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Here’s how much sugar you should be eating in a day!

Saying no to that piece of cake and not eating your favourite ras malai for days is not easy.

As for sugar? Most of us don’t have dessert everyday—and when we do, we try to make it healthy—so we can’t be eating too much of it, right?

Wrong. There’s a lot of sugar hiding in everyday food. The amount of sugar in a day’s worth of meals and snacks can be shocking! Yogurt with fruit, whole-wheat bread or even homemade stir-fry – everything counts!

What is a safe amount of sugar to consume per day?

According to experts, the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day are:

For Men: 150 calories per day (37 grams or 8-9 teaspoons)
For Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6-7 teaspoons)

To put that into perspective, a 350ml cup of coke contains 140 grams of sugar while a regular Snickers bar contains 100 grams of sugar.

Startled? Let’s help you cut down sugar from your diet!

How to Minimize Sugars in Your Diet

Avoid these foods, in order of importance:

Soft drinks: Sugar-sweetened beverages are a no-no. Avoid these as much as you can.
Fruit juices: Fruit juices actually contain a similar amount of sugar as soft drinks! Consider having a whole fruit instead.
Candies and sweets: Try to limit your consumption of sweets on a regular basis. These can be consumed on your cheat day; in a moderate amount of course.
Baked goods: Cookies, cakes, bread etc. tend to be very high in sugar and carbohydrates.
Low-fat or diet foods: Foods that have had the fat removed from them are often have high sugar.

At the end of the day, it’s for you to figure out how much sugar intake is right for you. Some people can handle a little bit of sugar in their diet, while others crave it. Every individual is unique and you need to figure out what works for you.

References:
https://greatist.com/eat/how-much-sugar-per-day

Fit, but not fine?

When most of us think about health and wellness we typically think about the physical dimension, mostly because that is how its portrayed within the media. When you think of “health”, what do you think of? A perfect body? A sound mind?

Let’s take a step back to understand what health really is!

Definition of health

According to the World Health Organization, health is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

The basic idea of health means to be able to have the capacity to function and cope with life at an optimal level – physically, psychologically, and socially.

Definition of physical fitness

‘Physical fitness’ refers to the capacity and capability of your body to perform certain activities, based on factors such as your cardiovascular condition, muscular strength, stamina and body composition. Depending on the type of physical activity you choose, as well as how often and intensely you exercise, you may be able to improve your fitness in selected areas.

Can a person be fit but not healthy?

Exercise stops working for you the moment it becomes a matter of stress. The feel-good factor if fitness should remain in your workout. Overdoing it can lead to diminished strength, fatigue or even overeating and the other dimensions of health and wellness are out of balance.

Getting the Balance Right

Getting the right amount of exercise and following a healthy lifestyle means you can be both fit and healthy. Extremes in exercising or poor lifestyle choices can significantly impair your health. The benefits of running, for example, could be all but be cancelled out by the health risks of smoking or drinking excessive alcohol. By avoiding obvious healthy pitfalls such as tobacco or a nutritionally poor diet, you remove many of the things that can adversely affect your health.

References:
https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/can-person-physically-fit-still-unhealthy-20110.html

3 Ways to Support a Partner with a Chronic Illness

Relationships are built on communication, patience, and mutual support. And when chronic pain and fatigue are part of everyday life, these factors are especially crucial to keep your relationship with your partner healthy.
If you want to be supportive and encouraging but don’t know where to start, we’re here to help. Here are a few practical ways to better support someone with a chronic illness – so you can help those you love.

Have patience.

When you’re in a relationship with someone that struggles with any one of these conditions, the most important thing you can do is to be patient.

Have patience because there will be times when your partner will have what you might consider a few “normal” days. But remember that these days of normalcy are not “normal.” Use these days to your advantage, but don’t pressure your partner to over-exert themselves.

Make life comfortable.

Do your best to make your partner feel as comfortable as possible. Sit down and figure out what they can and feel comfortable being responsible for. Discuss how you can split responsibilities and have a plan “B” ready for when they don’t feel well and are unable to help you.

