Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Pot Belly


Belly basics

Studies have shown that a pot belly surfaces due to four reasons — genetics, food, stress and hormones. Heredity plays a key role in how easily you will grow one. You may be genetically predisposed to pile on kilos on your upper body (stomach) or lower body (hips, buttocks and legs). Your waist-to-hip ratio and the absolute waist circumference determine the severity of central obesity. Scientists maintain that our bodies weren't ever equipped to handle the calorie-heavy, over processed foods that are commonplace today. While potbellies, also known as beer bellies, are usually believed to be a result of drinking, sugar is also a culprit.

A pot-bellied person may be eating too many simple carbohydrates, such as those found in processed sugary foods, which, when not burnt, turn into fat. Stress from a bad workplace, an unhappy relationship or a difficult academic life triggers our bodies to produce high levels of cortisol, which drives up our appetite and makes us overeat, the fat again seeking shelter in our abs. Indian men have higher concentration of this enzyme in the abdomen and hence are pot-bellied." Besides, with age, a fall in sex hormones also causes men and women to develop a paunch.

Bust it 

There's more bad news. It's next to impossible to actually target and spot-bust fat pockets. Crunches, for instance, tone the back and ab muscles and yet do little to burn the belly fat.

However, the upshot is that since visceral fat is metabolically active, it's the first type to burn off if you exercise regularly. If you can't find the time or inclination to work out, using stairs instead of elevators and getting off the bus one stop earlier and walking it up are simple ways to keep your fat meter in check. Studies show you can lose weight four times quicker by adding light bursts of exercise — up to 30 minutes in total — into your daily schedule.

Food wise

Even a small change can make a big difference in losing, maintaining or gaining weight on the stomach. So ditch the junk for a fruit when you feel like snacking.

Lesser-known foods that fight visceral fat are beans and spinach, as they make you feel full. Adding a dash of turmeric to your food fights fat and so does sprinkling some cinnamon, black pepper and mustard. Stay away from diets as they play havoc with the metabolism and the reduced caloric intake propels it to go into starvation mode.
With men, the first invitation to a pot belly is drinking, especially whiskey and beer which are notorious for storing fat. Eating late or binge-eating with alcohol help the paunch grow.

Also, 80 per cent of Indians have irritable bowel syndrome and many develop stress-related constipation and bloated stomach due to either eating the wrong food or at the wrong time or both. Eat more veggies, fruit and probiotic curds to stay light. Don't overindulge and give the carbs a miss at night. Instead, eat small meals every two hours, six-seven times a day.

Spot reduction or specific exercises can't help you get rid of pot bellies. But for those who can't take time out for work outs, swimming for 30 to 45 minutes helps a lot as do skipping or jogging for 20 minutes. Once the body is warmed up after, say a run, sit-ups, legraises and crunches for at least 50 counts will discipline the belly and the body as well.


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Acidity

We have all suffered from acidity at some point in our lives. With our busy work schedules, we sometimes fail to eat anything throughout the day. Sometimes we only eat two meals a day, and at other times we simply skip these meals. But, our bad eating habits can cause acidity.

Your stomach normally secretes acid that is essential for the digestive process. This acid helps in breaking down the food during digestion. Your stomach keeps secreting juices to digest food and when it does not get any food to act on it acts on the stomach lining, which causes acidity.


Some common causes of acidity are: 

  1. Eating fast food regularly
  2. Addiction to caffeine
  3. Smoking
  4. Too much alcohol consumption
  5. Leaving too much of a gap in-between meals

Some Symptoms of acidity are:


Some easy remedies: 

√ Have a glass of lukewarm water every day.
√ Jaggery (gur), lemon, banana, almonds and yogurt (curd) are all known to give you instant relief 
√ Coconut Water is known to soothe the system if you suffer from acidity.
√ Boil some mint or basil (tulsi) leaves in water and have a glass of this after meals.
√ Include bananas, watermelons and cucumbers in your daily diet.
√ Sucking on a piece of clove is another effective remedy.
√ Besides, trying to correct the cause, avoid excessive intake of caffeine
 and alcohol.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Thyroid Tonic




