All posts by Sumana Rao

Don't worry about the people in your past; There's a reason they didn't make it to your future.
Why is it hard to reduce bloating ?

Why is it hard to reduce bloating ?

Most women have this problem called “bloating”.

One reason we all know that during menstrual cycle and menopausal years bloating happens.

But, if you are having intermittent bloating  then it could be due to following reasons.

Listen what grandma’s solutions for intermittent bloating.

  • Your body is intolerant to dairy? : Trouble digesting lactose or casein allergy causes bloating.

To reduce go fat free dairy product. Find milk alternatives in place of cheese, milk products like ice cream.

  • Do you eat fast? When we eat or gulp the food, it results inhalation of lot of air and not chewing food enough results in accumulation of larger pieces of food in stomach causing gas and bloating.

Take time to really chew your meal. Eating slowly gives more time for body to recognize the type of    food that we eat.

  • Do you eat too much sugar? If you are, then understand that sorbitol and fructose are two sugars present in most processed food. We have problem in digesting such sugars and when bacteria feeds on sugar – in the process of breaking sugar gas that is formed in the system causes bloating.

Reduce sugar intake – less sweets, less sugar in coffee, tea or no soda helps.

  • Do you eat too much raw food? Very reason for cooking and eating is, cooking helps to softens fibrous food and unwinds protein. It makes bit easy on system to digest. Raw foods provide more nutritional benefits – no doubt about it. However, too much raw food consumption makes it difficult and body takes more time to process it.  And, result is gas and bloating.

Eat limited raw foods and proper cooking of foods helps. Understand which are the food that should be cooked for consumption.

  • Are you stressed out? Stress plays a major role in our life. It alters hormones and our breathing patterns. When we eat body does not feel positive aspects of food and digestive system feels food is a burden. In turn, food sits in stomach for more time leading to bloating.

Best way to reduce stress – life is always not path of flowers. There are many ways to reduce or overcome stress. Effective manage your stress and see the impact!

  • Do you sleep less? A very big culprit – sleeping less is a bigger problem for women who work throughout the day. Body needs rest. When we don’t sleep enough, stress hormone cortisol disturbs digestive system and it results in constipation and eventually bloating. Moreover, lack of sleep makes us to grab more carbohydrates that converts to sugar and causes bloating.

Get good sleep. Understand for your age, how many hours of sleep you need or what makes you feel better. Learn why women need more sleep than men.

Read this article about bloating and home remedies in grandma online section

Listen to grandma: www.healthylife.werindia.com

Image credit: Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
(Free CC0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 25, 2018
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The Yellow Book of FSSAI

The Yellow Book of FSSAI

Have you heard about FSSAI’s The Yellow Book?  It is a guide to safe and nutritious Food at Indian Schools. It provides age appropriate contents which can be adopted by schools through state education machinery as part of curricular and co-curricular activities.

Health is responsibility of both individuals and society. One place where we all must promote health and safe food practice is at schools. Children will learn and take the information to home and to society.  Including good nutrition learning as part of syllabus helps in focusing healthy eating.

The Yellow Book was launched by Dr Vinod K Paul of NITI Ayog along with FSSAI Chairperson Mr. Ashish Bahuguna end of 2017. According to Mr. Bahuguna, “This holistic effort towards co-creating the culture of safe and wholesome food amongst schools with support of education machinery would go a long way in preparing our children as real change agents. The efforts are centered around building a robust curriculum, framework for easy adoption using digital solutions, enhancing capabilities of teachers through training mechanism and connecting like-minded stakeholders through a common platform. This would ensure that the vital knowledge reaches to the entire target population so that we can together achieve the vision of safe and healthy schools in our country”.

The Yellow Book covers topic including good safety practices, personal hygiene, clean habits, eating a balanced diet, packing wholesome lunchbox, how to prevent nutritional deficiencies and making healthy choices for school children. With these topics it also gives useful tips and activities for school children. The book is formulated after consultation, discussion and engagement with various education boards of India including CBSE, NCERT, State Boards and, with nutrition and education experts.

