Lose Weight Using Your Gut Bacteria

Did you know our gut houses tons of bacteria. Good and bad both. As you are reading this post, there is a war going on between the good and the bad – some 1,000 species of bacteria are duking it out, trying to establish dominance. Why should you care? Because whether the good bacteria in your gut or the bad triumph doesn’t just decide how well you digest your dinner, respond to allergens and fend off diseases—it also helps determine how much weight you’re likely to gain. Or lose.

Beware!! Raisins, the dried form of grapes can hurt your teeth and make you put on weight!

Yes! Bacterias also govern your weight management! “Simply put, if you get the microbiome—that collection of bacteria inside you—healthy, you will lose weight,” says Raphael Kellman, MD, a New York City physician and author of The Microbiome Diet. “It’s less about eating a certain percentage of carbohydrates, protein and fat than about correcting the overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria, which is making you crave the wrong foods, triggering inflammation.”

Also Read: How can you beat Type II Diabetes? Here is how!

This is big news: There are trillions of microbes in your belly that will—if you feed them well—help you fight flab and win.

1. Check your 2 P’s : Probiotics are a type of good bacteria, similar to the ones that already reside in your gut. Ingesting these organisms aids digestion and helps change and repopulate intestinal bacteria to balance what doctors refer to as “gut flora.” Prebiotics are plant-fiber compounds, also found in food, that pass undigested through the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and help stimulate the growth of good bacteria. When pre- and probiotics are combined, they become an intestinal power couple (or, in blunter terms, they kick nutritional butt).
2. Intake Live Bacteria : Fermented foods deliver probiotics directly to the gut. A cup of yogurt a day? It’s a nice start. Look for products that say “live and active cultures” on the label, and be careful when it comes to fruit-infused flavors: Some are loaded with sugar, which can feed bad bugs, so be sure to check the ingredients and aim for fewer than 15 grams per serving.
3. Fibers is Always Good : Foods that are high in fiber help promote the growth of friendly bacteria. Case in point: In a University of Illinois study, people who ate high-fiber snack bars experienced a growth of anti-inflammatory bacteria in their bellies
   
   Did you know consumption of Indian Gooseberry or Amla, means consumption of the Nectar of Life??
4. Mix Your Menu : One study showed that individuals who had a healthy weight, body mass index, waist circumference and blood sugar level were more apt to have high levels of three different types of bacteria—Firmicutes, Bifidobacteria and Clostridium leptum. What’s more, in a pair of French studies, people with diverse gut microbiomes were less likely to be obese or at risk of diabetes. Plus, their intestinal ecosystems were home to fewer pro-inflammatory bacteria. It’s easy to change up your meals: If you had salad with grilled chicken yesterday, for example, go with a fish taco or a tofu stir-fry today.
5. Do Not Skip Meals : This one is a no-brainer. What you don’t eat is every bit as crucial as what you do add to your diet. Keep your gut flora fit by cutting back on these offenders.
   Source : Healthdotcom

But what happens if you consume energy drinks on a regular basis? Does Red Bull really give you wings?

 

Eat to Live… Longer!

Eat to live? Or live to eat? Whichever category you might belong to, this interesting research compilation is something worth a read!

Eight Foods That Improve Life Expectancy (source)

1. Fruits and Vegetables: Haven’t our mamas always asked us to finish our vegetables, and have salads? Well, that is because they want us to live longer! Fruits and vegetables are low in calorie content, and have more fiber and nutritional value. Balanced and regular intake of these, help maintain body weight, and also protect from cardio-vascular ailments.
2. Low Salt Intake: Salt has always been known not just in culinary sense, but also a common culprit for blood pressure and related problems. It is a known fact that less salt in the diet means lower blood pressure. And a new study reveals that keeping blood pressure down may also protect brain cells and decrease the risk of age-related memory loss and even dementia.
3. Blueberries: Antioxidants, as we all know, keep us healthy. They fight against oxidation of elements in our body.  Researchers at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, have found out that blueberries top the list in terms of their antioxidant activity when compared to 40 other fresh fruit and vegetables.
4. Tomatoes: Scientifically speaking, tomato comes under the fruit category. They are low in fat, high in fiber and a low-calorie source of many vitamins and they’re packed with lycopene, an antioxidant that gives them their red color and may also have a role to play in lowering the risk of cancer.
5. Calcium Rich Foods: Bone loss and osteoporosis are among the leading reasons for disability in later life. Once a person becomes disabled, their health often reduces in many other ways. Although some bone loss with age is certain to happen, the process can be slowed down by eating foods high in calcium and vitamin D which can also prevent disabling fractures.
6. Coffee: A growing number of studies recommend that coffee has many unexpected health benefits. In addition to potentially lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, drinking coffee may reduce the risk of age-related mental reduction. According to the latest evidence that comes from a Finish study of 1,409 volunteers published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease in 2009, it found that people who drank coffee consistently during their middle-aged years had improved life expectancy ratio over time.
7. Soya: Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. And Soya is stuffed with quality protein and it is the only plant food that contains all the essential amino acids (protein building blocks) needed for good health, making it similar to meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. This also makes it a particularly important food for vegetarians and vegans.
8. Grains: Whole grain includes foods such as grain cereals, wholemeal bread, brown rice and wholewheat pasta. As the name suggests, whole grains contain the ‘whole’ grain, including the nutrient-rich germ, the energy-providing endosperm and the fibre-rich bran layer.

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