Intestinal infection can lead to chronic symptoms: Here are ways to keep your gut healthy

Sometimes an intestinal infection like the traveler’s diarrhea, can cause development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract. Scientists aren’t sure exactly how this happens, but some think an infection may contribute to IBS by damaging the gut nervous system.

A recent study has come up with new findings about how this happens, which can lead to better treatments of IBS. The study conducted with mice takes a close look at why neurons in the gut die and how the immune system normally protects them.

The researchers explain – in a healthy gut, the immune system must strike a careful balance between responding to threats and keeping that response in check to avoid damage. “Inflammation helps the gut ward off an infection, but too much of it can cause lasting harm,” said study researcher Daniel Mucida, Associate Professor at Rockefeller University in the US. The finding is published in the journal Cell.
 
Ways to keep your gut healthy
If you have a healthy gut, you’re less likely to experience damaging inflammation. So here are some ways to keep your gut healthy.
 
Eat ‘healthy gut’ foods
The food you eat will not only provide nutrients to you, but it will also feed the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut. Eat more fibre-rich foods.  Fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts and whole-grains feed healthy bacteria provides the fibre that builds good bacteria and overall gut health.

Other ‘healthy gut’ foods include probiotic foods like live yoghurt, kefir, some cheeses and fermented or pickled foods (such as kimchi, sauerkraut and pickled ginger). Avoid eating highly processed foods, as they can suppress ‘good’ bacteria or increase ‘bad’ bacteria.

Get enough sleep
Lack of sleep may increase risk of obesity, which in turn can cause digestive system disorders.
 
Do some exercise
It may sound like a cliché, but exercise is the best way to lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight. A healthy body means you are less prone to digestive system problems.

Manage anxiety and depression
Due to the brain-gut connection, your mood and digestive system health (especially disorders like irritable bowel syndrome) are inseparable. So, anxiety and depression may affect your gut health. If you suffer from these issues, get help to solve it. You may try relaxation therapies along with other distraction techniques.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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Tips for losing weight with PCOS

If you are someone who has PCOS and is struggling to loose weight then, here are a few tips that'll help you with the weight loss process. These tips will not only help you achieve your goal but will also improve the hormonal imbalance in your body. 

Weight loss, in general, is a bit difficult. In spite of following a healthy lifestyle and exercising daily, we still don't lose that extra fat. And weight loss becomes all the more difficult is we are suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS occurs due to hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, and/or the development of small cysts on one or both ovaries. And this makes it difficult for women with PCOS to shed those extra kgs. 

Every kilogram lost can help improve insulin resistance, hormone levels, menstrual cycles and overall quality of life in women with PCOS. If you are someone who has PCOS and is struggling to lose weight then, here are a few tips that'll help you with the weight loss process. It's simple, and if followed it can slowly help you achieve your goal.

Cut down on carbs:

Women suffering from PCOS should follow a low carb diet and should cut down on carbs as much as possible. Following a low carb diet will reduce insulin levels, which in turn will help with weight loss.

Consume enough protein:

Protein stabilizes blood sugar and will aid weight loss by reducing cravings and managing hunger hormones. Try adding healthy protein food items like eggs, nuts, milk and tofu to your diet. It will help with weight loss, especially for women with PCOS. 

Include fibre in your daily diet:

Fibre-rich food items help you stay full for long, and a high-fibre diet may also help with weight loss in women with PCOS. It'll reduce insulin resistance, body weight and excess body fat, which aids weight loss. 

Eat logically:

Women with PCOS are likely to experience more eating disorders than other women. Hence, mindful eating is essential for women with PCOS. Thinking logically before consuming anything will promote awareness and will also promote weight loss. 

Limit sugar intake:

It's imperative for women with PCOS to lose weight, since every weight loss can help with menstruation and hormonal imbalances. And to lose weight, refined carbs and added sugars should be cut down from the diet, since they increase blood sugar levels, which can lead to weight gain.

Exercise regularly:

Key to weight loss is following a good diet and exercising regularly. Especially when it comes to PCOS, both cardio and weight-training exercises may help women to reduce body fat and improve insulin sensitivity.

Sleep well:

Sleeping plays a key role in weight loss. Poor sleep is linked to obesity. Hence, increasing your sleep time can reduce body fat and promote weight loss.

Losing weight can be a struggle, but a balanced diet rich in fibre, and proteins and low in carbs can help in weight loss for women with PCOS. Regular exercise, stress management and sleep are all important to weight loss. So, if you have PCOS, then do consider following the above-mentioned tips.

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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Different ways by which your Gut affects you

People that suffer from chronic digestive issues will know that having an upset tummy is not fun at all, but the long-term effects of gut problems may be even worse than you expected. In the past few years, science learned a lot about our digestive system, and one of the hottest topics in medicine today is that of the gut microbiome, meaning all the beneficial microorganisms that live in our gut and help us so much.

 

Scientists all around the world now believe that what you eat and what bacteria you promote in your gut can affect anything from allergies to heart disease and everything in-between.

