Potassium is an essential mineral which is known as an electrolyte. Electrolytes are responsible for maintaining the ionic balance of your body. Other electrolytes are sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, chloride. These electrolytes bear an electric charge which manages the electrical activity of your health system. Potassium also helps the muscles of the body to function properly. In fact, it has its contribution in regulating blood pressure; a crucial role for a healthy heart.

Potassium deficiency is a kind of medical condition which is known as hypokalemia. The normal level of potassium in the human body should be in between 3.5-5.0 mmol/L. But the deficiency in potassium can cause severe problems including muscle weakness, nerve disorders, heart problems, etc. Kidney is the organ which is known to manage the potassium balance by removing the extra potassium through urine.

Causes of potassium deficiency:

Lack of potassium in diet
Dehydration
Diarrhoea
Too much sweating
Several medicines also cause potassium deficiency

Signs of potassium deficiency:

You are getting wiped out too often: Like it is discussed before that potassium is responsible for your muscles to work actively. Each and every cell needs the required amount of potassium to work effectively. So, a little deficiency of potassium can leave you exhausted throughout the day. If your normal working routine leaves you exhausted and if you are sweating too often, then there is a chance that you are suffering from hypokalemia.
High blood pressure: Potassium plays an important role in maintaining the blood pressure by helping in relaxing the blood vessels. Low potassium can cause the blood vessels to get constricted, due to which your blood pressure increases.
Muscle weakness: Potassium plays a significant role in building the strength of your muscles. Lack of potassium can easily cause muscle weakness, aches and spasms.
Irregular heartbeat: Anything regarding your heart problem can scare you badly; especially when you experience sudden skipped heart rate or when your heart rate doubles. Low potassium can cause such palpitations and skipped heartbeat.
Feeling dizzy: Lack of potassium in your body can slow down your heart rate and make you feel dizzy or you may feel that you are going to faint. Though many other medical conditions can be responsible for such symptoms but hypokalemia is one of them.
Constipation: Potassium deficiency can affect your overall health. You might encounter symptoms like bloating, abdominal cramping etc.
Numbness and tingling: Potassium is significant in keeping your nerves healthy. Potassium deficiency can make you experience numbness, needle sensations on your feet, wrist, etc.
These are the signs that people encounter when they suffer from hypokalemia. Hypokalemia can make you feel extremely sick and it causes several diseases which are discussed above. It is always advisable to visit a doctor when you encounter any of these above mentioned symptoms.

Potassium Deficiency - 7 Signs You Are Suffering From It!

Water effectively constitutes 70-75% of human bodies and keeps us protected from many harmful things. But many people have a frequent question: is it alright to drink water before you brush your teeth? Will it harm your body? Let us discuss the same in this article.

Many people believe that they should not drink water before brushing their teeth because of the bacterias present in saliva after you wake up. But this is a myth and it does not have any scientific logic. When you drink water after waking up before brushing, your saliva goes with the water down into the stomach which results in the killing of the bacteria due to the high acid content inside it. Therefore there is absolutely no harm if you drink water before brushing teeth.

If you are familiar with Japanese culture then you must know that the Japanese drink two glasses of water every morning immediately after they wake up. Drinking water immediately after you wake up without brushing your teeth does not harm you in any way. Doctors always recommend drinking two full glass or at least one, on an empty stomach. There are several benefits your body receives when you consume water every morning after you wake up.

Drinking water every morning has its own long list of benefits. Let us have a look at them-

Boosts your immunity- Drinking water every morning strengthens your immunity system. Helps you to fight diseases and germs much better.
Clears the bowels- After your drink water in the morning, you will get an urge of flushing out your bowels. This way the bowels remain clear and you do not face any constipation issues.
Speeds up metabolism- Your metabolism gets boosted when you drink water resulting in faster digestion and metabolic rate. It also keeps you hydrated through the day.
Prevents headaches and migraines effectively and it also helps in preventing colon infection because your bowels get cleared easily.
Helps in weight loss- Drinking water every morning helps you to lose weight by a significant margin due to the fact it occupies the stomach killing the desire to eat much in the morning.
Beneficial for skin- Increase in the freshness of your skin complexion which water delivers if you drink it every day in the morning. It flushes out the toxins and dead cells which helps in increase of new and fresh body cells.
Thus as you can see the long list of benefits you will receive if you drink water every day after you wake up.