Be understanding.

Know that when your loved ones complain, it’s not because they’re whining, but because their pain level is probably through the roof.

People generally suck up the minor to moderate pain so that their partner doesn’t have to go through any trouble. So when your partner finally starts to complain, pay attention and offer a helping hand.

Keep in mind that chronic illness affects everyone differently, and it is important for you to be mindful of that. Adjust to each situation accordingly to decide how to best support them.

Now that you’ve read our tips, do you have questions? Any words of advice to add? Comment below and let’s talk about it.

References:
https://themighty.com/2018/07/ways-to-support-ill-partner/

https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-illness-partner-support#2

5 Kitchen Ingredients to Help Get Rid of Constipation

Extremely common and frustrating, constipation is something that affects everyone. Often caused by constant lifestyle changes and the binge eating that sometimes follow, there are also times that people suffer from chronic constipation.
A few symptoms include passing stools less than three times per week, straining, lumpy or hard stools, a sensation of incomplete evacuation, feeling blocked or being unable to pass a stool.
Next time you experience constipation, try these tested home remedies before rushing to find the perfect medicine.

Olive Oil
Oils are essential for a proper balanced diet. Olive oil and castor oil are incredibly good for your body and so are the oil-rich nuts. Acting as a laxative, these oils will help regulate your bowel movements.
Ginger Mint Tea
When nothing works, try tea! Mint and ginger contain powerful enzymes which are very good for the digestive system. Ginger, especially is considered a warm food which can calm an upset stomach. Drink a concoction of mint or ginger tea before or after meals to detoxify the body and ease up body troubles.
Baking Soda
Stomach acids play an important part in balancing the body function. When sodium carbonate reacts with the essential acids present in the body, carbon dioxide and water are released. This helps your body maintain a clean colon and regulate bowel movements.
Lemon Soda
Citrus foods contain a good amount of vitamins and nutrients which maintain body balance. Vitamin-C-rich water aids proper digestion which further improves the digestive tract in your body. So drink a glass full of fresh lemon juice everyday to avoid any kind of trouble.
Prunes
An effective answer to constipation lies in nature’s lap. Prunes contain a good amount of sugar alcohol in them which acts as an effective laxative and can help relieve an upset stomach.

In addition to these, it’s vital to drink plenty of water and exercise regularly.

So the next time you feel constipated, gradually introduce some of these foods into your diet, drink plenty of water and stay physically active. This will help improve your stool consistency, regularity and overall comfort naturally.

References:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/foods-to-ease-constipation-4143121

Can you handle the truth?

Though we all value honestly in our lives, many times, we find ourselves avoiding being honest with people in our everyday lives. We’re often reluctant to have completely honest conversations with others thinking that offering critical feedback or opening up about our secrets will be uncomfortable for both the parties.

Well, new research explores the consequences of honesty in everyday life and determines that people can often afford to be more honest than they think.
Researchers have found that such fears are often misguided. Honest conversations are far more enjoyable when it comes to communication than we expect them to be, and listeners of honest conversations react less negatively than expected.

So let’s explore why we find it so hard to be honest, and work towards having healthier conversations in our lives.

Why does it often take courage to face the truth?

The truth comes will all kinds of discomfort, disappointment, and responsibility which we would rather like to avoid. It can sometimes be difficult to sink in. It can be challenging, and it means that it could be time to pull our heads out of the sand, and do something to help ourselves.

What are some of the truths we resist facing?

Here are some of the truths that the people must muster the courage to face:

– While we did not entirely create our problems, we are responsible for dealing with them.
– Holding onto grievances doesn’t do anybody any good.
– The future is is not predetermined; we can do better.

– We make mistakes, hurt other people, have aggressive, selfish, greedy impulses.

Now, if you have trouble accepting some of these as truths, feel free to take them with a grain of salt or throw them out altogether. But instead, we suggest you stop and think why you might want to dismiss them. Perhaps what we’re saying is worth considering. Maybe it takes courage to face some of these truths about life. And maybe your life would be different—even better—if you could.

References:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/headshrinkers-guide-the-galaxy/201112/can-you-handle-the-truth
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/de-stress/people-can-handle-the-truth-more-than-you-think/articleshow/66313078.cms

Lung Cancer: 5 things you need to know!

Lung cancer is continuing to affect the lives of so many people. It’s important that we understand the disease and what we can do to improve our chances of beating it.

What are the different kinds of lung cancer?

Lung cancer develops in the tissue of the lung – usually in the cells that line the air passages. There are several types of lung cancer:

Non-small cell lung cancer — When epithelial cells inside the lining of the lungs grow rapidly or uncontrollably, often forming a tumour.
Small cell lung cancer — This typically starts in the bronchial passages and affects approximately 15 percent of lung cancer patients.
Mesothelioma — Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which cancer cells form in the linings of the organs, most often the pleura and sometimes the peritoneum.

What are the risk factors?

Smoking is THE BIGGEST risk factor for lung cancer. Smoking any kind of tobacco- cigarettes, cigars, and pipes can contribute to the risk factors.Tobacco products contain thousands of toxic substances and undoubtedly cigarette smokers are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer than nonsmokers. Hence, the longer you smoke, the greater the risk.

Other risk factors include:

1.Exposure to second-hand smoking

2.Being treated with radiation therapy
3.Exposure to polluted air

4.A family history of lung cancer

Symptoms of lung cancer

Some of the more common symptoms include a cough that does not go away, trouble breathing, chest discomfort, wheezing, hoarseness, and streaks of blood in mucus. Other symptoms can include loss of appetite, weight loss for no reason, and unusual tiredness.

Patients with mesothelioma may notice lumps, pain or swelling in their abdomen or pain under the rib cage.

How do doctors diagnose lung cancer?

When lung cancer is suspected, patients are advised to take up a CT scan, MRI, or PET/CT scan to produce a detailed image of their lungs. If a mass is detected, either a fine needle biopsy, core needle biopsy, bronchoscopy, or endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is carried out to remove a piece of tissue from a node or tumor. Then a pathologist examines the tissue to determine whether cancer is present and, if so, the type and stage of the cancer.

Diet recommendations for people with lung cancer
It is necessary that the body gets all the nutrients it needs. If you’re deficient in certain vitamins or minerals, your doctor can advise you on which foods can provide them. Otherwise, you’ll need a dietary supplement. We advise you not to take supplements without talking to your doctor because some can interfere with treatment.

Here are a few dietary tips:

If you don’t have a major appetite, try eating smaller meals throughout the day.
If you have been asked to gain weight, supplement your diet with low sugar, high-calorie foods and drinks.
Drink mint and ginger tea as it soothes your digestive system.
If your stomach is easily upset or you have mouth sores, avoid spices and stick to bland food.
If constipation is a problem, add more high-fiber foods.
Eat whenever you have an appetite

Prevention

There’s no sure way to prevent lung cancer, but you can reduce your risk if you:

1. Don’t smoke- If you’ve never smoked, don’t start.

Stop smoking- Stop smoking now. Quitting reduces your risk of lung cancer.
3. Avoid secondhand smoke- If you live or work with a smoker, urge him or her to quit.
4. Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables- Choose a healthy diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Exercise most days of the week- If you don’t exercise regularly, start out slowly.

References:
https://www.healthline.com/health/lung-cancer
https://brighamhealthhub.org/treatment/lung-cancer-five-things-you-need-to-know

Why Buttermilk can be your Rescue Drink this Diwali!

The festival season is here, and food and drinks are bound to flow freely. Even the strictest diets take a hit this season, but you can pass through the season with ease!

How exactly?

The answer is buttermilk!

Chaas or buttermilk is one of the most common drinks in Indian households. Made of watered down curd, mixed with spices like pepper, jeera, ginger, kadi patta, coriander leaves, salt and green chillies, this drink is usually consumed right after the meal. Though buttermilk is mostly thought of as a digestive, this drink has many more health benefits. Here are a few reasons why your chaas or buttermilk can be your rescue drink this festive season.

