What is vinegar?

Vinegar is a water based solution of acetic acid and other trace substances. Acetic acid is an important organic compound used to digest carbohydrates and fats in our body. This point will figure later in this article.

Acetic acid is also used in industry for multiple purposes. It is created by a commonly available bacteria after beer or wine is exposed to air.

With so much advances in bio-chemistry, about 75% of production of acetic acid is done industrially, rest 25% is done biologically by bacterial fermentation, the way it was done in ancient times.

Many countries have laws which require production of vinegar by the old method for food purity. In other situations industrially produced acetic acid is used to make vinegar. More about this later.

What is apple cider vinegar?

Just like regular vinegar, this one too is 5% acetic acid as the main & active component and 94% water. Since it is made from apples, it is called apple cider vinegar.

It is made in a two step process of fermentation. Apples are cleaned, crushed and juice extracted. The first fermentation begins with exposure to oxygen and adding of bacteria and yeast. This is called alcoholic fermentation because it creates ethanol. Sugars present in the apple juice is converted to alcohol.

In the second step another bacteria (acetobacter) is added which converts ethanol to acetic acid.

The second step also leaves behind a culture called mother. This culture has to be filtered and distilled. More about this ‘mother’ later.

Let us list what apple cider vinegar does not do

Apple cider vinegar is made from apples. We all know that apples are the most healthiest fruits. But that does not make apple cider vinegar healthy or drinking tons of this will improve your health. Micro nutrients just like in apple are also there in apple cider vinegar but they are in traces.

Apple has nutrients, sugar, fibre and some antioxidants. Sugar is removed during the fermentation process. Fibre is not there because we are dealing with apple juice only. So if you are drinking any fruit juice, do not compare ACV to that. Both have a different composition and purpose.

What apple cider vinegar really does

Facilitates digestion of carbs and fats – This one is the most important part because after you have a meal and if that meal is carb heavy, drinking ACV with water will help consume the glucose in your blood which will help in regulating the blood sugar levels.

Acid decreases stomach PH – Digestion is faster and better when the stomach acid PH level is lowest. It also helps to absorb all the nutrients. ACV is a type of acid and consuming it after a meal will help digestion.

So here is the technical part. If ACV helps with consumption of glucose, that means lesser glucose in the blood. Excess glucose is recalled by the liver to be stored as glycogen. Once the liver is full, the fat starts getting stored in the body as visceral fat. This claim is heavily disputed in the medical community.

If you are fasting, then it is believed that ACV will take care of the gut bacteria by promoting the growth of good bacteria.

Important points to remember

Industrial grade apple cider vinegar will be clear, packed in a plastic bottle and might be marked organic. But the catch is, if it is cheap, then it cannot be organic. Fermentation with bacteria and yeast will take time and effort and that being a manual process will cost money. So no going cheap on your health.

Many manufacturers sell ACV unfiltered along with the mother. That is another way to saying that the vinegar has been manufactured organically by the traditional method. There is still a chance that some of them may sell industrial grade ACV and then add the mother. So again really important to buy the best quality from a reputed manufacturer and pay for it.

ACV is 94% water and just 5% acid, but even that percentage is dangerous. Always dilute with water and then drink.

The acid also helps maintain a healthy scalp. Apply diluted ACV to your hair before you go to sleep.

Use a steel straw to sip it because the acid can cause tooth enamel corrosion.

Know that ACV will cause some throat irritation for the first time users.

If your aim is to improve glucose consumption, then you can drink it any time of the day. But for digestion purpose you can have it after a meal. There is really no limit of the number of times you can drink. Just don’t overdo it.

Many people use it as a souring agent with food. You can also do that to add taste to some really bland and boring salads.

Warm water or cold water dose not really matter. If it is sold in a glass jar, it does help as plastic might react.

The post Apple cider vinegar – miracle weight loss drink or a hoax first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

Over nervous system is like a web of sensors originating from the brain and spreading all over the body. The nervous system continuously take a feedback from the body and send directions as to what to do. So if we touch a hot object the sensors detect the heat and instruct the body to take back the hand away. This takes place over micro seconds. That fast this system is.

Nervous system is further divided into two branches, the autonomic nervous system is the one which takes care of all the functions which we do not have direct control over. The autonomic nervous system is further divided into sympathetic and para sympathetic nervous system.