Is It Alright To Drink Water Without Brushing Your Teeth?

Favorite of most Indian households, ghee is indeed a superfood. Apart from being widely used in Indian cooking, it has also been used as a remedy for cough and cold. Sadly, due to the misconceptions that surround the use of ghee, it is often underutilized. While some are worried that it may make them put on weight, others feel that it is bad for their heart. Little do they know that these misconceptions are not true, and ghee actually has limitless health benefits.

Let us read on to know more about the benefits that ghee has to offer:

Packed with nutrients: Many-a-times, people love the taste of ghee but have strike it off from the diet owing to popular belief that ghee is unhealthy and fattening. However, the opposite of it is actually true and the short-chain fatty acids found in ghee offer several health benefits and keep your gut healthy. Ghee obtained from grass-fed butter consists of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K. Fats present in ghee are free of oxidized cholesterol, trans-fats and hydrogenated oils, thus, the fat present in pure ghee is healthy.
Great for immunity and bone strengthening: Including ghee in your daily breakfast not only boosts your physical and mental strength, but also ensures that your body stays fit and gains the potential to fight against several illnesses. Being a rich source of fat soluble vitamins, ghee supports in the growth and development of bones. It is also known to strengthen your muscles and tendons.
Lowers cholesterol: It is considered as an excellent option for people with high cholesterol levels. Since ghee contains Vitamin K2, it prevents plaque formation in the arteries, which in turn prevents the blockag that may obstruct blood flow and lead to complication. It also increases the level of good cholesterol and lowers the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.
Promotes weight loss: An excellent source of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), is known to boost the metabolism which in turn promotes weight loss. It also improves digestion, makes you feel full and increases the oxidation of fat; all of which help in reducing weight.
How to differentiate if the ghee is pure or not?

Ghee is stocked in every Indian household, but the thought of whether it is pure or not often crosses our minds. Adulterated ghee may contain vegetable oils and other greasy elements which are bad for your heart and health. So, here are some methods that can help you check the purity of your ghee at home.

Pure ghee normally melts at body temperature. You can check it by putting a spoon of ghee on your palm if it melts then it is pure, if not, it is best to get rid of it.
Pure ghee melts within seconds and turns brown when heated. If the ghee takes longer to melt and appears light yellow in color, it is impure.

It has been established that ghee is indeed good for your health, but only if it is pure. The simple tests mentioned above can help you determine whether the ghee is pure or not. So, eat safe and stay healthy!

Ghee In Your Daily Diet - Did You Know It Has More Benefits Than You Can Think Of?

Protein is said to be a building block for the body. That being said, a high protein diet can either have some great results to show, or some terrible consequences. As long as a person is willing to learn more about it, only the former will appear!

When a person thinks of a diet which is high in protein, the automatic association is with the famous Atkins diet. This diet is not only high in the amount of protein consumed but is low in the relative amount of carbohydrate.

Who is it for?

A high protein diet is best if a person is looking to build little muscles and does not consume enough protein in his or her current or normal diet. However, studies have found that only professional endurance athletes showed any benefits from a hike in their consumption levels of protein, and that too they could have received these benefits by just eating more food. So, it is fair to say that the normal person is not likely to need more protein than what he or she already gets from his/her diet.

It can be bad too, in addition to this, if a person has an amount of protein which is beyond what is good for him or her according to the activity level, it can be quite bad. This is because a lot of the sources of protein from which most people fulfil their requirements also happen to be quite high in terms of the saturated fat content, which can put the heart at a great amount of risk. Moreover, gout can also occur and it is something that is not curable but can only be managed. A person who is considering the prospect of going on a high protein diet should take these possible side effects into due account prior to making his or her decision regarding the same.

The modest increase in the protein part of a person s diet can be good, and there are a variety of ways a person can increase it by having some simple munch food items such as almonds. Things like these can serve well as snacks and can go a long way in preventing a person from overeating on something less healthy just due to his or her being ravenously hungry. Another option is Greek yogurt and chia seeds, which can be added to almost anything! 

Making small changes in the diet can help in fulfilling the protein requirements. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dietitian-nutritionist.

High Protein Diet - Things You Must Know!

