Protein C Antigen Test

Glucose is the primary ingredient within the body which is turned into an energy source. This is what we use when we move, walk or make the slightest movements. To metabolize glucose into energy, your body needs insulin, which is a hormone produced within the pancreas. However, if the body doesn't react to the insulin or the pancreas is unable to produce enough, glucose cannot be converted into energy and thus results in type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes

1. Sudden or gradual weight loss despite increased hunger - Many people complain that they feel hungry and eat more, but despite this, tend to lose weight. This occurs as the body cannot metabolize glucose and uses energy reserves from fat or muscles leading to weight loss.
2. Frequent infections and slow healing - If you are afflicted with Type 2 diabetes, then it might affect your immune system and you may be prone to infections. Also, any cuts or bruises on your body will take much longer to heal than normal.
3. Irritability and fatigue - Another common symptom of type 2 diabetes along with the other symptoms mentioned here is quick irritability and fatigue. This is because most of the body is deprived of sugar and thus lacks the energy needed to function normally. 
4. Constant thirst and increased urination - If you feel constantly thirsty despite drinking ample water and urinating frequently, this may be a tell tale sign of type 2 diabetes.
5. Skin darkening in folds and creases of the body - Also known as acanthosis nigricans; this is a darkening of the skin where it also becomes velvety to the touch. It usually develops in the folds on skin in areas such as the neck and armpits and is a direct result of insulin resistance.

Causes of Type 2 diabetes

Some of the most common causes of Type 2 diabetes could be:

1. Being overweight
2. Lack of physical activity
3. Genetic predisposition or family history 
4. If you are more than 45 years of age
5. Hormonal problems such as Polycystic ovarian syndrome

Reverse Diabetes

There three major factors that can help you prevent and reverse pre- and type II diabetes: proper diet and appropriate nutritional and herbal supplementation, exercise, and weight management.

1. Diet: Proper diet is critical for both preventing and treating pre-and type II diabetes. One of the most important dietary precautions you can take is to eliminate all refined sugars and sugar products from your diet. Also reduce or eliminate your intake of alcohol and caffeine; avoid fast, processed "junk" foods and soda, altogether; and eat protein snacks between meals.
2. Eating According to the Glycemic Index: Another important dietary tip is eat meals that contains an abundance of low-glycemic (low-sugar) foods. By doing so you can significantly improve your body's ability to maintain low insulin and blood sugar levels. Low-glycemic foods include raw, organic leafy green vegetables, fruits that contain pits, sweet potatoes, yams, organic whole-grain breads and cereals, most legumes and nuts, skim and buttermilk, poultry, white fish, shellfish, and lean cuts of beef and veal.
3. Nutritional and Herbal Supplements: In addition to a healthy diet, many people at risk for or who already have pre- or type II diabetes will also benefit from various nutritional and herbal supplements.
4. Exercise: Regular exercise should be part of every diabetic's daily routine. Exercise in combination with a weight loss program has been proven to reduce the odds of developing diabetes by 58 percent among people who are at risk for the disease. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult with the doctor for diabetes ayurvedic treatment.

Ayurveda, translated into science of life and longevity, has been practiced in India for more than 5000 years old and has gained worldwide popularity. It uses noninvasive and natural methods and produces minimal side effects and therefore is being widely accepted.

Ayurveda believes that the body is made of pitta, vata, and kapha systems (or doshas) and diseases are due to imbalance between these or predominance of one over the others. Obesity for instance is believed to be due to kapha predominance, leading to excessive eating and thereby obesity. There are various herbs (listed below) that are used in treatment of weight loss, and they all act by burning more fat and improving natural metabolism.

1. Vrikshamla (Garcinia cambogia): Known commonly as brindle berry or mangosteen oil tree, or malabar tamarind, this helps to reduce triglycerides and control cholesterol.  It also suppresses appetite and inhibits lipogenesis (conversion of sugars to fat)
2. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza Glabra): Licorice has been widely accepted as an anti-obesity herb, especially in reducing abdominal fat. It acts by reducing the amount of triglyceride in the liver and blood. It also contain flavonoids which slow down oxidation of fatty acids.
3. Ginger (Zingiber Officinale): An herb with varied medicinal properties, ginger has a multitude of health benefits. It promotes weight loss by lowering cholesterol and reducing fat accumulation.  It also regulates metabolism of cholesterol and oxidation of fatty acids.
4. Kalonji (Nigella Sativa): During clinical trials, the seed extract of Kalonji has been shown to improve body mass index and lead to better waist-hip ratios.
5. Myrhh (Commiphora Resin): The bark of the flowering mukul myrhh tree produces a sticky, yellowish resin that has been identified to be a steroid compound. It is harvested in winters and considered to act on all 3 doshas and provide an equilibrium in the body. Commonly known as guggul, it translates to "one that protects against disease. That in a way sums up its medicinal properties. In obese people, it helps by lowering blood cholesterol and triglylcerides and is considered a very powerful fat burner.

It is proven that Ayurveda is a safe method to help you lose weight.  Also, please note that each of these above products will have benefits in other medical conditions and not used only in obesity cases.  In addition to the above specific products, there should be a combination of healthy eating and exercise, which primarily drives weight loss. Balancing eating and sleeping to homegenise the three doshas in the body is also very important for effective weight loss. Increasing water intake, reducing alcohol intake, planning protein-carb ratio, and customized exercise routine are are aspects to be considered. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ayurveda.

At times being able to conceive becomes a challenge due to certain biological reasons. Feeling positive and eating healthy naturally takes you a step nearer to getting pregnant. In case of no medical condition acting as an obstruction, consuming the right food can increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Here’s a list of supplements you can include in your diet to maximise your chances of getting pregnant.

