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Loneliness, A Health Hazard

Loneliness is a state of mind. A state of mind in which people feel empty and unwanted. People who are lonely often want to interact with people or make human contact, but their state of mind makes it more difficult to form connections with other people.

There are two different kinds of loneliness: subjective and objective. Objective loneliness is when a person experiences a physical state of being alone or socially isolated. While subjective loneliness, on the other hand, refers to the feeling of being alone — even though you are not actually alone. It’s an emotional rather than physical state of mind.

Loneliness can harm a person’s state of mind to the extent that it may cause damage to one’s mental and physical health. Studies show that social isolation and loneliness increase the flow of stress hormones.When a person is lonely they produce stress hormones. As a result, this can affect how you feel and can affect your brain’s ability to control behaviour and body functions.

Some of the causes of loneliness are-

* Depression and suicide

* Cardiovascular disease and stroke

* Increased stress levels

* Decreased memory and learning

* Antisocial behavior

* Poor decision-making

* Alcoholism and drug abuse

* The progression of Alzheimer’s disease

* Altered brain function

What can cause loneliness?

Loneliness can be caused by a failure to communicate, engage in discourse and be committed to each other and the community. James J. Lynch coined the term ‘toxic talk’. According to him it is the destruction of self-esteem that leads to loneliness. Criticism, negativity, lack of praise, lack of warm feeling, rejection and other factors that increase alienation and distance between people characterize toxic talk.

How do you cope from being lonely?

Understand that loneliness is a sign that something needs to change.
Understand how it affects your life – both physically and mentally.
Consider doing activities that you enjoy. These situations present great opportunities to meet people and cultivate new friendships and social interactions.
Focus on developing quality relationships with people who share similar attitudes, interests and values like you.
Focus on positive thoughts and attitudes in your social relationships and try to nurture them.

You won’t be able to cure all your health issues by spending time with others, but making sure you have a healthy social circle may help. And if these health symptoms persist, speaking with your doctor or a therapist for help.

References:

https://www.thisisinsider.com/effects-loneliness-health-2018-6#it-might-lead-to-more-unhealthy-behaviors-10

Our Guide to the Perfect Gym Wardrobe

Although the gym isn’t exactly as glamorous as a fashion show, it’s still important to look good. Because, when you look good, you feel good! Wearing comfortable clothing that makes you feel confident and also lets you move around easily to help you feel good about your workouts and maybe even keep you a bit more motivated.

If you’re currently working out, follow these pro-tips to increase your comfort level when you go to the gym.

What to Wear to the Gym – How to Look and Feel Your Best while Working out

Your gym clothes should allow you to feel dry, comfortable, and confident.
Wear clothes that let you move freely without constricting you in any way.
Wear clothing made of synthetic material such as nylon, acrylic, or polypropylene that will give you a good balance of comfort and flexibility.
Cotton is probably the most best and common workout fabric, as it is reasonably priced, breathable, and comfortable.
Depending on the climate, a fitted t-shirt or tank top with comfortable pants or gym shorts are ideal clothing options for the gym.

Here are some more tips to help you look and feel great at the gym:

Training shoes-

Before deciding on a shoe, it’s important that you try on a few until you find the one that feels just right. Test out your gym shoes before buying them by walking around in the store and jumping up and down.

Socks-

Choose white or grey socks as they reflect sunlight and allow your feet to breathe. Socks made from acrylic or an acrylic blend can be worn.

Sports Bras-

A good sports bra can provide support and minimize excessive movement, but make sure they are comfortable and allow you to breathe easily.

Music-

Bringing an iPod with some of your favorite songs is a great way to motivate yourself at the gym.

Healthy woman exercising while using technology

Water Bottle-

It’s important that you stay hydrated throughout the day, and it’s essential that during and after your workouts, you drink plenty of water.

Gym Bag-

Carry a gym bag that’s big enough to carry everything you need at the gym, but small enough to fit in your locker.

