5 Tips to Getting and Maintaining a Healthy Gut Microbiome

Fiber is perhaps the best friend of a healthy gut. It offers carbohydrates that your body cannot digest but hat makes an excellent food source for the beneficial probiotic bacteria that you want to encourage. It also helps encourage a healthy gut lining and may make gut bacteria more resistant to changing temperatures and environments.

In addition to traditional fiber-rich foods like beans and vegetables, try adding whole grains, bananas, chicory, and onions to your diet for their high levels of fructans.

2. Keep Sweeteners to a Minimum
While you want to increase fiber and overall carbohydrates, you’ll want to keep added sugars and artificial sweeteners to a minimum. Researchers are finding that these can lead to imbalances within the gut microbiome in animal studies, which may translate to higher increases of metabolic diseases in people.

Excess sweeteners can also negatively impact your blood glucose levels. This is linked to higher rates of disease and lower levels of and diversity within gut bacteria profiles.

Don’t worry too much about the sugars that naturally occur in fruits and vegetables. Instead, aim to keep added sweeteners to a minimum. The American Heart Association recommends keeping added sugars to less than about six teaspoons (or around 100 calories) per day for women and nine teaspoons (150 calories) per day for men.

3. Increase Exercise
Exercise improves your circulation and helps encourage lean muscle mass and definition. Both of those help the digestive system perform at its best. It also can help you control your weight, which can impact gut health and bacterial diversity.

You don’t have to suddenly transform into an uber athlete to see results. Take up walking during your lunch break, or try the new yoga class at the local recreation center to ease into exercising.

No matter what activities you decide on, aim to get at least the recommended 150 hours of moderate to intense exercise each week. Breaking that up into about 30 minutes of exercise on most days make sit a manageable task. If that still seems like a lot, break it into smaller ten-minute chunks spread throughout each day to start out. Strength training exercises are also recommended for the most health benefits.

4. Reduce Stress
That yoga class may give your gut health a boost beyond adding exercise to your day. Stress has been linked to less diversity among gut bacteria as well as disruptions in digestive functions.

Stress isn’t purely psychological either. Environmental factors like extreme temperatures and sleep deprivation can also stress out your digestive system. Encourage a healthy gut by reducing your exposure and resistance to stressors.

Be proactive and use management strategies like meditation, progressive relaxation, or deep breathing exercises to minimize the effects. Taking care of yourself by eating right, exercising, and getting plenty of rest can also help.

5. Stay Hydrated
Increasing your water consumption is a simple and easy way to increase your gut (and overall) health. While the advice has long been eight glasses of water a day, you actually need about twice that much fluid each day. Of course, some of that comes from water in the foods you eat.

Dehydration affects your body in many negative ways, going far beyond gut health. It leads to listlessness and fatigue, confusion and memory loss, and can cause problems with organ functions.

A quick way to check if you are drinking enough water is to check the color of your urine. It should be pale yellow or clear. Anything darker and you may need to up your water intake.

Reap the Benefits of a Healthy Gut
There are many benefits to fostering a healthy gut. It is linked to a lower incidence of chronic disease and healthier weight levels. It also appears to reduce inflammation and boost your immune system, which may help you fight off illnesses. Take these simple steps toward a healthier gut microbiome today to see how it affects your life.

What is life after having a knee replacement surgery?

Ashi’s mom had always been very active in her life. In fact, she was a state-level badminton champion. However, her life came crashing down when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis by her knee specialist in Bangalore at the age of thirty-nine.

Her arthritis was so severe that her knee surgeon advised her to undergo total knee replacement surgery in Bangalore. Having a surgery like total knee replacement at forty was definitely not on her radar! Her life changed when she was diagnosed with arthritis and it wasn’t a smooth ride. Even after her knee surgery, she suffered from pain, and couldn’t move very freely. Ashi’s mom wanted to stay active without impacting the quality of life and hence opted for a total knee replacement after weighing all her options given by her knee doctor in Bangalore. During her knee surgery recovery, she learned three things about knee replacement: It could be good, bad and ugly. CureConsult has summarised her experience rather than truths about knee replacement surgery. Let’s dig deeper!

