Glycemic Index

What is the Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index is a measure or a scale that gives information about how foods, especially carbohydrates, affect blood sugar.

It lets you know how much each gram of the carbohydrate you are consuming raises blood glucose to what level.

The lower the rank of the food, the least it affects blood glucose. GI is determined based on the rate of release of carbohydrates into the blood. 

For example, Foods containing carbohydrates that breakdown quickly releases glucose very rapidly in the blood are placed highest on the GI index. In contrast, those carbohydrates that breakdown slowly and releases glucose slowly are ranked low in the GI.

Relationship between Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load (GL)

The diet of a person or body’s response will depend not only on GI ranking but also on GL. Glycemic load is the measure of the amount of carbohydrate in the food. 

The standard formula for calculating GL is

GL = GI/100 x Net Carbs
(Net Carbs = Total Carbohydrates minus Dietary Fiber)

Significances of Glycemic Index

We shall explain to you the main areas where the Glycemic Index plays a vital role in our health. 

GI and Diabetes

Diabetic patients are often asked to follow a GI chart for selecting foods that will prevent the rise in blood sugar. Since the chart lays out the foods containing both harmful as well as useful carbs, they can plan their meal by eliminating those foods ranked high in the index while incorporating the lowest-ranked foods in their diet. This way blood sugar is gradually lowered and one becomes less dependent on medicines

GI and Weight Loss

The principle is similar for losing weight as well. Stop eating foods with high GI and form your diet accurately with those low ranked GI foods. This way, you will get the right carbs for energy.

GI and Cardiovascular Disease

This information applies to everyone. A carb-rich diet placed high in the GI index makes you susceptible to heart disease.

Carbs, which are high in GI, releases sugars rapidly into the bloodstream and also rich in LDL (bad cholesterol), which increases your chances of developing heart diseases. Thus, you can accordingly choose the foods for better heart health.

Key Components of GI

According to the mayo clinic, foods ranked by the Glycemic Index are given the following scores: 

• High: 70 and up (e.g., white flour, corn flakes, white rice, potatoes, bagels)
• Medium: 56 to 69 (e.g., pita bread, brown rice, dry fruits, cranberry juice, banana, ice cream)
• Low: 55 and under (e.g.beans, seeds, vegetables, whole grains, sweet fruits)

According to whfood.org, an average, healthy adult is advised to form their meal in the following ways

• Main components should have a GI of no more than 70 
• Half of all components should have a GI below 50 

Limitations of Glycemic Index

• The methods of preparation of various foods considerably affect the GI value, and GI doesn’t take the food processing or cooking method into consideration. Therefore, the GI value may vary.
  

• In reference to the point explained above, the GI will definitely differ and depend on the method of cooking, the variety of the food, addition of extra ingredients, and combination of other foods in the GI or outside.
  

• The response towards the digestion of carbohydrate differs from one person to another. Similarly, the insulin response of the body also varies. Thus, depending entirely on the GI index for planning meals is not very wise.
  

• Multiple entries for one food give rise to confusion. The entry of food and the types are also limited. So you may not find the food that you are going to consume in the GI list.

To conclude, we can say that you can rely on GI to a certain extent. You can definitely choose your foods in a better way and have small meals instead of large portions. However, it’s always advisable to consult your doctor before making your diet plan if you are suffering from health complications.

Ways To Prevent Diabetes

Diabetes is an alarming health complication affecting people throughout the globe. It all begins by a slight rise in blood sugar level and gradually spikes up to an abnormal level where you become entirely dependent on medicines to bring it down.

However, one can avoid diabetes by following a healthy lifestyle. It is always better to focus on improving your health and lifestyle before getting trapped by it.

Here’re the best ways to prevent diabetes.

Monitor your Blood Sugar

Sometimes we tend to ignore going for medical check-ups. In your mid-age, you must go for a complete health check-up at least once a year. Get your blood sugar levels checked. If it’s normal, then you need not worry about it. A slight high is a warning signal for diabetes, and therefore, you need to modify your diet and other activities to prevent it from further rising.

