Let’s answer some of the more common questions about PCOS.

Answers to common questions about PCOS

1. What causes PCOS?

The root cause of PCOS is not known. But research suggests that high levels of androgen [testosterone] and high levels of insulin are the two major causes of PCOS. These changes could be due to poor lifestyle, family history, stress, obesity or some other unknown causes.

PCOS affects fertility, appearance and has long term health effects if untreated.

2. Why does PCOS cause infrequent or absent periods?

PCOS occurs due to imbalance in reproductive hormones i.e higher levels of androgens [testosterone] and Luteinizing hormone [LH]. In a healthy female, the ovaries make and release eggs or ova on the 14th day of a regular 28 day cycle. If you have PCOS, the ovaries may not develop or release eggs and hence menstruation does not occur. These unreleased eggs are what show as ‘cysts’ in an ultrasound of a woman having PCOS. This leads to missed or irregular periods.

3. What are the main symptoms of PCOS?

Common symptoms of PCOS are:

• Irregular periods
• Rapid weight gain, inability to loose weight, obesity
• Pimples [acne]
• Hair loss and baldness on the head
• Excessive hair growth on the body and face
• Depression and mood swings
• Low self-esteem and body image insecurities
• Difficulty conceiving

4. What are the long term effects of PCOS?

The more common long term effects of PCOS are:

• Diabetes
• High BP
• Endometrial cancer in people who have less than 4 periods in a year
• Snoring, daytime drowsiness
• Obesity, which can lead to knee pain, backache and other health issues.

5. What are poly cysts in my ovaries?

Every menstruating woman has cysts [follicles] in her ovaries. The only difference is that in healthy women, the size of these cysts is small [less than 8mm in diameter]. The cysts seen in PCOS are actually ‘follicles’ that have not released any eggs.

6. How is PCOS diagnosed?

If any two of the following criteria are satisfied, the patient is said to have PCOS:

• Irregular periods
• Excessive hair growth on face and body
• A pelvic ultrasound, where the ovaries show a polycystic appearance
• Increased androgen hormone levels, which are confirmed with blood tests.

7. Can PCOS be cured?

There is no known cure for PCOS. However the symptoms can be managed by lifestyle modification, maintaining an optimal weight, screening for long-term side effects and taking medication if needed. Note that many women tend to experience symptoms on and off.

8. If I have PCOS, does it mean I don’t need a contraceptive?

If you are sexually active and want to avoid pregnancy, you should use a contraceptive even if you have PCOS. PCOS doesn’t mean you cannot get pregnant. Ovulation may still happen and since your periods are irregular, you may not find out soon enough that you are pregnant. Also, contrary to popular misconception, contraceptive pills do not cause PCOS.

9. Can I get pregnant if I have PCOS?

As mentioned above, although PCOS cannot be cured, the symptoms of PCOS and its effects on your health can be managed. With the correct diet, appropriate weight, exercise, and hormonal medicine (if required), your chances of getting pregnant increase. Assisted reproductive measures such as ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination (IUI) and IVF can also help with conception. But these are medical interventions and may involve high level of expenses.

10. Can PCOS affect my health if I do get pregnant?

It is possible that some women with PCOS may develop gestational diabetes, higher chances of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia [high BP complicating mother’s health and baby’s health] and preterm birth.

11. How can I improve my pregnancy outcomes?

Take folic acid [dose adjusted for weight] and keep your blood sugar levels under control. You can lower the risk by reaching a healthy weight before getting pregnant.

12. What can I do to make my pregnancy term safe and healthy?

Avoid excessive weight gain, protein supplements and high sugar foods. Exercise regularly. With modern technology the complications associated with PCOS can now be predicted in the third month itself and can be effectively prevented/controlled. A C-section is not offered/required for PCOS.

13. What can I do to improve PCOS symptoms?

• Balance your intake of carbs and protein. Have a low-carb, high-protein diet
• Increase your iron intake
• Reduce your coffee intake. Caffeine affects estrogen levels and hormonal behaviour
• A balanced low carb, protein rich diet with adequate micronutrients such as iron, chromium and magnesium helps in weight control and reversal of PCOS symptoms. 5 portions of fruits and vegetables help in meeting the requirements of micronutrients. Foods like bananas, spinach, cashews; grapes, apples, onions and tomatoes especially help meet the micronutrients requirements
• Exercise regularly. At least 150 minutes a week with two sessions of muscle strengthening
• Avoid sugar-rich foods
• Work on managing your stress and get enough sleep.

14. How do I know if PCOS is getting better?

The following will indicate that your condition is improving:

• Your period cycle will become regular
• You will start losing weight; even five kilos of weight loss starts showing benefits
• Unwanted hair growth on the face reduces and acne improves
• You will sleep better and feel less stressed.

15. How can we the control long term effects?

Screening should be done regularly [usually annually] for sugars, blood pressure, depression, snoring and endometrial cancer. Long term effects can significantly improve with weight optimisation.

16. Is PCOS a life-threatening condition?

Certainly not, although it significantly affects quality of life if uncontrolled. Symptoms of PCOS can be significantly improved with lifestyle and medication. Consult your local expert for a personalised diagnosis and treatment plan.

The post Answers to common questions about PCOS appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

So how does intermittent fasting really work? To answer that let’s first understand what is intermittent fasting.

What is intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting works by setting aside certain days and times in a week when you will not eat anything or will eat a smaller volume of calories. The goal is to switch the body to its “survival mode” so that it will not depend on an intake of food to survive. Rather, your body will try to tap into your body’s fat storage to sustain life.

The idea is to copy the way prehistoric human beings must have survived. This was a time when food was hard to come by and was only obtained through hunting and gathering, and when agriculture wasn’t practised yet. They only ate when food was available, which is a sharp contrast to the present situation, when food is accessible rather easily.

There are three main methods of intermittent fasting, which are the following:

• 5:2 – A person on this eating pattern will consume 500 to 600 calories per day for two non-consecutive days within a week. For the other five days, the eater may consume a normal amount of food.
• Eat-stop-eat – Being on this diet means no eating for 24 hours once or twice a week.
• LeanGains Protocol – Also dubbed as the 16/8 diet, a person using this method will skip breakfast, or in some cases dinner, and will only consume food within eight consecutive hours before embarking on a 16-hour fasting period.

A small caveat

This article is meant for people who wish to try intermittent fasting to lose weight. There are, of course, several other health benefits of intermittent fasting and those who of you who wish to go on this regimen for reasons other than weight loss can read up further on the subject.

Also, for intermittent fasting to work as expected, the dieter must not overcompensate by binge eating after the fasting period is completed.

