From our early memories, we would have been drilleed down with the importance of food and the benefits of eating certain foods. We naturally tend to assume that foods make us grow and sometimes we end up gobbling tons of food with a childhood innocence that they are going to make us taller and smarter in a jiffy. Looking back, we tend to smile at those memories nostalgically. However, in some cases, we grow up or we simply ignore one basic rule of eating the right food at the right time. 

Foods are very much related to time and the physics of our body can agree with them only if they are taken for a certain period. For instance, there are some foods that are beneficial to us, but can actually work in a negative way, if taken at a wrong time. For example, there are some foods that should never be taken on an empty stomach. Here are some such foods that you may want to know:

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are no doubt full of vitamins and antioxidants. However, when eaten on an empty stomach, these ingredients combine with acidic nature of our stomach and can result in stomach block. They put unnecessary pressure on the stomach and can cause stomachache. This can be dangerous for people who are already suffering from ulcers.
Citrus Fruits: Though citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are high in vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants, they may irritate your stomach when taken first thing in the morning. The oesophagus lining of your stomach gets enlarged when there is no food to digest and taking these fruits can directly enlarge them even more, causing more friction to your stomach.
Short Crust/Puff Pastry: Pastries can be a good combination for breakfast but it is a strict no on an empty stomach. Pastries and crusts have yeast in them and they simply will not go well for an empty stomach.
Carbonated Drinks: Carbonated drinks are basically bad for health and imagine having them on an early morning. Nothing can be more troublesome for your stomach than having these carbonated drinks first thing in the morning. They up the risk of cancer and heart diseases and can also lead to many other complications. Strictly avoid them on an empty stomach.
Coffee or Tea: Is having coffee the first thing that you do in the morning? You may be unaware but you are actually causing a lot of harm to your body. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can increase the levels of hydrochloric acid and can lead to constipation vomiting. They also slow the digestion process. Try having a glass of water on an empty stomach; give it some time to settle and then intake caffeine.

5 Things You Must Never Consume Empty Stomach!

It s frustrating to see that though there is little change in diet, weight gain becomes normal as we get older.  Tyres  around the tummy and heavy hips are often seen as a sign of being middle aged. There are many reasons for this change in the rate of weight gain. Some of them are:


Lower metabolic rate: As children and teenagers, the body is constantly growing and changing and hence has a high metabolic rate. Metabolic rate refers to the speed with which fat is burned to produce energy. After the age of 30, this metabolic rate naturally slows down and fewer calories are burned. This leads to the accumulation of fat. The only way to boost your metabolic rate and burn fat is by exercising. 
Less muscle mass: With age, the muscles in the body also begin to shrink. Thus, instead of forming muscle, fat cells are formed as a result of digestion. When comparing muscles and fat cells, the former burn more calories and hence when they are unavailable, the rate of burning calories is lowered leading to weight gain. 
Weight gain in menopause: When it comes to women, menopause is another trigger for weight gain. This is because, this condition is marked by hormonal imbalances. This leads to a sudden drop in estrogen levels that triggers a response in the body to draw out more estrogen from the fat cells. Ultimately, this leads to the formation of more fat. Men too can suffer from hormonal imbalances as they age. This is seen by a drop in testosterone levels that leads to abdominal weight gain.
Sedentary lifestyle: As we get older, our lifestyle turns more sedentary. A sedentary lifestyle is very unhealthy and leads to not only weight gain, but a number of other problems as well. Without regular exercise, the body s existing metabolic rate further reduces leading to accumulation of fat cells. To combat this, take half an hour out of your schedule every day to go for a walk, cycle or practice any form of exercise. 
Stress: Stress not only affects your psychological health, but your physical well-being as well. Being under pressure or anxious can increase the cortisol levels in the body. This creates hunger pangs that lead to unhealthy snacking. When eating in a stressful condition, little or no attention is paid to the food being eaten or the messages your body is trying to give you. This often results in overeating that causes weight gain.

5 Reasons Why You Gain Weight As You Age

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

Sit at the dinner table, and you'd find yourself invariably extending your hand to the glass of water on the side of your plate. While you may think it's absolutely necessary to have a glass of water during your meals, the truth is this habit of yours might be damaging your health. Read on to find out how.

1. It dilutes your gastric juices -
When the digestive acids (acids responsible for the digestion and breakdown of food as well as for killing infectious agents ingested with food) present in your stomach are diluted with water, they bring about a slowdown in the functioning of your entire digestive system. This slowdown results in food remaining lodged in your stomach for a longer period than normal, thereby causing indigestion.

Additionally, the reaction caused by the dilution of water and stomach acids can give rise to cramps in your tummy.

2. It reduces the saliva in your mouth -
The same thing that happens to the acids in your stomach, happens to your saliva as well. Water dilutes the saliva, which stops the breakdown of food in your mouth. Also, your saliva is responsible for stimulating your stomach to release digestive enzymes and prepare itself for the process of digestion. By drinking water with your meals, such signals sent by your saliva to your stomach become much weaker. All these together can make digestion very difficult.

