1.Nutmeg is an oval shaped spice seed commonly found in our kitchen. A native spice of Indonesia but is now popular in many cuisines used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It is available as a whole spice and as well as powdered.
2.Anti inflammatory: Studies have shown that nutmeg is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds which help by inhibiting the enzymes that promotes the inflammation process.
3.Antioxidants: It contains powerful antioxidants which reduces oxidative stress and keep the free radical damage under control. Therefore, it’s consumption can help in controlling the progress of certain chronic conditions like neuro degerative diseases, some cancers and heart ailments.
4.Indigestion: Nutmeg has been found to be beneficial when consumed during indigestion, abdominal discomfort and flatulence.
5.Antibacterial: Because of it’s antibacterial properties, it is effective against acne when applied in powdered form along with cinnamon and honey. It is also very helpful in cases of dental cavities, bad breath and gum inflammation.
6.Insomnia: Studies have shown that this spice helps in aiding sleep by improving both the duration and quality. Adding a pinch of nutmeg in a glass of milk before bedtime can do the trick. Research have shown that it can boost libido in men and is also a potential anti-depressant. But further studies are needed in these aspects.
7.Common cold: Since it is rich in anti bacterial properties, it is useful in cases of rhinitis and common cold.
8.Nutrition: It is a source of wide variety of vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A,C,E and minerals like maganese, magnesium, zinc and iron.
9.Toxicity: Small amount of consumption as less than 2 grams is quite safe. But consumption of larger quantity can lead to serious toxicity or even death. Cases of nutmeg toxicity has been reported in the past when used in larger quantity for recreational purposes or due to ignorance.
10.Uses: Nutmeg is a common ingredient used in various European, Indian, Asian cooking, baking dishes, curries etc. Also, we can sprinkle it in our breakfast cereal, coffee, milk, or fruit salad to add the nutty flavor.
1.The lateral hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex produce a hormone called Orexin, also known as hypocretin. It is produced in two forms like Orexin A and Orexin B. It has various functions related to Central Nervous System. It helps in regulating important functions like sleep-wake cycle, arousal state, energy homeostasis, feeding behaviour, emotions, mood and cognition.
2.Sleep: Orexin is usually released in the daytime and keeps us awake. It stimulates those neurons which in turn help in the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and nor- epinephrine. In case of individuals with orexin deficiency, are usually diagnosed with narcolepsy, insomnia, sleep imbalance, daytime sleepiness and cataplexy.
3.Stress regulator: Orexin is highly responsive to environmental stimuli and our mood. When in stress situations ,the orexin neurons stimulate the body’s response to increase heart rate, blood pressure and disturb the resting state.
4.Obesity: It is a result of the influence of orexin-producing neurons on energy metabolism.Orexin deficiency in the body can lead to slowing down energy metabolism, physical inactivity, and excessive weight gain, even if the calorie intake is low.
5.Mood: Orexin has an influence on mood through its impact on the hippocampus. Abnormal orexin activity has been related to mental health conditions like depression, PTSD, anxiety and addiction. Deficits in orexin influence can result in hippocampus problems such as learning disability and memory deficits, as it also promotes the development of neurons in the hippocampus.
6.Narcolepsy: Orexin helps us stay awake during the day. So, people with orexin deficiency suffer from narcolepsy. They have daytime sleepiness and sleep paralysis. Mostly, these type of individuals can also suffer from cataplexy. The person is unable to move for a short time even if he is awake or about to fall asleep. It is usually occurs in a conscious state of mind and triggered by strong emotions like being angry, or laughing.
7.Alzheimer’s Disease: Several studies show that orexin has direct connection with sleep, cognition and as a stress regular. So it does play a significant impact on Alzheimer’s disease pathology. An increase level of orexin has been found in cerebrospinal fluid of people with Alzheimer’s. So, they usually have circadian cycle disorders, daytime sleepiness and cognition problems. However, researches are still going on for further prospectives of using orexin antagonist receptors as a potential treatment alternative.
