Tips to Sleep Well
1. Do not sleep less than six hours or more than eight hours
2.
Use an alarm clock to ensure that adults do not
sleep for more than eight hours and children, not more than eight to ten hours
per day.
3.
Hide the bedroom clock though – it causes
anxiety
4.
Humans are creatures of habit and we have
regular schedules for sleep, work and play. Our body works best with regular
schedules. Preferably go to bed and get up at the same time each day
5.
Do not nap during the day
6.
For sleep deprived persons light exercise as
yoga or a walk in the evening is helpful for sleep.
7.
Ensure that pain, illness and obesity issue are
addressed-these hamper sleep, along with anxiety and hyperactivity.
8.
The body can barely sleep if the digestion
system is working on full furnace. A light meal low of fat and spices is best. Remember
that the best night cap you can have is a glass of warm milk.
9.
Deep breathing or simply reading a book or
listening to soft music reduces the brain waves and induces sleep.
10.
Stimulate like caffeine, alcohol, smoking, TV
and non prescribed medication are not helpful. Sleep if any, when it comes
after ingesting stimulants will be shallow and restless.
11.
The bedroom you sleep in should be suitably dark
and silent. The room should not be too warm or too cold either.
12.
The bed should be appropriately comfortable, to
be used only for sleeping.
Eat, drink, stay fit!
Is this your ultimate dream: to love food, enjoy it, and
still remain fit and healthy? For most of us, that’s what it remains: a dream.
I always been passionate
about food and fitness. Even the most intelligent and perceptive amongst us are
convinced that these two passions cannot coexist together. “You do not look
like a food critic,” I am told, as though I have to look like a samosa or cream-puff to look like food critic.
The truth of the matter is that I am passionate about food,
it excites me! I cannot resist sinful desserts. Or chocolate. I love restaurants and eat out all
the time. I am passionate about fitness and health too because that is what
enables me to respond with all my senses to food. And so I’ve developed an
endless appetite for finding out more about how to eat my way to health.
Through the years I have been struggling to make it a
reality. It becomes tougher, since I eat for a living. In other words I live to
eat and stay fit.
Nutritionist, heart specialists, ayurvedacharyas,
oncologists, naturopaths, homeopaths …. Said a great and simple one that it’s
not just about what you eat but also about How you eat. The great news is that
it is easy, fun and delicious.
The Appetite
Mechanism
Did you know that bad eating habits don’t just mean calorific
and junk food but also being out of harmony with the way you eat? Ever wondered why eating and emotions are
linked?
Our appetite is coordinated in an area called the
hypothalamus and it is this area, which controls a lot of our emotions. The feeding
centre is divided into ‘hunger’ and ‘fullness’ centres. The number of signals
reaching these centers dictates whether
you feel hungery or full. ?It’s important to feel pleasantly full after a meal,
because you are less likely to bringe in between. Basically, you need to get
tuned in to the ‘satiety’ value of eating. These ‘satiety’ signals are sent
back in different stages.
Chewing:
Most of them doesn’t know that why they should
chew their food well and slowly. Sure,
it helps in the production of saliva and digestion, but what it also does is
send signals of satiety to the brain. So, the more you chew, the more time you
take over eating, the greater the perception of satiety. This is because within
the jaw are stretch receptors which respond when you chew.
Exciting the taste
buds:
Foods that turn you on are called organoleptic foods, which
smell, look, taste and feel good in the mouth. The great news is that organoleptic
foods are actually good for you. They register satisfaction quicker and they
increase the production of saliva and digestive jucies. If you exciting
flavours, varying temperatures and textures within a meal, your mouth has a far
greater opportunity to send satiety signals.
Lifting the arm:
It may sound really,
strange, but the more you arm to eat, the greater will be the feeling of
fullness. That’s because you give your brain the time and the chance to
register those signals.
Trust your stomach:
Within the stomach wall are stretch receptors, which send
signals of fullness to your brain when there is food in your stomach. When you
eat sugary’ refined or fatty food they pass through your stomach quickly and
satiety signals are not sent back to the brain. So, you tend to eat a lot more
than you actually need to. But, when you
eat high-fibers food (fruits, vegetables,whole grains) they stay in the stomach
longer and send satiety signals to the brain. So, taste almost everything, but
concentrate on the high-fibre foods.
Food and mood:
It might help to know that it’s
not just alcohol which is a mood-altering substances. Our every day food does
effect our moods too. Within the brain, Chemicals help transmit messages from
one nerve cell to another. There are two moods-serotonin and norepinephrine.
The body makes these particular endorphins from the food we eat and therefore,
we can, to a certain extent raise the level of these substances in the brain by
eating specific foods. The main source of these endorphins is sugary,
carbohydrate-rich food. This explains why many of us feel happy when we eat chocolates
and sweets. The problem, however, with eating too much of these is that sugary
foods are absorbed rapidly into the blood. And though this causes a serotonin
rush, it is broken down rapidly and eventually leads to a drop in blood sugar
and endorphin levels. So, such foods can leave you feeling even lower than before. On the other hands,
naturals sugars give you a steady high.
