Nutricult by Dt Aashna

These are a few simple
tips one must follow to prevent osteoporosis and manage if they already have osteoporosis:
• Early morning sunshine: Sun is the best source of vitamin D..make sure to sit out in the sun for atleast 30 minutes everyday.
• Eat green veggies: Dark leafy greens like spinach, fenugreek, amaranth, kale, collard are a great source of calcium, magnesium etc which play a vital role in bone maintenance.
• Seafood: If you are a non vegetarian and not allergic to sea food..you must consume it as it is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, and Omega 3 is anti inflammatory in nature along with being a great source of protein and vitamin D.
• Vitamin D and calcium supplements: After the age of 30 the vitamin D and calcium bank closes, which means the storage of these nutrients are greatly impacted and there are very limited foods that are rich in vitamin D and for calcium bioavailability plays a very important role (you might think you are consuming enough calcium but you are not able to absorb most of it also vitamin D and calcium are co dependant for absorption) therefore for most people supplementation is needed
• Quit smoking: Smoking affects the body’s ability to absorb calcium leading to lower bone density and weaker bones. Ni****ne slows the production of the bone-forming cells that are so crucial to healing
• Weight bearing exercises: Like walking, dancing, weight training as bone is a living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger.
• Multivitamins: If you have a very restrictive diet then a multivitamin can help you get all the essential micro nutrients important for bone health.
• High calcium intake: This one is really important as calcium forms the foundation of bones but make sure not to mix calcium and iron rich foods together as the both interfere with each other’s absorption.

Do you have any of these symptoms? If yes then you must visit your orthopedist..as there is no cure for osteoporosis but the right treatment can surely help you protect and strengthen your bones..also one must consume a nutrient dense diet as one cannot regain the lost bone density but prevent the bones from thinning further...coming up soon are the ways to prevent and manage osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis...a common problem faced by a lot of people specially after the age of 45...it is said that after 30 years of age the body stops depositing/ saving calcium in the bones and thereafter if we don’t maintain the calcium intake the bones start becoming porous.
Some common causes for osteoporosis are:
•Menopause: By nature females are at a higher risk of osteoporosis and it further increases post menopause due to dropped oestrogen levels.
•Family history: If your parents have had hip fractures, chances are you might end up with osteoporosis.
•Age: With age the oestrogen level drops in females and testosterone drops in males, both these hormones play a very important role in maintaining bone density.
•Thyroid problems: Too much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss. This can occur if your thyroid is overactive or if you take too much thyroid hormone medication to treat an underactive thyroid.
•Other glands: Osteoporosis has also been associated with overactive parathyroid and adrenal glands.
•Low calcium intake and eating disorders.
•Steroids
•Medical conditions like lupus, celiac disease,IBD, kidney or liver diseases, cancer, multiple myeloma, rheumatoid arthritis etc.

Vegan and vegetarian are two different eating patterns, they are not the same...vegetarians consume animal by products like milk, paneer, ghee, honey etc while vegans avoid all animal-sourced products.. therefore no dairy...which puts them to a greater risk of developing gout as Milk helps in flushing out the excess uric acid (prefer low fat dairy over full fat so as to prevent obesity) so it isn’t just that meat eaters are at risk of developing gout...new post coming soon on reasons why some non meat eaters develop gout..stay tuned!

Reference source of information: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3572016/

This post might raise a lot of eyebrows as most of us have believed and taught that high uric acid means no pulses/lentils/mushrooms/beans but the beauty of nutrition science is that it keeps evolving, researches are conducted and new things are found out.

Coming to the fact that vegetarian proteins are pretty harmless when it comes to gout, sure a few of them are purine rich but as mentioned in the post there are various types of purines. Veg proteins usually contain adenine and guanine purines which really doesn’t add to the serum uric acid what increases the uric acid levels is hypoxanthine purine found in non vegetarian food particularly meat. Other than purine type, maximum pulses are consumed either well cooked or overcooked which further reduce the purine content. Also plant based proteins have phytochemicals which have shown to inhibit the uric acid levels.

And for those who find it hard to believe..I am attaching a reference research paper for those who have doubts should read-

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722549/ #:~:text=In%20general%2C%20diets%20rich%20in,51%2C71%2C72%5D.