The autonomic nervous system is like a pipe through which resources are flowing. This pipe has a limited space from which the resources are flowing. First priority is always given to the sympathetic nervous system.

Here is the way things are prioritized.

• 1st priority – Sympathetic nervous system – Fight or flight mechanism of the body. When the brain senses a threat, it diverts all resources to the sympathetic nervous system so that the threat is taken care of first. That is the stress mechanism of the body. Pupils dilate so that we can see sharper, airways expand to get in more oxygen, Heart rate increases so that oxygen and adrenaline released by the kidneys can reach all over the body, liver releases glucose, stomach digestion is stopped for the time being and so on.
• 2nd priority – Para Sympathetic nervous system – This takes care of various functions of the body over which we do not have control.
  • 2nd priority – breathing
  • 3rd priority – heartbeat
  • 4th priority – digestion
  • Last Priority – Immune system

This is just a representation for better understanding, otherwise this process is very complex and there are many other functions also involved. For example, reproductive system also figures somewhere low in priority. That is why chronic stress inhibits our reproductive system and sex drive too.

Our body was designed to handle one or two stressful situations per day. But modern lifestyle means that we have to deal with stressful situations throughout the day. That is called chronic stress. The body is constantly providing resources to the sympathetic nervous system. These limited resources are then diverted and the most common thing affected is our immune system.

Understanding the immune system

Our immune system roughly consists of the following parts.

• WBC – to fight infections inside our body and small cuts and wounds
• Mucus – to clear the air passage of foreign particles
• Tears – to keep eyes clear and fight small infections
• Skin – the first line of defense from external pollution. Outer layer of skin gets damaged and is replaced by new skin

While each of this system is fighting external threats almost minute by minute basis, these systems need resources in the form of vitamins, minerals and so on. Skin needs proteins to grow the new layers of skin. If the sympathetic nervous system keeps demanding resources, then the body has no choice but to compromise the immune system which is the last priority. Also too much of toxicity in the environment and intake of processed food or low quality food which hamper the ability of the body to fight infections too.

What the answer?

If you are in a chronically stressed environment, the only way to beat the whole system is to eat nutritious food. Processed or refined food has got little to no nutrition. Common sources of nutrition is green vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fermented dairy products, fish, meat, poultry, other vegetables and so on.

Nutrition packed foods ensures sufficient resources to both the sympathetic and para sympathetic nervous system. Refined carbs and sugars contribute nothing but just glucose and energy to the body. Avoid starchy vegetables like potato and green peas.

The post The only way to bullet proof your immune system is though food and nutrition first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

It is ironical that the very process which provides body with nutrition causes stress as a left over.

Terms explained

Conversion of food to energy by our body is called metabolism.

Any fuel burns in presence of oxygen to give out carbon dioxide, water and energy. The energy produced by the body is measured in terms of ATP.

Oxygen is also a reactive element. When it comes in contact with any atom, molecule or ion, one electron is removed in a process called oxidation. Glucose is the primary source of energy and oxidation of glucose creates energy for our cells.

Food is broken down into molecules during digestion. In the small intestine, the enzymes finish the process by breaking down protein to amino acids, fats to fatty acids and carbs to glucose. This glucose is send to the cells for energy synthesis.

Reactive Oxygen Species

During the process of metabolism, one electron is removed at each step from glucose. This bond breaking releases energy which is used again to create a new molecule of ATP.

During these reactions there is a chance that a free electron might escape the cell walls. This free electron is very reactive. They can grab an electron from either a fatty acid, protein or even a DNA setting off a chain reaction. Free radicals start damaging the cell walls and destroy the proteins inside the cell.

Body defence mechanism – antioxidants

Our body has it’s own defence mechanism against free radicals. Cells generate antioxidants to neutralise them. If free radicals need one electron, anti oxidants have one electron to donate. Normally our body is able to balance between creation of free radicals and production of antioxidants. Generally cells manufacture antioxidants, however even our body can create antioxidants like uric acid. But there are times when the production of free radicals increases greatly. Here are the reasons why.