8.Heart: Lack of sleep and insomnia have a direct impact on cardiovascular health and hypertension. Studies show that increased levels of orexin stimulation can elevate blood pressure and heart rate. Both orexin A and B receptors have a direct role in the regulation of sympathetic nervous system. Therefore orexin antagonist receptors might be a therapeutic option for hypertension.
9.Orexin levels: High levels of orexin may lead to sleep disorders, stress prone and eating disorders. But lack of orexin or loss of orexin in brain injury may lead to narcolepsy or other sleep disorders. The normal level of orexin found in cerebrospinal fluid in a healthy individual is around 250 – 500 pg/ml.
10.Food: Optimal level of orexin can be provided in a healthy individual by regular intake of fermented food like pickles or sauerkraut. Having excessive sugar or carbohydrate rich food can inhibit orexing production.
1. Chicory is a tuberous herbeceous root, usually grown in winter. Though it is a native herb from Europe and Asia, but nowadays it widely grown in many areas for its health benefits and as a herbal remedy.
2. Chicory roots are a good source of carbs, minerals, and phytochemicals, including flavonoids. It has been utilized as herbal medicine for generations due to its high nutritional value. Research have shown that it has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.
3. In modern days, many of its benefits has been scientifically proven. Chicory root is rich in inulin which is a fructose rich fiber and acts as a prebiotic. It promotes growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Since, it is undigested in the gut when consumed, so it can act as a laxative and relieves constipation.
4. Studies have shown that chicory can contribute to lower blood sugar and helps in insulin resistance. Therefore, it can be an aid in the treatment of diabetes.
5. Other list of benefits of chicory roots are it can promote the weight loss process, improves liver health, boost kidney function by its diuretic properties and may help in treating candida and eczema.
Chicory coffee
6. Since chicory roots are naturally caffeine free, so they have widely been used as a coffee alternative to reduce the intake of caffeine. Repeated consumption of coffee may lead to excess caffeine intake which in turn can cause issues like increasing the level of cortisol and stress.
7. Extensively used method of including chicory in diet is by blending with coffee as chicory coffee, or as herbal tea. It is also integrated in cereals, protein bars and other food items.
8. Like any other food, Chicory roots also have it’s share of side effects like over consumption can lead to allergic reactions, skin rashes, GI symptoms like discomfort, diarrhoea and gall stone.It is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation.
9. As there is no specific doses of daily consumption of chicory, generally having around 5 gram of inulin in 500ml of chicory coffee in regular diet may not lead to any adverse effects. However, a Physician’s or an expert advice is recommended.
10. Chicory roots have been in ancient cultures for ages as a herbal medicine. History says that it has been in use as a healthy beverage for many centuries for its health benefits.
1. Amino Acid :Taurine is found naturally in our body. Chemically, it’s an amino acid or more precisely amino sulphonic acid. Since it is naturally available in the body, it plays a significant part in different bodily functions like metabolism, immunity, nervous system, electrolyte balance, biliary system.
2. Nervous system :Taurine as an abundant amino acid support building up the nervous system, helps in storing memory. As ageing progresses, it’s bodily reserve reduces with age. Due to its decreased levels can be responsible for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers’ or memory deficits.
3. Liver :The liver is supported by taurine mainly to break down cholesterol into bile salts. Bile salts play a crucial role in the digestion and metabolism of fat in the body.
4. Lifespan: Researches show that high taurine levels do have anti-aging effects. From its lower levels contribute to inflammation, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, so, with improved levels of taurine, these risk factors are significantly reduced. Food supplementation of taurine and exercise do contribute to the lifespan.
5. Cell protective agent: Taurine plays a vital role in regulating cell volume, calcium homeostasis, sweeping free radicals and stabilizing the cell membrane.
6. Heart : Studies show that taurine reduces the risk of heart failure by lowering the progression of atherosclerosis. It has a potential vasodilating effect. Taurine supplement in people who have a history of heart failure shows lower levels of cholesterol. Low Taurine levels may be a significant factor in the development of cardiomyopathy.
