7 Foods That Can Help Manage Diarrhea
Diets & Meal Plans

7 Foods That Can Help Manage Diarrhea

It is vital to monitor what you are eating, and how much you are eating on a day to day basis to avoid stomach problems. The wrong kinds of food or too much food can affect your digestive system. When you eat certain types of food that are hard to digest or if you eat too much of something, it can cause diarrhea. If you suffer from diarrhea occasionally, then you don’t need to worry about this problem. However, if you are facing this problem due to food poisoning or stomach flu, then you must consult a doctor as soon as possible. When you are suffering from diarrhea, you need to make some changes to your diet to bring your digestive system back on track. You need to understand which foods you can consume and which ones you should avoid when you have diarrhea. Some food items and ingredients can worsen this condition. Here is the list of some food items that can help manage diarrhea. Foods to add to the diet When you have diarrhea, you should always make sure that you add bland food to your diet. You should avoid spicy and oily food during this time as such food items can worsen this condition. Here are some foods that you can add to your diet: Banana Banana is a bland fruit that is easy to digest. It will also help to strengthen your digestive system. You lose a lot of electrolytes during an episode of diarrhea. However, banana has potassium that can help restore your electrolyte levels. Mashed potatoes Potato is another food item that you can add to your diet when you have diarrhea. This vegetable is also rich in potassium, and you can eat mashed potatoes when you are unwell. Make sure that you consume peeled potatoes, as you need to avoid potato skin if you have diarrhea.
Benefits of Probiotics
Diets & Meal Plans

Benefits of Probiotics

Probiotic word has been derived from the Greek words Pro, which means “promotion” and Biotic, meaning “life”. Our body has a vast amount of bacteria- both good and bad, which have been with us since birth. But what is important is the optimal balance of these in the body. A subsequent imbalance is called dysbiosis, which can cause diseases related to the intestinal tract. So, probiotics are actually bacteria or live microorganisms which help prevent or even treat some illnesses. While the idea of having bacteria in the body that help instead of harm is a bit difficult to take in, probiotics actually help promote a healthy immune system as well as a healthy digestive tract. The following are the health benefits of probiotics: Balancing the good bacteria in the body An imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in the body can cause allergies, obesity, mental health issues and more. Probiotics restore the natural balance of gut bacteria upon consumption. These live beneficial microorganisms prevent an imbalance that might have been caused by various kinds of medications, illnesses, poor diet and more. Diarrhea treatment One of the most common side effects of taking antibiotics is diarrhea. This occurs due to the antibiotics negatively affecting the balance between good and bad bacteria. But one of the probiotic benefits is to help reduce or prevent diarrhea, especially antibiotic associated diarrhea. Studies have also proven that they can reduce infectious diarrhea by an average of 25 hours and traveler’s diarrhea by 8%. But, the effect varies depending on the type and dosage consumed. Improving mental health conditions Gut health has been linked to mental and mood health often, and in accordance, probiotic supplements have been found to decrease some mental health disorders like anxiety, stress, depression, OCD, memory and more. Keeping the heart healthy Bile is a fluid mostly made up of cholesterol which helps with digestion.
10 Healthy Smoothies for Weight Loss
Diets & Meal Plans