Now that you have understood what is intermittent fasting, let us see the specific ways in which it benefits your health.

5 ways intermittent fasting help you lose weight fast

1. Your insulin sensitivity is restored

An essential benefit of intermittent fasting is that it restores your body’s insulin sensitivity. This means that your body will be able to produce less insulin because there is less food to digest. It also means that your body will recognise that there is less need to produce insulin, forcing it to resort to using stored fat as an energy source instead. Since the stored fat is being “burned up” for energy, you will wind up with less and less fat over time. This is also why you shouldn’t binge eat after your fasting period is completed.

2. Intermittent fasting increases Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

With intermittent fasting, you may find that your HGH levels will increase, which has good implications in terms of increasing muscle mass and reducing fat. The HGH has been linked to the increase of muscle mass in adult humans, so you pack on more muscle while your fat stores are being burned for energy. The end result is that you look leaner and more muscular.

3. It increases autophagy

During autophagy, your cells will start to use up those aging and dysfunctional proteins within each cell. In the process, cells are repaired. Muscle cells will improve in health as the “bad” proteins will be “eaten up” by your cells, And, since this occurs in tandem with the burning of fat stores and increase of HGH, it indirectly contributes to an improvement of your health through loss of surplus weight.

4. You lose less muscle mass despite dieting

Although many calorie restriction diets induce loss of muscle mass as well, intermittent fasting reportedly limits such a thing to a minimum. This may be why some bodybuilders get attracted to intermittent fasting when they want to lose body fat. As HGH levels go up, body fat is burned (as was stated earlier in point 2 above). The increase in HGH encourages muscle growth (even though there is some loss of previous muscle mass).

5. It motivates you to switch to a healthier plant-based diet

One of the side benefits of the intermittent fasting diet is that it encourages a switch to eating more plant-based food and helps avoid unhealthy snacking. This means the person on the diet will be consuming food rich in vitamins and minerals, and which are made up of complex carbohydrates and some protein. This contributes to weight loss because your body thinks it is still consuming the same volume of food, but the fiber in the plant-based diet is just taking up more room while providing less calories. So, you feel full and satisfied per meal without consuming fatty, sugary, oily, and nutritionally empty foods [like processed or junk foods].

Conclusion

If you are having difficulty keeping off surplus weight, intermittent fasting may be the way to go. As discussed above, it is not just about calorie restriction, but also encourages a switch to healthier food choices. Since the diet will involve calorie restriction, it is wise to seek a doctor’s opinion before you go on this diet. Hopefully, this path will lead you to lose weight sustainably and safely so that you will become slimmer and healthier in the long run.

The post 5 ways intermittent fasting helps you lose weight fast appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Penguin eBury Press

ISBN: ‎ 978-0143452904

Pages: 224

Price: INR 299

“Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food,” said Hippocrates. This quote pretty much sums up the essence of Charmaine D’souza’s latest book, which she has co-authored with her daughters, Charlyene and Savlyene. Charmaine is an Indian dietician, clinical nutritionist, health consultant, and author with three decades of experience in bringing her clients back to health. Each ingredient mentioned in the book has a lovely anecdote associated with it. It’s like taking a trip down the author’s memory lane. She has

In the cookbook, the authors focus on ingredients and food stories centred around her childhood, and the delightful importance food plays in shaping who she is today.

Cookbook with a difference

Food is much more than as just a basic necessity for survival. Food contributes greatly to the quality of life; it affects our moods and behavior, determines are energy levels and, of course our health quotient. Food also helps create memories — indeed, to many, food is nostalgia. In The Good Health Always Cookbook, the authors express how food is among our greatest sources of pleasure. But this pleasure need not be derived from eating “unhealthy” or junk food; even wholesome, home-cooked meals can be the source of immense pleasure and joy. “Balanced eating doesn’t mean feeling guilty about eating ‘not-so-healthy food”, they write.

The authors despise the shame and anxiety people often experience while eating certain kinds of food. Nutrition is not a mere checklist of what we should and shouldn’t eat. Nutrition is a lifestyle; it is the conscious choices you make each day. Healthy eating implies developing a nourishing relationship between your body and the food that you consume.

The authors include a wonderful fusion of age-old ingredients easily available in our homes and gardens with modern day flavours and recipes. Each ingredient is carefully analysed with in-depth scientific descriptions, right from its existence, it’s nutritional value, pro-tips, to it’s modern day usage. Every recipe calls for use of a variety of ingredients and spells out-of-the-box thinking, as Charmaine is a big proponent of root-to-stem cooking. [Read an excerpt from The Good Health Always Cookbook.]

The post The Good Health Always Cookbook by Charmaine D’souza appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

• A small story
• The law of attraction: is it a hoax?
• The reason why law of attraction is so appealing
• The flaw lies in the packaging
• Demystifying the law of attraction: how does it actually work?
• The law of attraction paradigm that actually works
• Mastering the law of attraction: The missing link
  • Acceptance is the key
• Opening up to opportunities
• You are always free to choose your attitude
• Summing up
• BONUS CONTENT: Using the Law of Attraction for weight loss

“The law of floatation was not discovered by the contemplation of the sinking of things.”
—Thomas Troward

A small story

Jack Jones was a frustrated man who had come to accept struggle as part and parcel of life. He believed that no matter what his goals, he must work hard and do everything possible to get there. But life had been difficult and success seemed to elude him in all areas. The more he tried, the more impossible it seemed. He was a chain smoker and had received warnings from his doctor to quit or else… but somehow he was unable to let go of this harmful habit. He had been struggling with his weight and his relationship with his wife was stressful. Over the past few years, his work too had left him feeling unfulfilled and unsuccessful. He was angry at his body, unhappy with his marriage and frustrated with his work; and yet all his attempts to change his life yielded no result. He wondered why his sincere efforts and resolve were not working.

Then one day, a friend introduced him to the law of attraction [LoA]. Jack suddenly found his answers. It seemed that LoA was the panacea he was waiting for—he was hooked. Over the next few months, Jack read every book he could on the subject. He attended workshops and seminars and was even beginning to see some positive results—which, unfortunately, didn’t last. A year later, Jack Jones was still struggling, feeling hopeless about his life, more frustrated than ever, and angry that LoA had failed him.

The law of attraction: is it a hoax?