Ingredients:
- 1 cucumber    
- 5 stalks celery      
- 5 carrots   
- 1 cup young  coconut water     
- 1 lemon
Juice the above ingredients, and add coconut water last! 
Enjoy!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Cough recovery @ home


Cough Treatment Using Grapes

Grapes are one of the most effective home remedies for the treatment of a cough. Grapes tone up the lungs and act as an expectorant, relieving a simple cold and cough in a couple of days. A cup of grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey is advised for cough relief.

Cough Treatment Using Almonds

Almonds are useful for dry coughs. Seven kernels should be soaked in water overnight and the brown skin removed. They should then be ground well to form a fine paste. A quantity of twenty grams each of butter and sugar should then be added to the paste. This paste should be taken in the morning and evening.

Cough Treatment Using Onion

The use of raw onion is valuable in a cough. This vegetable should be chopped fine and the juice extracted from it. One teaspoon of the juice should then be mixed with one teaspoon of honey and kept for four or five hours-it will make an excellent cough syrup and should be taken twice daily. Onions are also useful in removing phlegm. A medium-sized onion should be crushed, the juice of one lemon added to it, and then one cup of boiling water poured on it. A teaspoon of honey can be added for taste. This remedy should be taken two or three times a day.

Cough Treatment Using Turmeric

The root of the turmeric plant is useful in a dry cough. The root should he roasted and powdered. This powder should be taken in three gram doses twice daily, in the morning and evening.
Cough Treatment Using Belleric Myroblan

The herb belleric myroblan is a household remedy for a cough. A mixture comprising two grams of the pulp of the fruit, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of long pepper, and 2 teaspoons of honey should be administered for the treatment of this condition twice daily. The dried fruit covered with wheat flour and roasted , is another popular remedy for cough condition.

Cough Treatment Using Raisins

A sauce prepared from raisins is also useful in a cough. This sauce is prepared by grinding 100 gm of raisins with water. About 100 gm of sugar should be mixed with it and the mixture heated. When the mixture acquires a sauce-like consistency, it should be preserved. Twenty grams should be taken at bedtime daily.

Cough Treatment Using Aniseed

Aniseed is another effective remedy for a hard dry cough with difficult expectoration. It breaks up the mucus. A tea made from this spice should be taken regularly for treating this condition.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Water Therapy



It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:
Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT
  1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water
  2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes
  3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal..
  4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours
  5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.
  6. According to the Japanese Medical Society, the above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and promote a healthy life
The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:
  • High Blood Pressure - 30 days
  • Gastric - 10 days
  • Diabetes - 30 days
  • Constipation - 10 days
  • Cancer - 180 days
  • TB - 90 days
  • Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards - daily
This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.
The Japanese Medical Society recommends making this procedure an ongoing and routine part of our daily life.
They say: "Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active!"

This makes sense ... the Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating! Nothing to lose, everything to gain...
For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.


--- Reported by a Japanese Medical Society

Friday, April 26, 2013

Healthy Diet for £15 / 23 USD a week

The recommended daily intake of calories - 2,500 for a man and 2,000 for a woman.  Also need to cook at home, partly to avoid the 20% VAT added to takeaways and eating out.


Source : BBC 

With careful planning, an adult could spend as little as £12 per week on a healthy, balanced diet, says Tom Sanders, a professor of nutrition at Kings College London.
Filling up on starchy foods and cheap fruit and vegetables is key. Think lots of baked potatoes, hearty soups and pasta bakes.

SOURCE OF BELOW IMAGE : RATIOS BROADLY BASED ON THE EATWELL PLATE(NHS). PRICES AS ADVERTISED ON ASDA, SAINSBURY'S AND TESCO WEBSITES

Courtesy :BBC News Magazine