1. An unhealthy gut may promote heart disease.

It’s no news that heart disease is linked to high cholesterol levels, but only recently scientists  discovered the connection between an unhealthy gut and high blood cholesterol levels. It was found that certain kinds of gut bacteria make your blood vessels absorb more of the unhealthy cholesterol from the gut into your blood. The excess cholesterol then leads to the formation of plaques in your blood vessels and causes heart disease. It is unclear, however, which strains of bacteria affect cholesterol absorption. 

What is clear, though, is that foods rich in fiber and fiber supplements, such as psyllium husks and flax-seeds, can lower the absorption of the cholesterol into the blood by as much as 25%. That is why it is always a good idea to pair fiber-rich foods with foods that are high in cholesterol, such as red meat and eggs, or to supplement fiber if you know that your diet contains a lot of foods high in cholesterol.

2. Your mental health depends on your gut health.

Your intestines share some real-estate with a lot of nerve tissues that regulate your digestion and communicate with your spine and brain. These nerves are often referred to as the gut-brain, but the scientific term is actually the enteric nervous system.

This gut-brain is suspected to regulate your mood and anxiety levels by exchanging chemical signals called neurotransmitters with your brain. In this way, what you eat and how your intestines digest food can influence your mood.

But it also goes further than that, as scientists now believe that an unhealthy gut and a poor diet may cause depression and anxiety disorders. In several studies, there was a marked improvement of anxiety and depressive symptoms after patients were administered probiotic supplements. 
Even if you don’t suffer from anxiety or depression, you can make use of the gut and brain connection, as a 2016 article suggests that fermented foods (i.e. foods rich in probiotics) can increase a person’s cognitive abilities and mood. 

3. Can intestinal problems be a cause of obesity?

It is no secret that eating too much will upset your digestive system and make you gain weight, but there is another way in which a bad diet can make you overweight. 
In a recent study, the authors sum up that our friend from the previous section, the gut-brain, can sometimes trick our brains into thinking they are hungry. The gut-brain communicates with a gland that is situated in the brain called the pituitary gland that is responsible for producing hormones regulating your appetite, among other things. 

Usually, all is well and your pituitary gland will produce just enough hormones for you to feel satiated after a meal. But when something goes awry with your tummy, the pituitary gland will not do its job properly and you’ll feel hungry all the time, which can lead to obesity.
To prevent this mismatch from happening and to heal your gut, it is necessary to consume foods rich with probiotics, which can be found in fermented foods, such as yogurts, pickles, and kimchi.

4. An unhealthy intestinal tract may cause allergies.

Did you know that more than 75% of your immune cells live in your digestive system? So, it comes as no surprise that the foods you eat will affect your body’s ability to fight off all kinds of germs. Together with your gut bacteria, immune cells help your body resist infections in all of your body, and not only in the digestive system. 
An example of this can be observed if we consider allergies. It is now widely believed that a lack of beneficial gut bacteria can make your immune cells unable to distinguish between good and bad bacteria. When that happens, your immune system will activate to harmless compounds and you will experience an allergic reaction.

In fact, several studies suggest that allergic symptoms can be greatly improved by promoting gut health, such as this clinical trial, in which seasonal allergy sufferers were given probiotic supplements for 8 weeks, which significantly reduced their allergy symptoms.
So, to promote the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria and improve your gut health you will need to have a diet rich in a variety of different foods, including but not limited to nuts and seeds, foods rich in fiber, probiotic-rich foods, and whole grains. 

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-                                               
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Make this small change in your diet if you are suffering from insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is a condition where there are high levels of insulin circulating in the body. The pancreas secretes insulin, which helps in the dissemination of glucose when the carbohydrate in the food breaks down. But when a person suffers from insulin resistance the cells throughout the body are unable to use insulin effectively and so the amount of glucose in the blood remains raised. 

It is not clear why some people suffer from insulin resistance and some don’t. However, elevated insulin levels can make your blood glucose rise. Even if your blood sugar is not high enough for you to be considered as a diabetic it can make you prone to prediabetes. Now prediabetes is a phase where your sugar levels remain high enough which can lead to diabetes in future. Prediabetes is also a characteristic of metabolic syndrome the classical signs of which are obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar level and high triglyceride.

However, there aren’t any visible signs of insulin resistance that could make you aware if you are in a prediabetic state. This is why type 2 diabetes is diagnosed in a person when the condition is severe (fasting more than 100 mg/dL and postprandial more than 140 mg/dL). This usually comes to notice when a person goes for a routine blood test or is asked by the doctor to go for one due to some other illness or diagnosis. 