“Thoughts become things,” said Mike Dooley, a former PricewaterhouseCoopers consultant, in the 2006 hit docufilm The Secret. Such clever phrases, sprinkled throughout the film, played a big part in making law of attraction one of the biggest trends in the last decade or so. Millions excitedly jumped onto the bandwagon, only to be disappointed when they realised that it doesn’t work—at least not for them. Many [like Jack in the story above] excitedly embraced the law of attraction only to throw up their hands in disgust, and return to their old work-hard-to-make-money mindset. Because they could not produce consistent results with LoA, they felt that it was unreliable. There were those who, after their initial enthusiasm waned, allowed their rationalisation to take over and ended up attributing their successes to sheer coincidence. Then there were people who reported losing their sense of balance trying to control their incessant thoughts; these poor souls began to correlate everything that happened in their life with LoA in their attempts to ensure that they don’t inadvertently attract what they don’t want.

So is law of attraction a hoax? Is it a cunning ploy used by smart people to sell dreams to the vast majority of gullible people who are struggling to make their lives work?

In my experience, law of attraction is not a hoax; it is a sound concept that works for you always, but only if you really understand how it works. This article is my attempt to de-mystify law of attraction, so that it becomes accessible to everyone—including the sceptics. But before we understand how it works, let’s try and figure out what made the idea so alluring and how the ‘marketing’ of law of attraction took away from its real power.

The reason why law of attraction is so appealing

The law of attraction is a New Thought belief based on the notion that like attracts like. Positive thoughts attract positive situations and people; likewise, negative thoughts bring undesirable situations and people. In other words, our thoughts create our reality.

The fact that our thoughts are responsible for our life situation is an idea that resonates with most people. It makes them feel empowered and in control of their life. With LoA, their needs, wants and desires can easily fructify—all they have to do is visualise the outcome they desire, think repeatedly about it, and maintain a joyous emotional disposition at all times.

For many people, the appeal of LoA has been in its miraculous quality. The Secret and many other subsequent films, books and articles have packaged it in a way that lead you to believe that all you need is to ‘think’ what you want and then wait for it to materialise. Simply visualise the outcome you desire, impress it upon your subconscious and the Universe makes it happen. LoA has even been likened to a genie that fulfils your every demand. And who can resist the idea of his own personal genie?

The flaw lies in the packaging

I think the biggest flaw that most law of attraction “experts” have been making is marketing it as a magic wand to attract goodies into our lives. Such an approach both mystifies and trivialises the phenomenon.

The underlying premise of the law of attraction is that everything is made up of energy including our thoughts; hence, our thoughts manifest our reality. Proponents of LoA use this logic to explain how the law works. Many of them try to lend it further credibility by throwing science into their explanations for good measure. For example, some mention legitimate quantum physics concepts like the observer effect.^[1]

Demystifying the law of attraction: how does it actually work?

In its bare bones, the law states that whatever we focus upon expands. When we give our full attention to something—anything—its influence on our lives grows. As an example, if you have two saplings, and choose to water only one of them, guess which one will grow to become a fruit-bearing tree? Thoughts too are like saplings—those that you nourish are the only ones that flourish.

Seen from this perspective, Mike Dooley is right; thoughts do become things. In her classic book The Game of Life, Florence Scovel Shinn gives an example of this: A poor man was walking along a road when he met a traveller, who stopped him and said: “My good friend, I see you are poor. Take this gold nugget, sell it, and you will be rich all your days.” The man was overjoyed at his good fortune, and took the nugget home. He immediately found work and became so prosperous that he did not sell the nugget. Years passed, and he became a very rich man. One day he met a poor man on the road. He stopped him and said: “My good friend, I will give you this gold nugget, which, if you sell, will make you rich for life.” The mendicant took the nugget, had it valued, and found it was only brass. So we see, the first man became rich through feeling rich, thinking the nugget was gold.

“Every man has within himself a gold nugget; it is his consciousness of gold, of opulence, which brings riches into his life,” Shinn concludes.

The law of attraction paradigm that actually works

At its core, the law of attraction—which is always working whether we realise it or not—is really about how we react to our life situation. I like to think of it as a mindset, an attitude of always being for a solution instead of against your problem. Whether it is a self-defeating habit you wish to conquer, bring happiness into your relationships, get rid of debt or achieve professional success, your life will be more fulfilling if you cultivate an attitude of always being for what you want, instead of being against what you don’t want.

What’s the difference, you ask. The difference is that when we’re against something, we try to fight that instead of working towards what we desire. It is like trying to remove darkness—no matter how hard you try, you will not succeed. The only sensible option is to accept the reality of darkness, and then think of how you can light a candle.

You may think that we’re only indulging in some form of mental acrobatics and may doubt the efficacy of this subtle shift. You may even feel tempted to equate this with mere positive thinking. But ‘being for’ is more than that. Before I explain the difference, I must tell you about the missing piece, without which LoA is incomplete and ineffective.

Mastering the law of attraction: The missing link

Let’s do an experiment. Close your eyes for about 30 seconds. During this time, don’t think of a white bear. You can think of anything else except a white bear. Open your eyes only after 30 seconds.

What happened? It’s a good bet that no matter how hard you tried, you saw a white bear in your mind’s eye. This phenomenon is known as the ironic process theory in psychology whereby deliberate attempts to suppress certain thoughts make them more likely to surface in one’s thoughts.^[2]

That’s the problem of being against something. It’s impossible to not think of what is. How can you be against reality—it’s compelling and forceful. But there’s something that can help you deal with this. This is the big piece of the LoA puzzle that most of its proponents seem to have missed. It’s called acceptance, and it enables you to take the law from theory to practice. Without acceptance, you cannot turn your attention away from what you don’t want to what you want, which—as the law states—is necessary in order to manifest your desires.

Let me explain this with the help of a simple example:

Let’s say I’m experiencing poverty; what I want is, of course, wealth. So, LoA states that I should stop thinking poverty-oriented thoughts and instead dwell on abundance. To do so, I start visualising wealth in different ways. I wake up in the morning and deliberately put my attention on attracting lots of money. I make affirmation cards, carry them in my wallet and read them often. I even create a vision board with beautiful pictures of the stuff that I am dreaming about. I express gratitude for the blessings in my life. In short, I do my best to imagine abundance. However, the fact is that till abundance actually begins manifesting for me, I will keep coming back to the present reality of my poverty. I can blank it out for a while, or if I am a really good daydreamer, even for extended periods of time. But no matter how much I escape to my fantasy world, sooner or later I will wake up from my dream world and notice that I am poor—and my attention will return to thoughts of poverty—something that I am against. So I am back to square one.

The fact is, it’s nearly impossible to take your focus off the present—after all, it’s right there, staring at you. That is why, no matter how hard we try, we still end up thinking about what we don’t want, and continue to resist and resent it.

Acceptance is the key

This is where acceptance comes in. You see, our only power is in the now. Regardless of how challenging our present, if we resist it, we give up our power. But when we accept our present reality, we make peace with it. In other words, we no longer argue with it, or resist it. But that doesn’t mean we start liking or wanting it. No, it simply means we stop being against it.

