Have you recently observed some small reddish or brownish coloured spots on your legs and wondered what these are?  The reason for that might shock you!! Being a part of our digestive system, the liver is an important organ in us. It is known that the liver produces bile which is a yellowish green coloured liquid that goes into our small intestines and helps in digestion of food. Liver also plays a role in the excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol etc plus in the fat and protein metabolism also. It is highly essential that we must have good liver health. Not many would know that when the liver gets damaged then the first sign would be shown in the feet. Bitter fact is that some minor changes in the feet (due to wearing poor quality shoes or due to long hours of standing etc) might actually be due to damaged liver. Various poor or damaged liver signs seen in the legs are Presence of spider veins on ankles and feet: On the feet and ankles in some persons, there would be spider veins or tiny web-typed blood vessels just beneath the skin surface. Truth is that in liver cirrhosis estrogen metabolism gets disrupted and blood vessels would get dilated due to hormonal imbalance. This would make spider veins appear to indicate liver malfunction. Presence of reddish or brownish dots on lower legs: It is worthy to note that the presence of red or brown coloured dots would be due to liver damage and not bug bites mark etc. There are also possibilities of blood leakage under skin. Point is that poor liver functioning would affect the clotting ability of the blood leading to small capillaries bursting easily. Cracked heels: Sign of dryness or poor foot care could result in cracked heels. Not many of us would know the fact that liver damage could affect our body`s ability to absorb fat soluble vitamins like A,D, E and K etc. It must be noted that deficiency of vitamin A would lead to thick dry and cracked skin on the heels. Burning or hot feet: Tiredness or neuropathy etc could cause burning sensation in our feet is known. There are chances of getting affected by peripheral neuropathy (alcohol related liver disease)in cases of advanced liver damage. These people would have a burning or tingling kind of feeling in their feet. Smelly feet: Smelly feet are not only caused due to sweating and bacteria etc but also due to liver damage. It is noteworthy that when the liver fails to properly process and remove toxins the waste products would get removed through sweat glands present in the feet also. This could cause an unusual pungent smell in the foot as the metabolism of the body would get altered plus due to hormonal changes etc. Pitting edema: This sign on the feet could be due to advanced sage of liver dysfunction and is a very serious issue. It is learnt that low levels of albumin caused by poor liver function could result in the fluids getting leaked to the surrounding tissues.

How many of us are aware of the fact that constipation is a widespread problem that affects millions of people across the world? It is true that constipation could be a year round issue for some persons and especially in the summer seasons managing this issue could be difficult. Various issues we could get because of constipation are discomfort, haemorrhoids, anal fissures etc. Constipation could be caused due to several reasons like lack of activity, dehydration etc. There are certain foods present and they could be consumed in the summer season to get relief from constipation. The foods are Intake of soaked dry figs: The sorbitol that is present in the figs would act as laxative and it would regulate our bowel movements. Intake of soaked prunes: By softening our stools to improve gut health, intake of soaked prunes plays a superb role. These prunes are rich in fibres and consuming soaked prunes would help in digestion and help us to avoid constipation. Intake of soaked black raisins: It is known that black raisins rich in fibres and consuming this would help us to get bowel movements. By this, we would be able to avoid constipation problems. The black raisins would prevent cardiovascular diseases and high BP etc in us. Intake of fennel water: When we consume fennel water, our bowel movement would get stimulated and constipation would get relieved. Intake of basil water: Intake of basil water would provide relief from inflammation in the gut and would provide healthy digestion by improving mobility of the gut. Apart from this, basil water intake would also lower stress and promote heart health. Intake of nuts and seeds etc: Fibres and healthy fats are present in nuts like almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds etc. For the sake of healthy digestion, it is necessary to add nuts and seeds to the diet.

Drinking fresh nutrient rich juice instead of usual coffee or tea in the morning, have you thought about that? It is true that many of us drink hot cups of coffee or tea in the morning without taking into consideration the need of nutrients. This could be good in the short term but in the long term it could lead to few issues for us. Point is that we could swap the tea or coffee we drink in the morning with a fresh nutrient rich drink that would be good for our health. Not many would know that the combination of carrot and ginger juice would do wonders for our health. By drinking this combination, we could get the much needed vitamins, antioxidants etc in us and that would be superb for our health. Benefits of this simple health habit are Supports eye health: For our vision to be good, vitamin A is needed.  By drinking this juice combination, beta carotene present in the carrots would be converted to vitamin A by our body. Our eye health would be supported especially in low light conditions. Intake of ginger would help to lower inflammation and puffiness in our eyes caused due to long hours of screen time. Improves digestion: A digestive tonic that would work gently but effectively is this ginger and carrot juice combination. It must be taken into note that ginger would help us to avoid indigestion, nausea and boating etc and the fibres in carrot would help in digestion. This juice would improve our gut health. Strengthens immunity: Our immunity would get boosted by the combination of carrot and ginger. The vitamin C and antioxidants in carrot and anti-inflammatory properties of ginger would be superb in boosting our immunity. By drinking this combo juice in the monsoon season especially we could be free from infections. Recovery from illness would be speeded up also. Good for skin health: Not only for gut and immunity this combo juice would be superb but also for our skin health. Signs of ageing would be delayed in us by intake of carrot and ginger containing antioxidants. It is believed that the antioxidants in this juice would fight free radicals. It was confirmed by a study in 2021 that this juice would reduce acne and redness due to anti-inflammatory effects. Supports detox and liver function: Our liver healthth would get better by this combination of juice. It is worthy to note that ginger would help in flushing out toxins. Point is that carrots would break down fat and help in the production of bile. Manage blood sugar levels: The low glycemic index or GI of carrots plays a role here. Intake of carrot would not cause a sudden spike in our blood sugar levels. Intake of ginger would improve insulin sensitivity in us. For those who want steady energy levels, this combo juice would be superb. This juice would be a diabetes friendly option when consumed in moderate amounts.