The philosophy here is ‘habits inculcated during childhood helps to create sustainable patterns of behavior and helps to ensure lifetime of safe and healthy food choices’.  To adopt this safe food and nutrition habits over 100 representatives from central and state Govt, school boards, voluntary organization and corporates have joined hands. They will help in building this effort.

FSSAI launched “School Engagement Platform” a portal that works online for schools to register and utilize resource materials.  FSSAI also working on providing an assessment framework to highlight model schools that are going to be pioneers in adopting safe and nutritious school framework.

Many companies including Kellogg, ITC, GSK offered to help FSSAI by either promoting the Book or by adopting schools for promoting safe and nutrition food. Emami, TetraPak, Marico have taken up activation programs across 1000 schools in India. PepsiCo reached out to colleges to support SNF Fellows. Rotary Club of India is working with over 75,000 schools across India to incorporate the Yellow Book into school curricula.

Reason to teach children about healthy eating at young age is to make them adopt Healthy Life habits  throughout their life. The interactive yellow book appears in three parts for different age groups -between age 4 to 17. The aim is inculcating wholesome food habits, safe food choice and personal hygiene. As a part of the suggested roll-out plan, appointment of school health and wellness coordinators are also suggested by experts.

For more information:

  • www.fssai.gov
  • http://www.nuffoodsspectrum.in
  • http://snfportal.in/snf/jsp/schoolresources.jsp
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 24, 2018
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Reasons for energy loss and tips to boost energy

Reasons for energy loss and tips to boost energy

If your body is feeling exhausted, fatigue and no or low energy all the time or more often can be warning signs for diabetes, heart problems.

People often take energy drinks to fix the energy problem in their body.

Contents in energy drink can cause side effects or long-term damage to body. Caffeine is one such factor that is present in energy drinks.

Long-term use of high caffeine from energy drinks can damage nervous system.

Reasons for fatigue:

  1. Overtraining your body: Too much or too many hours of workout routine has negative impact on body. Inflammation can lead to tiredness, muscle and cells breakdown leading to exhaustion.
  2. Allergies can be a problem: Seasonal allergies can take a toll on energy. Congestion and cold interferes with breathing and sleep.
  3. Gluten intolerance: Due to gluten intolerance, small intestine become inflamed. This will interfere in absorption of nutrients to bloodstream and leads to malnutrition and fatigue.
  4. Anemia leads to low energy: When there is not enough red blood cells then, there is low iron in the body. Lack of oxygen carrier leads to tiredness and fatigue. It is nothing but iron deficiency symptom.
  5. Insulin resistant: When sugar is not obtained by body cells, energy runs low in the body. High insulin creates inflammation and causes problem in healing and affect energy levels.
  6. Thyroid problem: When thyroid level is low, it affects energy level. It affects blood pressure, bowel movements and energy level.
  7. Mental health: Depression leads to fatigue and lack of enthusiasm. Energy levels are disturbed when serotonin and dopamine- the two neurotransmitters are in imbalance. It also affects the ability to sleep.
  8. Anxiety: Worries are never ending and all the worries could be zapping the energy. Anxiety makes a person feel tired all the time and affects hormone levels, variability in heart beat and blood pressure fluctuations.
  9. Not moving around: Sitting in one place, being mentally lazy and not doing any work – these are also cause for lack of energy.

Clean energy that we get from within the cells and tissues is more important for the body.  Here are simple but effective tips that one should consider recovering from fatigue.