In the above example, if I make peace with reality i.e. my poverty, I stop resisting it. So now, though I still prefer abundance, noticing my poverty no longer produces unhappiness in me in the present. This means, I can daydream and visualise all I want and when I come back, I can face my present reality without any feelings of frustration. Acceptance has removed the sting from my poverty. Now I don’t use it as an excuse for resentment and anger. The energy I was using in opposing what is becomes available to me, and I begin doing whatever I can to attract abundance.

In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle explains such acceptance with the help of an analogy. He says, “If you were stuck in the mud somewhere, you wouldn’t say: ‘Okay, I resign myself to being stuck in the mud.’ You don’t need to accept an undesirable or unpleasant life situation. Nor do you need to deceive yourself and say that there is nothing wrong with being stuck in the mud. No. You recognise fully that you want to get out of it. You then narrow your attention down to the present moment without mentally labelling it in any way. This means that there is no judgment of the Now. Therefore, there is no resistance, no emotional negativity. You accept the ‘isness’ of this moment. Then you take action and do all that you can to get out of the mud. Such action I call positive action. It is far more effective than negative action, which arises out of anger, despair, or frustration.”

To reiterate, acceptance is not a prescription for inaction. If anything, it frees up your energy and brings much greater clarity in the present that you no longer resist. From this non-resistant space you can manifest whatever you want.

Opening up to opportunities

Once you’ve made peace with your problem, ideas and opportunities begin to show up, or should we say, you begin to notice them. When we’re not spending our time cursing our luck and resisting our current circumstances, our intuitive abilities are at peak, guiding us to do whatever is necessary.

Many great scientists, artists, and businessmen have credited their intuition for solving many of their problems. These include Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Isaac Newton—they received their insights when they were relaxed. Many of them have shared how a solution came to them when they weren’t even thinking about the problem.

When we are against our problem, which is the reality, we too inadvertently become part of the problem. And nothing great can be achieved by being against reality—it’s futile. Is it any wonder then that we miss the opportunities that we could’ve noticed had we been looking for solutions?

Here’s how Mother Teresa demonstrated the ‘for not against’ paradigm. When an activist group asked her if she would join them in their march against the Vietnam War, Mother Teresa replied: “No, I won’t march against the war with you. But if you have a march for peace, I’ll be there.” Mother Teresa knew that being against anything means becoming part of the problem; she preferred to be part of the solution.

If you want to become more effective in attaining your goals, cultivate an attitude that Mother Teresa advocated and practised. It means the next time you find yourself ‘pitched’ against, say, illiteracy, accept the present situation as it is, and then shift your focus in favour of literacy. You will find that instead of blaming the society or the government or the education policy, you will look for ways to spread literacy in your own way—maybe you will sponsor a child’s education, volunteer to teach part-time or even donate money to charitable schools run by selfless NGOs.

You are always free to choose your attitude

Although apocryphal, the following story elucidates how accepting your circumstances, instead of being against them, frees you up to manifest your dreams.

A middle-aged man named Bill Fross lived in Chicago with his family. Bill was a drunkard, swindler, petty thief and wife-beater, who had been in and out of jail more times than he could remember. His wife died while giving birth to his twin sons, Peter and James. As the boys grew up, they suffered many terrible beatings and great poverty as their father’s alcoholism spiralled out of control.

They observed, with their impressionable eyes and minds, as their dad wasted his life, and finally died in prison during one of his numerous trips there, while the boys were in their teens.

Thirty years later, Peter was just like his dad—a drunkard, swindler, petty thief, and wife-beater, who served time in jail. James, on the other hand, became a respected US senator, happy husband and proud father of three. Peter and James grew up in the same domestic environment but their worlds couldn’t be further apart.

A psychologist who observed contrasting lives of the twins became curious: why would two kids, who were born on the same day, to the same parents, and growing up in the same set of circumstances, end up so differently? His curiosity got the better of him and he decided to get to the root of the matter by interviewing the two brothers separately—without one knowing the other would be interviewed.

He first approached Peter in prison and asked him why he ended up the way he did. Peter, not surprisingly, replied, “With a father like mine, what else did you expect?” The psychologist then travelled to Washington DC and asked the same question to Senator James, who, not having the slightest hint that his brother had been interviewed, said, “With a father like mine, what else did you expect?”

One son used his father as an excuse to fail in life, and the other son used the same father as a reason to succeed. Different interpretations of the same circumstances made all the difference. Unlike Peter, James chose to be for life, and not against the difficult circumstances he was born and brought up in.

In the classic book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl recounts the extremely torturous treatment he and his fellow inmates suffered at the hands of the Nazis, as prisoners in the concentration camps. An Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, Frankl spent his time as a hostage studying human behaviour and concluded thus: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Adversities often become stepping stones for people who refuse to be victims of their circumstances. Blaming other people or situation/events for your miseries and misfortunes usually keeps you from transcending them. If you wish to bring about a positive change, stop thinking about what’s wrong or missing from your life. Accept your present life situation wholeheartedly and then think about what you want—without resistance to what is, you’ll find yourself acting in ways that bring your desires to you.

Summing up

The ‘be for, not against’ paradigm is not some unverifiable mumbo-jumbo; instead, it is rooted in sound logic. Therefore, even if you don’t believe in the supernatural quality of the popular idea of LoA, it will still work for you. The key, as we have learned, is to accept our problems with grace. May I suggest that you consider replacing the word ‘attraction’ with ‘acceptance’ in the phrase, and then see the difference? When you think of LoA as the Law of Acceptance, it will gently remind to make peace with your present reality—with all its problems and challenges. And once you accept you present reality, there will be nothing to resist—and you will be free to manifest your heart’s desire. The best part is that your journey from here to there will be joyous and fulfilling.

Bonus Content: Using the Law of Attraction for weight loss

Weight loss is a goal that drives millions of people around the world to sign up to gyms, health clubs and fitness programmes. Overweight individuals hate the surplus flab enveloping what they reckon to be their ‘lean and beautiful body’. They try everything—exercise routines, crash diet plans, gadgets and as-shown-on-TV quick-fixes that promise them the moon—but, what they get is miracles that don’t work. That slim and sexy figure stays illusive. Worse, even if they succeed in losing weight, most are unable to maintain it. According to studies, 85 to 90 per cent people regain any weight they’ve lost within three to five years.

Have you ever wondered why weight loss is such a difficult proposition for most people? Think about it, and you will realise that almost all weight-loss candidates are exclusively against their excess weight, instead of being in favour of a healthy, fitter self. In the process of trying to lose weight, they are dwelling constantly on what they don’t want [excess fat], and this is exactly what they get.