1. Choose whole grains over refined carbohydrates: Reducing the intake of refined carbohydrates (found in milk, potatoes, corn to name a few) can reduce inflammation of the genitals, which will help increase fertility. You can still continue to have your favourite foods, but ensure they are low GI (glycaemic index- a figure used to represent the ability of carbohydrate to increase glucose in blood) carbohydrates.

You can consume whole grains, which help in reducing insulin levels that in turn reduce the risk of heart diseases and diabetes and also help lower cholesterol levels. Try having whole grain bread instead of white bread and porridge instead of sugary processed cereals to reduce your GI ingestion.

2. Harness the power of Proteins: Proteins are an important part of your diet and the type of proteins you require careful consideration as they help make new hormones. Try having 25gms of vegetable protein like seeds, legumes and nuts instead of animal protein.

Add dairy foods to your diet as they are also a rich source of protein. They provide vital minerals and nutrients like magnesium, calcium and vitamin B12 to the body and at the same time are low in calories. Include milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese to your meals so that you have a minimum of three servings of dairy products a day, which is essential to meet your nutritional needs and increase your chances of having a baby.

3. Welcome Good Fats: Processed foods, fatty meats and takeaways are high in saturated fats including trans fats. These lead to inflammation and an increase of oxygen free radicals in the body, which decrease fertility. So, incorporate good fats in your diet in controlled quantities. Try having avocado and tomato on a whole grain toast, for instance.

4. Make folate an integral part of your diet: Folate is an essential nutrient that helps in decreasing the incidence of birth defects in babies, while ensuring a healthy conception. Along with the prescribed supplements, try to increase its intake in its natural form. The best way to do this is by having green leafy vegetables, which are a rich source of folate. You can also have veggie sticks and vegetable soup along or green vegetable dishes to increase your folate intake. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.

If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives the red color to blood. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, and high rates of red blood cell destruction.

Conditions that may lead to anemia include

• Heavy periods
• Pregnancy
• Ulcers
• Colon polyps or colon cancer
• Inherited disorders
• A diet that does not have enough iron, folic acid or vitamin B12
• Blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, or cancer
• Aplastic anemia, a condition that can be inherited or acquired
• G6PD deficiency, a metabolic disorder

Anemia can make you feel tired, cold, dizzy, and irritable. You may be short of breath or have a headache.

Your doctor will diagnose anemia with a physical exam and blood tests. Treatment depends on the kind of anemia you have.

low platelet count is also known as thrombocytopenia. The human blood is essentially composed of four components namely erythrocytes (red blood cells), leukocytes (white blood cells), thrombocytes (blood platelets), and plasma.

10 Foods Items Improves Low platelet Count

Here we create a list of food items that helps in the lower platelet count problem. These fruits items, dairy products, protein items, vitamins, and minerals help in increasing platelet count.

1. Anar (Pomegranate): It is rich in iron and also contains vitamins. This fruit help to combat increasing platelet reduction with regular consumption & vitamins to keep your energy levels steady.

2. Milk: It has high calcium which helps to regenerate the platelet. Calcium content with vitamin K and milk protein “Fibrinogen” increases the Platelet count and improves the blood's ability to form the clot. Calcium Deficiency can lead to your body much longer time in forming a clot .

3. Folate Rich Food: Folate or B9 is essential for healthy cell division in the body. A severe deficiency of folate in the body can result in a reduction in Blood Platelet. Daily intake of Folate is 400 mg is required. When the platelet count is low it’s consumption increases the platelet count. Food rich in Folate is Asparagus, Orange juice, Spinach, and fortified cereals.

4. Lean Proteins: Lean protein food is an excellent source of Zinc and Vitamin 12 which are essential to reverse the effects of thrombocytopenia. In case of reduced platelet count take food like soybean, spinach (Palak), black beans, cow’s milk, white of egg, Oatmeal, Fish, and white meat chicken.  This protein item helps increase platelet count

5. Papaya: Extract of the leaf of papaya is excellent for overall blood production and increases the platelet count (Prepare an extract of leaves by boiling leaves in medium heat for 15 minutes with water and wait till the water comes down to half ). Take leaf extract 2tsf twice daily.

6. Cod Liver Oil and Flax Seed Oil: These oils strengthen the Immune system many autoimmune disorders are cause of thrombocytopenia or low platelet count. These oils reduce the inflammation of the body and improve blood circulation throughout the body.

7. Vitamin A Rich Food: Vitamin A is essential for healthy platelet production, it also plays a role in the formation of Protein in the body which helps in the process of cell division and growth. Carrot, Pumpkin, Kale, and Sweet Potatoes (Sakarkandi).

8. Chlorophyll from Wheat grass: Wheatgrass juice contains 70% of chlorophyll (The Plant Haemoglobin) have a strong effect in overall blood production and increases the platelet count. Take ½ cup per day.

9. Vitamin K Rich Food: Vitamin K keeps cell growth at an optimum level in the body. Life of platelets is only 10 days which is to be compensated continually to maintain the lost amount in the body, hence high-calorie food for ideal production of blood platelets and vitamin K is one of the ingredients available in Eggs, Green leafy vegetables, Kale, Frozen Spinach, Mustard Greens Broccoli & Liver.

10. Macrobiotic Diet: To combat Thrombocytopenia in patients a vital anti-inflammatory diet is recommended by Platelet Disorder Association which helps in optimum blood production e.g. Whole grains, vegetables, and organic beans is recommended while animal protein is to be avoided except Fish Yogurt & cheese.

Update From Lybrate: Keep a check on your overall well-being by consuming healthy and delicious products. These Healthy Food Items not only soothe your taste buds but also keep you hydrated.