7. Eye :Studies have shown that taurine is abundant in the retina of the eye. Reduced levels of taurine is linked to eye disorders like glaucoma, retinal degeneration like diabetic retinopathy.
8. Muscle :Studies show that taurine helps to improve muscle power and strength. Taurine appears to help restore muscle injuries, damage, pain and reduce progress in people with muscular dystrophy.
9. Food : Taurine is found in dairy and high sources are mainly meat, chicken and fishes. As for plant based diet, seaweed is a good source of taurine.
10. Dosage : Taurine supplementation is not usually recommended as it is naturally available in the body and in our diet. If prescribed clinically, evidence shows that consumption of 3 gms per day works well without the risk of side effects. Taurine has also been an essential component in energy drinks in case of physical performance. Some infant formulas contain taurine because it is not naturally found in babies as it is in adults.
Melatonin, commonly known as the sleep hormone is responsible for our cicardian rythm. But, it has some fascinating facts to be known.
1. The pineal gland, located at the base of the brain, is known to produce 5% of the total quantity of melatonin. Surprisingly, in all of the cells throughout the entire body, the mitochondria generate the remaining 95% of melatonin.
2. Our body cells’ mitochondria typically serve as the energy-generating organelles. They absorb glucose and oxygen to create water and ATP, which serve as the body’s power source. Free radicals are created during this procedure. However, the free radicals can be neutralised by our body’s defence systems. Melatonin acts as the potent anti-oxidant which causes free radical damage.
3. The melatonin which is produced in the body cells due to the sunlight, especially the infra red rays trigger the release of glutathione and other potent anti-oxidants. Melatonin also has anti -inflammatory properties and anti cancer properties too.
4. Since, melatonin is an effective anti-oxidant, it helps to prevent eye and ear damage. Research shows that it is effective in prevention of age related macular degeneration and retinopathy.
5. Melatonin protects the brain. Melatonin serves to promote the growth of new brain cells and improves memory, according to studies. Melatonin levels were discovered to be low in those with Alzeihmers disease. Thus, it is possible to prevent Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease from becoming severely disabling by increasing melatonin levels.
6. Research shows that melatonin stimulate growth hormone production. Evidences showed that oral administration of melatonin increased the level of growth hormone, two fold times.
7.Melatonin production declines noticeably as we get older. Therefore, in order to maintain melatonin levels in our everyday lives, we must get enough sun exposure during the day and turn off lights at night so that darkness can help to stimulate melatonin production.
8. Sub-cellular melatonin which is produced in the body naturally is more effective than taking melatonin pills. Melatonin pills do work on short term basis and should be taken only if clinically recommended.
9. Aside from the infrared radiation that comes from sunlight, which is typically present in the early morning, other sources of infrared radiation that contribute to a sufficient amount of melatonin production include candlelight and being in front of a fire.
10. Incadescent light bulbs, spending time in greenery parks, outdoors all help to boost melatonin production.
1. The human body in which each of us lives is made up of around 37 trillion cells, to be precise. And every day, about 1-2 percent of the cells are renewing. So, exactly after 90–100 days, a new “me” appears. We remain so busy with our routine lives that we hardly acknowledge this fact, and many of us are not even aware of it. So, ‘change’ is the constant tune, not just within the universe but also within us.
2. Now that we understand that our bodies undergo transformation on a daily basis, So, the question is: how does this self-renewal occur? Let’s go back to our past a little bit. The human body develops from the human embryo, which is fertilized by an oocyte and a sperm cell. This embryo is made up of stem cells. The stem cells are the basic cells (undifferenciated cells) of the human body, which, through the process of mutation and transformation grow into different cells like nerve cells, bone cells, muscle cells, blood cells and so on. Throughout our lifespan, these stem cells undergo cell division and keep replicating; that’s how self-renewal happens.
