year 2017, 50 per cent of Indian women are anemic. Iron deficiency, also called anemia is caused by the lack of iron in your blood. The deficiency can be easily treated by including more iron in your diet or by having iron supplements. But it’s always best to get your vitamins and minerals from your regular diet and not depend on supplements.

What is anemia?
It is a condition where a person has lower than normal number of red blood cells, which reduces the capacity of their blood to carry oxygen. This can lead to several health problems and even death.
Ideal daily iron intake

As per the NHS (National Health Service), adult men need around 8.7 mg of iron every day, while adult women need 14.8 mg. But the value drops to 8.7 mg for women over the age of 50.

This is because women over the age of 50 do not have their periods anymore and thus don’t lose blood in the process.

Symptoms of iron deficiency
- Not feeling energetic
- Shortness of breath
- Palpitations
- Pale skin

Treating anemia can put you at risk of various infections and illnesses. This is because lack of iron hampers your immune system. You are more prone to developing heart and lung complication if you have an iron deficiency.

Fight anemia with this one superfood
There are certain foods that you should avoid and certain foods that you should have in order to boost the iron level of your body.

The superfood
Do you want to take a guess? Kale it is. Kale is often labelled as a superfood because it has a very high nutritional value. According to the NHS kale and other dark green leafy vegetables have a high iron content and can help reverse the iron deficiency in your body.
100 grams of curly kale has 1.5 mg of iron.

Other iron-rich foods
Cereals, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, dried fruits and grains are some other example of iron-rich foods. In addition to this, meat and liver contain a lot of iron too. Though the NHS advises avoiding having liver when pregnant.

What not to eat when you have an iron deficiency?
If you are diagnosed with low levels of iron cut back on tea, coffee, milk and dairy. You should not eat food that has high levels of phytic acid – such as wholegrain cereals. This is because a large quantity of phytic acid in your body can make it harder for you to absorb iron. 

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement     

Ways To Prevent Osteoporosis (Bone Loss)

Though bone loss or osteoporosis is seen mostly among the elderly above 50 years of age, you should start taking precautions when you are young. Your age, genes, gender, body weight, medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or nutrient malabsorption, lifestyle habits like excessive consumption of alcohol, tobacco and caffeine, and lack of calcium and vitamin D are all causes of bone loss. For example, postmenopausal women are often more at risk of osteoporosis due to low estrogen levels than men or women in their 20s or early 30s when the bones are at their sturdiest. This, however, does not mean men or younger women don’t experience bone loss. If you have any of these health conditions or lifestyle factors apply to you, take precautions now.

1. Add More Calcium In Diet

Calcium is a mineral essential to building bones and keeping them healthy. Women experience increased bone loss in the years that immediately follow menopause though bone loss continues to old age.

Eat plenty of calcium-rich foods like yogurt, sardines, kale, broccoli, and bok choy to keep the bone mineral density or BMD at its optimum. Calcium supplementation has also been suggested as a way to keep bones healthy.

2. Get More Vitamin D/Estrogen

Many studies have shown that taking calcium alone does not help. Especially if your body doesn’t have enough vitamin D to absorb calcium from the intestine. Evidence suggests calcium supplementation along with vitamin D supplementation can prevent osteoporosis in women above the age of 50.
Considering it is the depletion of estrogen that accounts for bone loss in most postmenopausal women, calcium supplementation with low-dosage estrogen therapy help reduce bone loss. Needless to say, this method is applicable only to postmenopausal women.

3. Have More Iron, Zinc, And Magnesium

Calcium is not the only mineral responsible for bone mineral density or bone strength. Studies have shown minerals like iron, zinc, and magnesium are equally essential for bone health.⁷

• Seafood, red meat, beans, and dark green vegetables are rich in iron.
• Spinach, beef, shrimp, and various beans and seeds are zinc-rich foods.
• Magnesium is available through foods like whole grains, dry fruits, and chocolate.

After 35 years of age, make sure you add these foods regularly in your diet just so bones stay healthy and strong even after you grow old.

4. Try Ipriflavone Isoflavone, A Soy Product

Touted as a magic remedy for preventing bone loss, ipriflavone isoflavone, a crystalline compound synthesized from soy is found to hold great promise in preventing osteoporosis caused by a variety of factors like chronic steroid use to immobility and ovariectomy (removal of ovary/ies). Not just that, it is found to be useful in treating other bone complications from conditions like Paget’s disease of the bone, hyperparathyroidism, and tinnitus caused by the abnormal growth of bone near the middle ear (otosclerosis).
Many studies have shown a daily intake of 600 mg ipriflavone is effective.

5. Have Soy Foods

Numerous studies have been done on the effect of soy products, soy foods, and its derivatives on preventing bone loss with each one confirming that there is nothing like soy products when it comes to bone health. This is especially true in the case of women because studies have shown that the fracture risk in women who take soy food is much lesser than in those who don’t. There is a positive effect of soy food on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, too. Adding soy foods to the daily diet, therefore, is a must especially if you are a woman.

6. Do Weight-Bearing Exercise

While diet is important in preventing bone loss, the effect of regular exercise cannot be emphasized enough. Not just any exercise but weight-bearing exercises particularly work on bone health and bone mineral density. High-impact weight-bearing exercises like dancing, jogging, running, tennis, aerobics, and climbing are very effective in building bone health.
Having said that, in case you have osteoporosis already or have a history of fracture from it, you can do weight-bearing exercises but of low impact. These include walking on a treadmill, using elliptical training machines, and low-impact aerobics. Additionally, you should also do muscle-building exercises like lifting weights and using elastic exercise bands.

7. Stop Drinking Cola And Coffee

Drinking cola and coffee is said to be harmful to bone health and can lead to osteoporosis. While it is still unclear why these drinks reduce bone density while others don’t, caffeine in both cola and coffee could be the culprit. That also explains why while cola is bad for bone density, other soft drinks are not. Another possible reason is the phosphoric acid in cola that can leach calcium out of bones.

8. Quit Smoking

Cigarette smoking affects estrogen circulation in the body, a reason women smokers hit menopause earlier than nonsmokers. The depletion of estrogen is also why smoking is considered a cause of bone loss.

9. Cut Down On Alcohol

Heavy, chronic alcohol consumption is bad for bone health and can increase bone loss among postmenopausal women. Interestingly, however, moderate drinking among postmenopausal women can benefit bone density and health. One large study found that women aged 65 and over who consumed alcohol on more than 5 days per week had a significantly reduced risk of vertebral deformity compared with those who consumed alcohol less than once per week.
Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the quality of life. Avoid it as long as possible so you can live a long, fulfilling life.

Black sesame seeds have 400 % more calcium than the white ones, so regularly add the black and white sesame seeds in many ways in your daily diet, as they can be roasted and sprinkled over salads, veges, can be added to spice powders, can be mixed with gur / molasses and eaten, as then you get both calcium and iron !

Another important source calcium and iron is finger millet/ ragi. One can make porridge, pancakes, dosa, in cakes, cookies, flat breads.

By eating these calcium rich foods from young age, getting enough sunshine each day and walking can keep your bones healthy. Good luck to all for healthy bones.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                             https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                       FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com