Many years ago I had the opportunity to interview [Read here] singer-composer Adnan Sami. This was soon after he had lost a massive amount of weight—130 kg to be precise—in a span of one year. Before he started on his weight loss programme, he was morbidly obese and was given a few months to live by his doctors. During our conversation Adnan confessed to me that even after the doctor’s ultimatum he kept “hogging”—he believed there was no way out for him. Thanks largely to his father’s counsel, Adnan switched from being against his obesity to becoming for his life, lost enormous amounts of weight and, most importantly, survived to tell the tale.

Overweight individuals would do well to apply the Law of Attraction paradigm—by thinking and acting towards their healthier and fitter selves instead of being against their excess weight. Here is how it works: stop being against your current weight—make peace with the reality of it, then resolve to work towards being fitter and healthier with love and joy. When you demonstrate love instead of hatred for your body, you act in loving ways. Love provides you with all the energy you need. It also automatically motivates you to give up nutritionally empty foods, laziness, procrastination, and all the self-defeating habits that come in your way of becoming fitter and slimmer.

^{[1] The observer effect that states that the act of observing affects what is being observed↩}

^{[2] It seems that many of us are drawn into what seems a simple task, to stop a thought, when we want to stop thinking of something because it is frightening, disgusting, odd, inconvenient, or just annoying. And when we succumb to that initial impulse to stop, the snowballing begins. We try and fail, and try again, and find that the thought is ever more insistent for all our trying. Many studies reveal that suppression may be the starting point for obsession, rather than the other way around. As a result, we end up thinking all too often about the doubts, worries, fears, and alarms that we have tried to erase from mind.
— Daniel M Wegner, author of White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts:Suppression, Obsession, and the Psychology of Mental Control.↩}

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First off, it’s important to know the lingo. When considering low fat food options, there are four different categories to consider:

The four categories above are pretty self-explanatory. If you read the nutrition label on the back of any package, you can see how many grams of fat are in each serving, and when you are grocery shopping, you can easily compare labels to see what the full fat option would look like (hint: compare grams of fat to see how much it has been reduced and compare grams of sugar to see how much has been added).

You might be thinking to yourself, “I know how to read nutrition labels, but what’s the difference between naturally low fat and processed low fat — low fat is low fat, isn’t it?”, and that’s a great question! Herein lies the answer to some of your weight loss confusion, and it involves not only reading the nutrition label but also reading the list of ingredients. Many people assume that when it comes to low fat diet, the lesser fat the better, but that is far from true. Let’s see why:

1.  Low fat processed foods

Let’s take fat-free flavored yoghurt for example. Everyone knows yoghurt is a healthy option—After all, it is high in protein and full of active bacterial cultures to help with digestion. Full fat yoghurt is rich and full of flavor, and one serving is often enough; however, when the fat is removed from full fat dairy, it is often replaced with fillers (additives to bulk up the food) and sugar. Fillers range from binding agents to hydrogenated oils, which can often be indigestible or toxic to the body.

When reading the label, look for things like cellulose, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, soy, palm oil, olestra, carrageenan or potassium bromate to name a few! Added sugar is equally as dangerous. The added sugar will not only make up for some of the calories you might have saved by removing the fat, but it will also result in an increased spike in blood sugar, leaving you with unnecessarily high insulin levels. In addition, because the fillers and sugar serve to make the low fat product more palatable, it often doesn’t compare to the real thing, and you might end up eating even more than one serving to feel satisfied, leaving you with even more calories consumed than if you had just had the full fat version to begin with! Pass or fail? I give fat-free flavored yoghurt a fail.

Try choosing plain yoghurt to cut back on sugar content, and choose a low fat or reduced fat option (1-2% MF) to cut back on some of the calories. This is an example where fat-free isn’t ideal, but light or low fat still wins! The same rules apply to other low fat or fat-free processed foods, so put your thinking cap on, bust out the nutrition labels; start comparing fat and sugar content, and look for some of the sneaky fillers listed above! There’s no shame in geeking-out over this. Your health is on the line!

2.  Naturally fat-free food

Fruit is an excellent example of a food that is low/no fat in its natural state. This means the food doesn’t require any processing, fillers, or added sugars to make it fat-free. Fruit is filled with beautiful vitamins, nutrients and fibre, but some fruit is high on the glycemic index, which causes a spike in blood sugar and insulin.

Vegetables on the other hand are generally low in sugar and higher in fibre, which bring the resulting blood sugar spike way down as compared to fruit. Does this mean you should skip fruit in place of vegetables? Coming from a weight loss perspective, it would be a good idea to limit fruit to 1-2 servings per day and fill your plate with veggies instead to help regulate your blood sugar, but for overall general health, they both have great qualities and should both be included in your healthy diet. Pass or fail? I give fruit (1-2 servings per day) and veggies (lots!) a pass with an A+.

Chaulk full of vitamins, nutrients and fibre, these dietary superstars are low calorie, naturally low in fat and easy on the waistline. (If anyone is left wondering, grains, legumes and lean meats also pass with flying colors).

So what does all of this mean? In any healthy diet, the average adult requires dietary fat to make up 20 – 35% of the total calories. 35% is more than one third of the recommended daily caloric intake. This means about ⅓ of the calories you consume each day should come from fat. Fat is not only great for digestion, skin and hair, but it is also essential for the absorption of many nutrients from other foods in your diet, and in order to lose weight and trim your body fat down, all your body processes need to be running smoothly! The bulk of fat in your diet should actually come from high fat, natural, unprocessed (or minimally processed) foods.

Huh? High fat foods for weight loss? YES!

When it comes to fat, the healthiest form of fat is monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, which come from naturally occurring foods like avocados, nuts (or natural nut butters), seeds, and fatty fish (or fish oils). One thing to take note of when including ⅓ of your calories from fat is that fat is more than twice as calorie dense as its other two macronutrient counterparts and weighs in at a whopping nine calories per gram (as opposed to only four calories per gram for carbs and protein). For this reason, it will be important to keep an eye on your fat serving sizes. For a 2000 calorie diet, the calories from fat should make up between 400 (20%) and 700 (35%) total calories, which is about 44 – 77g fat.

The verdict?

Fat-free or low fat does NOT always equal healthy (in fact, quite the opposite) and is not always better for weight loss. To give yourself the best possible chance of weight loss, and to do it the healthiest, most balanced way possible, choose your fats from either naturally occurring fat sources or lower fat, sugar free/plain processed options. Always read labels carefully, and aim for 20-35% of your total calories from healthy fats.

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Does this sound familiar to you?