10 Healthy Smoothies for Weight Loss

Looking to lose weight? Here is a delicious way to shed those extra pounds and get back into shape. Sip your smoothie and lose weight! Not just weight loss, a healthy smoothie is a detox drink, immunity, and energy booster. Call them green smoothies or detox smoothies or simply fruit and veggie smoothies – they are packed with nutrients and MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids). Diet smoothie recipes are formulated to reduce body fat and tone up the body the way you want. Weight gain is usually a result of an unhealthy lifestyle, which is a combination of unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, and stress. Weight loss programs, therefore, need to address all of these contributing factors. Eating healthy is paramount to a healthy life. Nature provides a number of fruits and vegetables that accelerate weight loss. Combining these natural foods into a delicious smoothie is not just the best way to lose weight, but also the best way to boost immunity and energize your body. How to make a smoothie? A smoothie is essentially a blend of two or more fruits or vegetables combined with low-fat yogurt or milk. To make a smoothie, you just have to take the ingredients (cut into small pieces where required) into a blender, blend them till smooth, and consume immediately. You may have to add ingredients one by one to ensure smooth blending. In case your diet smoothie recipes contain greens, you should blend them first and then add fruits or vegetables as per the recipe. In case you want your smoothie cold, you can either blend frozen fruits or add a cup of ice while blending. Highly nutritious smoothies are the ones that use fresh ingredients as opposed to preserved or frozen food. It is important that you do not add sugar or salt to your smoothie, as it may bring down the nutritional value.
Foods to Include and Avoid in Your Diet for Diabetes
Diets & Meal Plans

Foods to Include and Avoid in Your Diet for Diabetes

The problem with food items available today is that most of them are processed. The sugar and salt content in several food items is very high. Even if the sugar content is moderate in some sweets, we consume too much of it and end up harming ourselves and spoiling our health. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the country and these numbers are only expected to rise. While we cannot reverse the effect of diabetes, its early detection is the key to survival. There are diet plans we can follow to maintain our health. Here are a few of the best diets for diabetes which you must follow every day: What to avoid There are certain food items that need to be avoided no matter what. You may be tempted to consume these food items but remember, your health comes first. Processed carbohydrates are a strict no. Food with sugar content needs to be minimized too. This includes your all-time favorite candy, soda, potato chips, and other packaged or processed snacks. Artificial sweeteners need to be avoided as well. While these will not spike the sugar content in your blood the same way sugar does, they could have a telling impact in the way your body reacts to insulin. It is better to avoid it as a whole to be on the safer side. Do not consume too much of anything with little to none sugar content as too much of anything can be bad for you as well. Avoid eating bacon, beef jerky, hot dogs, sausages, and pepperoni. These foods inhibit the body’s response to insulin and increase the resistance to insulin. Best diets for diabetes Do not be disheartened. There are many healthy and tasty foods you can eat. Lean proteins are low in saturated fat and are perfect for people with diabetes.
Natural Methods to Reduce Cholesterol Levels
Diets & Meal Plans

Natural Methods to Reduce Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol plays a vital role in the normal functioning of the body. It is made in the liver and mainly helps in keeping the cell walls of the body flexible and also plays an important role in making several hormones. Then again just like too much of anything is bad, so is too much cholesterol in the body. Just like fat, cholesterol doesn’t dissolve in water, and instead, it floats in the blood with the help of lipoproteins. Now, different types of lipoproteins have different effects on a person’s health. It has been observed that high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cause cholesterol to deposit in the walls of the blood vessels. This can lead to strokes, clogged arteries, kidney failure, and heart attacks. On the other hand, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) helps carry cholesterol away from the walls of the blood vessels and it prevents various diseases. So, let’s take a look at a few of the natural methods to reduce cholesterol levels. Focus more on monounsaturated fats Unsaturated fats tend to have a double chemical bond, which changes the way they are processed by the body. Monounsaturated fats have only one double bond. Many experts recommend having a low-fat diet for weight loss, but the problem with this diet is that it also reduces the beneficial HDL cholesterol from the body. In contrast, a diet rich in monounsaturated fats has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels or the harmful LDL, but it maintained the healthy HDL level in the body. Monounsaturated fats are good for health as they tend to reduce the level of harmful LDL cholesterol, increase the levels of good HDL cholesterol and inhibit harmful oxidation. Following are some good sources of monounsaturated fats. Avocados Olives and olive oil Tree nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews Canola oil Use polyunsaturated fats, such as Omega-3s Polyunsaturated fats tend to have several double bonds, which changes the way they are used by the body.
Top 10 Electrolyte Drinks in the Country
Diets & Meal Plans

