NEWSPAPER

If you are one of those millions of women and men, who are currently struggling with sudden brain fog, excessive hair loss, being sluggish all day, and extreme resistance towards your weight loss goals; then you are probably on thyroid high alert! With the symptomatic expression, your body is trying to guide you towards better thyroid nourishment; this can be achieved by tackling root causes of thyroid imbalance, such as poor thyroid diet, disturbed sleep patterns, stressful work-life situations, as well as mineral deficiencies.

Diet to Avoid For Thyroid.

Continue reading to know more about different superfoods that you can add to your thyroid diet; to help your pituitary gland function optimally for better thyroid balance.

1. Avoid Table Salt

Most of the urban dwellers rely on munching too much salt at any time of the day. As per the approved guidelines of USFDA; an adult should not consume more than 2,300mg sodium per day. Thus, avoid or minimize the use of table salt from your thyroid diet for a better outcome.

2. Say “No” to Heavily Processed Foods

Are we relying too much on the fast-food lifestyle? If more than 90% of the people answer “yes”; then we would understand the root cause of the thyroid pandemic. Heavily processed foods are often being referred to as “junk food” with empty calories. Moreover, many processed and/or canned foods contain higher quantities of sodium, other preservatives, and carcinogenic compounds; which can be dangerous if over consumed in any form.

3. Reduce Caffeine Intake

Caffeine being a very prominent neuro-stimulant can significantly mislead your hormonal system; especially adrenal glands and pituitary glands.

4. Do not Eat too Much at One Go

Eating until you’re fully stuffed can cause a sudden spike in your blood sugar level, which will typically crash quickly. With these types of dietary stress busters, your body may experience significant hormonal trauma.

5. Eliminate Toxins from the Body

Higher intake of antibodies, steroids, and other free radicals can induce inflammatory responses in your body; creating a platform for autoimmune disorders. Thus, it is important to get rid your body of these toxins to regulate your endocrine system.

Being well aware of the medical condition or health issues you are experiencing; can sort out 50% of the problems. Get tested now to check if your thyroid gland is functioning well.

Prevent Heart attack The major reason is the mismanagement of lifestyle. Certain risk factors are not in our control; however, there are some factors that can be managed through lifestyle changes. The main question here is, How to prevent a heart attack?

Keep reading to find a few tips that would teach you how to prevent a heart attack.

1 Nutritious Diet:

A diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts, and fish is low in calories but has all the essential vitamins, minerals as well as nutrients required by the body. A healthy diet lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases by controlling blood pressure, managing cholesterol, and obesity.

2 Exercise:

Being a couch potato increases the risk of heart ailments whereas daily exercise lowers blood pressure and improves blood circulation in the body. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day, at a stretch or in parts decreases the risk. Start with low-intensity training such as walking or jogging and gradually increase the intensity.

3 Healthy Weight:

Having extremes in weight can lead to complications in heart functioning. Anorexia often makes the individual drastically underweight, thereby, leading to low blood pressure, an imbalance in heart rhythms and electrolytes. Obesity increases the risk of high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. Hence, maintaining a healthy weight through exercise and diet can keep the BMI (Body Mass Index) in check.

4 Stop Substance Abuse:

Drinking alcohol increases blood pressure and adds extra calories. Additionally, smoking is also known to increase blood pressure; hence, quitting such habits is essential for maintaining good heart health.

5 Maintain Cholesterol and Triglyceride Level:

Levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), as well as bad cholesterol, should be checked whereas having high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is good for the heart. A low level of triglycerides with high HDL and low LDL often prevents the risk of having a heart attack.

6 Stress Management:

Managing stress is the most effective way of preventing a heart attack. Often the factors associated with stress such as high blood pressure, alcohol consumption, smoking, and overeating serve as the main cause for a heart attack. This could be prevented simply by meditating daily for 10-15 minutes to calm the mind.

Our heart works 24 X 7, pumping blood, and providing oxygen and essential nutrients so that our body functions smoothly. These fundamental duties make it imperative to monitor heart health. Thyrocare offers a Cardiac Risk Markers profile containing a wide range of tests to assess your heart health for a better, healthier future.

Iron deficiency in Blood- Iron is an important mineral essential for the proper growth and development of our body. Anemia, also termed as iron deficiency anemia, is caused by lack of iron in the body. Although body normally have a huge reserve of iron (around 600 to1000 mg in adult male and around 200 to 300 mg in adult female), it is one of the leading causes of anemia worldwide. According to WHO, around 42% of children less than 5 years of age and 40% of pregnant women globally are anemic.