Exercise to Maintain Weight

You have to consider exercise as sacrosanct. Squeeze at least half an hour from your busy schedule for walking, jogging, etc. We also suggest you do yoga for the same reason. The more you keep your body fit, the lesser is the chance to acquire diabetes. If you are putting on weight, then follow a workout regimen religiously to shed off the extra.

Food to Eat

The first step to prevent diabetes is consciously curtailing your sugar intake. Choose to eat healthily and make it a decision by choice. In a day, you can have one tablespoon of brown sugar and not more than that. Form your diet by including the following food items

• Whole grain cereals, beans, lentils
  

• Salads with leafy green vegetables
  

• Egg whites, tofu, chicken, sea fish
  

• Soy milk, fat-free milk, yogurt
  

• Sugar-free herbal teas
  

• Apples, melons, oranges, pear, plums, etc

Food to Avoid

If you regularly blast on junk, spicy and carb-rich foods, sooner or later, you are bound to develop diabetes. Secondly, give a break to your sweet cravings.
Here’s a list of food that you need to stop or reduce intake to make yourself diabetes proof

• Chocolates, ice creams, cookies, cakes
  

• Pizza, burgers and white flour foods
  

• Fried foods like French fries
  

• Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and starchy foods
  

• Carbonated drinks, canned juices
  

• Sweetened tea and coffee
  

• Mangoes, grapefruit, strawberries, raspberries

Quit Smoking and Drinking

Nicotine increases the chances of developing Type2 diabetes. It’s indeed challenging to quit smoking overnight. Therefore, begin with reducing your daily numbers and then zero it down someday. Similarly, alcohol is tremendously rich in calories, and by all means, it makes you susceptible to diabetes.

De-Stress Yourself

Stress is that slow poison that cripples your health in many ways. It increases your blood glucose and blood pressure, thereby pushing you not only to diabetes but also to the risk of getting a heart attack. Lead a stress-free life and get rid of the tension of office and home because it’s you who will be suffering.
So do you find it that tough to curb diabetes? All we encourage you to do is- lead a healthy life to live long. The earlier you modify your lifestyle, the quicker you become diabetes proof.

How to Flatten Your Abs

How to Flatten Your Abs

That wash-board belly she flaunts in her bikini is too tempting to turn your heads at her. And you wish, “only if I too was blessed with it”... So you think her flat belly is God gifted? Wrong! It has taken some right amount of sweat to get that perfect shape.

We tell you five remarkable ways to flatten your abs and get rid of your love handles.

Exercise 1: Whole Set of Crunches

Regular crunches: 

Lie flat on the floor and bend your knees. Raise your head and interlock your hands behind your head. Raise your upper body as much as close to the knees. Feel the pressure in your tummy.

Bicycle Crunches: 

Lie down on your back. Now position your hand and head just like explained above. Bend your left leg first and release it in the air. Do the same with the right leg. Move your legs in the same manner as bicycling. Bring your knees to close your chest.

Reverse Crunch: 

The basic posture is the same as a regular crunch. What you need to do is, raise your head to touch your left elbow to your right knee. Perform the same with the other hand. It will be a criss-cross move.

Exercise 2: Leg Raise/Hip Raise

Take an extended bench as the prop and lie down on your back over it. Now raise your legs in the air without folding at the knees and then lift your hips. Hold on your breath for 10 seconds in this position. Bring down your legs gradually on the floor and breathe out.

Exercise 3: Ab Workout on a Crunch Ball

You can do a versatile range of exercises on a crunched ball. You need to support your back on the ball and keep your knees bent. Balance your body with your feet. When you are comfortable, try the crunches we have explained on the ball. Working out on the ball flexes your muscles more. 

