Staying healthy and fit is the need of the hour. Read blogs by health experts and gain knowledge on the mantra of healthy living. Prevention is better than cure!
Often many people experience constipation and the reasons can be many. It can happen from improper and incorrect diet, dehydration, lack of exercise, travel or other changes in routine and quitting smoking.
Many solutions are available which includes medication, ayurvedic treatment, yoga aasanas, homeopathic treatment, Indian churan and more. In this blog I’m going to enumerate a very easy, simple and quick way to help you with your bowel movements in the morning – having half glass of hot Jeera water daily before sleeping. It has proven effective for many people especially the smokers who are trying to quit smoking and chewing.
Many people have a glass or more of hot water in the morning, some have honey water, some have lemon water etc. to help them in passing motions. This is another way that can be added to routine to help with bowel movements. It has other benefits like it reduced acidity and gas, helps in weight loss and also mitigates the knee pain in many cases.
Jeera Water – A Quick Way to End Constipation and Acidity!
How to make jeera (cumin) water?
In 1.5 glasses of water add
1 tea spoon of whole jeera (cumin seeds),
1 tea spoon sauf (fennel) and
1/4 tea spoon of ajwain
Steps:
Put the entire mixture to boil on high flames
Once it starts boiling, lower the flames and let it be on the low flames for 20-25 minutes till it becomes half a glass of water
Allow it to cool to an extent you can drink (it should be hot when you drink)
Drink before going to bed
Ensure that you do not add any sugar, salt or honey to it.
The mixture will taste bland but you need to drink it as is.
This practice will bring you in healthy shape within a week’s time. Those having severe acidity and problems of gas should intake this without fail to mitigate their acidity. It will reduce your acidity medicine intake and bring it to zero. You will not need any medicine to cure your acidity, gas and constipation ever!
It is always better to choose natural methods of healing over medicine for it will make you healthier and boost your immunity at the same time.
A myriad of micro-nutrients and macro-nutrients are required for a healthy human body. Deficiency in one or more nutrients can lead to multiple disorders including a few chronic diseases. It is therefore essential to maintain a balanced diet so that all the essential vitamins and minerals are supplied to the body for its smooth functioning and to keep fit and healthy.
In one of the reports published by The Asian Age dated 23rd August 2019, it was mentioned that climate, region and geography of a country decides the type of nutrition available in the plants grown. It was also stated that the Indian diet is considered to be the healthiest of all the diets which means that India has the right topography and climate to produce healthy and nutritious food.
Despite this, a nutrition report by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention found that Indians are deficit in the following 5 vitamins and minerals:
Iron
Iron is extremely essential to maintain the right hemoglobin levels in the blood. Deficiency in iron will lead to anemia. A study by WHO found that adolescent girls in India are highly deficit in iron. 50% of 200 girls surveyed were found to be anemic.
Iron deficiency can be prevented by in taking iron rich food or external supplements. Foods rich in iron are shellfish, spinach, liver, offal, legume, red meat, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, tofu, banana and dark chocolate. Introducing these foods in the diet will improve the iron in the blood.
Iodine
Iodine is another essential mineral required for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland, secretion of the growth hormone and maintaining our body weight. Deficiency of iodine can lead to goiter, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, cretinism, decreased fertility rate, increased mental retardation and mental retardation.
It is very alarming that 263 districts out of 325 districts surveyed, were found to be severely iodine deficit in India. It is important to introduce iodine rich food like cod, tuna, seaweed, shrimp, eggs and dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese to meet the iodine needs of the body. Iodized salt is the most common and easy way to supplement the iodine deficiency in the body.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is required to have a normal and healthy vision. It is also essential for our immune system and reproduction. It helps for the proper functioning of the vital organs like heart, lungs and kidneys. Deficiency in Vitamin A causes causes Nyctalopia (Night Blindness), Xeropthalmia, Keratomalacia, and in acute deficiency it can lead to complete blindness. It increases the risk of respiratory and diarrheal infections, decreased growth rate and slow bone development in children.
The Asian Age stated that breastfeeding a child for at least 6 months can eradicate the risk of Vitamin A deficiency in children. Foods like apple, carrots, bell peppers, butter, salmon, cheddar, sweet potato, winter squash, kale, collards, etc. are rich source of Vitamin A.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is indispensable for healthy skin and boosting immunity of the body. It protects against cardio vascular diseases, prenatal health problems, eye disease, skin wrinkling; reduces stress; helps in formation of collagen; iron absorption; quick wound healing and maintenance of cartilages, bones and teeth. Deficiency of Vitamin C can lead to scurvy, gum disease and skin problems. It is very frightening to hear that studies in India found 73% of people with more than 60 years of age were found deficit in Vitamin C.
Vitamin C is richly found in cantaloupe, orange, broccoli, red cabbage, green pepper, red pepper, kiwi, tomato juice, lemon, etc. These fruits should be introduced in the diet without fail to replenish the loss of Vitamin C.