Feeling low and depressed is also linked to deficiencies in
vitamins and minerals and therefore, to improper eating. A huge database of
research points in the direction of eating right and light. So, for the sake if your mood, it is best to stick
to natural sugars and natural starches. Natural sugars are found in fruits and
veggies (as opposed to refined sugars in honey,
cakes etc.) and naturals starches occur
in whole grains, brown rice, beans, fruits and veggies ( as opposed to refined
starches in white bread, pastas etc.). These naturals foods keep you clear-eyed
and energetic. The reason? They release
energy at a slower steadier pace, do not slow down your metabolism and
so don’t end up channelizing the blood supply away from your brain. In other words,
they keep you feeling fresh and in a good mood. Naturally!
Tips to avoid overeating:
1)
Start
with a salad/soup
2)
Eat
small meals at regular intervals (never starve)
3)
Never
eat in a hurry
4)
Concentrate
on what goes in as it’s bound to show outside
5)
Love
what you eat and ‘be’ware
6)Try not to eat alone (company makes you
conscious)
Why is Water Good for You?
Water comprises approximately 70 percent of the human body mass. It is a crucial component of metabolic processes and detoxifies the system. It also serves as a solvent for many bodily solutes.
The human body tends to lose water quite easily everyday - through breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For the body to function properly, it is important to compensate for the water lost by consuming beverages and water based foods.
Weight Loss
Replacing high calorie drinks (like fruit juices, alcohol, soft drinks) with water helps in reducing your caloric intake and results in weight loss. Since water is a Zero calorie drink, drinking plenty of it will enable weight loss. Also drink a glass of water before having your meal, as it tends to reduce your appetite.
Energy
Even 5-7 percent of dehydration can make you feel very weak and cause muscle and leg cramping. If you find your energy low on certain days, try increasing your water intake, it will help you feel better.
Urinary Tract Infection
People who drink 2-3 liters of water a day seldom suffer from UTI and those who have it, can prevent a recurrence by increasing their water intake.
Kidney Stones
Water is the best remedy for kidney stones. Drinking 3-4 liters of water can help prevent kidney stones, especially in those with a genetic predisposition.
Headaches
Did you know that drinking less water can cause headaches? Water helps to wash away the by-products of metabolism and toxins which may cause headaches.
Healthy Skin
Water detoxifies the system and lends a healthy skin. Drinking 3-4 liters of water even for a week can have good effects on your skin.
When you lose more fluids than you consume. it leads to dehydration. Thirst, drinking lips, headache, smelly urine, and low blood pressure or flushed skin are some common symptoms of dehydration.
How much water should you drink?
Water= your weight (in kg) multiplied by 0.033. So, if you are 60 kg, you should drink about 2 litres of water every day.
Replacing high calorie drinks (like fruit juices, alcohol, soft drinks) with water helps in reducing your caloric intake and results in weight loss. Since water is a Zero calorie drink, drinking plenty of it will enable weight loss. Also drink a glass of water before having your meal, as it tends to reduce your appetite.
Energy
Even 5-7 percent of dehydration can make you feel very weak and cause muscle and leg cramping. If you find your energy low on certain days, try increasing your water intake, it will help you feel better.
Urinary Tract Infection
People who drink 2-3 liters of water a day seldom suffer from UTI and those who have it, can prevent a recurrence by increasing their water intake.
Kidney Stones
Water is the best remedy for kidney stones. Drinking 3-4 liters of water can help prevent kidney stones, especially in those with a genetic predisposition.
Headaches
Did you know that drinking less water can cause headaches? Water helps to wash away the by-products of metabolism and toxins which may cause headaches.
Healthy Skin
Water detoxifies the system and lends a healthy skin. Drinking 3-4 liters of water even for a week can have good effects on your skin.
When you lose more fluids than you consume. it leads to dehydration. Thirst, drinking lips, headache, smelly urine, and low blood pressure or flushed skin are some common symptoms of dehydration.
How much water should you drink?
Water= your weight (in kg) multiplied by 0.033. So, if you are 60 kg, you should drink about 2 litres of water every day.
Tips to stay Hydrated
1) Drink water when you wake up in morning
2) Always carry juice or water when out of home, either to office or shopping
3) Keep the body hydrated by drinking before, during and after you workout (drinking water every 15 minutes of exercise is advised)
4) Keep drinking water before getting thirsty for it
5) Limit caffeinated and sugary beverages-caffeine acts as a diuretic and can cause fluid loss more quicly; the fructose or natural sugars in fruit juices contain extra calories and can slow the body's ability to absorb fluids
6) Monitor your dluid intake
7) Packing ready-to-eat fruits in seal able lastic bags can be a great way to restore fluids and vitamins, especially when outdoors.
8) Always sleep with a bottle of glass or water by your bedside.
1) Drink water when you wake up in morning
2) Always carry juice or water when out of home, either to office or shopping
3) Keep the body hydrated by drinking before, during and after you workout (drinking water every 15 minutes of exercise is advised)
4) Keep drinking water before getting thirsty for it
5) Limit caffeinated and sugary beverages-caffeine acts as a diuretic and can cause fluid loss more quicly; the fructose or natural sugars in fruit juices contain extra calories and can slow the body's ability to absorb fluids
6) Monitor your dluid intake
7) Packing ready-to-eat fruits in seal able lastic bags can be a great way to restore fluids and vitamins, especially when outdoors.
8) Always sleep with a bottle of glass or water by your bedside.
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