We hope you now understand how what you wear to the gym 100% affects your performance. After all, people don’t say “dress for success” for nothing! So, bring your best-self to your next workout session!

References:

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19962221/what-not-to-wear-to-the-gym/

Do Potatoes Deserve their Bad Rap?

What do the following delicious foods have in common?:

French fries
Hash browns
Au Gratin

Yes, that’s right—they’re all made out of potatoes, the world’s favourite food!

Unfortunately, potatoes don’t have the best reputation for being that healthy, and with all that starch content, you can’t help but wonder how many calories you’re consuming. Well, let us put your mind at ease: Potatoes aren’t all that bad.

A potato’s calorie count depends on the variety and size of the potato. To get an idea, here’s what you get in a medium potato:

Calories: 168

Fat: 0.2 g (0 g sat fat)

Carbohydrates: 38 g

Sodium: 11 mg

Sugar: 1 g

Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 5 g

So, do potatoes deserve their bad rap?

The short version? No. “Potatoes are a rich source of many important nutrients. Potatoes contain high amounts of keto-acids, which once digested are converted into amino acids (the breakdown product of protein). They are a great form of energy for the heart and brain when they are in form of keto acids. Potatoes and milk have a similar protein content making them a great source of extra protein, especially for those on a vegetarian or vegan diet.

One medium potato contains 70% of your daily recommended vitamin C, 30% of your daily recommended Vitamin B-6, and 25 percent of your daily recommended potassium.

Also: Potatoes are one of the most affordable vegetables!

How can I cook potatoes healthier?

Baking a potato with the skin adds no extra fat or calories. Serve baked or boiled potatoes with plain, non-fat flavoured yogurt, salsa dip or fresh herbs, instead of cheese, sour cream and chilli. If you enjoy french fries or potato wedges, baking is another healthy alternative. Bake it at 450-degree for 15-20 minutes, turning it once to ensure browning on all sides.

The takeaway

So, invite the humble potato to your dining table on a regular basis and help regulate your digestion, contribute to feelings of satisfaction and potentially lower your cholesterol.

References:
http://www.seven-health.com/2013/10/an-ode-to-the-potato/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/428223-how-to-cook-raw-carrots-in-the-microwave/

4 Ways to help our Elderly Loved-Ones age Independently!

Many of us would definitely prefer that our elderly loved-ones stay in our homes to ensure they are well taken care of and properly cared for. Nevertheless, this situation can become very stressful for the family as leaving an aging parent home alone can pose a major issue if anything goes wrong. With that said, we all know some elderly people would want to live independently and today’s technology is striving to make that choice easier by providing families peace of mind so their elderly loved ones can age independently.

A senior Indian couple sharing a laugh together

Even with a good retirement plan, two-thirds of older adults still need some form of assistance to go about their daily lives. If you want to ensure that they live comfortably, here are four things to consider when elderly parents choose to live home alone:

Essential Needs Delivered to the Door

To make things a bit simpler, efficient and work-from-home friendly, consider online grocery shopping to help your loved-ones reduce the physical stress of standing in line at the local market store.

Consider showing them how to grocery shop online so they feel more independent, or if they are not comfortable with this, place the order yourself and simply request that it be delivered to their door.

Prepare their home

To properly prepare a home for aging parents,we recommend you recognize when and where common needs or hazards may arise. These include key areas like the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Some simple changes you can make are: Installing bathroom rails which will help them walk through the house and avoid unexpected slips and falls, lowering shelves in the pantry so they can easily access items, adding more lighting and removing floor hazards.

Ensuring Health Care Measures

Stay in touch with the doctor, pharmacist and/or nurse of an elderly loved one. You can provide an extra hand in encouraging them to be proactive in the maintenance of their health. It is very important for you to understand their medical needs, including how frequently doctors’ appointments should occur. Mobile health tools that remind patients to take their medicine can be used or calendar apps to track and anticipate upcoming doctors’ appointments are very helpful.