Environmental pollutants like chemicals, bad air, smoke, smog, radiation are main contributing factors. Toxic chemicals like heavy metals, asbestos increase the amount of free radicals in the cells. Unhealthy lifestyle, junk food and bad eating habits also increase the amount of free radicals because of the toxins in the food and they also reduce the ability of our cells to mount the antioxidants defence mechanism. Smoking and alcohol are also one of the key contributing factors.

Free radicals are not all that bad and useless. Our body uses free radicals in some processes. For example the immune system uses free radicals to fight germs and infection. If you get an injury, the healing process begins with free radicals. While exercising, free radicals are released which causes oxidative damage to the muscles and starts the production of antioxidants. Free radicals in the brain help with cell growth and neurological functions like touch and smell.

Anti-oxidants from food

If you are living a city life, your body must be flooded with free radicals. The only way to neutralise them is to get free radicals from food sources.

Here is the point to remember, every fruit and plant has its own collection of anti oxidants. But they are useless for humans. For example all fruits have anti oxidants which help them stay fresh for a long time even after they are removed from a tree.

Here is a list of anti oxidants which can come from food sources.

• Vitamin A, C & E
• Carotenoids (especially beta carotene)
• Lipoic Acid
• Phenolic Acid
• Selenium

Get a customised meal plan to fight the free radicals in your body.

The post The mystery of oxidative stress first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

Note of consumption of lemons

Citric acid and Vitamin C are the two important ingredients in the lemon which directly cause the numerous health benefits. But these can only help if lemons are consumed raw without anything mixed especially sugar. You may dilute it with water and add a pinch of sea salt or rock salt for taste. Packed lemon juices are heated at high temperature during pasteurisation. This destroys all nutrients. Besides the added preservatives and sugars will all but ultimately end up damaging your body rather than benefitting it. Plus you will never know how much real lemon is there in the juice.

Four lemons a day, preferably taken after a meal along with organic apple cider vinegar will greatly aid digestion.

Controlling kidney stones

Kidney stones are basically made of calcium and oxalate. Citric acid in lemons binds with oxalate and flushes it out of the kidney. For best results consume lemons regularly. Oxalates enter our body through regular healthy foods like cruciferous vegetable, beans, nuts, palak and so on.

Aids digestion

Citric acid reduces the PH level of the stomach and induces release of Hydrochloric acid which aids in faster digestion of food.

Bile production

Bile secreted by gall bladder helps digestion of fats. Citric acid enhances the release of CCK which is peptide hormone secreted by the inner lining of small intestine. CCK forces the gall bladder to contract and release all the bile in the small intestine. This way bile is regularly released from the gall bladder and fresh bile is created every day.

There are certain situations when the gall bladder is unable to release bile in the intestine. This means that fat in the food passes out of the body without getting digested. This is evident when we have floating stools. In such a situation the stale bile can remain in the gall bladder sometimes even for many days. Due to lack of bile secretion the fat soluble vitamins are also not able to be absorbed by the body.

Lemon consumption directly helps with bile secretion and fat digestion.

Lowering of cholestrol

Cholesterol is used for creating bile. With CCK inducing gall bladder to release bile regularly, new bile in created too. This regular consumption of cholesterol helps to keep the overall cholesterol levels under check.

Liver detox

The word detox is so trending these days. Here is how lemons are directly responsible for liver detoxification.

Fat soluble toxins which are accumulated in the liver are converted into water soluble toxins and send to the gall bladder where it is stored along with the bile. Once food enters the small intestine, the gall bladder empties the bile into the small intestine. This also flushes out the water soluble toxins which were stored there by the liver. Once the gall bladder is empty, the liver is able to detoxify more and send it to the gall bladder for storage.

Citric acid, acidosis and uric acid

There can be many reasons for acidosis. Regular consumption of alcohol, too much of exercise and medication can be one set of causes. However even reasons like keto diet, intermittent fasting and low carb diet can induce acidosis. Citric acid when reaches the stomach converts to alkaline and reduces acidosis.

Citric acid also counters uric acid which causes inflammation in the joints.

Multiple benefits of CCK

We have already covered how CCK helps with bile production. But it does not stop there.

• CCK induces pancreas to release digestive enzymes.
• CCK activates the vagal nerves in the stomach which makes us feel full. This aids in appetite suppression. If you have ever felt stomach full, it is not the food but the CCK hormone at work.
• CCK holds food at various places till the digestive process is over. Later CCK activates the muscles of small intestine so that the food moves forward.