#1 Washes down fats
Had a heavy meal last night at the diwali party? If you feel bloated or simply have eaten too much then drink a little bit of chaas. The spices in chaas help improve digestion and make you feel less uncomfortable. Apart from that buttermilk helps in washing down fats that you may have consumed in form of oil or ghee that normally coats the inner walls of your food pipe and stomach – making you feel instantly lighter.

#2 Helps calm the stomach after a spicy meal
Made with cool, watered down curd, this drink is perfect to soothe the stomach. As you drink it, the cool buttermilk tends to wash down the spices and calms an irritated stomach lining.

#3 Aids in digestion
When made with ginger, pepper and jeera, which are known for their carmative properties, it makes the best natural digestive out there. So, If you feel the symptoms of indigestion coming on, try sipping on some chaas for instant relief.

#4 Acidity
A potent tool to fight acidity, chaas has essential condiments like pepper and ginger that help beat the burning sensation you feel during a bout of acidity. Moreover the chaas cools the stomach and reduces the irritation in the stomach lining due to acid reflux, giving you relief from the discomfort.

With its cooling effect on the digestive system, buttermilk can be your wonder drink. So, stock it up in your refrigerator, your water bottles and where ever you find it handy!

What Exactly Is a Hormone Imbalance — and What’s a Girl to Do About It?

From the time we’re born, our hormones are responsible for our appetite, sleep patterns, how we respond to stress, our moods- whether we’re happy or anxious, and everything in between.

The word “hormones,” brings up images of menopause, mood swings and what not! Hormones have a direct effect on our thyroid, ovaries, and sleep patterns. They regulate how hormones like, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and melatonin function in the body.

Cortisol and insulin — “stress” and “blood sugar” hormones are the ones that first get imbalanced. How do we even know which hormones are imbalanced, much less what symptoms we should be looking for to figure out if our hormones are out of whack?

Here are some of the first symptoms of hormone imbalance to look out for:

If you have trouble falling asleep at night.
You are tired even after seven to nine hours of sleep.
If you need caffeine just to get going in the morning.
You need more caffeine or sugar during the day to keep you going.
You notice emotional PMS symptoms, like mood swings, angry outbursts, or energy crashes.
You get “hungry” more often than you care to admit!

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, you may have dysregulated cortisol, insulin, or both. So, what’s a hormonally imbalanced girl to do?

Make eating into a mindful practice
When and how you eat is just as important as what you eat. So, sit down while eating, chew your food at least for about 20 to 30 times and focus on something positive while doing the same because when you’re stressed out, your can’t easily absorb the nutrients you’re consuming. Hence, it doesn’t matter how healthy you eat!

Cut back on alcoholic beverages
Alcohol raises your estrogen levels. Excess estrogen can trigger heavier- longer periods , cause breast pain and headaches, and raging PMS.

Now do you see the connection between what we eat and drink and our period problems?

Consider how caffeine is affecting you
Most of us need caffeine just to get by. Though you experience anxiety or feel like you can’t get out of bed in the morning, have energy crashes in the day, or have trouble falling asleep at night. Caffeine may just add on to your health issues by disrupting your hormonal imbalance

Hormonal imbalances may increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.. Hormones seem to be talking to each other all day long, so once you work on one hormone, the rest will start to fall in line.
Consuming nutritious foods, exercising on a regular basis and engaging in other healthy behaviors can go a long way toward improving your hormonal health.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/balance-hormones#section13

3 Healthy Halloween Treats You Will Love

It’s Halloween already and your body nearly goes into a sugar shock out of sheer anticipation. If your usual pick is candy corn or chocolate, we’re here to offer a few yummy alternatives you can share with your friends that are festive enough to earn an invitation to a Halloween party.