Iron is present in a protein called hemoglobin found in the red blood cells. However in the muscles, it is present in myoglobin protein. Haemoglobin is responsible for distributing oxygen throughout the body, whereas, myoglobin provide oxygen to muscle cells. About 70% of iron is present in red blood cells and muscle cells.

Causes of Iron Deficiency

Insufficient iron in diet

Your body absorbs iron from the diet. Significantly iron deficiency occurs when there is not enough consumption of iron-rich food. Getting less amount of iron overtime can lead to iron deficiency.

Excessive loss of blood

The main constituent of blood is RBCs that contain iron. Therefore loss of greater quantity of blood can also lead to anemia. This is common in women during heavy periods and is associated with internal blood loss, which can lead to iron deficit. Ulcers, colorectal cancer, hiatal hernia, etc., also contribute to iron deficiency.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a phase when the body’s need for iron increases as the blood volume elevates. This is because, a pregnant woman’s body should meet both her own and fetus hemoglobin requirement.

Incapacity to absorb iron

Iron is absorbed from food into the blood in the small intestine. Especially in intestinal disorder like celiac disease, iron absorption from food is impaired, which thereby leads to iron deficiency.

Symptoms of Iron deficiency 

In the initial phase of iron deficiency, the body does not shows significant symptoms. However, gradually, the deficiency worsens and the indications or symptoms shown are –

• Dull skin

• Fatigue

• Shortness of breath or pain in chest

• Inflammation of tongue

• Brittle nails

• Fatigue

• Craving for non-edible things like pica, paper, dirt, etc

• Loss of appetite

• Dizziness

People with Higher risk of Iron deficiency

Lower iron levels are the most common nutritional deficiency. However, following individuals are at higher risk

• Children or infants

• Women

• Vegetarian

• Frequent blood donor

Preventive Measures

Individual can consume below iron-rich foods food, so as to avoid deficiency of iron-

• Seafood

• Peas

• Beans

• Dry fruits

• Poultry, red meat and pork

• Iron-fortified bread, pasta, and cereals

It is easy to prevent deficiency of iron or to track the level of iron in our body. In fact follow a proper nutritious iron-rich diet and keep a check on iron levels through preventive check-ups available at Thyrocare – an advanced diagnostic center in India and expanding  abroad.

Symptoms of heart attack or stroke – A heart attack and a stroke have a close resemblance to each other but still differ in a few symptoms. Differentiating the symptoms of a heart attack from a stroke can help in providing immediate and proper medical treatment for either condition.

Heart Attack v/s Stroke:

A heart attack, scientifically known as Myocardial infarction (MI) occurs when there is a blockage in the coronary artery. This reduces the blood flow to heart muscles resulting in less supply of oxygen and nutrients. The blockage is caused due to fat and cholesterol build-up ultimately resulting in plaque. This plaque can further lead to clot formation which can damage the heart cells, hence, it is very important to identify the symptoms of a heart attack early on.

A stroke is the result of the blockage, in the carotid arteries that supply oxygen and nutrients to the brain due to a clot. This clot can be temporary, resulting in a transient ischemic attack (TIA), commonly called ‘mini-stroke’. A hemorrhagic stroke can occur when the blood vessel ruptures and bursts. The blood leaks into surrounding tissue causing a stroke. This happens due to high blood pressure.

Symptoms of Heart Attack:

1. Chest discomfort: Pain, tightness, aching sensation, or uncomfortable squeezing and pressure around the chest area that could last for a few minutes or cause recurrent pain.
2. Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing that might lead to chest
3. Upper body discomfort: Heart attack symptoms can be identified by observing pain in one or both arms, jaws, stomach, neck, or back.
4. Other signs: Fatigue, cold sweat, nausea, abdominal pain, heartburn, indigestion, lightheadedness, dizziness are often prominent symptoms of a heart attack.

Symptoms of Stroke:

1. Dropping of the face: The face drops to one side and the smile becomes lopsided.
2. Weakness in arms: There is weakness in one side of the body usually an arm or a leg.
3. Slurred speech: Speech becomes slurred and the person has difficulty in repeating simple sentences.
4. Other signs: The person has trouble walking, displays confusion, and might have sudden severe

Understanding early symptoms of our body will keep us ahead of diseases and ailments. Heart is a muscle that caters to body’s nutritional requirements making its health monitoring, a necessity. Thyrocare offers a Cardiac Risk Markers Profile containing a wide range of tests to assess your heart health for a better, healthier future.