Do you know not all foods can be consumed on an empty stomach? So, it is imperative that you should be aware of such foods and restructure your breakfast menu accordingly. Here is a list of foods to avoid on an empty stomach. 

Stay away from the following foods when you eat after a considerable gap

Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits contain fruit acids. When these acids enter an empty stomach, they can lead to heartburn. Hence, if eaten after a prolonged period post meal, a person is at risk of gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Soda: Consuming cold soda drinks on an empty stomach may cause damage to the mucosal membrane while reducing blood flow to the stomach. This may lead to a slow digestive process and difficulty in the abdomen.
Spicy foods: Spicy foods are known to cause irritation and damage to the digestive tract, and are especially not recommended for people who suffer from acid reflux issues since very spicy food leads to consequences such as acid reflux in the food pipe.
Cucumber and other green vegetables: Green vegetables and cucumber are rich in amino acids. If consumed on an empty stomach it may very well lead to pain and bitterness in the upper abdomen.
Tomato: Tomato is a fruit containing high levels of tannin. Tannin causes acidity in an empty stomach and leads to consequences and appearance of gastritis if frequently consumed in such a manner.
Fermented milk products: Fermented milk products such as yogurt typically come with loads of health benefits being full of probiotics. But if consumed on an empty stomach it can interfere with the balance of healthy bacteria as the hydrochloric acid produced tends to be destructive.
Sweets: Items such as candy or sweetmeats contain high levels of sugar and cause a sudden and sharp surge of insulin levels in the blood. Over a long period, this has a bad effect on the pancreas.
Products containing yeast: Edible items such as biscuits, puff pastry, vinegar and beverages such as beer and wine contain yeast which can significantly irritate the stomach and cause bloating.
So, be a little conscious and avoid consuming these items on an empty stomach since a little effort goes a long way. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Empty Stomach - 8 Food Types That You Must Avoid!

There has been an intense debate, which is in the loop for years and has been raging back and forth regarding the deficiencies of a vegetarian diet versus the perils of a non-vegetarian one. This heated debate is both accurate as well as unfounded. Probably, that s the entire reason it is still a debate. In fact, if you look into the diet of both groups, you will be able to identify the fact that, there is a space for healthy living in both.

Vegetarian Diet

In a vegetarian diet, the food intake of a person is confined to a large variety of foods derived from plants along with milk and dairy. And, any form of meat and products derived from animals are completely avoided.

Pros

Vegetarians have been noted to consume lesser amount of proteins, but they do not suffer from problems related to a high protein diet, such as osteoporosis (characterized by brittle and weak bones) and kidney failure.
The diet includes high level of antioxidants such as vitamin E & C as well as carotene, which is available in vegetables and fruits.
Additionally, they consume less amount of saturated fats.
Cons

Deficiency of vitamin B12 is common amongst vegetarians, as it is mainly available in meat, eggs and fish. Deficiency of vitamin B12 can yield rare symptoms such as increased fatigue, shortness of breath and a temporary loss of body balance.
Lack of protein, as stated above, along with iron and zinc deficiency is also common. 
Symptoms of protein deficiency can be troublesome and include signs like

Sluggish metabolism
Loss of body muscles (as the body tries to derive the regular protein intake from your muscles, thus making them weak),
Trouble gaining or losing weight
Persistent fatigue
Longer healing time in case of wounds and injuries
Pain in joints
Drastic changes in blood sugar level that might result in diabetes
A weak immune system makes you vulnerable to all kinds of diseases.
Non-vegetarian Diet

A non-vegetarian diet includes all forms of plant foods as well as foods and by-products that are derived from animals, such as poultry, fish, meat, etc.

Pros 

Vitamin B12 is present in adequate level since they are derived from sources such as meat, eggs and fish. Adequate intake of proteins is never an issue for  non-vegetarians
Cons

Meat products are loaded with saturated fats, which increase the risk of heart diseases. Studies have shown that people consuming non-vegetarian diets:
Have shorter lifespan and are more vulnerable to chronic diseases.
Tend to develop diabetes, heart diseases and hypertension.
Usually non vegetarians eat less amount of vegetables and fruits than what is recommended.  
If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.

Vegetarian vs Non Vegetarian Diet - Which is Better?

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