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!

Caffeine is said to be good for the body if it is consumed in limited quantity. It is also to be kept in mind that the form in which it is consumed is also important, and green tea is said to be very good. But what about having green tea very soon after a meal is finished?

There are a lot of health benefits of green tea and as a drink, it has a reputation for being a wonder drink, and quite rightly so, it is to be kept in mind that having the right time to drink green tea is a must. You must avoid consuming just after the meal as there are chemicals, which exist in green tea which are known as phenols. What happens with these phenols if the green tea is taken not long after a meal, is that they can interfere with the absorption of the iron present in the food.

In addition to not drinking green tea at mealtime, or post mealtime, it is perhaps also a good idea to stay away from drinking it when milk and items which are made from milk such as cheese are being consumed. There is a reason why this is the case is that the proteins which exist in milk do not let green tea have its normal effect on the metabolism of the person i.e. raising the metabolism and making the challenge of losing weight a bit easier.

If it is still the case that drinking green tea with or after a meal is a habit, which has no chance at all of being shaken off, then what can be done is that the meals should be changed to an extent to contain a greater amount of iron-rich food. This will go some way in counteracting the effect the phenols have. Apart from just iron-rich food, food that is rich in vitamin C is also to be consumed.

However, that being said, people who are anyway deficient in iron are better off steering clear of green tea consumed after a meal. Instead, what they can do if have it between meals and also at the start of a day. What this will accomplish is that all the benefits of the green tea can be imbibed by the body and none of the nutrition value of the food is lost either. Furthermore, green tea drunk between meals can also reduce the appetite and help weight loss. What could be better? If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.

Related Content: Auric mind rejuvenation drink, the magical beverage that calm and energises the mind.

There are a lot of health benefits of green tea and as a drink, it has a reputation for being a wonder drink, and quite rightly so, it is to be kept in mind that having the right time to take green tea is a must. You must avoid consuming just after the meal as there are chemicals, which exist in green tea which are known as phenols. What happens with these phenols if the green tea is taken not long after a meal, is that they can interfere with the absorption of the iron present in the food.

Green Tea - How Having it Right after Your Meal Affects You?

Top 5 things all diabetics must do

As you are aware, diabetes is an increasingly common problem not only in adults but with children and young people too. Preventing or delaying diabetes is possible with a few lifestyle changes. And for those who have been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, changes in lifestyle can prove beneficial to keep it under control. This is important and should not be taken lightly as diabetes can lead to other serious health complications. There are few simple things which if done regularly can keep you safe and absolutely fine.

5 ways to combat diabetes.

1) exercise - do minimum 45 to 30 minutes of exercise like brisk walking (for people with heart ailments make sure that you have done stress test/tmt). Keep yourself physically active all the time this will help you in losing weight, controlling blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol. It will also improve insulin sensitivity in your body. 
2) high fiber diet - include high fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, cinnamon, green tea in your diet. This will improve your blood sugar level and also reduce your risk of developing diabetes and helps you to lose weight. Do not get into fad diets and tv commercials as they are often misleading.
3) reduce stress - tension and worry releases certain chemicals (stress hormones) which can increase your blood sugar level. Try relaxation therapy like meditation, yoga, music and soundful sleep.
4) restrict intake of alcohol - alcohol increases body weight, triglyceride (cholesterol) level and blood pressure. They may make you unaware of symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar which may be dangerous). They are empty calorie with no nutritional value. Permissible limit is 2 drinks (60ml) a day for men and 1 drink (60ml) for women, it is also not advisable to smoke.
5) regular check-ups - make sure that you regularly check your blood sugar levels and modify treatment from your diabetologist doctor (if required.) your body and your friend/ relative / colleague's body are different, so is your need of medicine for diabetes as well. What works best for them may not be right for you. So it is my sincere request is to avoid any self medication as it can be dangerous. Regularly undergo screening for early detection of diabetes complications like eye, nerve, heart, foot, kidney.