The Good
Getting your knee replaced feels like getting a new lease on life. Though you may not feel the same as before your knee was affected by rheumatoid arthritis, quality of life improves as well as your ability to do your regular chores with this knee surgery. The pain is not gone completely after surgery. However, you will start experiencing less pain after the recovery period is over. Knee replacement surgery also improves mobility by relieving you from knee pain, arthritis joint stiffness and easing daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, standing and sitting.

The Bad
Traveling will be tough on your knees, especially long flights after knee replacement surgery. You need to stretch and walk around the airplane whenever possible to prevent blood clots. In case you have to travel, be sure to get up and walk around a bit once an hour to help prevent blood clots from developing. Wear clothing that makes it easy to show your knee incision to security agents at the airport.

You will be advised not to play contact sports such as running, soccer, football, skiing, and tennis after a total knee replacement as these sports may decrease the shelf life of the replacement. You may witness mild to severe pain after knee surgery. You may also experience moderate to severe swelling in the first few days or weeks after knee transplant surgery. Sometimes, swelling may last for 3 to 6 months. Your knee doctor or knee specialist in Bangalore may advise you to wear stockings and apply ice to help reduce swelling and pain. Also, notify your knee doctor if you experience severe pain and swelling as it could be signs of blood clots.

The Ugly
Most of the people experienced knee pain, loss of motion and inability to kneel during sexual intercourse after knee replacement surgery. You should avoid extreme flexing of your operated knee during intercourse and to go slow and stop if you experience pain. Most knee surgeons in Bangalore advise their patients to avoid sexual activity for four-five weeks after knee surgery. Make sure you have a detailed discussion with your knee specialist about sexual relations after the total knee replacement procedure.

Scarring is another issue with knee replacement surgery. As the incision heals, a scar will be created. The size and color of the knee scar may vary from person to person and may stay with you for a lifetime.

Another ugly side of knee surgery is its risks. Knee replacement also carries the same risks and complications as other major surgery. Common risks of knee replacement surgery are:

Infection
Any surgical wound is susceptible to bacterial infection. You should take proper care of the wound to avoid signs of infection. Watch out for the following signs of infections:

redness
swelling
warmth
discharge from the surgical site
fever and chills
If an infection arises, call your doctor immediately

Bleeding
Although, bleeding during and after surgery is considered to be normal, if you lose too much blood during the surgery you may need a transfusion.

Blood clots
The blood clot is one of the major complications of knee surgery. If surgery damages a blood vessel or you can’t move for several days after the procedure, a blood clot may form.

If you look at any best knee replacement hospital in Bangalore then check out there success rate, surgery cost, the overall rating of the doctor on online channels.

Genetic Testing for Comprehensive Hereditary cancer panel

Inherited genetic variation or mutation can cause hereditary cancer or germline cancer. Any individual carrying mutations/variations for hereditary cancer are at high risk for the development of tumors at an early age. This panel covers ovarian cancer, endocrine cancer, Gynecological Cancer, Lynch Syndrome, Pancreatic Cancer, Nervous System Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Renal Cancer, Skin Cancer/ Melanoma.

Every individual has some probability of developing the life threating disease at some time during his life Usually cancers can be inherited in two ways i.e. it may be genetically predisposed or might be caused due to environmental factors, which may include your lifestyle, or eating behavior and many more.

Gene mutations that might occur in one or a few cells of the body are one of the major reasons of cancer. Genetic mutations or hereditary mutation are inherited from one generation to the other and they may also be referred as germline mutations while acquired mutations are only present in some of the body’s cells, and they are not passed on from one generation to the other. However, individuals who carry genetic mutations do not necessarily get cancer, but the probability of developing cancer at is higher than anyone.

Who should be tested?

