Many experts now see inflammation as arising from an immune system response that’s out of control. When you catch a cold or sprain your ankle, your immune system switches into gear. Infection or injury trigger a chain of events called the inflammatory cascade. The familiar signs of normal inflammation — heat, pain, redness, and swelling — are the first signals that your immune system is being called into action. In a delicate balance of give-and-take, inflammation begins when pro-inflammatory hormones in your body call out for your white blood cells to come and clear out infection and damaged tissue. These agents are matched by equally powerful, closely related anti-inflammatory compounds, which move in once the threat is neutralized to begin the healing process. Our bodies weren’t designed for a daily barrage of toxins, infectious agents and stress, seen and unseen. This kind of demand requires a lot of support to maintain your immune’s system resilience. Our go-go lifestyle just doesn’t make room unless we pay attention to everything: what we breathe, eat, drink and absorb and feel. It all has a pro- or anti-inflammatory effect, and for most of us, the factors are skewed toward inflammation. One thing that’s certain … Continue reading Why is chronic inflammation on the rise? →

Bladder Infections, also known as Cystitis or Urinary Tract Infections, plague women more often than men. In fact, 50% of women are likely to be afflicted by this disease at some point of time in their lives. This is because of the structural makeup of the female urinary tract. Bacteria swim up the urethra (a tube, which connects the bladder to help pass the urine into the urinary bladder easily, since their urethra is too short and close to the rectum. Beside bacterial infections, stress, eating on the run, and forgetting to drink enough water too can increase your risk of bladder infections. When you get a burning sensation while passing urine, feel the urge to urinate frequently, see blood in the urine, or see cloudy urine, you can be sure that you have a urinary infection. It could also be accompanied with fever and nausea. Bladder infections can be miserable but not dangerous. However, you must consult your doctor immediately. Traditionally, bladder infections were treated through antibiotics. However, the problem is that these antibiotics destroy the friendly bacteria in the intestines that help the body manufacture its own B-vitamins. If the infection is in the initial stages and does … Continue reading What are bladder infections →

There are numerous lifestyle and diet related factors which could be causing a spike in our Blood pressure levels. Here is a list of the most common causes of high blood pressure. Age: The older we get, the higher we face the risk of having HBP Family history: If close members of our family have hypertension, our chances of developing the condition become higher. Obesity or overweight: Overweight refers to a condition where we have extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat and/or water. Obesity generally refers to a condition of just having a high amount of extra fat in our body. Overweight and obesity are more likely to cause high blood pressure compared with people who possess normal weight. Physical inactivity: Lack of exercise coupled with a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of hypertension. Smoking: Smoking causes our blood vessels to narrow, which results in higher blood pressure. Moreover, it reduces the oxygen content in our blood and thus, our heart has to pump faster to compensate for this, which causes a rise in our blood pressure level. Alcohol intake: People consuming alcohol regularly have higher systolic blood pressure compared with those who do not. High salt intake: People who do not consume much … Continue reading Causes of High Blood Pressure →

Did you know why Popeye binged on spinach? Here are 5 amazing health benefits of eating spinach. Highly nutritious, spinach not only helps boost your immunity but also helps you become healthier. Rich in protein Spinach being rich in protein helps you build and repair body tissues. It is also quite effective in weight loss and speeds up your metabolism fat. Good source of dietary potassium Spinach is one of the best sources of dietary potassium, that is responsible for the smooth functioning of your immune system. To compare, one cup of banana has about 539mg of potassium. A great iron source Spinach is a great non-home source of iron that helps your body to utilise energy efficiently. A lack of iron can have severe implications on your immune system. A good source of calcium Spinach has a high oxalate content, and contains approximately 250mg of calcium per cup. The calcium in spinach helps you to protect your body from climatic changes and other illness. A good source of dietary magnesium Spinach is also one of the best sources of dietary magnesium, which is necessary for a healthy immune system and to maintain your blood pressure levels.

The key defender against free radical attacks, vitamin E revs up the infection-fighting ability and body’s protective mechanisms against infection attacks. It prevents premature aging and clogging of arteries thereby arresting the progression of heart disease and stroke. Foods high in vitamin E are as follows: Almonds Peanuts Vegetable oils Cashew nuts However, it’s preferable to rely on vitamin E supplements as these foods are calorie dense. Carotenoids Carotenoids in combination with vitamin C and E make the ultimate threesome of immunity boosters. Foods like watermelon, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and mangoes aid the natural production of natural killer cells and T-lymphocyte increases and thereby preventing the growth of cancerous cells. Zinc Zinc is another valuable mineral associated with immunity. It is found abundantly in wheat bran, jowar, bajra, shellfish, peanuts, and other types of nuts. It modulates the immunity system and protects from cold and cough. Often our food may not provide sufficient amounts of all essential nutrients, therefore it would be wise to include a multivitamin supplement as a part of a healthy diet. Garlic Several studies have identified a host of super foods which if had on a daily basis keep you fit and raring. Garlic is … Continue reading Vitamin E to boost immunity →