So, Here you go! 3 healthy Halloween recipes that are delicious enough to be served as treats:

Spooky ‘Boo’ Nana Pops
These treats are perfect for kids, or anyone whose eyes light up at the sight of something festive.

Ingredients:

2 medium bananas
1 cup white chocolate
8 mini chocolate chips
4 popsicle sticks

Directions:

Cut bananas into half and stick them into the popsicle sticks. Lay them on aluminium foil or a baking sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple hours.
After the bananas are frozen, heat up the white chocolate on the stove or the microwave till it gets melted.
Dip bananas into the melted white chocolate, then quickly stick two chocolate chips on as eyes.
Lay them back on the tray when done and put them in the freezer. Enjoy frozen.

Toffee dip with apples
Crunchy toffee bits stirred into a creamy dip make this treat impossible to resist. Good news? It’s kid and adult friendly too! Coat the apples with pineapple juice to prevent them from browning.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 spoons low-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup toffee bits
1 cup pineapple juice

Directions:

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl
Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth
Add toffee bits; mix well. Cover and refrigerate.
Combine juice and apples in a bowl; toss well.
Drain apples; serve with dip

Halloween Sweet Potato Fries

Okay, maybe sweet potato fries aren’t on your list of classic Halloween treats, but believe us, they are one of the most delicious treats out there.
Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon spices- chilli powder/pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup or sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Slice the potatoes
Use mini cutters to cut pumpkins or use a knife to create jack-o-lantern faces.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, than assemble the sweet potatoes on it.
Sprinkle potatoes with olive oil and maple syrup, then sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and salt. Cook until tender, for 18-22 minutes.

So shake it up this year, and surprise your friends with unexpected tricks & treats! Have any other fun recipes to share with us? Comment below!

References-

https://www.annmariegianni.com/healthy-halloween-recipes/

Celebrity Breast Cancer Survivors

Through their own journeys dealing with breast cancer, these stars have shared their experiences in an effort to raise awareness about the disease. Read about the stories of 5 prominent women who have experienced and overcome breast cancer, and how they have been active in promoting cancer awareness.

#1 Angelina Jolie

After finding out she has an 87% risk of developing breast cancer, Angelina Jolie, one of Hollywood’s leading actors, underwent a double mastectomy as a preventive measure. This disease that took her mother’s life, inspired her to spread 2 strong messages on awareness. – first that breast cancer must be detected at an early stage, and second that health should be everyone’s first priority.

#2 Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue, an Australian singer and television actress, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. She underwent a surgery followed by chemotherapy and recovered successfully. Since then, she has been working actively for spreading breast cancer awareness all over the world. She has also been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Health Sciences in recognition of her work.

#3 Mumtaz
Very few know that yesteryear Bollywood diva, Mumtaz is a breast cancer survivor as well. The legendary actress who started her Bollywood acting career as a child artist with ‘Sone Ki Chidiya’ was diagnosed with a malignant lump in her breasts in early 2000. Despite having breast cancer, she decided to fight and underwent several chemo sessions before overcoming it at the age of 54. A few years later the actress quoted in an interview saying, “I don’t give up easily. Even death will have to fight me.”

#4 Barbara Mori
She created quite a stir in Bollywood with her first debut movie, Kites, and a rumoured affair with co-actor, Hrithik Roshan. Mori, a cancer survivor as well, was diagnosed with cancer when she was 29 years old. Barbara has openly expressed her support for various breast cancer causes and empowers women to dig deeper into their health.

#5 Cynthia Nixon
Sex and the City’s gorgeous actress, Cynthia Nixon, was diagnosed with breast cancer during her routine mammogram in 2006. Her mother was a breast cancer survivor too. Cynthia battled this disease after undergoing nearly 7 weeks of radiation therapy. She also underwent a lumpectomy. After recovering, she became the ambassador for Susan.G. Komen’s The Cure (a breast cancer foundation)

Sometimes we think stars are immune to the various problems everyday people have to fight. But as we’ve seen, it can happen to anyone, and the only step we can take toward prevention is to raise awareness, and get regular checkups.

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