Confused about what to eat and avoid for those aching joint... if you have gout, increased uric acid levels, follow these tips:
EAT:
• Cherries: cherries are known to reduce uric acid levels.
• Dark berries: They are high in anti oxidants and are anti inflammatory.
• Low fat dairy: It has also been known to reduce uric acid but make sure to consume low fat dairy as full fat dairy can have the opposite effect.
• Whole grains: Grains like wheat, oats, rice, brown rice can reduce the risk of obesity and further joint problems.
• pulses and legumes: They are an excellent source of vegetarian protein and it is a myth that they increase uric acid (new post coming up on this).
• Coffee: It acts as a diuretic and can help flush out excess uric acid. It is better to have black coffee than milk coffee.

AVOID:
• Red meat: red meat and organ meats can worsen gout as they are high in purine.
• Cold water fish and shell fish: A few categories of fishes are high in purine..particularly tuna, sardines and anchovies, shrimp, lobster, oyster and crab.
• Yeast extracts: Spreads like Marmite, Vegemite and Vitam-R contains yeast extracts which are known to be high in purine foods.
• Beer and liquor: They slow down the excretion of uric acid from the body, also they contain brewers yeast which can further increase uric acid.
• Sugary foods and beverages: Foods containing fructose and high fructose corn syrup such as candies, colas, canned fruits, fruit juices, breakfast cereals should be avoided completely.

Other tips:
• Lose weight: Obesity is a great contributor to increased uric acid levels, it adds to insulin resistance and insulin resistance has shown to have a strong association with high uric acid.
• Stay hydrated: Avoid getting dehydrated as it can increase the risk of crystal formation.
• Cut down on processed foods completely.

Gout shouldn’t be taken lightly, if you have any of the symptoms get your uric acid levels tested.

Gout is a type of arthritis caused due to formation and accumulation of uric acid crystals in knee joints/elbows/ between fingers/ toe and right below the foot. If you are experiencing continuous or regular pain in any or all of the areas mentioned you must get your kidney function test done.
The concentration of uric acid increases in blood and is called hyperuricemia. The body makes uric acid when it breaks down purines, which are found in your body and the foods you eat. When there is too much uric acid in the body, uric acid crystals (monosodium urate) can build up in joints, fluids, and tissues within the body.

The following make it more likely that you will develop hyperuricemia, which causes gout:

•Being male, Being obese
•Having certain health conditions such as Congestive heart failure,
Hypertension (high blood pressure), Insulin resistance, Metabolic syndrome, Diabetes, Poor kidney function, Using certain medications, such as diuretics (water pills) and
Drinking alcohol.
•Eating or drinking food and drinks high in fructose (a type of sugar).
•Having a diet high in purines, which the body breaks down into uric acid. Purine-rich foods include red meat, organ meat, and some kinds of seafood, such as anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, and tuna.
Coming up next are the symptoms and dietary do’s and don’ts of gout..

Joint pain is something most people have experienced in their life, there are two types of joint pains arthritis related and unrelated to arthritis both cause discomfort and pain. One must identify the cause of their joint pain and seek treatment accordingly. Stay tuned to know which nutrients can aid healthy bones and joints.

All those who suffer from joint pains, or have family members suffering from joint pains/osteoporosis/ arthritis..a lot of information is coming up. Stay tuned 💪🏻

All this week i have been talking about salt, trying to explain how salt isn’t the only important player when it comes to hypertension. Stating that you don’t have to cut back just on salt to improve your blood pressure levels, a lot of people might be thinking that how do we manage it then. The answer is DASH DIET this dietary guidelines were created to help patients improve their blood pressure levels along with cutting out processed foods and limiting sodium to 2300 mg (not salt but sodium). So to get a better grip on your blood pressure level, one must follow the guidelines:
• consume 6-8 servings of whole grains: whole grains here means whole wheat, oats and millets and not a whole grain bread. One roti here is counted as 1 serving.
• Fruits and vegetables: They are a major source of potassium and potassium has the counter effect of sodium so one must have 4-5 servings each day. One can divide it as 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits per day.
• Lean proteins: Such as eggs, fish and chicken, the total servings should be less than 6 a day, 1 egg counts as 1 serving, similarly 1 pc of chicken breast and fillet of fish is counted as 1 serving.
• Legumes and nuts: They add to the much needed fiber, potassium,folate,iron and magnesium while nuts fulfill the requirements of good fats that are needed to prevent blockage in the arteries.
• Low fat dairy: Since dairy is a source of saturated fat, the consumption of dairy products like milk, cottage cheese, cheese, curd should be restricted to 2-3 servings per day. One can have milk in the morning, curd for lunch and cottage cheese for dinner.
• Fats and sugars: The consumption of oils and fat should be limited to the cooking medium only and sugar and sugary products needs to be avoided as much as possible.