3. Under normal physiological self-renewal processes, different cells in the body have differing rates of cell division. So, the replication process of various tissues, organs, and blood cells in the body has a different time frame, like the skin epidermal cells, which can take around 10–30 days, whereas a bone cell takes 3 months, or a hair grows about 1 cm in one month, and so on.
4. Though our body is constantly changing due to the continuous self-renewal process through different cell cycles like shedding the old skin cells, renewal of intestinal cell lining, and growing hair or nails on a routine basis, this isn’t a simpler process. The human body is still very complicated and has exceptions. Some cells, such as those in the brain (cerebral cortex), eyes (such as lenses), and heart, do not change from birth to death.
5. But then, why is self-renewal important and must be maintained? Under normal physiological conditions, stem cells have two functions: proliferation and differentiation. Though stem cells have a natural proliferative capacity throughout our lives, disease conditions can affect their physiological self-renewal ability and behavior due to factors such as damage or an unhealthy lifestyle (obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking, or a poor diet).
6. A lack of an appropriate environment within the body or poor maintenance of the human body might eventually lead to the exhaustion of the capacity of stem cell proliferation, which causes premature aging or tissue atrophy. With aging, stem cell activity, tissue regenerative and haemeostasis is significantly declined.
7. Sometime, due to the unhealthy environment within the body, mutations lead to aggressive stem cell division without going through the natural cell differentiation process. This can lead to abnormal tissue growth or cancer in the body. Therefore, the physiological process of stem cell division and the natural stem cell behavior can be affected by four disease conditions, like degenerative, metabolic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory conditions.
8. Regenerative medicine and therapies have arisen as a result of the discovery that defective self-renewal mechanisms in the body are the root cause of malignancies and abnormal cell proliferation. Many disorders are being treated with regenerative medicines based on stem cells. Recent years have seen a significant increase in the use of stem cell treatment to treat a variety of diseases like cancer and disorders including type 1 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s, burns, osteoarthritis, by regenerating cells, repairing tissues, and transplanting organs.
9. The fact about regenerative medicine is that, though it has helped many patients around the world, the cost of treatment is quite high as the procedure is complicated and the failure rate is high. Human stem cell treatment requires culturing human stem cells in a laboratory setting for a longer period of time, which is quite difficult.
10. The market is flooded with products that promote cell regeneration, anti-aging, and longevity. The lofty claims made by these items are still quite dubious. But it is true that some supplements do work to improve health, lower inflammation, and increase immunity. But in the end, having a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, a calm mind, and exercising regularly is all that’s necessary for good health.
The body requires and functions at an optimal level when in an alkaline ph environment. But unfortunately, due to eating unhealthy foods like junk foods, fried food, processed foods and foods with high sugar content, the body turns acidic and disturb the ph balance. This state of imbalance can lead to several diseased conditions like heart diseases, cancers, skin disorders, autoimmune conditions, allergies, and the list can go on and on. The simple solution to this problem is avoiding the unhealthy food items and daily intake of alkaline food in our diet, which can correct the imbalance and maintain an alkaline environment.
15 foods that can be included in our daily diet to maintain an alkaline ph :
1.Bananas: High in potassium content and helps to maintain an alkaline ph. 2.Cucumber: They can neutralize acids and facilitate digestion. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals and is anti-inflammatory. It is also high in water content and keeps our body hydrated.
3.Lemon: Lemon contains citric acid, which is usually acidic. But when metabolized, helps to alkalinize the ph in the body. They are high in calcium, irons, minerals, vitamins mainly B complex. It is antibacterial, antiviral, immune boosters and good for skin health.
4. Watermelon: It is packed with nutrients which can be extraordinarily alkaline and improves the overall health.
5. Blueberries: Berries are high in antioxidants, high alkaline foods and are proven to have health benefits for heart, brain, and anti-ageing.
6.Kale: Among the green leafy veggies, kale is one of the healthiest options. They are highly alkaline, rich in flavonoids which have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. 7.Garlic: Allicin, the compound in garlic is an antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant. Also loaded with vitamins and minerals, garlic acts as a detoxifying agent by increasing the glutathione that helps to filter toxins. It also helps to maintain an alkaline ph in the body.