4. Addressing emotional needs

Meaningful emotional contact is important for an aging parent — even simple gestures, like having others listen and share words of encouragement can positively influence their morale. With the vast popularity of elderly mobile smartphone owners, almost seven out of ten seniors own a mobile. Use video chat to make visual communication possible if you live or travel outside the region. Even if an initial training session is required, using this technology to see each other’s faces will be worth the effort.

The Takeaway

Today’s healthy seniors have new resources to make life easier as they continue enjoying the freedom of living independently. With today’s technological innovations to the way we communicate with each other, not only can the elderly can have the confidence they need to live independently, but their caregivers can too.

How Long Does It Take to Digest Food? All About Digestion

A good meal that looks delightful and tastes amazing is worth indulging in. But we have a tendency to consume more than what our body can digest easily.

Have you ever thought how long the digestion process can take?

In general, food takes twenty four to seventy two hours to move through your gastrointestinal tract. The precise time depends on the amount and kinds of foods you’ve eaten . The digestion speed additionally depends on factors like your gender, metabolism, and whether or not you have got any digestive problems that might slow down or speed up the method.

What happens throughout digestion?

As you chew, glands in your mouth secrete saliva. When you swallow, the food moves down your food pipe- oesophagus that connects your mouth to your stomach. When acids in your stomach break down the food even more, then the mixture moves to your small intestine. In your small intestine, your pancreas and liver help break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
The undigested part that remains moves on to your large intestine.

The large intestine absorbs any leftover nutrients from the food. The rest becomes solid waste.

Tips for better digestion

Eat a lot of greens, fruit, and whole grains
Limit meat and processed foods
Exercise daily
Manage stress
Get lots of sleep

The takeaway

You might not think much about your digestive system on a daily basis nonetheless you’ll understand once it’s not working optimally if uncomfortable symptoms like gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea occur.

Watch what you eat and keep active to keep your digestion smooth and feel your best.

References:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/digestive-system/expert-answers/faq-20058340https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-it-take-to-digest-food

A Beginner’s Guide on How to Build your own Workout Routine

Building your own workout routine can make fitness more fun, personal and specific to your fitness goals.

There are some kinds of exercises you can totally get on board with, and others that you quite simply hate. When that’s the case, it’s usually more productive to set your own fitness goals.

So, how do build your own routine?

Where do you start?

The most important questions you should ask yourself are:

What are you doing now?
Are you happy with what you are doing?
Are you improving?

If you find yourself giving negative answers to any of these questions, something needs to change.

The next step is to ask yourself:

What are your fitness goals?
What aren’t you happy with in your current workout routine?
How much time do you have for exercise?

Once you’ve identified the answers to these questions, you can start forming a plan. What you need to do when building your own workout routine is to throw it all out of the window—keep the good stuff, and use it as a basis for change!

What basics should you include?

Aerobic Fitness
Aerobic activity helps train your muscles, but only to make them better at the activity you’re doing; it won’t, for example, help you build bigger muscles.

Aerobic activity doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go to an aerobics class. Walking and jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, gardening and cleaning can all be aerobic fitness activities, providing you do them vigorously enough to make you warm and a little out of breath.

Strength training
This type of training, also called resistance training, is more about specific muscle groups, and how much load they’re able to handle. Strength training can also help to improve bone strength. Exercises such as push ups, lunges, squats, jumping jacks, planks, etc. can be performed.

Muscle Endurance
Muscle endurance is about how long a muscle is able to keep working until fatigue sets in, and can also help sculpt your muscles. Exercises such as squat thrusters, reverse lunges with your knee-up, long jump, burpees, frog squat jump, etc. can be included.

Core Stability Work
Exercises that work the core muscles require the use of your torso without support. A few exercises include planks and bridging; there are lots of different core stability exercises that can be done using a gym ball too. Abdominal crunches and side planks can be practiced.

Putting it all together

It is recommended by experts that for most adults with good general health need around 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, OR a combination of the two over the course of one week.