In some persons, their bodies won`t be able to digest or break down lactose. This condition is termed as lactose intolerance. It is known that lactose is present in milk and other milk products etc. Lactase is an important enzyme that helps our body to digest lactose and when our small intestines do not make sufficient amounts of this enzyme then lactose intolerance occurs in us. Symptoms of lactose intolerance in us are Bloating: It is worthy to note that bloating in the abdomen is one of the most common symptoms associated with lactose intolerance issues. Some persons would feel full after drinking milk and this is mainly because of fermentation of undigested lactose in the colon. This could lead to gas and discomfort etc. Diarrhoea: Loose motion or diarrhoea is also an important symptom of lactose intolerance. Water would be pulled into the intestines as the body cannot break down lactose properly. This would lead to diarrhoea. Stomach cramping: Those who are lactose intolerant would get abdominal cramps in them and would find it very difficult. Point is that these cramps could be mild to severe and could appear 30 min to 2 hours after intake of dairy products etc. Flatulence or gas formation: Gas formation could lead to huge embarrassment for us.  Lactose fermentation in the colon could lead to increased gas etc. Sometimes, gas formation in us can also happen due to some medications also. Nausea: There are some people who feel nauseated after the intake of certain dairy foods. Vomiting might also occur when large amounts of lactose are consumed by them, especially in an empty stomach. Rumbling sounds in stomach: Excessive gas and fluid in the intestines can lead to hyperactive bowel sounds mainly after consuming dairy products. This might indicate digestive distress associated with lactose intolerance issues. Constipation: Not only diarrhoea, there are few persons with lactose intolerance who experience constipation also. So, please take care. <sBrain fog etc:</s After intake of dairy products, some people might feel unusually tired also. This might not be a digestive issue but might be associated with systemic inflammation. Rashes or skin breakouts: Those persons who have lactose intolerance in them would get rashes or skin breakouts etc and would find it difficult. Inflammation linked to poor lactose digestion would be shown by these symptoms on the skin.

It is really tough to control our hunger especially during the late nights. There are many who try hard to keep their blood sugar levels stable and for these persons snacking late night would be a difficult task. Bitter fact is that by eating too little they would wake up feeling hungry by around 2 am. If they eat too much, they would be spiking their blood sugar levels. How would you feel if you came to know that there are some foods that would not spike the blood sugar levels even if you consume them before bed time. Sound’s incredible isn’t it!! These foods are Plain Greek yoghurt intake: It must be noted that Greek yoghurt is rich in proteins with little sugar. Point is that eating this food would keep us feeling full. Moreover, this food would slow down digestion and prevent a spike in blood sugar levels in us. Our gut health would get boosted by eating Greek yoghurt and that is due to the presence of probiotics in it. The presence of calcium in this food would help us to sleep well. Almonds intake: It was confirmed by a research study in 2002 that intake of almonds would help us to control our blood sugar levels. That is due to the presence of fibres etc in them. Our sleep quality would get better by the presence of magnesium in this food. Intake of almonds at night would prevent our stomach from getting empty and would provide healthy fats and proteins for us. Intake of almonds would not spike our blood sugar levels. Boiled eggs intake: Our blood sugar levels would be managed well if we eat boiled eggs at night. The reason is that eggs are low in calories but high in healthy fats, proteins etc. Tryptophan that is present in the eggs would help the body to produce melatonin or sleep hormone. This would help us to have sound sleep in the nights without any spike in the blood sugar levels. Moong dal soup intake: Another food that would not mess up with our blood sugar levels when we consume in the nights is moong dal soup. It must be noted that the complex carbohydrates in this soup would break down slowly providing energy but without spiking the blood sugar levels in us. By adding ghee, cumin to moong dal soup, there would be better digestion for us. Paneer cube intake: For night time hunger, it is good to eat paneer cubes. Truth is that this slow digesting protein rich food would not cause any spike in the blood sugar levels in the night. We would be able to sleep well. Chia pudding (without sugar etc): When we eat chia pudding at night then we would not get any spike in the blood sugar levels. It is believed t that the chia seeds in this pudding are full of fibres and healthy fats etc and these would slow down digestion in us plus promote stable blood sugar levels in us.