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?

Benefits of lemon peels

Lemon has multiple health benefits. It is used for hair, skin, and inner wellness. It helps us lose weight and builds the immunity of the body. But are you aware that lemon peels are equally beneficial? not only do they contain calcium, potassium and vitamins c, but they can also be made use of in numerous ways. Here are few:

1. For tan removal: this point is pretty widely known. Lemon peel is an excellent tan removal. It also brightens and smoothens our skin.

2. As vitamin c supplement: small pieces of lemon peel and can dried in the sun and then ground to make powder. This can be added in smoothies, etc and be a good source of your requirement of vitamin c. Being rich in vitamin c and citric acid, lemon peels help in gum problems like scurvy and bleeding gums.

3. For strong bones: lemon peel is known to maintain bone strength. It helps fight cancer and also helps with tumours and cysts.

4. To lower cholesterol: lemon peel has polyphenol flavonoids which helps lower cholesterol levels.

5. To feel good: it acts as strong anti-depressant.

6. To fight cancer: lemon peel has nutrients like limonene and salvestrol q40 which are both known to fight cancerous cells.

7. For bp control: the cholesterol level of a body can be decreased by consuming lemon peel. The potassium present in it also helps maintain the level of blood pressure.

8. Cure for flu: eating lemon peels helps in curing sore throat, flu, cold, etc. This is because it contains vitamin c in ample quantities.

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You Won't Throw Away LEMON Peels After You Read This!

4 Reasons you SHOULD have your meals with ghee

Full of nutrients, ghee or clarified butter comes with an assortment of health benefits. Despite its vast nutrient content, most people avoid ghee, believing that it is fattening. This is in fact not entirely true! Here s why you should consider adding a dollop of ghee to your meals. 

1. Good for your brain: Ghee is an excellent source of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which help in the proper functioning of your brain and nervous system. Furthermore, these fats can also decrease your risk of getting brain disorders like Alzheimer s and dementia.

2. Strengthens your immunity: Ghee is rich in nutrients like CLA and K2 that give it its anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Also, the presence of these nutrients helps ghee in strengthening your immune system so as to keep diseases at bay. 
Additionally, several studies show that the butyric acid (acid that helps in controlling metabolism) content of ghee also helps in fortifying your immune system as it enables the creation of killer T cells (a type of white blood cells) in the stomach.


3. Promotes weight loss: Contrary to popular belief, the inclusion of ghee in your diet can also help in reducing fat cells in your body, leading to loss of weight. It does so by improving the functioning of your gall bladder, so that the bile that is produced is able to break down the fats that are digested. As your meals get easily digested, your body s metabolism levels also increase significantly. 
Moreover, it contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs) that are responsible for augmenting your body s metabolic processes. Several researches indicate that these fatty acids have the ability to burn calories and bringing about weight loss. While decreasing hunger, they are also responsible for oxidation of fats that get accumulated in your body.

4. Helps in digestion: Ghee regulates the secretion of stomach acid, which gives you a stronger appetite, while helping you to properly digest your food. Furthermore, when added to foods like khichdi or puran poli, it could help you to digest these better. If you suffer from low levels of butyric acid production, it can significantly perk up your butyric acid production by improving the functioning of your digestive tract. Butyric acid is highly important as it strengthens the walls of your intestines, while being an energy source for your body. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Did You Know: GHEE Promotes Weight loss? 4 Reasons You Must Have Ghee

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?

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!

Roti vs. Rice- What should you have your meals with?

The nutritional conflict between rice and roti is age-old, as primary staples of every Indian cuisine.  White rice and wheat chapattis are both infused with considerable amounts of protein, calorie, fat as well as fibre. This overlap makes it tougher to choose just one as an accompaniment with your meals.
The health-conscious can take a sigh of relief with this list of effective benefits of the two. Let’s pit them against each other!

#1: If you opt for a lighter meal…Choose rice!
Boiled white rice is easier to chew and digest as it is low in fibres. For those with issues of diarrhoea, colitis, an upset stomach or morning sickness, rice is a favourable choice. If you are suffering from chronic gastrointestinal distress, rice is recommended for you.
Tip- You can consume a bowl of steamed rice with sautéed vegetables for a wholesome meal!

#2: If you are looking for muscle growth…Choose roti!
Rotis is the best food accompaniment for vegan and vegetarian bodybuilders. At home, you can mix variants of whole grains to harness the benefits of calcium and other minerals. Wheat chapattis made of whole grain consist of complex carbohydrates that boost your energy.
Tip- For reducing your portions, have two servings of roti (without ghee) with a large bowl of home-cooked yellow dal.

#3: If you have a heart condition… Choose rice!
For you to keep your heart healthy, the consumption of rice is vital. Brown as well as white rice is full of fibres and high in magnesium, niacin, phosphorus that can prevent heart problems.  Rice helps you in lowering bad cholesterol levels.
Tip- Substitute your regular white rice in the khichdi or biryani recipe with brown rice. (Contains fibrous bran and germ layer)

#4: If you want to feel fuller… Choose roti!
For weight watchers, who want the feeling of satiety for longer period should include rotis in their meal. Wheat rotis take longer to digest which helps in maintaining blood sugar levels. This quality also makes it a good alternative for diabetic individuals. Wheat rotis are nutritious and contain vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9 that help in keeping you strong.
Tip- While kneading the wheat dough for the rotis, you can add soya powder to increase its protein content.
To escape the dilemma of choosing between these two healthy and tasty staple sides, try switching to whole-wheat rotis and brown rice. Savour both, guilt-free!

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

 Roti vs. Rice- What should you have your meals with?

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