I can’t even count how many times I have heard clients telling me “I naturally crave for more salt/ I eat more salt since childhood/ I cannot skip salt for dinner”... well you weren’t born with a taste for salt..you developed it over time, so eating more or less salt doesn’t come naturally, it is how we train our tongue. So you can always retrain your tongue as per the need. Also one needs to understand salt is an addiction and each addiction has withdrawl symptoms...so you might feel light headed or have crazy cravings if you cut down on salt, but it is temporary, so start with cutting down on unnecessary salt sources such as canned, packed and processed foods and then you can further regulate your salt intake.

If you think your food would be inedible without salt, then you probably don’t know that there are a lot of other spices and condiments that can give your food that yummy taste without the sodium like garlic powder, dill,cilantro, lemon, curd etc. Infact the easiest way to add taste to your food is to add unsalted vegetable stock as it contains enough sodium from vegetables that leached out in the water.
It is a great hack for those who have very high blood pressure and has been recommended salt restriction.

Most people still believe that high salt intake is the cause of high blood pressure. To burst the myth, it is not, salt isn’t the culprit, sodium is. As discussed earlier salt and sodium are not the same, salt is just one of the sources of sodium. The real villain incase of hypertension is a bad inactive lifestyle along with consumption of canned, packaged and processed foods such as chips, bread, biscuits, instant foods etc, they all contain high concentration of sodium as it acts as a preservative and aids in retaining the flavour for longer. Other than these factors the biggest cause of hypertension is stress. Cutting down on salt can be used as a part of hypertension management as once the damage is done, any amount of sodium more than required can prove to be detrimental but it is definitely not the only cause for high blood pressure.

How many of you have replaced iodised salt with Himalayan pink salt? There are 3 major differences between the two:
1. Himalayan salt does not contain iodine and the table salt does. Iodine is essential for the function of thyroid hormone and prevent goitre.
2. Himalayan salt is unprocessed while common salt contains anti caking agents. (The only major benefit of pink salt)
3. Himalayan salt is much more expensive than common salt.

Now for those who believe it is rich in various minerals, it definitely is, but the quantity is not sufficient enough to provide much therapeutic benefits.
The correct way to use Himalayan salt is on top of salads as the salt doesn’t have even particle sizes and is hard, it does not blend evenly in the food. It has a beautiful colour and can be sprinkled over foods rather than cooked with.
So basically, both the salts have almost the same amount of sodium but due to the size of the pink salt crystals and the salty taste, it is needed in lesser quantity.

Salt and sodium are terms often used interchangeably, all edible salts have sodium but not all forms of sodium are edible salts, therefore salt and sodium are not the same! Excess consumption of sodium can cause water retention and in the long run, it can cause various health issues. The biggest source of dietary sodium is packaged, processed and fast food. One can prepare food without salt at home but it is difficult to find packaged, processed, fast food without the presence of sodium in one form or the other. Therefore it is very important to read food labels and look out for sodium mentioned in various forms. Some common forms of sodium used in such foods are sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate and most commonly used in fast food; MSG (monosodium glutamate) is used as a taste enhancer and is present in food prepared in KFC, and most Chinese restaurants, similarly sodium acetate is used in packaged potato chips to give it a salt and vinegar flavour. Sodium overall is used as a preservative. So the next time you feel swollen or bloated, don’t blame the poor common salt but the sodium you are taking from all the packaged and processed foods. Make sure to read food labels to understand the food you are feeding your body on.

Salt myths debunked! Salt contains sodium and sodium in regulated amounts is essential for basic functioning of the body. It is high time people start to realise that salt js not going to kill you, in fact not having salt at all can kill you. What can kill you is the extras sodium you consume from processed and packaged foods where sodium is used in high concentration to preserve the food and maintain its taste. So maintaining a salt balance is very important.

Did you know there are more than 10 varieties of salt eaten world over?! All salts contain almost the same amount of sodium i.e. 40% but what makes them different is the taste, particle size and unique taste of each. The major difference between table salt and other salts is that table salt is more processed and contains anti caking agents while the others are less processed. The biggest advantage of table salt is that it contains iodine which is essential for functioning of the thyroid hormone. Confused which salt is the healthiest? Stay tuned and watch out for the posts coming soon.

