Hello, it is another beautiful week. Welcome to another exciting and educative edition of your General Health & Well-Being Column, HEALTH CHECK WITH OLUWABUKUNOLAMI. This week we shall be treating OBESITY.
What is OBESITY?
OBESITY is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative or adverse effect on ones health. People are generally considered obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person’s weight by the square of the person’s height, is over 30 kg/m2, with the range 25–30 kg/m2 defined as overweight.
Meanwhile Overweight and Obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight. Globally there are more people who are obese than underweight – this occurs and this happens in every region except parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. One type of obesity that is of great concern to me again is childhood obesity which is associated with a higher chance of obesity in old age, premature death and disability in adulthood. But in addition to increased future risks, obese children experience breathing difficulties, increased risk of fractures, hypertension, early markers of cardiovascular disease and psychological effects.
OBESITY increases the likelihood of various diseases and conditions, particularly cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 Diabetes, obstructive sleep, apnea, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis and depression.
OBESITY occurs over time when you eat more calories than you use. The balance between calories-in and calories-out differs for each person. Here are some natural herbs to help you treat and manage obesity.
GINGER
Ginger is a very common herb. In fact, in some parts of the world like in Asia, it has come to be known as everyday spice rather than herb due to its extensive use for culinary purpose. Some of the ancient medicine systems like traditional Chinese medicine as well as Indian Ayurveda stream use ginger for medicinal purposes too. What is more surprising is that modern researches have shown far more uses of ginger than traditional medicine. Few examples include treatments for nausea and vomiting which result from motion sickness, cancer chemotherapy or pregnancy using ginger.
HOW DOES GINGER HELP IN WEIGHT-LOSS?
It improves digestion by increasing the pH of stomach and stimulates its digestive enzymes. This leads to quick absorption of essential nutrients and excretion of non-essential ones. In short, it helps your body in using up the blood glucose and stored fat efficiently. How to use ginger in treating obesity: You can have ginger in two ways. Chew a piece (½ or 1 inch will do) of fresh ginger daily before meals. Make a ginger tea and have it daily after meals.
To make ginger tea, you will need: Ginger powder – ½ tsp (you can also use 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root)
Water- 1 cup. Honey 1 tsp. Boil the water. Add ginger powder to it. Steep for about 5 minutes. If using honey, mix it. You can also buy the ginger tea if you are too lazy to make fresh ginger tea or you don’t like chewing it raw.
CURRY LEAVES ALSO
Known as curryblatter leaves are one of the extensively used aromatic herbs used in Indian dishes, particularly those from South India. These leaves stimulate the digestive enzymes and help break down food more easily thus helping in efficient use of nutrients. You can therefore be sure of a good metabolic rate when having curry leaves.
HOW TO USE CURRY LEAVES FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
Chew a few curry leaves, about 8-10 leaves, daily on empty stomach in the morning for at least 3 months.
MINT LEAF
Mint Leaves have been recommended as an obesity cure by Ayurveda since ages. Why refer to ancient medicine! Even modern studies indicate that mint is a very useful herb when it comes to weight-loss.
A study from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia stated that contact with peppermint- eating or inhaling- decreases hunger. This study says that eating mint or even the scent of peppermint increases brain activity in the area which controls alertness. This, in turn, curbs your snacking which, most of the times, takes place to stimulate energy. Mint not only increases your sense of fullness and satisfaction after eating, it also enhances your sense of taste as well as smell. This means you get more satisfied with your meal thus curbing further craving for other food.
HOW TO USE MINT LEAVES FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
Make a paste or powder out of fresh mint leaves and include this mint paste or powder in your daily diet.
You can also boil mint leaves along with your tea. You can also make chutney out of your mint leaves and use as your regular spice in cooking. Here is the basic recipe for making mint chutney.
You will need: Fresh mint leaves- 1 bunch. Tomato – 1. Green chili – 1. Salt- as per taste. Coriander leaves (optional) – 2-3 tablespoon (some people find mint to be bitter and add coriander leaves to avoid its bitter taste).
