Changes in the colour of your urine can reveal important information about your health. If your urine takes on a hue beyond what's normal, it can be indicative of something wrong with your health. In general, the normal urine colour varies from pale yellow to deep yellowish-brown, which is a result of a chemical pigment in the urine called urochrome.

1. Red or Pink

- When your kidneys, urethra, bladder or any other urinary tract organ gets infected or inflamed, blood cells get leaked into the urine, giving it a red hue. The causes behind the presence of blood can be urinary tract infections, kidney cysts, kidney stones, enlarged prostate and even cancer. Taking blood thinners can also cause you to have blood in your urine.
- Certain foods like blackberries, rhubarb and beets can cause your urine to turn pink.
- The use of certain medications like a particular class of antibiotic used in the treatment of tuberculosis can turn your urine red. Likewise, a drug used to numb discomfort in the urinary tract can cause a red/pink discoloration of your urine.

2. Blue or Green

- The consumption of coloured food dyes containing green or blue pigments can cause you to pass urine of such hues.
- Certain anti-depressant and anti-inflammatory medications can turn your urine green/blue.
- A very rare medical condition called familial benign hypercalcemia (fbh), characterised by high levels of calcium in thE blood and low levels of the mineral in the urine can cause your urine to turn blue.
- Green urine can also occur if your urinary tract gets infected by the pseudomonas bacteria.

3. Dark Brown

- Having large amounts of these foods - aloe, rhubarb (a type of leafy green) and broad beans can cause you to pass dark brown urine.
- Certain anti-malarial drugs, laxatives and muscle relaxants can darken the colour of your urine as well.
- Dark brown urine can also be caused by disorders of the kidney or liver as well as infections of the urinary tract.
Injury of the muscle as a result of excessive training can result in dark brown urine.

4. Orange

- Problems with the bile duct (the duct through which bile from the gall bladder and liver passes before entering the duodenum) or liver along with the passing of light coloured stools can result in orange urine.
- A cause of orange urine may also be dehydration as fluids bring about a decrease in the concentration of compounds present in the urine.

5. White

- The presence of calcium or phosphate sediments in the urine can give it a white hue.
- White urine can also be a result of funguria infection (a form of fungal urinary infection wherein the fungus produces white sediments) or a bacterial infection.



What the Colour of Your Urine Says About Your Health?

Health benefits: Red Chilli vs Green Chilli

Chilies have always been known as ingredients that add spice to indian food. Without chilies, any indian food cuisine is incomplete. Both have distinct tastes and also have different health benefits. Here's a comparison between the two:

Red Chilli: Red chilies are dried and then used in food a preparation. It is spicier or hotter than green chilies.

1. Source of iron absorption - Red chilies contain a good proportion of iron which is very good for blood health. They also have a lot of vitamin c that helps the body in absorbing iron
2. Burns calories - They produce heat in the body that directly burns down calories, just like heat generated due to exercise
3. Relieves from congestion - In india red chilies are provided to a person for consumption when he is suffering from cold. It relieves congestion and helps is better respiration
4. Reduces blockage in arteries - They are very powerful antioxidants that clear any blockages in the arteries or blood vessels.

Green Chilli: Green chilies are more subtle in taste and are used as fresh spices in various food preparations.

1. Manages blood sugar levels - Green chilies tackle high blood sugar levels and control it if consumed regularly
2. Promotes digestion - Owing to the various fibers found in them, they help in better digestion
3. Good for skin - Green chilies being rich in vitamin e is a very good spice for a clean and healthy skin
4. Very good for heart - Due to a considerable proportion of beta-carotene in green chilies the cardiovascular systems stays strong and the heart too stays healthy
Both chilies have great benefits and consuming both in permitted quantities is only good for health.

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Red Chili Vs Green Chili : What's Hot?

Benefits of foods by colour

Did you know that foods can be divided into categories based on their colours and each category has a collective set of health benefits? this not only makes foods interesting, but also helps remember which food is good for which health aspect. 

Foods are broadly divided into six categories based on their colors.

1) white - these foods assist in immune support. Garlic, onions, white beans, potatoes, mushrooms and cauliflower fall under this category. While garlic &amp; onions help reduce the risk of cancer in stomach, colon &amp; rectum, white beans &amp; potatoes help lower blood cholesterol levels. Mushrooms are known to provide the important nutrients and cauliflower contains antioxidants &amp; is also beneficial for women who are pregnant.
2) green -these foods assist in detoxification. Peas, spinach, green beans, capsicums, kiwi, and green tea are some green foods that we can consume. They are good for your health, provide the required nutrients and also assist in detox.
3) yellow - these foods assist in beauty. Banana, yellow capsicum, squash, corn and bananas are some of the yellow foods that we eat. They are full of carotenoids and bioflavonoids which all help maintain our skin, bone and teeth health.
4) orange - these foods assist in cancer prevention. Carrots, oranges, etc are some orange foods that we eat. They are good for the heart, protect our eyes and also boost our immune system.
5) red - these foods support better heart health. They are packed with antioxidants and vitamins. Red chillies, red capsicum, cherries and tomatoes, apples, etc are some red foods that we eat.
6) purple - these foods assist in longevity. Few purple foods that we eat are onions, blackberries, grapes, etc. They fight ulcer, help kill cancer, prevent urinary tract infection and are good for the heart &amp; the liver.

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How Does Food's Natural Color Decide Its Goodness?