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Top 5 Things All Diabetics Must Do

Diabetes refers to the condition when there is an excess of glucose in your body. Though glucose is beneficial for the proper functioning of the body, an excess can lead to serious consequences. Over the years, diabetes has over the years emerged as one of the fatal diseases, one that once developed has no known cure. This condition is preceded by various perceptible symptoms, some of them are-

1. Insatiable thirst

The onset of diabetes is almost always accompanied by a nagging thirst, one that refuses to be quenched despite drinking plenty of water.

2. Frequent tendencies of urination

A frequent tendency of urination is one of the primary precursors of diabetes.

3. Acute hunger

Having bouts of acute hunger is one of the most predominant premonitions of diabetes.

4. Exhaustion and fatigue

In case you are suffering from diabetes, you will inevitably feel tired and exhausted all the time.

5. Blurring of vision

Diabetes is one of those rare conditions that threaten to affect and damage the eyesight. The blurring of vision comes hand in hand with the onset of diabetes.

6. Sores which take a long time to heal

One of the most fatal symptoms of diabetes is when the sore that you have suffered from takes a longer time than necessary to heal.

Some of the complications which diabetes invite are-

1. Cardiovascular problems

Diabetes considerably increases the risk of a host of cardiovascular problems and ailments like heart attacks, chest pain, and stroke.

2. Damage to the kidneys

The pair of kidneys that human beings are endowed with has the responsibility to remove the toxins from the body. An excess of diabetes in the body unsettles the purging ability of the kidneys.

3. Damage to the eyes

The onset of diabetes, among other things, puts your eyes at great risks. The condition tends to damage the blood vessels of the retina and can even cause blindness in some.

4. Skin disorder

Diabetes puts your skin at great risks. You may suffer from various bacterial and fungal infections among other ailments, due to an excess of glucose in your body.

Symptoms and Complications of Diabetes

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?

Let's start with an interesting fact: all types of tea, be it green or black, comes from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The difference only lies in processing and oxidation. So how can one be better than the other you ask? Let's find out.

1. Fluoride content

When it comes to fluoride content both green and black teas score high, while milk tea sadly loses out. Green and black teas are good for your teeth and bones, although black tea has higher fluoride content (0.2-0.5mg as compared to 0.3-0.4mg in green tea). It is best to have your black tea with tap water as it increases the fluoride content up to 0.9mg.

2. Antioxidant content

Yet again green tea and black both have high antioxidant content that helps in preventing cancer, but green is the clear winner over. Milk tea loses again as the milk in it effects the absorption of these antioxidants by your body. Green tea is enriched with a particular type of catechin (flavonoid) called EGCG, which regulates gene activity in cancer cells, and may even prevent cancer growth.

3. Caffeine Content

Both black and green teas have different amounts of caffeine in them. Green tea has lesser caffeine content than black tea- 9-50mg/cup in comparison to 42-17mg/cup. So if you want to have an energetic morning then black tea is the one for you, but if you want to relax your blood vessels and just enjoy a soothing drink, choose green tea. Milk tea, unfortunately, does not have a calming or an energising effect.

Benefits for your heart:

Black tea is probably a healthier option if you want to derive cardiovascular benefits from your daily cuppa. While green tea has abundant EGCG which creates a lining along your blood vessels to reduce stress, black tea offers more benefits. Black tea can improve the function of your blood vessels if you suffer from coronary artery disease. Apart from that, both can lower the levels of harmful cholesterol. There's no evidence that supports that milk tea can be beneficial for your heart.

So, in the end, it's your call to choose black or green tea, whichever works best for you. Try avoiding milk tea as the milk steals away the essential health benefits of tea. Just remember to have no more than 10 cups of green tea a day, and no more than 4 cups of black.

Related Content: Try Auric skin radiance health drinks as an alternative for tea or coffee for glowing skin.

Milk Tea Vs Black Tea Vs Green Tea - Is Your Choice the Best?

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