Why do we eat when bored

Boredom eating is a lot more common than you think and it affects many of us at some point in our lives. Unfortunately, of all the reasons we eat, boredom has got to be the least helpful. It’s almost always a psychological response rather than a physical need to fuel our body, but it’s a compulsion that creates a habit and as you know all too well—it’s very difficult to break bad habits once they take hold. But why do we feel the need to do it when we know that we shouldn’t?

It’s because eating out of boredom and emotional eating are closely connected. Boredom doesn’t just allow your mind to wander to places you normally wouldn’t want it to go to, but it also makes you feel like you’re not in control. For example, you have little control over what’s airing on the television or work demands from your boss. When this happens and your boredom makes you start to feel despair or uncomfortable, emotional eating takes over, wherein you eat because food makes you feel a certain way or helps suppress those negative emotions. These unhealthy coping strategies are often something we learn in childhood.

If for example, your grandmother used to shower you with love and plenty of freshly baked goodies every time you visited her, it’s likely that as a child you built a connection between cake and love.

Likewise, maybe your parents used to treat you to chips or nachos to distract you or stop you from crying whenever you hurt yourself, or simply got bored during your summer holidays. Such childhood experiences can create an association where we use food to distract ourselves from feeling painful or unpleasant emotions.

It’s an association that persists into adulthood for many of us and it gets most critical when we start using food to suppress feelings of inadequacy or dissatisfaction with life. There can be any number of triggers for this, from being bullied in the playground, controlled by narcissistic parents or partners, abuse, the list is endless, but traumatic events can often perpetuate this use of food as a defensive weapon against whatever has hurt us.

Over time, this pattern of behaviour and response to situations gets hardwired into our psyche—in other words, it forms a habit. This is what makes it so difficult to break a habit, because it’s literally been programmed into our operating system.

Although we’re all unique and have different triggers or reasons for eating when bored, the brain chemistry that drives our impulses is common to all of us.

We get a dopamine hit from eating things that we enjoy. It’s the same chemical hit that cocaine addicts get, and it’s interesting that most people gravitate towards sugary foods when eating out of boredom. After all, scientists have found that sugar can be just as addictive as cocaine, if not more. This means that what was once just a habit eventually becomes an addiction. This makes it incredibly hard to break.

What to do when you feel like eating out of boredom

That said, we are never too old or too fixed in our ways to change our programming. You can start by trying to be more aware of your thoughts and actions. Increased mindfulness helps you become observant of these behaviours and feelings before you even act on them. Mindfulness is more than some trendy practice that everyone’s talking about. It has real life benefits. Increased awareness of your thoughts and feelings in any given moment is the first step to changing them. To get started, try a mindfulness app and practice observing your thoughts, rather than letting them control you. When you go to the fridge or cupboard because you are bored, check in with your body and mind. What are they telling you they actually need? More often than not, you’ll realise that you don’t really need food. Of course, the realisation alone won’t always help if you don’t break the pattern.

Find something that helps break the pattern or stops you from feeling bored. Rather than sitting home to watch endless reruns on TV, try a new hobby, join a group or experiment with different types of exercise until you find something that excites you. If you tend to reach for biscuits when making a cup of tea, do squats, try a new dance move, or get to your next chore whilst waiting for the kettle to boil. It really doesn’t matter what you chose to do, so long as it distracts you and stops you from eating out of boredom.

Mantras to help you eat mindfully

Start experimenting with mantras—repeating phrases [and write them out on sticky notes and post them around your home, including on the fridge and cupboard door]. Keep them positive—about how you want to feel and act, and keep looking until you find ones that resonate with you. My personal favourites include, ‘I’m choosing to eat like an adult and I choose to eat when I’m hungry’, ‘I am special without needing food to make me feel it’, and so on. You can find your own, write your own, or recycle one of these.

If you still find that you are struggling with your relationship with food, explore therapies that enable you to reprogram your subconscious beliefs and behaviours. Behavioural therapists, counsellors, and meditation or mindfulness trainers can all help you to achieve these goals, giving you greater control over your feelings, empowering you with the tools to respond to even the most unpleasant feelings in a healthy manner.

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So, how do you jumpstart weight loss or enhance the fat burning effects of your diet and fitness routine? The answer can be found in natural weight loss remedies, with some of the most effective ones being ayurvedic herbs.

1. Amla

Amla or Indian gooseberry is regarded by most folks as a ‘superfood’ and perhaps the richest natural source of vitamin C. This makes it popular as an immunity booster and it is also an important ingredient in natural cosmetic products. Its medicinal benefits are much wider, giving it a role to play in healthy weight management and weight loss too. In Ayurveda, it is known to promote detoxification in the body, which is believed to improve metabolic function, which can aid weight loss. This therapeutic benefits of the herb is supported by studies, which indicate that weight reduction is accompanied by cholesterol regulation and anti-inflammatory effects that also lower the risk of obesity associated lifestyle disorders.

2. Suran

Suran or elephant foot yam is a commonly used food ingredient in India, and is a tuber or root, similar to potatoes. Although we normally think of suran as just another food, it does possess some special properties that make it useful when dealing with obesity. The weight loss benefits are due to a special water soluble dietary fibre it contains, known as glucomannan. Like most types of dietary fibre, it is low in calories and has a satiating effect, which helps lower the chances of overeating. Research shows that glucomannan is also notable for promoting healthy gut microbiota and limiting the absorption of fat.

3. Peppers

Vegetables of the capsicum family, including bell peppers, cayenne peppers, and chili peppers are widely used in a number of cuisines, but they are also a source of medicinal value. The main bioactive ingredient in peppers that is responsible for numerous health benefits is capsaicin. Although most commonly used in Ayurvedic and natural medicine to treat pain and inflammation, it can also aid weight loss. Studies show that it has a metabolism boosting and fat burning effect. Capsaicin has also been found to have a positive effect on appetite regulation and caloric intake.

4. Jeera

Cumin seeds or jeera are commonly used across the subcontinent for tempering food or to add flavour. It is known to strengthen agni or the digestive fire and is often recommended to speed up weight loss. This weight loss benefit is also supported by research; with some studies showing that daily supplementation with just a teaspoon of cumin powder can improve lipid levels and promote weight reduction within a span of 3 months. Cumin was also found to promote significant fat loss, including visceral or abdominal fat buildup.

5. Garlic

With its strong flavour and sulfurous odour, garlic isn’t exactly appetizing or inviting in its raw form. It is widely regarded as beneficial for health, especially cardiac function, and not just in Ayurveda. If you can’t chew on raw garlic cloves, at least try to use it as garnishing and when cooking meals. The herb has proven weight loss benefits, with one animal study showing that garlic supplementation could induce weight loss within 8 weeks. The herb was shown to reduce both body weight, as well as white adipose tissue deposits, and it also improved lipid profile.