  1. Sleep at least eight hours a night. If can, then sleep half an hour in the afternoon or day time.
  2. Give ample calories to body from quality lean protein and carbohydrates. Consider eating yogurt, cereals, lentils, whole wheat rotis, chapatis or bread. Don’t forget fruits – oranges and banana helps to recover the body.
  3. Understand what is the reason for your allergy. Indoor allergies should be fixed with proper methods. Outdoor allergies can be reduced by over the counter medicine. Limit your outdoor activities during high pollen count days. For cough and congestion try good natural home remedies.
  4. If you know you are gluten intolerant, then avoid foods that contains gluten. Read labels or go to market section where gluten free products are stocked.
  5. If you have anemia then talk to your doctor and get recommendation for supplements and food. Eat cooked beans, iron fortified cereals, baked potatoes, green vegetables. Vitamin B12 and iron supplements helps to recover the strength and brings back iron to normalcy.
  6. Gat a fasting glucose test during your yearly physical examination. If it is higher than usual that could be a sign that insulin resistance issue is in the body. Make amendment in your life style and adopt healthy eating, healthier food choices.
  7. Get thyroid test done once a year or so. Daily medication helps to recover from thyroid problems and thyroid gland functions normally. Performing yoga poses that supports thyroid function helps too.
  8. Talk to your doctor about the way you feel inside and your mental status. An antidepressant can help but it should be decided by your doctor. However, getting involved in activities, talking to friends and loved ones, spending time in community services can help you to recover from depression. Don’t wait for too long, talk to your doctor today to solve the issue.
  9. Anxiety disorder should be addressed. Talk to your doctor and explain reasons for your anxiety. He or she may suggest pills or alternatives to recover your energy level.
  10. Move your body: Don’t’ sit for longer hours. Move around, be on your feet, take a stroll. Walking helps to get back energy.
  11. Home remedies: If your fatigue is not for above reasons then, try few home remedies.
  • Apply peppermint oil on cotton ball and inhale deeply.
  • Add couple of drops of rosemary essential oil to bathing water and soak your body.
  • Lie on your back on the bed and using pillows prop your feet at higher level than head. This encourages blood flow to brain.
  • Listen to your body and take ample of rest.
  • Reduce alcohol intake and replace it with green tea
  • Following food will also help: Walnuts, watermelon, spinach, pumpkin seeds, bananas, pomegranate, orange.

Find the reasons for your fatigue and before other health symptoms set in to disrupt your life, act on it. Contact your doctor and seek suggestions.

www.healthylife.werindia.com

image credit: Photo by Stacey Gabrielle Koenitz Rozells on Unsplash

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 16, 2018
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How to prevent flu

How to prevent flu

According to CDC cases of flu – influenza have reached epidemic proportions. It is touching all parts of United States killing at least 20 children.  CDC has suggestion for public on how to prevent flu:

Take time to get a flu vaccine. CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.

  • While there are many different flu viruses, a flu vaccine protects against the viruses that research suggests will be most common. (See Vaccine Virus Selection for this season’s vaccine composition.)
  • Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations.
  • Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every year before flu activity begins in their community. CDC recommends getting vaccinated by the end of October, if possible. Learn more about vaccine timing.
  • CDC recommends use of injectable influenza vaccines (including inactivated influenza vaccines and recombinant influenza vaccines) during 2017-2018. The nasal spray flu vaccine (live attenuated influenza vaccine or LAIV) should not be used during 2017-2018.
  • Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
  • People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.
  • Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to them.
  • Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for infants should be vaccinated instead.

 Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.

  1. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
  2. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
  3. While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
  4. If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
  5. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  6. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
  7. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
  8. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.
  9. Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them.
  10. If you get the flu, antiviral drugs can be used to treat your illness.

Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. They are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) and are not available over-the-counter.

Antiviral drugs can make illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For people with high-risk factors, treatment with an antiviral drug can mean the difference between having a milder illness versus a very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay.

Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 2 days of getting sick, but starting them later can still be helpful, especially if the sick person has a high-risk health condition or is very sick from the flu. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking this drug.

Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also may have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the flu, and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.

Watch this video to understand how to stop flu at home?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9APKBBr18Cc

Reference: Visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu/treatment/index.html for more information

Image credit: Image by Alexandr Litovchenko from Pixabay (free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 15, 2018
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Homemade Kashaya Varieties and Benefits

Homemade Kashaya Varieties and Benefits

Kashayam also known as Kashaya is herbal drink from Ayurvedic and home remedies for various conditions. The contents will be boiled in water, strained and served hot with or without milk.