Exercise 4: Captain’s Chair

Captain’s chair is an excellent workout for abs. Sit on a sturdy chair. Keep your hands aside and get a tight grip on the edge of the chair with your palm. Lift your feet from the ground, about 2 inches. Then exert pressure on your hands to lift your hips and crunch in your belly as much as possible. Hold on your breath in this position.

Exercise 5: Torso Track

If you’re going to the gym, don’t forget to work out on a torso track machine. Grip the handles of the device. Contract your abs as you move forward while exhaling. Release your abs only while moving backward.

Note: Repeat the moves 10-15 times every day. Take help from your trainer while using machines or any other exercise props. Keep breathing during the exercises.

Remember that your diet must also be synonymous with weight loss. Avoid alcohol and carb-loaded foods. Focus mainly on the ab exercises as well as do cardio regularly for at least half an hour.And soon you will have a beautiful flat belly that you have longed.

Diabetes and Oral Care

One of the most alarming of all health diseases is diabetes, and precisely those already affected are more susceptible to dental problems. Studies show that "one-quarter of Canadians have diabetes or pre-diabetes and therefore are vulnerable to infections and must be especially vigilant about their oral health." But how does diabetes influence oral health? The answer is, this disease affects your whole body, including your mouth, and risk is high when your blood sugar level is poorly controlled.

The connection between Diabetes and Oral Health

Diabetes at an uncontrolled level impairs white blood cells, which are the primary defense shields for the mouth and, of course, the entire system. It can also narrow the blood vessels of gums leading to the reduced blood supply and increased rate of infection inside the mouth.

Another factor is- high blood glucose levels cause dehydration and drying of mouth due to decreased production of saliva. Dry mouth enhances the formation of plaque and tartar and a wide range of gum diseases.

Similarly, the other way around is – poor oral health can further worsen the health implications associated with diabetes and can potentially give rise to a wide range of health complications. Gum infections and tooth diseases might increase blood sugar levels and delay the control process.

Different types of Tooth Infections that might Trigger diabetes

Cavities: 

Different types of bacteria already reside in your mouth and are in the constant lookout to feed on starchy and sugary substrates. These bacterial reactions release a sticky film of plaque that settles around your teeth. People with diabetes are more likely to have tooth decay due to an increased supply of sugar on which bacteria can feast.

Gingivitis: 

It's a gum disease that might occur due to the body's inability to combat infections. The gum tissue and bone supporting the teeth are severely infected, eventually leading to the build-up of bacterial plaques, which pile up in the gum line as calcium deposits or tartar. If not treated in the early stages, it ultimately leads to tooth loss (periodontitis).

Some more symptoms that you must watch out for include bleeding gums after brushing or eating, bad breath, toothache, dryness, burning, and ulcers lasting longer inside the mouth

Holistic Oral Care- How?

If you have diabetes, then by now, you know that you are likely to develop tooth problems. So why delay? Go for a holistic oral care regimen after taking advice from a dentist.

We offer you some simple solutions here that you can follow daily.

• Manage diabetes by monitoring your blood sugar level and follow your doctor's advice most scrupulously.

• Practise oral hygiene with healthy habits. Brush your teeth twice a day, floss between teeth, clean your tongue daily and remove dentures.
  

• Rinse your mouth with a medicated fungicide or anti-bacterial lotion.
  

• Avoid chewing tobacco and smoking cigarettes for the best results

These simple precautions have also been suggested in The Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health that states- "good oral health is integral to general health. So be sure to brush and floss properly and see your dentist for regular checkups."

We, too, advise you to go for regular dental checkups to rule out any oral problems. The earlier you know, the quicker you heal. The most important thing here is to keep a check on your blood sugar level to ensure proper oral health.

Acid Reflux Disease

Acid Reflux Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Overview of Acid Reflux

Acid reflux disease in medical terms called Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). It is a condition wherein the stomach acid gurgles up to the esophagus. This results in terrible discomfort in the body like the burning of stomach and chest, vomiting, etc.

