Ever heard the term ‘heartburn’? Heartburn or technically speaking, acid reflux entails the flowing of stomach acid up the food pipe. This leads to pain in the lower chest area which is more commonly referred to as ‘heartburn.’ Causes of Acid Reflux When the lower esophageal sphincter doesn’t close upon passage of food through the stomach, acid tends to build up and flow out into the esophagus region. This leads to heartburn or a burning chest sensation known as acid reflux. Other common causes of acid reflux are: Obesity Eating large meals Lying down immediately after a meal Bedtime snacking Consuming specific foods such as citrus, tomato, chocolate, mint, garlic, onions, spicy and fatty foods Alcohol, carbonated drinks, tea, and coffee Smoking Pregnancy Blood pressure medications Muscle relaxing medications Aspirin and ibuprofen If you face acid reflux symptoms more than twice weekly, you may be prone to acid reflux disease or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Symptoms of Acid Reflux Before we go to the foods to avoid with acid reflux, we must identify its symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of acid reflux include: Heartburn, pain or discomfort in the chest, stomach, throat, or abdomen areas Regurgitation, a sour or bitter taste due to acid build-up in the mouth or throat Bloating Burping Bloody vomiting Bloody or black stools Dysphagia – narrowing of the esophagus Recurrent Hiccups Nausea Unexpected weight loss Wheezing Dry Cough Hoarseness A chronic sore throat Diagnosis of Acid Reflux For longer lasting symptoms of acid reflux, a diagnosis or a series of tests run by a doctor might be needed to get the right treatment.

You must have experienced bouts of diarrhea at some point or the other in your life . The most common symptoms of this disease include watery stools, bloating and abdominal cramping. T he causes of diarrhea commonly range from a wrong meal to stomach flu. Sometimes, the cause can be just an ingredient that didn’t agree with you. But suffering from diarrhea can be very exhausting , and you would naturally want a quick recovery. To do that, you need to know about what to eat as foods to stop diarrhea and sometimes what not to eat, as i t might aggravate the condition . Diarrhea is mostly your body’s way of tackling the disruptions that form in your gastrointestinal system. An acute form of diarrhea would not last for more than 2 weeks. It can happen sue to a bacterial infection, a viral infection, recent use of antibiotics, food poisoning or consumption of water contaminated by some infectious agents. Doctors usually advise you to follow a special diet during your recovery, which is also known as BRAT diet. BRAT is an acronym for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. All these foods to stop diarrhea are known for their capability to “bind” the loose and runny stools.

There are a lot of conflicting diet meal plans out there that can leave you confused about what’s best for you. If you go to a dietician who recommends you certain foods, you’re likely to find another consultant who tells you something else. If you’re confused about what meal plan you should follow, don’t worry. We’ve listed out five diet meal plans that are healthy in their own way. You can choose a diet plan from the following based on what suits your body best. Paleo Diet You’d have heard about the benefits of a Paleo diet. The Paleo diet is a nutritional approach to your genetics. The diet meal plan helps you stay healthy, energetic, and fit. Refined and packed foods have large amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, and refined sugar. Eating them can cause a lot of diseases like cancer, diabetes, depression, obesity, and infertility. A Paleo diet involves eating healthier food like lean meats, nuts, and healthy oils. Here are the primary dos and don’ts of the Paleo Diet Eat: Lean Meat Fish and other seafood Eggs Fresh fruits and vegetables Nuts and seeds Healthy oils like olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil Avoid: Legumes, including peanuts Cereal grains Dairy and dairy-related products Potatoes Processed food Refined sugar Salt Refined Oils GM Diet General Motors introduced this diet in 1985.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, causing a situation where your nervous system gets blocked. Such a condition interrupts nerve signals and results in symptoms such as numbness, fatigue, movement problems, vision problems, and bladder and bowel dysfunction. Eating wholesome, healthy and nutritious food is important to tackle any form of a disease. The same goes for this condition as well. Maintaining a proper food regime is essential for anyone with a chronic disorder like MS. It helps in increasing your energy level and promotes good bowel movement. Although there aren’t foods that can cure MS, eating low-fat, high-fiber food that includes vegetables and fruits can help. The priority is to promote and develop the overall health of the patient. Foods to eat Fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables are the healthiest choices to make not just for an MS patient but everyone in general. A meal that consists of generous helpings of greens and fruits will make you feel better, healthier and will give you the necessary minerals, vitamins and fiber. It’s also easy on the stomach and digestive system. Vitamin D Vitamin D is good for MS patients as it can have a considerable effect on your immune system.

Colitis is the inflammation of the colon; it can cause pain, discomfort, and a host of other chronic problems. Curing colitis with food is a smart and easy way of dealing with this disorder. If you’ve been diagnosed with colitis, exercise and diet are key to a successful recovery, supplemented, of course, by prescribed medications. Here, we will discuss the five best diets for colitis, which can fast track your progress to good health and well-being. The diets for colitis The ulcerative colitis diet cuts out food groups that cause harm to your body and includes foods that reduce inflammation. This includes foods like salmon, flax seeds, vegetables rich in omega-3s, and probiotic foods that help heal your colon lining. Probiotic foods aid in mucus accumulation and prevent foreign bacteria from invading your system. This helps you avoid a response or flare-up from your immune system. Including calcium-rich foods is part of the ulcerative colitis diet protocol; they help improve the secretion of hormones and promote healthy bone density. Folate-rich foods are also part of this diet for colitis. The Specific Carbohydrates Diet (SCD) The diet proposes the avoidance of harmful and refined carbs, except carbs that fall under the ‘monosaccharides’ category.