Top 10 Electrolyte Drinks in the Country

It is essential to hydrate yourself with enough water when you are working out. You tend to sweat a lot and not only lose water, but also electrolytes. Electrolytes are, essentially, minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride. They are necessary for the body to function properly and to maintain overall health. You must take electrolyte drinks when working out to supplement your body with these minerals. Mentioned below are those that feature among the top 10 electrolyte drinks. There are a variety of options in the market ranging from sugar-free variants to convenient electrolyte powders. Choose what suits you best and buy the best electrolyte drink today! NOOMA Organic Electrolyte Drinks NOOMA Organic Electrolyte Drinks are among the top 10 electrolyte drinks available in the market today. They are low-calorie, sugar-free, organic electrolyte drinks. The best thing is that these drinks come in a variety of flavors. The taste is fantastic and its ingredients are clean. These drinks come in packs of twelve. Each drink is packed in a 16-oz bottle. You can choose from a range of flavors which include the likes of watermelon lime, mango, mint chocolate, and blueberry peach! The drink is formulated from sea salt and coconut water to provide a blend of potassium and sodium. NOOMA Organic Electrolyte Drinks are GMO project verified and USDA organic. They represent the perfect option for vegans as well. Unlike some electrolyte drinks, NOOMA does not have a strange aftertaste! If you are looking for a natural drink with minimal ingredients, look no further. Pediatric Electrolyte Oral Solution Pediatric Electrolyte Oral Solution is best suited for those looking for a pocket-friendly option. Parents choose to give this drink to their children when they are sick as well. It is specially marketed for children but is an effective product for adults as well.
Healthy Food Items that Help Lower Cholesterol Levels
Diets & Meal Plans

Healthy Food Items that Help Lower Cholesterol Levels

Wondering how to naturally lower LDL levels? Well, you should first know that cholesterol is an essential substance which helps the human body to build cells. It travels through the blood on proteins which are called lipoproteins. These proteins are classified into LDL or Low-density lipoprotein and HDL or High-density lipoprotein. HDL or good cholesterol absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver, excess of which is flushed out of the body. On the other hand, LDL or bad cholesterol make up most of the body’s cholesterol. When our body has LDL in excess, it can build up on walls of blood vessels, making it narrow. These narrow blood vessels blocks flow of blood to and from the heart, thus causing a heart attack. A lesser known fact is that HDL can lower risk for heart disease and stroke. The LDL particle concentrations are typically categorized by percentiles and the optimal range is 0 – 20% in adults. What causes LDL? Cholesterol is vital to the human body, and hence it is produced naturally. But there are some foods that can only increase the LDL level, more than the body actually requires. Unhealthy food habits or a diet rich in saturated and trans fats, lack of physical activities, exposure to smoking and excess weight are the main reasons for high cholesterol levels. Some people inherit genes from their previous generations too. How to naturally lower LDL? Cholesterol enters our body through two sources. The liver makes all the cholesterol which is required by the body. The remainder of it comes from food from animals and dairy products. There are lifestyle changes that can improve cholesterol levels. So, if you are wondering how to naturally lower LDL in your body, include these in your diet. A variety of fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables are the main source of soluble fibers which absorbs cholesterol in intestines by binding it with bile.
Causes of Constipation and Natural Fiber Supplements That Can Help
Causes & Risk Factors

Causes of Constipation and Natural Fiber Supplements That Can Help

Constipation is an uncomfortable problem that affects almost more than 20 percent of the adult population in the country. According to a survey, more than 2.5 million people visit doctors and clinics for treating the problem of constipation. It often affects more women than men. In addition to difficulty with passing stools, people often face other symptoms throughout the day such as bloating, gas, stomach pain, lower back pain, anxiety issues, and fatigue. The good news is that constipation is curable with the help of fiber supplements. These natural remedies can solve your gut problems with minimal effort. So, in this article, we are going to discuss certain natural fiber supplements that can help improve the bowel movements in your body. But, before we start with the remedies, let’s understand what constipation is, and what its causes are. What is constipation and what are its causes? Constipation is often defined as a difficulty in emptying the bowels. In other words, in constipation, your body takes more than the usual amount of time and effort to move food waste through the large intestine tract. According to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), someone has constipation if he or she experiences fewer than three bowel movements in a week or has a hard or dry stool that is difficult to pass and often painful. Constipation is usually caused by a combination of several external and internal factors, including some that are related to your diet and body movements as well as your levels of stress. Low intake of fiber is often the leading cause of constipation. Insufficient water consumption is another reason for this problem. Sometimes, dealing with emotional stress can also lead to constipation. Let’s have a look at the factors that are responsible for causing constipation.
Top Baby Formulas of 2018 to Choose From
Diets & Meal Plans

