Fun Facts

Some people complain that they experience pain in the upper right abdomen when the gallbladder contracts to release bile after a meal.

One of the possible reasons for this pain in the right abdomen might be due to the presence of gallstones in the gallbladder in our body.

What are gallstones?

Gallstones are nothing but hardened cholesterol or tiny mass made up of bilirubin and calcium. As part of the digestion process, the liver produces a substance called bile to digest fats in the small intestine. This bile in concentrated form is stored in the gallbladder and contains high levels of cholesterol and the pigment bilirubin. The fluid and the pigment precipitate in the gallbladder as crystals to form stones, and these stones are called as gallstones.

How gallstones form or develop?

Gallstones can develop in both sexes, but they are most common in overweight middle-aged women. They also tend to run in families. Women, especially those who have borne children, are thought to be particularly vulnerable because of the high levels of blood cholesterol and bile that develop late in pregnancy and in the weeks following childbirth. It is also believed that the female hormones progesterone and estrogen, whether occuring naturally or taken in oral contraceptives, may play a role in gallstone formation. Crass weight-loss diets are believed to be another precipitating factor.

Symptoms of gallstones

Many people never know that they have gallstones because there are no symptoms. For some, however, the presence of gallstones can cause pain in the upper right abdomen when the gallbladder contracts to release bile after a meal.

Treatment for gallstones

The usual treatment for gallstones is the surgical removal of the gallbladder called cholecystectomy. This procedure can be performed by conventional surgery or by laparascopy, which involves a tiny incision and a brief stay at the hospital. Another option is a procedure called lithotripsy, which uses shock waves to break up the gallstones.

How to avoid gallstones

Gallstones are formed of cholesterol. As such, it is advisable to eliminate fats and cholesterol from their diets. One should maintain the habit of eating breakfast every day without fail and also take meals in small quantities more frequently than resorting to one-time heavy meal.. People with gallstones should avoid foods that cause them discomfort. Their diet should emphasize starchy foods, with lots of fruits and vegetables, moderate servings of protein, and small amounts of fat. Alcohol should be used in moderation as the gallbladder disease also affects the liver and the pancreas.

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One of the common problems most of us need to face and overcome is that related to dry skin due to lack of moisture.

What causes dry skin?

The dry air conditions, both in and out of the house, especially in winter season, might be one of the reasons for the skin to get dry. The external weather condition is not the only reason for skin dryness. If you shower more than is normally warranted and/or use skin-drying soap, then there is every possibility that your skin gets drier.

In normal conditions, our skin does not become dry because the required oil for maintaining the skin is produced by the outer layer of the skin through the oil glands in the form of sebum. If the demand for oil to maintain the skin exceeds the internal oil production, then the paucity of the oil leads to the problem of dry skin.

This is the reason why moisturizers are preferred for keeping the skin supple and soft. Many people are of the notion that these additional moisturizers add extra moisture to the skin to keep it soft. However, it is not the case in many cases. What these moisturizers actually do is they lock the moisture already present in the body to retain the softness or suppleness.

One can also try out some simple remedies at home to overcome the problem of dry skin and make your skin look pretty, soft and supple.

The absence of moisture in the outer skin is the reason for skin dryness. You can consider giving your skin a milk bath. Milk contains the lactic acid, which exfoliates the dead cells of the skin and also helps in increasing the ability of the skin to hold in moist conditions. While giving your skin a milk bath, please ensure that you rinse off the milk gently such that some of the lactic acid stays on in the skin.

In order to maintain the moisture in the skin and not allow it to dry, it is essential that you drink at least eight glasses of water every day, wherein each glass contains 250 ml of water. You can also replace water with either herbal tea or juices, duly ensuring that alcohol or caffeine are included. Stay away from alcohol.

You can also consider taking foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, because these fatty acids help in keeping the membranes in skin-cells healthier. Consuming fatty acids in other forms such as walnuts, flaxseeds and avocados also help you keep the skin soft and supple.

Including good amount of vitamins and minerals in your food intake also ensures that your skin stays soft and smooth. It has been found that vitamin B and vitamin C are very effective in maintaining the skin in a healthy manner. You can also consider consuming a multi-vitamin tablet, available in pharmacies, that will not only help you stay fit and healthy, but also keep your skin smooth and soft and does not allow it to dry.

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Every living being in this universe needs the required energy to live. The primary source of energy for sustenance comes primarily from the food we eat and the activities we take to keep ourselves fit, hale and healthy.

We get energy to our body through the means of calories that are contained in the food we consume. Without these calories, our body does not get the vital energy to do our daily routine activities and keep good health. Some people lament that they are either obese or underweight. If you intake more calories and do not burn them off through regular activities, then you are prone to become obese. Similarly, if you are underweight, then you are not taking enough calories that your body needs on a daily basis. Thus, the intake of calories in right quantities and effective burning of the calories is essential for a person to maintain a good strong body that is not only healthy, but also slim and beautiful.

If you feel that your body is underweight, or else, you need to have more energy to do activities, then all you need to do is increase the calorie content in your food. According to nutritional experts, one gram of carbohydrate you consume gives you 4 calories, one gram of protein also gives you 4 calories, and one gram of fat gives you 9 calories. Though the calorie content in fat is more and is one of the reasons for obesity, the more you burn the calories, there is no fear that you can become obese by taking more fat. The key is more in burning the calories and not much of a concern eating more calories.

How can you increase the calorie content in food intake?

The following ten suggestions might be of immense use to you:

a.It is advisable to eat well-balanced meals, which includes the right content of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and fat, at least three times a day, of which one should be a good breakfast. Eating snacks at frequent intervals throughout the day will also ensure that you take more calories.

b.You can take delicious soups such as cream soup, lentil soup or minestrone at frequent intervals. You can also try making your own canned soup using milk instead of water and also add a little bit of cheese to the soup.

c.You can try eating more amounts of cereals filled with nuts and fruits. Prefer using milk instead of water while cooking cereals.

d.Adding a little amount of powdered milk to mashed potatoes, and baked foods is also desirable.

e.Milk, as you know, is a good source for calories and protein. You can add a little amount of milk powder to your glass of regular milk

f.You can try eating more dry fruits such as dates, dried apricots and raisins, which have high calorie content.

g.Add some cheese or sunflower seeds to salads to increase the calorie content, because salads have low calorie content, and adding cheese will increase the calorie content.

h.Use more of nuts as snack foods because the fat content in nuts is more and each gram of fat gives you more calories – more than twice compared to proteins and carbohydrates.

i.You can also consider eating more desserts and ice creams that not only have more nutritional value but also high calorie content.

j.Do not take supplements that claim to add weight; instead, have a positive attitude and also ensure that you burn a good amount of calories you take. Otherwise, you may end up obese in your attempt to put on weight.

Following these suggestions might help you add more calories and gain more energy. It is up to you to effectively use your extra energy and burn the extra calories to have a healthy body.

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