6. Nagarmotha

Nagarmotha is another potent Ayurvedic herb that is sometimes used to treat excess weight gain or obesity and it is also an ingredient in some Ayurvedic weight loss medications. Outside of Ayurveda, the herb is not well known and not easily available, but this doesn’t make it any less valuable. It is sometimes used to treat pre-diabetes because of purported anti-diabetic benefits, which can also help lower the risk for obese individuals. The herb has also been shown as a possible aid to promote weight loss, but the method of action in this regard is still not clearly understood.

7. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of the easiest ingredients to add to your diet and it’s also regarded as a highly effective weight loss remedy. The culinary spice adds rich flavour to foods and beverages and can be used whole or in its powder form. Cinnamon helps to promote weight loss because of its effect on satiety and the feeling of fullness, which makes you less likely to experience unhealthy food cravings. This reduction in food cravings is also connected to its regulating influence on blood sugar levels, which helps to prevent sudden spikes or crashes in energy, which can make you crave unhealthy junk foods.

8. Guggul

An important herbal ingredient in Ayurveda, guggul is actually the sap or resin of the guggul tree and it has been used for medicinal purposes for more than 2000 years now. It is most widely used as a natural method of controlling cholesterol levels, making it beneficial to obese individuals who are at a higher risk of heart disease. It may also have a direct role to play in weight reduction, as research suggests that when used in combination with calorie restricted diets it enhances weight loss. A study published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements highlighted potential weight loss benefits, as well as improved cholesterol, glucose, serotonin, and dopamine levels.

9. Green tea

Green tea has enjoyed considerable attention for close to a decade now, often touted as a cure to every condition. Of course, it remains popular as a detox and weight loss drink. While the weight loss benefits are often exaggerated, green tea can help if you are already following a healthy diet and exercise routine. It enhances the effects of your routine by increasing fat burning, with some studies showing that it can increase fat oxidation and burning by almost 20%.

10. Coconut oil

Cooking oil may not be the first thing to come to mind when you’re trying to lose weight and when it comes to Ayurveda, you’d expect the only recommendation to be substitution with ghee. However, some experts now recommend switching your regular cooking oil for coconut oil as evidence indicates that coconut oil may actually help reduce abdominal fat buildup, also increasing your metabolic rate. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that excess consumption will lead to weight gain, so only use it sparingly and as a substitute for your regular cooking oil.

The Takeaway

Natural remedies for weight loss can give you an edge, especially when you hit a weight loss slump and are struggling to shed those stubborn pounds. However, don’t rely on such remedies alone. In addition to a boost from natural weight loss herbs and Ayurvedic medications, stick to your diet and fitness routine. Most importantly, adopt the practice of mindful eating to strengthen that natural awareness of your body and sensations like hunger. With all of these practices and natural remedies, you’ll find that weight loss doesn’t have to be a constant battle.

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This product comes in the form of single-use sachets that are convenient, mess-free, and pack-in the sweetness of 2tsp of sugar.

This liquid sweetener is 100% safe and can be consumed by everyone including diabetic, obese and health-conscious folks. There are no added flavors, chemicals, or additives and it has absolutely no side-effects. Rather, consuming Ray NoSugar will benefit people with diabetes and those trying to control their weight. It scores zero on the Glycemic Index and does not increase blood sugar or insulin levels in the body. Ray NoSugar is currently available in packs of 45 Easy Snaps with leading e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Snapdeal and Flipkart.

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This article is an in-depth, evidence based, exhaustive guide on Apple Cider Vinegar. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip to the relevant section by clicking below.
Here’s what we shall explore:

• History Of ACV
• What is ACV
• 10 ‘Real’ Benefits of ACV
• Possible Myths and Fallacies
• How to consume

History of ACV

Legend has it that Hippocrates, the greek father of medicine, treated many of his patients using Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV. He used this folk remedy to treat various conditions ranging from bad breath, sore throat, ulcers to even ‘fractures’.

The presence of ACV has also been traced back to Egyptian urns as old as 3000 BC! Greeks and Romans supposedly used ACV for flavouring food like salad dressings. It was also used to fend off certain diseases, as a body deodorant and a healing tonic.

Surprising uses for apple cider vinegar, huh?

But all of the above uses do not have sufficient evidence to support them. So let’s look at something more evidence based.

In the beginning there were…

Apples!

Apples were first grown in Egypt on the banks of the Nile River around 1300 BC. After this they spread throughout Africa and Europe. And then, through trade, to the rest of the world.

Until recently, apples were not widely used for eating—the ancients considered them too “sour”. Apples were instead used to make juice. They would be juiced and consumed immediately as they had a low shelf life.

But by 55BC, when the Romans arrived in England, apple juice was an old story. Apple Cider was now a popular drink with the masses. This can be found in the literature of the time.

So what is Cider?

Apple Cider is fermented apple juice. It’s an alcoholic beverage widely consumed in all of Europe and the USA.

Apple juice is left to ferment in barrels. The natural sugars in carbohydrates of fruits like apple get broken down by yeast and bacteria and turned into ethanol (alcohol).

Thus is born Apple Cider.

So what’s the difference between Apple Cider and Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple Cider is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol.When Apple Cider goes through a second round of fermentation, the ethanol gets converted into acetic acid, thus forming Apple Cider Vinegar.

Vinegar is an old fermentation process. The first traces of vinegar go back to almost 5000 BC in ancient Babylonia.

This indicates that the ancient cultures of Egypt, Babylon, Greece and Rome might have used ACV for its health benefits, antibacterial properties, preservative abilities…the list goes on.

Somewhere through the course of time, ACV was lost. And with it were lost the whole host of health benefits that it offers. But In recent times ACV has resurfaced and this ancient food is now being used for the many benefits it provides.

What is ACV?

As we have already established, ACV is formed when Apple Juice is fermented into Apple Cider, then fermented again to form ACV.

Let’s try to breakdown ACV further into its nutritional components.

Scientific evidence shows more or less negligible nutritional value of ACV. But that doesn’t mean it has no value at all.

ACV is diluted acetic acid. Acetic acid helps induce a higher absorption from the food consumed. This plays a significant role in its “magical” health benefits. Its capability to aid absorption is a gold mine on its own.

Like any other vinegar, ACV is approximately 5% acid. Therefore, drinking apple cider vinegar in large proportions can actually be harmful. All one needs is about a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to get all the benefits associated with it.

Now that we know the formation and constituents of ACV, let’s look at its health benefits. We will also debunk some myths which have been doing the rounds, so that you don’t harm yourself.

The Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Anti-allergen

Allergies occur when a stimulant causes irritation to the system. Common colds, pollen and weather changes are examples of common stimulants. When this happens, the body produces histamine to combat the alien particles/sensations. The release of histamine helps but the effects of histamine on the body and the mind can hurt. Rashes, fever and swollen airways are too much to handle. In such a situation, a spoon of ACV with warm water may provide relief. ACV is a natural antihistamine which helps to slow down the production of histamines and quells the symptoms of allergy.

Arthritis Pain

Many on the internet claim that ACV cures arthritis—they’re mistaken. Arthritis is a condition which needs to be treated holistically and ACV can, at best, play its part by ‘aiding’ your pain relief efforts.

Calcium buildup in joints causes stiffness and pain. ACV contains potassium, which helps prevent this buildup. Accumulation of toxins is yet another cause of arthritis. The pectin in ACV helps remove the toxins from the body. A spoonful of Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water can help ease arthritis over time.

Diabetes Control

ACV has been found especially effective in controlling blood sugar levels and type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is characterised by insulin resistance. Studies have shown that taking ACV along with a high carbohydrate meal showed reduced spikes in blood sugar post the meal. This can also be used for pre-diabetics who are suffering from only High Blood Sugar levels. A separate study also found that consumption of ACV with a ‘cheese snack’ for dinner, reduced blood sugar levels the following morning. Thus it also helps to reduce fasting blood sugar levels.

Weight Loss

No, ACV does not ‘burn fat’ or ‘increase metabolism’, as many articles claim. Remember, when it comes to losing weight, there are no shortcuts—you need to change your lifestyle. But ACV can certainly support your efforts. Research shows that ACV intake reduces body weight, body fat mass, and serum triglyceride levels.

A spoonful of ACV with a cup of water just before meals can help you reach satiety earlier and keep you feeling full for longer.

Sore and Itchy throat

Germs cannot survive in an acidic environment. ACV being 5% acid can provide some respite when we have an itchy throat. A tablespoon of ACV mixed in warm water can be used for gargling. This can be repeated 2–3 times a day. Avoid taking ACV directly for it is too acidic and can irritate the throat.

Skin Care

Dermatologist Dr. Marie Jhin says it can be used for drying out pimples. She also gives a thumbs up to ACV as a home remedy for insect bites thanks to its acid content.

Dandruff

The acid content of ACV is supposed to stimulate the shedding of dead skin cells on the scalp. It also has antifungal characteristics that can keep your scalp healthy. Always dilute it in water before applying on scalp.

Body Odour

Applying ACV is a nifty solution to shun body odour. There are several causes of body odour from an underlying health condition to consumption of certain kinds of foods. ACV does not prevent the body odour but only acts as a natural and healthier substitute for a deodorant. It also provides an acidic barrier for the skin that helps to keep bacteria and germs at bay. If you have a serious issue with body odour, consult a qualified dermatologist.

Bad Breath

Bad breath, like bad body odour, could indicate an underlying condition. Improper food habits, indigestion and poor oral care/hygiene are the most obvious causes of bad breath. Gargling with a mixture of ACV and water can help reduce bad breath. Do not gargle with undiluted ACV as it can damage your teeth. Half a spoon of ACV in a glass of water is sufficient to kill odour causing bacteria.

Improved Nutrition

ACV has been known to aid absorption of nutrients from other foods. That means, consuming ACV makes other foods more nutritionally effective.

The Possible Myths

The above mentioned benefits are ones that are evidence based, backed by expert. But there are also other benefits doing rounds of the internet. These benefits are have not yet been conclusively established by research. Hence it’s wise to not take them at face value.

Here is a list of unverified benefits associated with Apple Cider Vinegar:

• Prevents/cures cancer
• Causes ‘instant’ weight loss
• Makes teeth healthy
• Cures varicose veins
• Whitens teeth
• Cures insomnia
• Cures baldness

Dosage and How to consume

In almost all scenarios, where ACV is applied to the body or consumed, it’s never used without dilution. Because of its acidic nature, it’s always diluted with water/honey.

The dosage is always about 2-3 [5ml-30ml] teaspoons per 200ml and no more.

It can also be consumed in foods like salad dressing. The best option is to use an organic, unfiltered version!

We’d like to conclude by saying Apple Cider Vinegar is not a “magic” food. It’s not a cure-all solution. But there is no doubt that it is a great addition to one’s diet and has some great benefits 🙂

If you enjoyed this article, share it immediately with your loved ones!

The post Apple Cider Vinegar [The Ultimate Guide] appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Succulent blueberries are generally eaten raw, but they can also be consumed in the form of puree, extract, concentrated powder and tea. They are popular ingredients in jams and jellies, and are also used to add flavour to salads and various baked goods, like muffins and donuts.

Health benefits of blueberries

Blueberries have received special accolades due to their unique health benefits. Studies have shown that blueberry consumption strengthens the blood sugar regulatory system, nervous system and digestive tract. Here are a few reasons to include blueberries in your everyday diet.

• Anti-cancer properties: As mentioned above, blueberries are rich in antioxidants, which work to neutralise free radicals linked to the development of certain chronic diseases including many types of cancer. The folate content in blueberries can help prevent the formation of cancer cells due to DNA mutations.
• Blood sugar benefits: Even though these tiny berries are not particularly low in terms of their glycaemic index, studies have shown that they favourably impact blood sugar regulation by improving insulin sensitivity in people who suffer from obesity and diabetes.
• Heart health: Research suggests that regular consumption of blueberries improves cardiovascular health.
• Reduces blood pressure: In a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, regular intake of blueberries was shown to reduce hypertension.
• Cognitive benefits: According to studies, blueberries boost brain health and memory. Regular consumption of these berries can cause delay in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have also found that age-associated memory loss can be prevented and reversed with blueberry juice.
• Eye health: Blueberries protect the retina of the eye from damage caused by sunlight. Being high in vitamin C, they reduce intraocular pressure, decreasing the chances of developing glaucoma.
• Bone health: Blueberries contain calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, phosphorous and vitamin K. Each of these is a component of our bones. Adequate intake of these minerals and vitamins contributes to building and maintaining bone structure and strength. Iron and zinc fulfill crucial roles in maintaining the strength and elasticity of bones and joints. Low intakes of vitamin K have been linked to a higher risk of bone fracture. However, adequate vitamin K intake improves calcium absorption and may reduce calcium loss. [Source: Medical News Today]
• Urinary tract health: Blueberries prevent bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Drinking unsweetened blueberry juice on a regular basis ensures urinary tract health.

So remember to include blueberries in your shopping list and make sure you and your family have them as often as possible.

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