Kashayam word is also known as Kwatham. It is tradition to serve homemade Kashayam to guests in several parts of India.  There are many varieties of kashaya can be prepared using a single herb or combination of herbs.

All types of kashayam has different healing properties and therapeutic use. Ingredients can be either dry or fresh. For example, many kasahyam varieties use ginger either in dry form or in fresh.

Depending on the ingredients, taste of kashayam varies. Ayurvedic kashayam are generally bitter and have astringent taste. Homemade kashayam can be spicy, little sweet (due to jaggery) and very aromatic.

Few Kashaya varieties are good for winter and reduces flu and cold symptoms. Depending on conditions like fever, joint pain, digestive problem, weight increase, diabetes etc. – that we suffer from, we can prepare fresh Kashaya at home.

Lemon, Orange zest, Mint and Fennel Kashaya: Click here to know more

Lemon-OrangeZest-Mint-Fennel-Kashaya-Healthylife-Werindia

Tulsi Kashaya: Click here to know more

Tulsi Kashaya Benefits

Ginger Kashaya: Click here to know more

Ginger Kashaya Benefits

Black pepper, Dry ginger and Cumin Kashaya: Click here to know more

Black Pepper, Ginger, Cumin Kashaya

Curry Leaves Kashaya: Click here to know more

Curry Leaves Kashaya

Ajwain Kashaya: Click here to know more

Ajwain Kashaya Benefits

Coriander, Ginger and Black Pepper Kashaya: Click here to know more

Coriander, Black Pepper and Ginger Kashaya

Indian Sarsaparilla (Nannari) Kashaya: Click here to know more

Indian Sarsaparilla Root

 

Reference: www.werindia.com & Grandma’s remedies from Online Grandma.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: January 11, 2018
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Lemon, Orange Zest, Mint & Fennel Kashaya

Lemon, Orange zest, Mint and Fennel Kashaya

Ingredients:

  1. Lemon zest – from 2 lemons
  2. Orange zest – from one orange
  3. Ginger – inch (grated)
  4. Fennel bulb – ½ small one chopped
  5. Mint leaves – 1 cup
  6. Water 3 cups
  7. Jaggery – 1 Tbsp
  8. Milk – ½ cup

Method:

  1. Dry roast lemon zest, orange zest, ginger and fennel together for few minutes.
  2. You can dry roast mint or use fresh leaves.
  3. Boil water and add jaggery. Let the jaggery dissolve.
  4. Now add dry roasted contents and mint leaves.
  5. Continue boiling water for few more minutes.
  6. Strain, add boiled milk and drink hot.

Benefits: Good for cold, flu and runny nose conditions. A wonderful drink for winter cold!

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Tulsi Kashaya Benefits

Tulsi Kashaya

Ingredients:

  1. Tulsi leaves – 1 cup
  2. Jaggery – 2 Tbs
  3. Water – 3 cups
  4. Cardamom powder – little
  5. Salt – pinch

Method:

  1. Wash Tuli leaves and using a mortar crush the leaves.
  2. Boil the water, add jaggery. Let jaggery dissolve.
  3. Now add Tulsi leaves.
  4. After a minute or so add salt and cardamom powder.
  5. Continue boiling for 3 minutes.
  6. Strain and drink as it is or add little milk and drink when it is hot.

Benefits:

Tulsi is immune booster and this kashayam is good for cold, flu, body pain, inflammation and headache.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Ginger Kashaya Benefits

Ginger Kashaya

Ingredients:

  1. Ginger – 1 inch piece
  2. Jaggery – 2 Tbsp
  3. Milk – 2 cups
  4. Water – 2 cups
  5. Honey – 1 tsp

Method:

  1. Wash ginger and grate it or crush it
  2. Boil water and add jaggery. Let jaggery dissolve.
  3. Now add grated ginger. Continue boiling for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Let the liquid content reduce a bit.
  5. Add boiled milk, honey and drink when it is hot.

Benefits:

Good during throat irritation, cough, fever and runny nose. Ginger Kashaya is good for stomach bloating too. Reduces joint pain and other types of inflammation.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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