Salt! One of the most essential things in life. It makes or breaks the taste of a dish. You eat too much salt you might end up with hypertension, you eat too less you might have a heart failure. Salt is obtained mainly from sea water or mineral rich spring water, there is a wide variety of edible salts available but each one has a different use which will be discussed in the week ahead. Sodium is the major constituent of salt. The recommended dosage of sodium is 2.4 gms which is about a teaspoon of common salt (6 gm) (40% of 6 gms= 2.4 gms) but those who eat a lot of packaged food tends to consume a lot more sodium than needed.
Stay tuned as a lot of information is coming up this week.

You all must have heard about black tea, green tea and white tea, but how many of you know about the ‘red’ tea, grown in South Africa, this tea has all the benefits of tea like being rich in antioxidants and immunity boosting without the caffeine and tannins, a lot of people are sensitive to caffeine and often face acidity after drinking tea or it can interfere with their sleep cycle, tannins reduce the absorption of iron. Rooibos is caffeine and tannin free, it is rich in various nutrients and can promote hair growth and strengthening of bones as well.

Jasmine tea is one of the most underrated herbal teas....the best is the pure dried jasmine flowers. Usually in the market it is available either mixed with green tea or black tea, if possible one must try the pure dried jasmine flowers boiled in a cup of water. It has various benefits for the gut and the digestive system as well as It is great for reproductive health. It is high in antioxidants and a great immunity booster, since it improves digestion it can be beneficial in reducing water retention and aid weight loss, also as per researches it can protect the brain against alzheimer’s and parkinson’s disease, also it has a very soothing effect on the body and can help you destress and improve sleep.
The mixture of jasmine flowers and green/ black tea does contain caffeine while the dried flowers is caffeine free.

This one is for the light sleepers or the ones who have difficulty falling asleep...chamomile tea is known to reduce insomnia and induce a good sound sleep by reducing pressure on the nerves and relaxing the brain... it is great for those who often suffer from work stress. It is one of the most relaxing teas ever and would help relieving period cramps also it is great for the skin too.

The best time to have it is right before bedtime at night.

☕️

This is one tea i swear by, it is non caffeinated and a blessing for those suffering from water retention or oedema as it works as a diuretic. It is also known as a ‘liver tonic’ as it has potent compounds that cleanse the liver and improve digestion. It also aids those who are suffering from constipation. This does not directly cause weight loss but since it reduces water retention and prevents constipation, it can contribute to weight loss. It can also benefit those suffering from acne, as it is anti inflammatory and anti microbial in nature, also it aids skin hydration and boost collagen production, therefore it detoxifies the body and can help in achieving a clear and glowing skin. And since it is anti viral and anti microbial in nature, it works great in boosting immunity.

A lot of times I get asked about the difference between green coffee and green tea and which one is more beneficial?
The basic difference between green coffee and green tea is the main compound found in each of them. Green coffee contains cholorgenic acid while green tea contains EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate).

Chlorogenic acid aids in reducing inflammation, improving blood sugar levels, improve the hormonal functioning and most importantly boost the metabolism. Infact in rat studies chlorogenic acid has shown fat loss while the trials on human are still under process.
ECGC is a polyphenol which plays a major role in boosting immunity and reduce the risk of heart diseases and protect the brain from diseases.

But none of them alone can help you lose weight if it is not accompanied by a healthy diet and exercise. So having a cup of green tea or coffee won’t cancel out the heavy and oily dinner you had. I personally find green coffee to be more effective than green tea when it comes to boosting the metabolism. Green tea is great for the immunity and overall health. None of them should be consumed more than twice a day as they both contain caffeine and make sure to keep a gap of 45 minutes between your meals and caffeine.

We all love to have a piping hot cup of tea once or twice a day, for some it is an addiction and can’t start their day without it and if you ever notice most of them face the issue of acidity and gastritis as tea in itself is acidic in nature and adding milk to it further increases the acidity level. Also in a study it was found that adding milk to the tea reduces the antioxidants present in tea by 18%.

Those who have digestive issues should not have tea with milk and should definitely not consume tea empty stomach.

Tea hack: If tea causes you bloating then add a little ginger to your tea as it will prevent bloating.

This week lets do some ☕, there are more than 100 variants of tea some contain caffeine while some don’t, each has its own benefits and drawback so basically one tea doesn’t fit all! Stay tuned to uncover the magic of tea land throughout the week 🍵.