This can be broken up into as little as 10 minute sessions, which makes fitting exercise into a busy lifestyle more manageable.

The Final Word

So make sure to include a mix of activities such as aerobic work, muscle strength training, core stability activities, balance and flexibility. All of these components add up to a well-balanced workout routine.

Consider which fitness components your exercise regime covers, then make a list of the components not covered, and add in extra activities to meet these needs…and voila—you’ve created a well-rounded personalized workout routine!

Reference:
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/how-to-build-your-own-workout-routine/

How to Calm Night-Time Cough?

It happens to everyone – that annoying sensation in your throat that starts as a tickle and develops into a hacking cough just as you’re trying to fall asleep, or in the middle of the night.

One of the reasons why this could happen is because coughing is the body’s processes of ridding your lungs and airways of irritants such as mucus, microbes, and pollutants.

Lucky for you, we have some easy remedies that can be tried at home to help you stop your night-time coughs:

1. Incline the head of your bed

It’s easier for irritants to make their way to your throat and trigger coughing when you’re lying down. Try propping up some pillows to raise your head as this will most likely help reduce your cough.

2. Add honey to a warm drink

Honey in a warm drink can do wonders in clearing your throat. Mix two teaspoons of honey in warm water or herbal tea and drink before going to bed.

3. Allergy-proof your bedroom

When your immune system overreacts to an allergen, allergy symptoms such as coughing can occur. Dust allergy is a common cause of cough, especially at night as you’re exposed to dust mites on your bedding.

Here are some strategies to mite-proof your bedroom:

Use allergy covers for pillow cases and mattresses to reduce and prevent dust mites
Wash bedding in warm water at least once a week
Avoid letting pets on your bed or in your bedroom

What to do when coughing is severe?

Most coughs gradually go away on their own, but severe nighttime coughing may be a sign of a serious condition. Get medical help if you cough is severe and is you experience

Trouble breathing
Choking sensations
Swelling in your legs or abdomen
Wheezing
A cough that has lasted more than 3 weeks
A fever of 100˚F (38˚C) or above

There are different methods and lifestyle changes you can try to relieve or prevent nighttime coughing. Hope these remedies will help you soothe your ticklish throat.

References:

https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/nighttime-relief#1

Are you in a codependent relationship?

Do you find yourself making lots of sacrifices for your partner’s happiness, but feel that your partner doesn’t do the same?

If this kind of one-sided pattern sounds like yours, you may be in a codependent relationship. But don’t worry, there are lots of ways to fix a codependent relationship to get your relationship back on track.

What is a codependent relationship?

Experts say it’s a behavioural pattern in which you find yourself dependent on approval from someone else for your self-worth and identity. One key sign is when you feel that your life’s purpose wraps around making extreme sacrifices to satisfy your partner’s needs, or when one or both parties are dependant on each other for fulfilment.

How to find out if you’re in a Codependent Relationship

These signs may mean that you might be in a codependent relationship:

If you are unable to find satisfaction in your life outside of your partner
If you recognize unhealthy behaviors in your partner and yet stay with him or her
If you are supporting your partner at the cost of your own mental, emotional, and physical health
If you try to avoid arguments

If you find these signs in your relationship, you need to find a way and save your relationship for it to sustain in the long run.

Impact of a Codependent Relationship

Giving up your own needs and identity to meet the needs of a partner has unhealthy short-term and long-term consequences.

There is a possibility that you can become burned out, exhausted, and begin to neglect other important relationships. If you encourage a codependent relationship, it means that you are promoting the other person’s dysfunctions when in fact, you can prevent them from learning common and basic life lessons.

How to Fix a Codependent Relationship

To fix a codependent relationship, it’s important to set boundaries and find happiness as an individual. It is advisable that partners talk about and set relationship goals that satisfy the both of them.

It’s also important to spend time with relatives, friends, and family to broaden the circle of support, and find hobbies of your own. Separation from each other for certain periods of time will help create a healthy dependence on one another.

