There is a mineral that would help in muscle functioning, nerve signalling, maintaining heart health and for overall well being of an individual. We are now talking about the mineral magnesium that plays a huge role in the above said activities. Not many of us would know that certain compounds present in common foods would lower the absorption of magnesium or increase magnesium loss in our body.  For maximising benefits, it is necessary that we must understand which foods to eat and which foods to avoid. It was revealed by a research study published in the National Institute of Health that magnesium absorption was lower when the meal was served with spinach. It is known that spinach is an oxalate rich vegetable. The magnesium absorption was high when the meal was served with kale that is poor in oxalate. By this study it was clear that the presence of oxalates in the vegetable could reduce the magnesium absorption. There are some other foods also that must be avoided as these foods would block or lower magnesium absorption in us. Avoid beans intake: Nutrient rich food that would block the absorption of magnesium in us is beans.  It must be noted that the presence of phytic acid and fibres in beans are responsible for this. Point is that phytates can affect minerals like iron, zinc etc but magnesium absorption can also be affected. It is believed that pairing beans with Vitamin C would enhance magnesium absorption. It is necessary that we must consume magnesium supplements a few hours after intake of meals. Avoid tofu intake: It is worthy to note that tofu also has phtates and consuming tofu would lower or block the magnesium absorption in us. It is believed that separating magnesium supplements from tofu would help in magnesium absorption. Point is that this consideration is especially important for those with poor magnesium levels in them. Avoid colas intake: When we drink colas containing phosphoric acid, then magnesium would get excreted through the kidneys. By this, the magnesium levels would get lowered. High sodium content in the colas might lead to this effect. It is not advisable to drink colas simultaneously with magnesium supplements. For the sake of better absorption of magnesium, it is good to pair it with water or light meals. Avoid caffeine intake: Bitter truth is that consuming caffeine in the form of tea or coffee would lead to magnesium loss through urine. The reason is caffeine is diuretic. The effectiveness of the magnesium supplements would get reducuced when we drink caffeine containing beverages along with magnesium supplements. It is recommended that a person must wait for 1 to 2hours after drinking caffeine before consuming magnesium supplements. Avoid alcohol intake: Intake of alcohol would lead to urinary magnesium loss plus low absorption in the gut and impairment in kidney functioning also. It is essential that a person must not drink and consume magnesium supplements at the same time. Truth is that quitting or limiting alcohol intake would not only improve magnesium absorption but also overall health. Avoid dairy or calcium rich foods intake: For absorption in the digestive tract, calcium would compete with magnesium. It must be noted that consuming large amounts of calcium with magnesium through milk, cheese, yoghurt etc would lower magnesium uptake. It is essential to separate calcium intake and magnesium intake by atleast few hours

For the positive atmosphere it creates, many of us love the monsoon season, don`t we?! It is true that we don`t like excessive heat, sweating, bad odour etc that are common in the summer season as they would create a lot of discomfort for us. Not many of us would know that the monsoon season would also bring us infections and diseases etc in us. The presence of humidity and moisture would help the viruses, fungus and bacteria to breed. Mostly elders or senior persons are at high risk of getting infections etc especially in the monsoon season. There are certain tips that would help the elders to avoid infections in the monsoons season.  The tips By eating fresh and light meals: Meals that are easy to digest and that would boost the immunity levels must be eaten by the elderly persons during the monsoon season. The elderly persons must avoid eating street foods, cut fruits and raw salads etc as these foods could cause contamination. By drinking safe water: It was brought out by a doctor that hydration is importantand the seniors must drink boiled filtered water only. It must be noted that in the monsoon season water borne infections are very common and these infections might attack the elders. It is necessary to store the water in clean closed container. By making hygiene a priority: It is highly essential to have a good hygiene for the sake f the health to be good. In this regard, the elders must wash their hands regularly, cut their nails and must avoid contact with dirty water. This would help them to have protection against fungal and bacterial infections. By staying safe from mosquitoes: Especially in the monsoon season, diseases like dengue, chikungunya and malaria etc spread rapidly. In this scenario, the senior persons must use mosquito net or mosquito repellents and wear full sleeved clothes. More than these, it is highly important to make sure that the stagnant water during the rainy season gets cleared near the houses. By identifying the symptoms early: It is necessary that fever must be given importance in the elders and must not be taken casually. It must be note d that senioror persons who are affected by mosquito based diseases or viral diseases would show several symptoms like fever, body aches, chills, sore e throat etc. It is true that timely medical consultation is a must to avoid make treatment more effective and to avoid certain complications etc.

If you ask pre-menopausal women regarding the endocrine based disease they have, then the majority would reply as PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome!! Yes, PCOS is a very common endocrine disease that occurs in teenage girls and in other pre-menopausal women. It has been revealed that PCOS in women could cause issues like irregular periods, hirsutism or excess facial hair growth, acne, infertility and type2 diabetes etc. It was later explained by a famous gynaecologist that PCOS in young girls could occur due to fast food culture. Girls and other pre-menopausal women could get hormonal imbalance and menstrual disturbances by eating junk foods and due to unhealthy eating habits etc. Bigger impact of intake of junk foods: Bitter fact is that across the globe obesity in women has gone up to 26percent and up to 18percent in adolescent girls. Those with higher BMI or body mass index would have metabolic issues and gynaecological problems etc.  Point is that consuming junk foods would slow down metabolism, increase unhealthy weight gain, and cause hormonal imbalances. All these would lead to perfect conditions for PCOS to develop in the girls and pre=menopausal women. There is a strong link between intake of junk foods and menstrual issues especially in the pre-teen girls. The body`s calorie burning capacity would get lowered by frequent intake of fried foods and processed foods etc and insulin sensitivity would be disrupted resulting in obesity. As a result, hormonal imbalance would be created and this would affect menstrual health and reproductive health. Early habits and long term consequences: It is worthy to note that inappropriate food behaviours formed in the adolescence stage would persist in the adulthood stage too. It is true that women with issues like obesity, endometrial defects, hormonal imbalances etc would find it harder to conceive. Moreover, these women would also have higher risks of early miscarriage. Poor diet choices in the teenage years are responsible for these complications later on. It must be noted that harmless snacking in the teenage years can result in serious health issues later on in their lives. In such a scenario, it is good to eat home cooked nutritious foods, and staying active and these could protect the health of a woman. Treatments for PCOS: Lifestyle changes like diet modifications and regular exercises, intake of medicines prescribed for lowering cholesterol, regulating periods etc and finally regular medical checkups to monitor BP, blood sugar levels etc could help a woman to manage her PCOS well.