8.Avocado: Rich in healthy fats, dietary fibres, minerals, vitamins, they flush out the acidic toxins and waste and maintain an alkaline environment.
9.Almond: Most nuts are healthy, but almonds are the most nutritious option which has high calcium and iron content. It is an excellent alkalizer.
10. Apricots: Both raw and dried apricots are high alkaline food and nutrient-dense. 11. Cayenne Pepper and Jalapeno: They are high in alkaline content which is anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties which help to fight toxins. Thye also increases endorphins in the body. 12. Tofu: They are rich in proteins and isoflavonoids and helps to maintain an alkaline balance. 13.Sea vegetables: All varieties have a different range of benefits, but all are excellent alkaline foods. They are also rich in iodine. 14. Beet greens: They are one of the richest alkaline food. Beets greens can be added to salads and smoothies.
15. Green beans are considered alkaline food besides their high nutritional value.
Why is gut health so relevant these days ? Because, in the majority of the diseases, researches have shown that the underlying cause is due to an unhealthy gut.
Most of us are not aware of the fact that within the twist and turn of the internal coils, that is the intestines, there is often a war between the good and bad bacteria. This struggle results in gut imbalance and thereby cause several health issues like autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances, mental health issues, metabolic diseases and even skin problems like acne, depigmentation and psoriasis.
As we must have already known, the digestive tract carries millions of colonies of bacteria. The right bacterial flora within the coiling of the intestines is bestowed upon many functions to perform to maintain a healthy body. They are responsible for breaking down food into energy, eliminate waste and toxins, and most important is to support the immune system. So, our gut health is under immense pressure to perform well.
The gut, when encountered with a burst of harmful bacteria from any food sources, there is a war between the good and the harmful bacteria, and a sudden state of imbalance arises. Therefore, this gut imbalance may lead to different health issues, as mentioned above.
Common symptoms and diseases of improper functioning of the gut are:
1. Slowing of metabolism: This may result in decreased energy production, less absorption of nutrients and deposition of toxins in the different parts of the body. So, there is a lack of energy, tiredness and fatiguability. We may suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies as absorption of nutrients is poor.
2. Digestive issues like gas bloating, diarrhoea as the good bacteria are continuously struggling to restore the balance. Irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, colitis are some symptoms of invasion of harmful bacteria.
3. Mental health issues like depression, anxiety, mood fluctuation may occur. As toxins get deposited in different parts of the body due to the harmful bacteria, they may interfere with the production of happy hormones like serotonin and other neurotransmitters that can elevate the mood.
4.Lack of sleep: The gut imbalance causes hormonal imbalance, and the serotonin cycle, which regulates the sleep cycle gets wholly disrupted. So, the person with gut issues may suffer from sleep disturbances.
5. Autoimmune diseases like Lupus, Crohn’s diseases, rheumatoid arthritis appear where the underlying issue can be an unhealthy gut.
6.Skin issues: When gut inflammation start spreading to other areas of the body, including the skin, there are issues of acne, eczema, psoriasis, complexion disorders, especially on the face.
7. Metabolic problems like diabetes type 2, stubborn weight gain, and obesity are common with gut issues.
Some useful ways to keep a healthy gut:
1. Eating less or no sugar at all as the sugar becomes the medium of growth of harmful bacteria. 2. Drinking lots of water dramatically helps to eliminate the toxins and also facilitate the digestive process. 3. Chewing food with each bite, about 30- 50 times. Though it may sound tedious, this mastication process may help the food to digest and absorb the nutrients properly. 4. Consuming more fibrous food help to form the stool bulk and help eliminate waste and toxins.
5. Mono meals as preparing a single meal with combining many food ingredients which allows the body to digest food better.