Causes of Acid Reflux

Faulty LES: 

The Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) is present at the junction where the esophagus joins the stomach. It prevents the digestive juices produced inside the stomach to move into the esophagus, and it closes after food passes to the stomach. If too much pressure is exerted on this muscle, it stops functioning normally and is unable to block the acids.

Hiatal Hernia: 

It is a condition wherein the upper portion of the stomach that joins the esophagus moves towards the chest through the hiatus (opening in the diaphragm). It paves the way for the acids to rise to the throat very easily.

Pregnancy: 

During the third trimester, the baby grows considerably big enough to put pressure on the stomach, which then presses the LES. Women become prone to acidity during this time.

Peptic Ulcers: 

Ulcers inside the stomach hamper the digestion process, which leads to the piling of digestive enzymes inside the body, and they rise to the esophagus.

Eating Habits, Medicines, and Lifestyle: 

Eating large meals, lack of exercise, consuming too many beverages, excessive smoking and drinking are responsible for acid reflux disease. Pain killers, NSAIDs, aspirin, and calcium-based tablets also cause acidity.

Symptoms and Health Risks

• Problems in digestion give rise to stomach pain. 
  

• When acid rises, it can also cause chest pain.
  

• The terrible burning sensation inside the stomach (heartburn) and chest
  

• Bloating, vomiting, dizziness, and nausea
  

• Regurgitation occurs in which bitter-tasting stomach content and harsh acids come to throat and mouth.
  

• Hiccups and incessant burping due to indigestion
  

• Difficulty in swallowing food known as dysphagia 
  

• Anemia, weight loss and black stool

Diagnostic procedures

Your doctors can confirm that you have acid reflux by listening to the symptoms you tell him/her during the checkup. Diagnostic tests are performed only under a chronic condition wherein you have stomach ulcers, asthma, difficulty in swallowing food, or experiencing black stool and weight loss.

Endoscopy: 

It is performed to diagnose abnormalities in the esophagus and stomach with the help of an endoscope. Barrett's esophagus (cancer in the esophagus) can be diagnosed through endoscopy.
Barium X-ray: To get a clear view of the structure of the esophagus, the patient is asked to swallow barium followed by an X-ray.

Esophageal Manometry: 

Your nose is numbed, and a tube is passed through the nose that reaches the esophagus, till the stomach. It can detect abnormality in the esophagus and the sphincter as well.

Acid Test with pH: 

24-hour esophageal pH test is performed with the help of a catheter passed through the nose. Every time acid rises, the sensor attached to the end of the catheter is stimulated, and the frequency is noted down.

Treatment for Acid Reflux Disease

Lifestyle modifications and GERD diet:

You need to bring about changes in your eating habits. Your doctor will recommend a GERD diet. It eliminates acid, causing foods and substitutes with foods rich in proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins. Eat small meals at an interval of 2-3 hours, exercise regularly, and stay away from smoking, drinking, etc.

Medicines:

Antacids are still conventional medicine for getting instant relief from acidity. However, for long term relief, doctors prescribe histamine (H2) antagonists because histamines trigger acid production in the stomach. They are available as different combinations like cimetidine, nizatidine, famotidine, and ranitidine.

Omeprazole Treatment, aka Proton Pump Inhibitors: 

They are the most effective group of medicine used for treating acid reflux disease. It completely blocks the secretion of stomach acids by acting directly on the cells.

Acid Reflux Surgery:

It is the last option of treatment for GERD. The surgery is known as fundoplication is performed to increase the pressure and strengthen the sphincter (LES) so that it gets back to normal function.

When to consult a doctor 

Please consult your doctor whenever you observe the symptoms we have mentioned in the content above. Your doctor will further take care of what to do next.

Acid reflux is not a big problem. It can be treated entirely with medicines and by incorporating healthy eating habits.