Top Baby Formulas of 2018 to Choose From

As a parent, feeding your newborn baby can be one of the most challenging tasks—no matter if it’s breast or formula feeding. If you are looking forward to formula feeding or want to get some from the store in case of an emergency, it can be sometimes confusing to choose the best product for your baby. All baby formulas are certified and are closely engineered to resemble breast milk, supplying your baby the required amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and other necessary nutrients. Before you jump to any conclusion, you should be aware of its different forms available in the market. Baby formulas come in three different forms, which we will discuss herein. So, read on to know the best baby formula product among the many available in the market and their dos and don’ts! Different Forms of Baby Formula Ready-to-feed Formula It is the most convenient and expensive form of baby formula which does not require any type of mixing and measurements. Most hospitals use these baby formulas to feed the newborn babies. It is a safe and hygienic form of baby formula not requiring any consideration about water safety while feeding your baby. The only disadvantage of this formula is that it has a lifespan of about 48 hours and requires refrigeration once you open this pack. Liquid Concentrate Formula This formula is less expensive and requires proper mixing of the liquid concentrate with equal amounts of distilled water. You have to consider the proper safety of the water you use to mix this formula, and it is advisable to read the instructions carefully before proceeding. The only disadvantage about this liquid concentrate baby formula is that it requires proper refrigeration and is needed to be consumed within 48 hours. Powdered Formula This formula is the least expensive among the three and is required to mix with an appropriate amount of distilled water before you can feed it to your newborn baby.
Vitamin Supplements That Provide Relief from Fibromyalgia
Diets & Meal Plans

Vitamin Supplements That Provide Relief from Fibromyalgia

Technological advancements have taken healthcare to a new level. Diseases that were once fatal now have effective cures, thanks to medical breakthroughs. However, for some disorders, natural therapies show better results than conventional medicine. Fighting health disorders the natural way is the best option for such ailments. For diseases such as fibromyalgia, natural supplements can help fight aches, inflammation, and stiffness. Vitamins for fibromyalgia, derived from herbs and other natural supplements, help reduce pain significantly and provide relief to patients. Living with fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia affects the soft tissue and muscles of the body. Those affected by this syndrome experience chronic muscle pain, sleep problems, fatigue, and painful trigger points. Fibromyalgia is known to exhibit as many as 39 symptoms, which are often mistaken for other diseases. One can get relief from these symptoms by making changes to their lifestyle, taking medications, and managing stress levels. Physical therapy can also help manage the pain and stiffness caused by fibromyalgia. Living with fibromyalgia requires changes in the daily routine. Compulsory physical exercise, good sleep routine, stress management, and nutrient-rich diet are some of the lifestyle changes that help to manage the symptoms of fibromyalgia. People affected by fibromyalgia often suffer from vitamin deficiency as well. One can combat these deficiencies by including vitamin supplements in their diet. These supplements are herbal formulas that help ease the pain and stiffness caused by fibromyalgia. Vitamins for fibromyalgia While undergoing tests to diagnose fibromyalgia, one might discover several vitamin deficiencies as well. No single vitamin can cure the disorder. However, a combination of vitamins can help manage symptoms of fibromyalgia. From vitamin D supplements to seaweed extracts, there is a whole list of vitamin supplements available in the market that provide relief from the symptoms of fibromyalgia. But what vitamins should one take if they have fibromyalgia?