6. Consuming fermented food (pickled vegetables) and probiotics help to flourish and restore the good bacterial flora.
7. Effective foods are bone broth (contain collagen which cleanses the gut), ginger, blueberries, peppermint oil, healthy fats like omega-three fatty acids, all benefit the gut.
8. Low impact exercises: Low intensity exercises like rebounding, stretching, walking, yoga and low impact cardiac workout can be helpful for gut health.
The term “autophagy” means eating thyself where “auto” is self, and “phage” is eating. The name has been there in medicine since the 19th century. But the term became quite popular among the medical community in around 2016 when Japanese researcher Dr Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize.
Physiologically, the term means that the body has a natural capacity to eat and clean out the debris, junk and all the unnecessary components in the cells and recycle them as newer and healthier ones for smooth functioning. It’s a form of self-preservation process that the body has an innate capacity. In this way, the toxic, inflamed cells in the body which are responsible for chronic diseases are to be recycled and self preserved to healthier cells. The ageing process slows down, the body weight can be maintained. The process is possible in case of all cells in the body, including brain cells, heart, liver, lung, kidneys and all.
This is a natural phenomenon, which the body is capable of undergoing. But due to various factors, this bodily process isn’t so effective as it should be. The reasons are manifold like for the continuous binging of food, adopting an unhealthy lifestyle and choosing the wrong food items (high calories) to eat and so on. So, in many individuals, the process either slows down or work at a very minimal level. Therefore, there are vast dumping of debris and toxins in the cells leading to various chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes and cancers. Autophagy has received much public attention these days for its capacity to prevent diseases like cancers. But, more studies are required in this area.
In an individual with a high carbohydrate intake of calories 300 to 500 calories/day, the process remains less effective. So, people are mainly adopting the Keto diet and lifestyle. Consuming food with healthy fats and a minimum level of carbs with increasing physical activities and short intervals of fasting induces ketosis in the body. Ketosis causes the body to use the fat reservoir for energy sources instead of carbohydrate as there is a minimum intake of sugar. Usually, the keto diet can be useful in weight loss and fat reduction, or muscle building process. Staying in ketosis can ignite the process of autophagy faster in a short interval of 12 hours.
Specific ways to ignite the process of autophagy are:
1.Sleep: Adequate quantity of sleep daily of at least 8 hours a day is beneficial. But more than the number, the adequate quality of sleep matters. Sleep accentuates the lymphatic flow between the neurons and fastens the cleaning process of neuronal debris and plaques. So, every day you get up with a clean brain, not only helps in smooth cognitive functioning but also fewer chances of ageing disease like dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Sleep not only promotes autophagy in the brain but also in all somatic cells, thereby cleaning toxins and debris throughout.
2. Adopting a ketogenic diet: Not changing the diet regime drastically from high carb to low carb and high fat. Because, it may cause severe outcomes like low blood sugar, electrolyte imbalance and fatigue. Instead, keeping in mind, the body’s tolerance level, slowly making changes by lowering the intake of carbs in the diet up to 50 calories/day. Incorporating more healthy fats in the diet of 80% of the entire daily intake of at least 2000 calories/day can give good results in the body. The body slowly ignites the natural process of autophagy faster, which takes a long time with a carbohydrate-rich diet. If you want, you can get more information about adopting ketogenic diet: Click the link https://481cb43mpgt7wbgmt08k1v3k18.hop.clickbank.net/
3.Intermittent fasting: This is itself a vast topic to discuss. It means that scheduling the meal timings in a day in between fasting intervals. The fasting period can be 8-10 hours to 14 -16 hours a day. There are some extreme methods of fasting, necessary for specific parameters to target. But for regular individuals like you and me, an early dinner or sometimes skipping a meal or fasting, a single day can be constructive. Early dinner can give us fasting of at least 10 hours every day. If you want, you can get more information on intermittent fasting : Click the link
4.Exercise: Heavy intense training and practice do more harm than good. Instead, it is wise to adopt interval training, to stretch, walking, yoga is all beneficial.
3H:health,happiness,healing 