Saturday 12 July 2014

Apple Cider Vinegar: 11 Amazing Benefits

1. Aids Weight Loss

ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) is no weight loss miracle on its own, but it can definitely help you on the way. It speeds up metabolism, is low in calories, the acetic acid suppresses your appetite, and reduces water retention.
Some studies even report that ACV interferes with the starch digestion, meaning fewer calories end up in your bloodstream. And it doesn’t stop there, ACV can help your body to break down fat instead of storing it. So if your aim is to lose weight, use ACV instead of dressings or mayonnaise.
Weight loss remedy: add 2 tablespoons of ACV to 16 ounces of water and sip during the day. You could add a little bit of honey for a better taste.
 
2. Reduces the Appearance Of Cellulite

Many woman swear by the use of ACV to reduce cellulite. Add 1 part of ACV to 2 parts of any massage oil of your liking (sweet almond, jojoba, coconut oil). Gently Massage the cellulite affected areas, make circular movements. Repeat this twice a day, preferably in the morning and evening until desired result. It can take a while before any effect is visible. Find here more ways to reduce cellulite naturally.


3. Treats Diabetes

According to webMD website, the effect of ACV on blood sugar levels is one of the best researched and the most promising. Like mentioned above, ACV interferes with starch or carb digestion and slows down absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. This helps to prevent blood sugar spikes. Several studies have found that vinegar may help lower glucose levels. For example, webMD website mentions a small 2007 study with type 2 diabetes found that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4%-6%.


4. ACV For a Healthy Heart
ACV’s acetic acid can reduce blood pressure and LDL or bad cholesterol. ACV decreases the levels of triglycerides and low density lipoproteins (LDL) in your blood and increases the levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or good cholesterol.
If you have heart issues it may be wise to replace sodium and ingredients high in saturated fats or trans fats with ACV to add flavor to your dishes.


5. Can Kill Cancer Cells or Slow Growth
According to webMD website, some studies reported that ACV may kill cancer cells or slow their growth thanks to the high levels of the antioxidant beta-carotene (special form of vitamin A). Antioxidants protect your body against free radicals. Those are highly reactive molecules that can damage your body’s cells and tissues.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are also full of those healing antioxidants, so to enhance their effect add ACV to your salads and fruit to improve taste and health. Also read my article about the best ways to combine antioxidants in your daily nutrition.


6. Prevents premature aging

The same antioxidants that will protect your body from cancer, will help you slow down aging. But not only will they help your body get rid of free radicals, they keep the acid-base balance stable which makes you feel and look better. Find here 5 more anti aging treatments, as well as the best ultimate anti wrinkle and anti aging oil blend.


7. Treats Blemishes and Tone Your Skin
To treat blemishes, apply diluted ACV on a cotton pad and dab on the blemishes to dry them out and speed up the healing process.
If you want to tone your skin, mix ACV with water in a 1:1 ratio and apply on your face. Washing your face regularly with ACV helps to prevent skin infections and balances the pH of your skin. You can also find here a fantastic cleansing homemade face scrub for blemished skin.


8. Prevents Osteoporosis
ACV improves nutrient absorption of calcium and other minerals from the food you eat. Leafy greens are a good source of calcium, but your body isn’t able to absorb the most out of those greens. So including ACV in meals or having a mild tonic just before meals enables your body to absorb more calcium to build stronger bones and prevent osteoporosis.


9. Soothes Sore Throat

ACV has antiviral and antibacterial properties and can be used to soothe a sore throat at the moment you feel a prickle. Use a 1:1 dilution of ACV and water to gargle.
If you can’t bear the taste, try the following remedy: add 1 tablespoon ACV, the juice of half a lemon, and honey to 1 cup of warm water. Drink 3 times a day at first signs until symptoms disappear.


10. Clears Blocked Sinuses

ACV is rich in mucus-clearing potassium and the acetic acids has anti-bacterial properties. Mix one teaspoon (or up to one tablespoon) in a glass of water and drink to drain your sinuses.


11. Stops Hiccups
We all know the annoying feeling of a hiccup. Next time you’ll find yourself in this situation try ACV diluted in a bit of water. It is believed that ACV relaxes the nerves responsible for the muscle spasms that cause a hiccup. ACV also can restore the acid balance in your stomach, another cause of a hiccup.

Tuesday 1 July 2014

Why Preventive Healthcare for India?


There is an English proverb that states “Stitch in Time Saves Nine”, which means it is better to take necessary precautions for safety, rather than being sorry. The same applies to the field of healthcare, where it is always advisable to take necessary measures to prevent the occurrence of a disease, rather than taking actions once the disease had already occurred. This is the reason why the focus of healthcare across the world is shifting from curative healthcare to preventive healthcare   In India, the growing population has been plagued with multiple lifestyle diseases. The complexity of the same is increased by the fact that these diseases are chronic in nature, which can only be controlled but can never be fully cured.

The seriousness of the matter is evident from the following statistics in India:  
  1. Four people die of heart attack every minute
  2. Two people die of diabetes every minute
  3. One people die of cancer and stroke every minute
  4. 35% of deaths due to heart attack, cancer or diabetes have occurred to the population with an age group of 35 to 60  
The onslaught of these diseases can only be curbed if they are detected early. A study indicates that 40% of the cancer cases can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle of the patient and by early diagnosis of the disease. Although the Indian population has been primarily surviving on a curative healthcare so far, the following factors are pushing the same towards a preventive healthcare:
  1. Increasing awareness about diseases in both rural and urban areas
  2. Increase in disposable income, which allows the population to take pro-active steps in their personal healthcare
  3. Increase in lifestyle diseases, which can only be curbed through preventive healthcare than curative healthcare  



But we have only walked a few steps in adopting a preventive healthcare system, as the challenges that lay in our paths are multiple with varying complexity. One of these challenges is the lack of an ecosystem that will allow the individual to make some changes in their daily lifestyle, which will allow them to adopt preventive healthcare.