Directions: Wash the mint leaves properly. Roughly chop the tomato and green chilly. Now mix all the ingredients- mint leaves, tomato, salt and green chili as well as coriander leaves if using. Grind it to get its chutney. It will look like a green paste.
You don’t need to add any water as mint leaves as well as tomato contain enough water to give you the right consistency of chutney.
Now have this mint chutney everyday, with as many meals as you can. You’ll love the aroma and taste of the chutney and also its ability to enhance the taste of your dishes.
You can use it as bread spread or for making sandwiches along with other veggies. Practically, you can have mint chutney with any dish you have during the day. If you extensively have mint daily, you may reduce your weight by up to six kg within 40-45 days provided you continue your daily exercise too!
SPICE
Your body needs all types of tastes- in total- six tastes in your food to feel satisfied. These are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent.
Now try to recall all the tastes that you have in your food .
They are all made of either sweet, salt or sour taste- alone or in combination. What about the other tastes then? There’s a remedy- a spicy remedy! Prepare a spice powder and use it in your dishes- curries, gravies, soups- to get all the tastes during the day. This is one recipe for a spice mix.
You will need: Coriander seeds- 5 tsp. Fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp. Bay leaf- 1 large leaf. Cumin seeds- ½ tsp. Mustard seeds- ½ tsp. Cinnamon stick- 1-½ inch stick. Cloves- 5. Turmeric powder- 2 tsp
Directions: Mix all the spices except turmeric powder. Grind them together to get a fine powder. Take out the spice mix powder in a container with lid. Add the turmeric powder to it and mix well. Now use a little amount (may be ¼ to ½ tsp or even more than that) of this powder in your dishes.
CINNAMON
Cinnamon can be called the natural insulin for healthy blood sugar levels. As it increases the metabolism of glucose, cinnamon is an established remedy for not only diabetes but for obesity as well. As it doesn’t let sugar level get high in your body, there is lesser storage of fat. Combined with honey, it can be a great remedy for weight loss.
You will need: Cinnamon powder- ½ tsp. Honey- 1 tsp. Water- 1 cup Boil the water. Put the cinnamon powder in a cup. Pour the hot water on the cinnamon powder. Allow the water cool off. Add honey to this water. Drink it. Have this cinnamon and honey mixed water twice a day- in the morning and at night, half an hour before going to bed.
KALONJI NIGELLA SEEDS
Kalonji, the black seeds (Caraway seeds) derived from the Nigella Sativa plant, is used not only as spice for making dishes in certain Asian countries but is also used as a medicine by alternative medicine of many countries. Kalonji seeds and kalonji oil both are used by traditional medicine for curing almost all of the diseases, more importantly for building and boosting immunity.
You can also try the ginger, tumeric and lemon juice , blend all these together and drink a glass twice a day while also watching your diet.
Garlic can equally be added to this juice …if lemon is not available you can use lime. Ordinary or lukewarm water is what you need and not cold water or sodas
Stay away from red meat, dairy products , cold drinks , alcohol, especially beer, pasta ,pastries and sodas.
Drink lemon water first thing in the morning, if you can, it’s very good for your system and good for weight loss
Adopt lifestyle changes about your diet and way of life. Take a lot of fruits and fresh vegetables
Also you can take 2 tablespoon of coconut oil in the morning an hour before food every morning, this is also good for weight loss.
2 tablespoon of black seed oil is equally good..it should also be taken before food. Being obese is risky, it doesn’t help anyone so change your diet, exercise regularly, take long walks, reduce your intake of food especially carbs.
It is always very easy to gain weight but it’s serious hardwork, discipline and determination to loose the weight.
Be disciplined and determined to stay healthy, strong and alive.
We are always glad to hear and read from you so you can write to us by sending an email to gregatt0305@gmail.com…..send SMS or call 08121456771
Thanks for taking time out to read our column.
Until next week, continue to stay healthy and strong through discipline, lifestyle changes and herbs.
I remain yours in good health Oluwabukunolami
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