All these benefits can be classified as indirect benefits of consuming lemon.

Vitamin C

The most well known and visible benefit of lemon is Vitamin C. During the COVID pandemic many people were resorting consumption of Vitamin C tablets to boost immunity. Four lemons a day is more than sufficient to meet your daily goals of Vitamin C and that too the natural way.

Other benefits

• Lemon improves the absorption of non heme iron from plant sources. This is specially beneficial for people who are on a vegan diet.
• Citric acid slows down the digestion of carbs by suppressing the effect of salivary amylase. This helps in not spiking the blood sugars after carb consumption.
• Naturally grown lemons are known to have trace nutrients and minerals apart from Vitamin C.

Myths and wrong claims

• Lemons are not directly responsible for reducing the risk of cancer. Many claims and studies point out the benefits of phytonutrients, but these are just claims and studies.
• Even though sufficient amount of potassium and sodium is present in lemons, it is not directly possible to control anxiety and depression with it.
• Lemon juice is not rich in fibre which will aid in slow digestion and help reduce weight. There are other reasons involved here which you now already know about.
• Lemon is rich in Vitamin C but it does not reduce the risk of stroke.

Do you need a lifestyle change.

Lemon does help in reversing diabetes and insulin resistance. If included in your diet, it will definitely help in weight loss. But the most important induced benefit is if you are able to replace your soft drinks and packed juices with fresh lemon water. No matter who tells you and what is claimed on the advertising labels, packed fruit juices are not healthy for the body. So a regime change where you drink lemon water instead of these drinks will go a long way to improve your health.

If you are able to change your social drinking behaviour and replace alcohol with lemon water, that would be an ultimate trigger for good health. Ethanol in alcohol causes great damage to the body. Read this article to understand how drinking can ruin your physical and mental health. If someone has advised you to quit drinking for health reasons, that is a right call. Social drinking is one of the main reasons where you are encouraged to drink even when you don’t want to by friends or even family members. If you are determined to achieve your goal of weight loss and healthy lifestyle, replacing alcoholic drinks with lemon water is the best way this seemingly innocuous gift of Gods will truly bless you.

The post Benefits of lemons – Debunking myths and understanding the science first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

Why detox

In five days, our skin is exposed to outside air heavy with pollution and smog. Hectic schedule means that we do not have sufficient time to take care of the skin. Many of us just move between relatives places one after other with just enough time to touch up in between. That is too much of chemicals on your skin.

The ban of firecrackers has still not being enforced by the authorities. That adds up to the lack of sleep and mental peace. Those of us who are sensitive to the noise will get affected.

Finally during the festive season we consume generous portions of sweets. The commercial production and heavy demand of sweets during the festive season ensures that quality takes a back seat.

Solid Diwali detox hacks

Rest and nutrition are the dual approach you need to follow.

De-stressing before sleep

All detoxing process happens when you sleep. For the process to work optimally, you need to hit the deep sleep cycle. The first cycle usually hits your body at 1130pm. So you need to de stress and plan for sleep well before this time.

Typical activities which you can do is play with kids or pets, do a hobby or go for a walk. Do not do any activity which excites you like watching an action movie or news. Avoid harsh and bright light which will not let you sleep. Do not eat sweets or dessert having too much sugar before sleeping.

Try to get as much sleep as possible the night after the five festive days are over.

Nutrition does the repair and healing

Your body repairs itself on its own. Your skin is regenerated every 21 days for example. This creation of new cells and destruction of old is a continuous process. However this repair process needs nutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals. Eat home cooked food consisting vegetables and healthy fats. Consume dry fruits like almond, walnut and pista. Flax seeds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds are the other healthy options to eat. One vegetable can be cooked and other can be in the form of a salad. Eat a piece of fresh amla fruit and drink water with two lemons without sugar.

In case of vegetarian options, go for paneer or cheese for quality protein. For non-vegetarians there are a lot of choices of quality proteins. Make sure to have two eggs to complete the nutrition cycle.

Plan for an early dinner between 7pm to 8pm.

Let the liver work its magic

Liver is the largest organ of the body. It is also the most important organ too. Detoxification process happens inside the liver. As it is the liver is busy the whole day and night performing various functions. For the next few days after diwali, avoid the following foods which contain fructose or High Fructose Corn Syrup.