The alkaline diet is centered around maintaining a balanced pH level in the body. While our stomach is acidic due to the presence of gastric acids in it, our blood is slightly alkaline. Maintaining the right pH is crucial to healthy living. In an alkaline diet, you will try to consume alkaline foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, soya, tofu, and certain types of legumes, nuts, and beans. A lot of foods such as dairy, meats (even lean meats), processed foods and eggs are to be avoided in an alkaline diet. You also need to avoid caffeine and alcohol as much as possible. Because of its emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, this diet helps combat heart disease, cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes as well. It can also aid in bone health and help combat deficiency of nutrients. Generally, try to adhere to foods with greater alkaline content and stay away from foods that are acidic. Maintain a diet and follow the alkaline food chart to ward off the unwanted health-related issues. Here is a quick guide to what to eat and what you should avoid. Include alkaline foods To begin with, you can have water that is alkaline, that is with a pH of around 9.

Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance that is essential for our body for producing cells. Fats are insoluble in water and hence cannot be transported in blood on its own. Our body binds cholesterol to specific proteins that act as transport vehicles, carrying different types of fats such as cholesterol, triglycerides (TG) and phospholipids. Combination of fats and proteins are called lipoproteins. There are five primary type of lipoproteins, chylomicrons, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Elevated levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood are associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. Receptors that bind LDL cholesterol are called LDL receptors. Lack of LDL receptors would reduce the uptake of cholesterol by cells and hence force it to remain in the blood circulation. This raises the bad cholesterol levels in blood levels. Therefore, keeping cholesterol levels in check is essential. Nowadays patients along with the doctor, develop a personal strategy to keep the LDL levels in check. Doctors use a calculator to estimate the patient’s chances of heart disease, stroke or any of these related problems. The calculator considers several things such as age, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, lifestyle and whether there is a history of heart problems in the family.

Weight loss doesn’t have to be difficult. They say food is medicine and nothing is nearer to the truth than that. If you’ve been struggling to lose weight despite all those intense, strenuous workouts, or if you’ve been taking pills and weight loss medication to see all that sweat go in vain, you are not alone. Weight loss and diet go hand-in-hand, and the best way to lose weight is to combine exercise with a wholesome diet. Leading a holistic lifestyle is tantamount to your well-being. The Best Weight Losers In Town If losing was winning, then weight loss is just what you need! If you’ve been struggling to shed those pounds and say bye-bye to bad fat, here are the top ten recommended best weight losers you can incorporate into your diet right now, for the love of your body: The Barley Oatmeal Forget oats, make some barley oatmeal for your breakfast. Barley prevents spikes in sugar levels and keeps you feeling fuller longer. Bye-bye to cravings and hello to healthy barley breakfasts! Green Tea Green tea has catechins, revs up your metabolism, and helps you burn that fat like fire. Drink green tea twice to five times a day to maximize results, and hey, it’s zero calories!

Are you one of those who make a resolution every year to stay fit and eat healthily and then gets stuck somewhere in the middle? A healthy diet plan isn’t only about counting your calories. It’s about eating right, in the right proportion. Nobody likes to starve and lose weight. You can always eat well, and lose those extra pounds. But for that, you will need an excellent diet that can make you healthy with the right amount of fat. When you eat healthily, you also reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including blood sugar, blood pressure, and heart conditions. But, the question is, what a healthy diet plan is like? Mostly, a healthy diet plan includes a lot of veggies, fruits, low-fat foods, lean fish, meat, and a lot of healthy drinks as well. Also, an expert who will plan this diet for you will also suggest you to avoid sugar as much as you can, and other bad food items like salt, fatty oils, processed food, etc. So, if you have planned to follow a healthy diet plan but don’t know where to look for inspiration, we can make your job easy. Here are six most popular diet plans that have been doing the rounds among health enthusiasts.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Protection, one out of three individuals in the country will develop shingles at one point or other in their life. Shingle is a viral infection that causes painful rashes on your body. It is also known as herpes zoster. The leading cause of shingles is the varicella zoster (VZV) virus, which is the same virus that also causes chickenpox. After a person has recovered from chickenpox, this virus remains dormant in the body. It gets activated when a person’s immune system is weak that is usually the case with elderly patients. Shingles have no cure so far. Though doctors can’t heal the condition that you are suffering from, there are some useful shingles pain treatments available that effectively manage the symptoms and prevent any further complications. Some of the common medical treatments include the use of OTC medicines like pain relievers, topical ointments, prescription medications like corticosteroids, opioids, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, etc. Along with medications, shingles pain treatment also includes helpful home remedies. These natural home remedies will soothe your skin and relieve you from the constant irritation. Shingles pain treatment must be handled with care as the skin rashes are prone to become infectious and lead to difficulties.