3. It causes acidity -
Studies show that drinking water with your meals not only leads to the dilution of digestive enzymes, but also brings about a reduction in the secretion of digestive enzymes. This causes the undigested food in your stomach to leak into the lower part of your oesophagus (food pipe), causing acidity and heart burn. 

4. It increases insulin production -
Sipping on water in the middle of lunch (or any other meal for that matter) causes a spike in your insulin levels just as glycaemic foods (foods with high starch or sugar content such as honey, potatoes, white bread, rice to name a few) would. When your body is unable to digest food properly, it usually tends to convert the glucose filled part of that food into fat and stores it, reason why your blood sugar levels see an upsurge.

5. It adds to your weight -
Since drinking water causes an increase in insulin levels in your body (as the food you eat is converted to fat), it can result in the piling of extra weight on your body. This is because a weak digestive system is one of the major causes behind obesity.

Try having your meals with less salt and drink water 30 minutes before each meal to control your thirst when you're eating. This can help you in controlling the negative effects that drinking water with your meals can have on your health.

Make a wise choice and stay healthy. Feel free to ask me more questions you might have.

Watch What Happens When You Drink Water Along With Your Food. It'll Leave You Thinking!

Vitamin D is one of the essential vitamins, with a significant role in bone health. People who are very careful about sun exposure and those who do not get enough natural sun tend to be worried about their bone health, and so go in for supplemental vitamin D.

This, however, can lead to excessive vitamin D in the body, a condition known as hypervitaminosis D. Excessive supplements are the main cause for this condition. In addition, some heart medications, prolonged antacid therapy, and oestrogen therapy also can lead to this condition.

A person requires about 600 IU per day and if a person gets natural sun exposure for about 15 minutes, that is sufficient for the body to make this amount of vitamin D. The issue is when there is too less of sun or too much of sun protection, when the body is not able to make this on its own and requires supplements.
Increased vitamin D leads to increased amount of calcium in the system, known as hypercalcemia, which can lead to serious effects on multiple organs including bones, kidneys, heart, and other tissues and organs.
Taking some amount of supplements on a regular basis does not lead to this condition. Having heart disease, kidney disease, or being on diuretics like thiazide increases the risk of developing hypervitaminosis D.
It is advisable to periodically monitor the levels of vitamin D in a person who is on supplements, especially if these conditions are also present.
If it is in the levels beyond the required amounts, reducing the dose of the supplements or even temporarily stopping it should be considered.
Adhering to a diet which is naturally rich in vitamin D is also a good alternative. Cod liver oil, cheese, fatty fishes like tuna and salmon, mushrooms, and fortified milk and yoghurt are good sources. There are also juices and other drinks available which are fortified with vitamin D.
Some of the most common general symptoms of vitamin D include weight loss, extreme fatigue, poor appetite, excessive thirst and urination, dehydration, constipation. Specific symptoms indicative of excess vitamin D include muscle weakness, high blood pressure, heart rhythm disorders.
In the long-term, it can also produce complications like kidney stones/damage/failure, excessive bone loss, calcification of arteries and other soft tissues
Heart rhythm disorders is another major problem that can be caused by taking increased amounts of vitamin D.
Vitamin D is naturally available, and getting 15 minutes of sun, especially in the morning, is one of the best ways to get your daily dose. It also has a mood-elevating effect, so soak up the sun.

Vitamin D - Can An Overdose Harm You?

Before explaining how you can reverse the deficiency, it is important to know how vitamin D plays a pivotal role in your body. Well, this very vitamin is responsible for balancing the hormonal levels and ensuring the perfect functioning of your bones and brain. Also, vitamin D is indispensable for the proper functioning of your central nervous system. This is why people who are deficient display signs of anxiety, depression and, in severe cases, even suffer from bipolar disorder.

Apart from the neurological symptoms that the deficiency of vitamin D indicates, there are some physical symptoms as well that should not be overlooked either:

Arthritis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Adrenal fatigue
Chronic fatigue
Osteoporosis
Muscle soreness
Autoimmune disease
So, What Are The Causes Of Vitamin D Deficiency?

There are various reasons that lead to vitamin D deficiency. The most common ones are as follows:

It happens when you are a vegan and do not consume any animal-based products, as it is common in foods like fish, egg yolks, beef liver, and fortified milk.
You have limited exposure to sunlight, in such a case your body fails to make required vitamin D.
If you spend a lot of time indoors or live in the northern latitudes, or wear robes, you may become vitamin D deficient.
In case you have dark skin, it reduces your skin s ability to make vitamin D based on your exposure to sunlight. Aged adults having a dark skin tone are more likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency.
How To Overcome Vitamin D Deficiency?

Get More Sun: 20-30 minutes of sunlight is all it takes for our bodies to produce enough Vitamin D to last us for a week, not everybody is able to enjoy the sun. 
Eat More Food Rich In Vitamin D: Just increase your intake of foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D, such as salmon, raw cheese, yogurt and egg yolk. And if you are vegetarian, go for mushrooms as they are also an excellent source of vitamin D.
Vitamin D Supplements: This is the fastest way to boost the vitamin D levels in your bloodstream, but it is advisable to consult a doctor before you begin your daily dose.
In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Vitamin D Deficiency - Symptoms & Ways to Reverse it!

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