One can never know if he/she is suffering from insulin resistance that could lead to diabetes and its consequences. But there are some signs that could be indicative of the same, here are a few of them:

• excessive thirst or hunger
• hungry even after a meal
• increased urination
• tingling sensations in your hands or feet
• fatigue

One might just pass off these symptoms casually. But if you feel any of the above without any rhyme or reason there are high chances that you might be suffering from insulin resistance. One way to counter this is by making a small change in your diet before you become dependent on medications – eat more fibre rich foods. ‘Fibre in your food helps to absorb the sugar after the breakdown of the carbohydrates and evenly distributes sugar throughout the body. Fibre-rich foods also relaxes the gut and helps to sensitise the cells towards insulin,’ says a naturopath. It is recommended that one gets 14 grams of fibre for every 1,000 calories he/she eats. So, for example, if your diet comprises of 2,500 calories a day, you should be getting about 35 grams of fibre a day.

Some fibre rich foods that you can indulge in are legumes and peas, fruits like apples, pear and guava, greens like spinach, French beans and fenugreek among others.

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-                      
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FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                     

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Ways to whiten your teeth naturally

1) Strawberries-one of the most popular teeth whitening solution- mash up 4-5 strawberries to a pulp, rub mixture over teeth, rinse.

2) Baking soda- a powerful way to keep your smile bright and your mouth healthy. Make a paste - mix 1 tsp. of baking soda and 2 tsp of water, use it to brush your teeth with a few times a week. Or- use it as a mouthwash by adding 1 tsp of baking soda to a cup of water and swishing it in your mouth for 2-3 minutes.

3) Olive oil- use it as a special whitening treatment before brushing your teeth. 2 ways to do this- add a few drops of olive oil to your toothbrush, drip a few drops on a hand towel and smear it on the teeth, leave for 19 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

4) Orange or lemon peel- citrus provides our teeth with vital minerals like vitamin C and calcium, and can eliminate yellowness in the teeth. Peel the skin of an orange or lemon, run it on your teeth for a few minutes and rinse. Do this regularly for effective results.



5) Fibres- eat crunchy fibre-rich foods that act as nature's toothbrush-- apples, pear, carrots, celery, broccoli and lettuce. These clean the tooth surfaces without damaging the enamel and increase saliva flow that acts as a natural stain remover and teeth strengthener. 

6) Apple cider vinegar- get rid of persistent stains ( especially those caused by coffee and nicotine) by using it to rinse your mouth. Make a mixture with 1 part of apple cider vinegar and 2 parts of water. Gargle for 2-3 minutes ( do not swallow), brush your teeth normally and rinse with water.  
CAUTION- this may damage the tooth enamel if used too frequently. \do not use more than a few times a week.

Bonus tip-
use a straw whenever possible.
 Floss your teeth regularly.
eat calcium-rich foods like cheese, milk and yoghurt
Get enough Vitamin D from sun exposure.

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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Tips For Getting Rid of Winter Phlegm

1. Spice up your diet

Adding spices to your diet doesn’t only boost your immune system – it also helps your body with clearing out all the nasty stuff, not least any congestion in your nasal passages in your lungs. Add small amounts of garlic, oregano, turmeric, onions, and ginger, to your regular diet. You can also try spicing some apple sauce with cloves, nutmeg or cinnamon.

All the foods  just mentioned contain strong antibacterial properties, which help keep the winter bugs well away. If you have children, you might want to consider temporarily cutting out dairy from their diet and giving them multivitamins or immune boosters for a few days until the phlegm clears up.

2. Sleep well

Note that a blocked nose is always much worse at night-time, making it difficult to breathe and causing you to snore. Consider a saline spray and/or nose aspirators in order to keep your airways clear of phlegm. Another soothing way of clearing your airways is to inhale steam from a bowl of boiling water. You could even add a warm bath at the end of the day to your routine if you find that you’re consistently congested.

 3. Get loads of fresh air

The colder air of the winter months tends to make all of us spend a lot more time indoors, but the reality is that for the sake of our health, we still need to ensure we get enough fresh air. Regardless of how cold it is outside, you’ll be fine if you wrap up in suitably warm clothing. In fact, taking a brisk walk is one of the best ways of drying out mucus and phlegm.

Fresh air opens up your lungs and increases blood flow, and this means that any bugs lurking in your system can be flushed out much more quickly than if you were to spend nine hours a day indoors.

4. Keep your bowels moving!

Many people don’t actually realize this, but constipation can hinder your immune function, thus leaving you more susceptible to illness. The usual cause of a sluggish digestive system is food stagnating in the intestines, which in turn can lead to toxic build-up, poor elimination and increased mucus formation.

These symptoms can be alleviated by drinking more water and eating foods which contain plenty of natural fiber, such as seasonal greens and fresh fruit.

5. Make your own phlegm-busting cordial

Here's how:
1. Place a few sprigs of thyme in a teapot.
2. Add a pint of boiling water.
3. Throw in a few sticks of cinnamon bark and several slices of freshly-chopped ginger.
4. Leave to infuse for about 10-15 minutes.
5. Once the water has cooled, strain and mix with a jar of good-quality honey.
6. Add roughly half a bag of brown sugar.
7. Heat the mixture in a saucepan until it begins to thicken.
8. Leave the resulting syrup to cool and store in the refrigerator.
Take a teaspoon of this syrup every morning, or add it to warm water infused with lemon juice for a delicious bedtime drink.

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