• Someone with a personal history of early-onset cancer, rare cancer, bilateral cancer, or multiple primary cancers
• Someone with a positive family history of multiple generations of cancers.
• Cancer diagnosed before age 50
• Cancer in a of a set of paired organs
• Rare Cancer (ovarian, pancreatic, metastatic prostate, intraductal prostate, medullary thyroid, triple-negative breast or male breast cancer)
• 10+ gastrointestinal polyps
• Breast or prostate cancer (Gleason score >7)

Genetic testing is easily available for the hereditary cancers. If there is any family history of cancer or any kind of personal history of that individual, or may be if one would like to know more about whether a family member has an increased risk of developing cancer, then should go for a cancer risk assessment, and genetic counseling and genetic testing.

Understanding the result:
A positive test result
• It means there is a change in a particular gene which indicates that a person is a carrier of a particular genetic mutation and has increased risk of developing the disease in the future. However, it cannot predict the exact risk of developing a disorder.
• Gives information about family and personal health history.

A negative test result
• It means that there is no change in the gene which indicates that a person is not affected by a particular disorder and does not have an increased risk of developing it.
• There are chances that other genetic abnormalities might be present in the patient (including Copy Number Variations, Methylation changes, etc.) which are beyond the scope of this test and would not be picked up in this test. Further testing might be required to confirm a negative result.

Uninformative test result
• It occurs because every individual has common natural variations in their DNA that do not affect health.
It cannot confirm a specific diagnosis also it cannot indicate whether a person has an increased risk of developing a disorder.

Best Face Mists for all Skin Types

People with dry skin know the importance of face mists as they are aware of the daily struggle. But they are beneficial for all other skin types also. It allows serum and moisturizer to absorb well in your skin. Face mists are not just a bottle of water with high costs; you can get so many benefits out of it. Some of them are listed below-

Easy to use- unlike other products, face mists are super easy to use, just spray it on your face and get rid of dry and chapped skin.
Instant revitalization- spray it once on your face and get refreshing vibes all day.
Treat chapped and dry skin – it is really tough to deal with chapped and dry skin in winters. Add face mists in your skincare routine, it will moisturize your skin well.
Glowing skin
For normal to sensitive skin, you can get face mists for all skin type but the problem is not all products suits to everyone. It may depend on the quality of the brand. If you are tired of experimenting with the product and are not able to find the best for your skin, you may pick any mists from the below-mentioned list. These mists are universal for use so will suit all skin types.

Natural Rose Water
Rose water is used in special occasions also as a part of ritual. You can add rose water in your skin care routine without any worries. The benefits are innumerable.

Instant glow
Suits to all skin types
mood uplifter
Remove pigmentation
You will ditch other expensive products after adding rose water in your routine. You don’t even need to wash your face with face wash; a splash of water mixed with rose mists is enough.

Natural Rose Water can add charm on your face if you apply it before wearing makeup. Also, after removing makeup, it will help.

Always use steam distilled rose water because this process is purely organic.

How to use Rose Water?
Usually rose water exists in every household but they don’t know how to add it in their beauty regime.

Well, to remove pigmentation you can add natural rose water with lemon and honey. You can also add it to your facemask to enhance its effect.

Soak cotton in rose water and apply it before going to bed.

Apply glycerin and rose water on the scalp. Simply massage it for 15 minutes and wash it off with shampoo. This will remove frizz and dry hair. So you can see the use of rose water is not limited to skin only.

Pure Sandalwood Water
What it takes for beautiful skin, 8 to 9 hours of sleep or buying various expensive treatments? What if you need only one product for your daily skincare? Sandalwood is an excellent beauty product for all skincare. The benefits of sandalwood are listed below-

Anti-inflammatory
Astringent
Remove blackheads
Remove acne
Skin softening
Remove dark spots
The use of natural sandalwood water is not limited to a particular skin type; it will work-alike for normal and sensitive skin type. The best thing about using sandalwood water is, it is apt for all skin problems.

Besides solving skin problems it gives cooling and harmonious effect.

How to use Natural Sandalwood Water?
Common problems like pimple, scars, and acne are removable with a mixture of sandalwood powder and milk. If you don’t want to mix milk, you can also add camphor and turmeric to it.

Make a paste of one teaspoon of coconut oil and lime juice and leave it on your face for half an hour. Rinse it off with warm water.