Impact of drinking water in plastic bottles

We store water in all sorts of plastic bottles, jugs or containers. It can be low grade or high grade, but plastic is plastic! This is a very harmful daily practice as plastic containers carry lot of chemicals and bacteria. 

Let s see the harmful effects of drinking water in plastic bottles:

1. Harmful substances: Apart from harmful chemicals in plastic, water when get stored in plastic bottles also produces harmful substances like fluoride, arsenic and aluminium which can be poison for human body. So, drinking water from plastic bottles would mean drinking slow poison that will slowly and steadily deteriorate your health.

2. Dioxin production: Plastic does melt in hot environment. And we, often store water in plastic bottles while driving and so many times leave it in the car where it is in the direct exposure of sun. Such heating releases a toxin called Dioxin which when consumed can accelerate breast cancer.

3. BPA generation: Biphenyl A is an estrogen-mimicking chemical which can lead to lot of health problems like diabetes, obesity, fertility problems, behavioural problems and early puberty in girls. It s better not to store and drink water from a plastic bottle.

4. Liver cancer and reduced sperm count: Because of presence of a chemical called phthalates in plastic, drinking water from plastic bottles can also lead to liver cancer and reduction in sperm count.

5. Vitamin based bottled water: Nowadays, we get water mostly in plastic bottles and to increase its health content, manufacturers make it vitamin-enriched to attract buyers. But this is even more harmful as it carries health-harming additives like food dyes and high fructose corn syrup.

6. Impact on immune system: Our immune system is immensely affected when we drink water in plastic bottles. The chemicals from plastic bottles are ingested and tend to  disturb our body s immune system.

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Nothing s more dangerous than drinking water in plastic bottles!

According to the preconceived notion, drinking alcohol is harmful to the body. It is partly true. Drinking alcohol is harmful to the body, but only in huge proportions. In fact, despite popular belief, drinking alcohol is also good for health.

Here are 8 alcohols that are secretly keeping you healthy:

    Beer: The most common alcoholic drink, beer is loaded with antioxidants called phenols. This protects you against suffering from heart diseases. Beer also lowers the risk of acquiring high blood pressure and helps maintaining it.
    Red Wine: Apart from being a classy drink and having the same benefits of beer, the additional brownie points of red wine is that it helps in increasing life span by generating longevity genes. It also increases good cholesterol and reduces bad cholesterol in the body.
    Ethanol: Ethanol reduces the risk of wear and tear in the brain neurons. Any damage to the neurons may lead to Alzheimer's or dementia. Hence ethanol helps to prevent any harm to the brain cells.
    Vodka: Vodka helps in clearing bad breath as the high alcohol content kills all bad odour bacteria present. It also helps to reduce stress and disinfect wound. It improves the health of the skin and stimulates hair growth. Toothache is also another issue which Vodka can work wonders on.
    Whisky: Whisky helps to numb throat pain when it is gargled in a mixture with warm water. It stimulates weight loss. Whisky also helps in preventing dementia. Other benefits of this drink that it prevents diabetes and cancer. It also helps to keep the heart healthy, increases the level of good cholesterol and terminates blood clots. Whiskey is believed to be one of the healthiest drinks among the alcoholic beverages.
    Tonic: The combination of gin and tonic is very useful while treating malarial infection as it contains quinine; which is used for the treatment of malaria.
    Brandy: Brandy is one alcoholic drink which is full of healthy antioxidants. It has anti ageing properties; hence is very good for the skin. Brandy also reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the body. It also helps in the treatment of bladder and ovarian cancer as well as sore throats and cough.
    Rum: Rum increases life longevity. It is very beneficial for the heart. It also functions as a blood thinner and helps in increasing the level of good cholesterol. Having this wonderful drink occasionally also guards you against osteoporosis and common cold.

8 Alcoholic Drinks That Might Secretly Keep You Healthy

8 Foods To Never Eat Before Bedtime
    
Hunger before bedtime is common esp. when you are used to staying up late. The craving to eat something before going to bed makes a person consume anything that is available. Bedtime hunger is not wrong, but there certainly are foods that shouldn't be consumed before going to sleep as they can create health issues. 

Avoid these 8 foods before going to bed.

1. Dairy fat - Having calorie rich cheese or butter for dinner or even before bedtime ensures that your digestive system is going to have a hard time at the night, thus disrupting your sleep.
2. Caffeine - Caffeine from the coffee doesn't let you sleep. It is used to kick our sleepiness so it should never be consumed before bedtime.
3. Spiced/Oily foods- Spices cause flatulence and oils lead to indigestion, ensuring incomplete and disturbed sleep.
4. Red meat - Dinner should always be the lightest meal of the day. If you make your digestive system work heavily overnight, it’s difficult for you to get sound sleep! Red meat being a very heavy, must be avoided to ensure a good night’s sleep.
5. Beans- Beans before bed simply fastens the process of flatulence! Avoid it to have a trouble free night.
6. Sugars- Sugars give you instant energy. That’s exactly what you don’t need before a good night’s sleep so avoid it before bedtime.
7. Aerated drinks- These drinks have acidic content with a lot of sugar and caffeine. Drinking them can destroy you sleep for the whole night so keeping it for the day is wiser!
8. Alcohol- Alcohol makes you drowsy and in a way bogs you down. But that’s really not the kind of sleep you’d like to have. Avoid alcohol to invite the perfect sleep!

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8 Foods To Never Eat Before Bedtime

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