You’ll know you’re on track when you feel you are adopting the following traits:

Nurture your own needs and desires that will help you develop a connection to your inner world.
See yourself as independent, smart, and capable.
Say goodbye to unhealthy behaviour.

Awareness, change, and growth are necessary for you and for your partner to overcome unhealthy relationship habits.

References:
https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/signs-of-a-codependent-relationship#1

Super Healthy Seeds You Should Eat Daily!

Seeds are packed with nutrients and have a myriad list of health benefits to offer. They also hold healthy monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and other essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. You can incorporate small amounts of seeds in your diet to enjoy their health benefits by adding it to your daily food consumption.

Chia seeds-

These are best known as a super food, and with good reason. Just 2 tablespoons have nearly 10 grams of fiber.

How to serve-
Grind them in a blender and use the crunchy chia seeds as a topping for yogurt or vegetables. To get them to soften, soak them in a liquid, such as juice or almond milk and use them as a smart topping for your pudding.

Pomegranate seeds-

Also known as arils, these are the red ,sweet, jewel-like beads you strip from the inside of the fruit. They contain vitamin C and antioxidants. They will make a good light snack as a full cup of pomegranate seeds has fewer than 150 calories.

How to serve-
Toss it in a salad or a whole-grain dish, they add a juicy pop of flavor and color to your dinner plate.

Quinoa-

Quinoa has got you covered if you’re looking for healthy sources of protein. It cooks like rice and can fill in for pasta and other grains in many of your favorite dishes.

How to serve-
You can also use it as a gluten-free breading for dishes like chicken fingers. Instead of oatmeal for a breakfast porridge, make a batch of quinoa and kick start your day with more protein, fiber, and iron.

Flax seeds-

We have been consuming these for good health since as far back as 9,000 B.C. If you don’t consume fish, adding flax to your diet can compensate and help you get omega-3 fatty acids – the healthy fats that are good for your heart. When the seeds are ground into flax meal, they may help lower blood pressure and they also give a good dose of fibre.

How to serve-
Flax has a nice, nutty flavor. You can add a scoop to your oatmeal, pancake batter, or salads.
The Bottom Line

Seeds are a great source of healthy fats, vegetarian protein, fibre and antioxidant polyphenols. They are extremely easy to add to salads, yoghurt, oatmeal and smoothies, and can be an easy way to add healthy nutrients to your diet.

References:
https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-seeds-healthy-diet

Cupping Therapy | Everything you need to know

According to Chinese tradition, cupping therapy is believed to restore the “qi” (pronounced “chi”) or life energy, and therefore, help the body heal. Cupping has also been practised for thousands of years among cultures throughout the Middle East and many other parts of the world.

In the recent past, this form of therapy has been popularised by athletes and celebrities who seem to swear by this method. So, let’s dig in and find out how much of it is factual.

What is Cupping Therapy?

“A therapeutic method involving the application of suction by placing a vacuumized cup or a jar onto the affected or any part of the body surface”

This is the official definition of cupping therapy, which falls under the traditional medicine bracket, as per the World Health Organization.

What are the principles of Cupping Therapy?

During cupping therapy, hot cups are placed on the skin to concentrate blood in certain areas of the body to suck out impurities with a vacuum.

How it works is the increased blood circulation relieves muscle tension and improves overall blood flow, which promotes cell repair. It also helps form new connective tissues and create new blood vessels in the tissue. People use cupping to complement their care for a host of ailments and conditions.

What are the Benefits of Cupping?

The widely known and agreed upon benefits of cupping are:

Deep tissue work
Moves stagnation and drains fluids
Relieves inflammation
Nervous system sedation
Breaks up and expels congestion
Stretches muscle and connective tissue
Pulls bloody supply to the skin
Loosens adhesions

Talk to your doctor before you start cupping or any other type of alternative or complementary medicine. And talk to your cupping therapist, too, before you try it.

References:
https://www.healthambition.com/cupping-therapy/#more-7923

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