Vitamin D
The sunshine Vitamin D is the most common nutrient deficit in the global population. It is obtained mainly through sunlight and is also abundantly found in milk, fish, fish liver oil, egg yolks, and fortified dairy and grain products. It is required to build strong bones, form myelin sheath around the nerves, boosts immunity against common infection, reduce allergies, perform cell growth modulation and neuro-muscular functions.
Its deficiency can cause Rickets, osteoporosis, falls, cancer of prostate, colon, breast, lung marrow/lymphoma, hypertension, sclerosis, type 1 and type 2 diabetes. IT is therefore important to go out in the early morning sun at least twice a week for 5 to 40 minutes.
Having the balanced diet of all these essential nutrients will make the body healthier and fit. It is better to self-care and adapt preventive care to delay getting a disease than getting a disease due to the above mentioned deficiencies.
On 6th and 7th of April, 2019 I had
the opportunity to meet some amazing people. I was invited to Navsari a town
just 35 kms from Surat. The place where JRD Tata was born. It is also 18 kms
from Dandi Beach the famous salt satyagraha was done by Gandhiji.
First, I would like to introduce my host Dr Rajan Shethji
and Mrs Kavita Shethji, wonderful and jovial couple. Together they have been able to change lives
of many people. They are the most sort after couples of Navsari not just
because they are Doctors but because they
have the power to influence and do things.
Accompanying Mr Rajan were another couple Mr Pranav Shethji
and Mrs Dhwani Shethji. Mr Pranav a business man and a cancer winner, twice
operated and very enthusiastic to intervene and influence the lives of the
cancer patients, they started the ADDlife foundation at Navsari.
Dhwani a teacher and a story teller, very sober and
supportive lady.
Around 11 oclock I was introduced to a group of 7 Parsis led
by Mr Yezdi Contractor and some journalists. Mr Yezdi and his group formed Muskurahat
4 years ago. Mr Yezdi a banker, lost both his parents to cancer. Since than he
has been working to make people tobacco free. The Muskurahat group who had
never sung learnt singing. They would go to some village and first start singing
hindi old songs and once people gather around them would talk about tobacco and
would take the list of people taking tobacco and follow them and help them quit
tobacco. Till date they have been able to completely free 120 people from
tobacco addiction. A commendable work they are doing. The interaction with them
was extremely cordial. I wish to value add their efforts in a more defined way.
In the evening I had a visit to Dr Arpan Desai’s dental
Clinic. Came to know that tobacco is rampantly used in Navsari, and oral cancer
rate is very high. Had interaction with some patients and guided two to quit
tobacco.
In the evening, I had a meet at the IMA Navsari, gave a
presentation on “Kill the arjun within you -Change the World”. Not surprised at
the lukewarm response of the senior doctors. Although most set through my
presentation I was able to impress upon them that treating patient as a whole
is important and addressing the root cause, tobacco, of most of the disease
they deal with is their moral responsibility. I did have some interaction.
Later in the night I was an invited guest at ‘Muskurahat’ by
Yezdi and his group which include Monaz, Rohintan,Gaver,Aspi,Khushali at Tatahall. What amazing performance by the
group. They sang some old Bollywood numbers as good as any professionals. The
drama was too good and was on tobacco. I
had a wonderful interaction with the audience and tell you yet to see such
motivators. Tatahall with a capacity of around 800 was full till the end at 1
am. I met lot of people off stage who wished to do more on tobacco and join
hands for the purpose.
Next day I was an invited guest speaker for the NMA talk. A
well organised talk by the Navsari Management Group for its member. The
audience was business owners, corporates and senior executives. My talk “The
ripple effect” for the management how they can bring a change in their business
houses and into the lives of workers and their family. The participants
enthusiastically participated in the talk. It was a full house and not a single
person walked out during the session on the Ripple effect talk of 90 minutes.
The senior executives and owners went back with the message to adopt the SAVE
the Youth campaign – win over tobacco in their premises. The Ripple effect was
evident immediately! Who does not want to save money of the organisation!
The best part was visit to Gurukul Ashram sankul, Bhadarpada.village
in Dang district. adopted by Dr Rajan shethji. He had been working in that area
for the last 10 years. Uplifting and upgrading the school to provide education
to the village children. It was amazing to know how a school in shambles once
is now a multi-storeyed building, The children are provided with education food
, books etc. with increase in education overall development of the village has
improved rapidly. Further the village is alcohol free, thanks to the women
empowerment. Now Dr Rajan and Kavita have got Mr Pranav and Dhwani to depend
upon.
Considering the tobacco control in this town it is a unique
situation. We have a group, muskurahat, led by mr Yezdi, working tirelessly for
the cause. In addition they are well supported by Drs Rajan, Arpan, Dr Jamil
etc. The support of large groups like Navsari Management Association is possible,
who are ready to implement Tobacco free units. To make the efforts effective
what is needed is simplification and amplification. Simplification and skill
development with evidence based practice on tobacco cessation is required,
setting up of tobacco cessation centres, so that the patients can be properly
guided and results can be amplified.