• Packed and processed food
• Packet juices
• Any fresh fruit which contains sugar
• Fresh fruit juices
• Packed or freshly prepared desserts
• Bakery products

Fresh fruits contain sugar which is broken down into glucose and fructose. While glucose goes to the blood to be used as energy by the cells, fructose is processed by the liver and broken down into fat and purines. This increases the chances of accumulation of fat in the liver and around the waist. Purines are further converted to uric acid.

The day after

Wake up early and take a 30 min walk in the morning sunlight. Follow it up with suryanamaskar. Try to delay your breakfast and choose salads and high quality protein like boiled eggs or paneer or mushrooms.

This diwali detox plan will greatly benefit you getting back your glow and reversing all the damage caused by various elements.

About Zing Life

Even though we have tried our best to layout a post Diwali detox plan for you, the best way to work your way around is to consult a health coach or dietitian who can design a personalised plan for you. That way you can derive maximum benefits from the detox.

The post Post Diwali detox plan first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.

MAN IS WHAT HE EATS.

LUCRETIUS

Eating a nutritious and balanced diet, exercising, sleeping for 8 hrs, and avoiding intoxicants keep us healthy. Every year from 1st to 7th September, the Government launches programmes to increase awareness about the role of nutrition and good lifestyle practices in leading a healthy life. Keeping with the theme of National Nutrition Week 2022, we enlist the best healthy foods from around the world.

1. Teff Bread from Ethiopia

This tasty Ethiopian bread is gluten-free, rich in proteins, vitamins C and B1, and minerals like calcium, manganese, phosphorous, iron, copper, aluminium and barium.

2. Soba Noodles from Japan

Gluten-free Soba noodles, made from buckwheat, are richer in proteins than carbohydrates. They are good sources of soluble fibre, thiamine, and manganese. These low-fat ramens are good for blood sugar control and heart and gut health. Mostly, Soba noodles are served with a low-calorie and fibre-rich soup, which further improves gut health.

3. Tacos from Mexico

Tacos are delicious yet complete in nutrition. Baked corn flour provides more fibre than other white flour. Tacos, stuffed with grilled chicken, fish, or beans, are a good quantity of proteins. Additionally, stuffed veggies supply minerals and vitamins.

The small size of the Mexican dish helps in portion control. So, while enjoying the taste, you consume fewer calories. Many restaurants in India offer this nourishing Mexican dish. Follow the National Nutrition Week’s theme and treat yourself to tacos.

4. Lamb Tagine from Morocco

Along with the richness of protein, selenium, zinc, and vitamins B12 and B3, this flavourful Moroccan lamb dish offers much more. It is a nutritional powerhouse, prepared in tagine stew made of vegetables, chickpeas, almonds, and apricots.

5. Kasha from Russia

Simple to cook, buckwheat groats – Kasha – are cholesterol-free and rich in protein, fibre and minerals. They help with high blood pressure, weight, and diabetes.

6. Herring Platter from Sweden

The Swedish platter contains crispbread made of rye, cheese, white fish, vegetables, and herbs. It is a meal balanced in carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Rye bread leaves to full without much fluctuations in blood sugar. Herring fish has enormous lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins B12 and D. Its Swedish platter will make you slimmer and your heart healthier.

7. Garlicky Brocolli Rabe from Italy

A dark green, bitter, cabbage-like vegetable broccoli babe or rapini is found in Mediterranean cuisine. It has calcium, potassium, ascorbic acid, fibre, cancer-preventing indoles and isothiocyanates. In Italy, rapini is sauteed in olive oil with garlic and garnished with red pepper and cheese.

8. Andalusian Gazpacho from Spain

A cold and freshening appetizer in Spanish cuisine, Gazpacho, is a soup prepared from raw vegetables like tomato, bell pepper, and cucumber. Variants of chilled Gazpacho are made from watermelon or cherry.

After reading the above list, you will be enticed to give into the National Nutrition Week’s theme – Celebrate a World of Flavours. Digging into lip-smacking global cuisines can keep you in good shape.

The post Celebrate a World of Flavours – National Nutrition Week 2022 Theme first appeared on Healthy life with Manju Mohan.