Tag: Health Tips
I guess everyone is this world knows that ’stress kills and happiness builds’. The easiest way to be in your best of health and spirit is to do something that makes you feel happy, satisfied and energetic.
Now we all have various compulsions to work for the bread that we earn. Ideally that work should fulfill the various necessities that we require in our day to day life, leaving a modest amount of time to do work that really makes us feel happy. But this seldom happens, we end up doing and over doing things that does not always make us happy.
The most quoted work can be your day to day office job and then might your other mundane activities.
Here come your hobby, which can save from a lot of stress whereas give you an ultimate push of energy and joy. Gardening is one of those rare hobbies, which when pursued helps a lot in terms of stress management and creates a lot of positive energy in the after hours of it as well.
When a new bud comes up in the plant that you have been nourishing, it gives a strange sense of happiness to the owner, unmatched by many other activities and comparable to very few other hobbies. Some may say that ‘jogger’s delight’ is one of the matching feelings. But see the simplicity and effort involved in this hobby.
If you liked plants and flowers all throughout your life, but never started this hobby then starting with this hobby in the middle hectic life is the best start. Well you are never late for anything. If you dont have a space in front of your house or you living in a flat on 10th floor. Then take up those plants which live, survive and enjoy being in a pot. A little love and care from your side and they will bloom into something that will surely bring lots of smiles in your face.
I started out with a small pots, filled it with a plant I picked from the road side and I enjoy spending time with that. I have gradually moved into a few more.
So…start immediately.. believe me.. its worth the effort
September 8, 2009
You’ve heard it before: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Ever wonder why? Breakfast is important for refueling your body after a night’s sleep. The eight or more hour time span between dinner and breakfast is the longest span between any of three meals of the day. While you are sleeping, the body needs fuel to keep your heart beating, nerves transmitting, and cells dividing, just to name a few. Much of that fuel comes from the readily available stores of glucose in the blood, liver and muscles. By sunrise, the body is essentially in a fasting mode. That first meal of the day literally breaks the fast. That’s why breakfast is so important, especially if you exercise in the morning. If you skip breakfast, blood sugar levels drop, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability and lethargy results. During intense or long duration exercise, your muscles need the fast-burning energy that comes from carbohydrates. Without it, your performance will suffer because of low blood sugars and depleted energy stores. A quick high-carbohydrate breakfast that includes a low-fat protein source may be all it takes to boost your morning workouts and keep your energy levels high throughout the day. Some good breakfast choices include: 4 Whole-grain cereal, a banana and skim milk 4 Egg substitute, whole-wheat toast and ½ a grapefruit. 4 A whole-wheat toaster waffle topped with fat-free sour cream and fresh blueberries 4 A flour tortilla or pita pocket filled with cottage cheese and fresh fruit.4 A low-fat whole-wheat bran muffin topped with applesauce and yogurt 4 An English muffin topped with an ounce of low-fat melted cheese and a glass of orange juice. 4 A cinnamon-raisin bagel topped with peanut butter and banana slices. Other good reasons to eat breakfast:
By eating a nutritious breakfast, one that includes at least one serving of fruit, you have better chances of reaching the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Dozens of studies have shown that people who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases.
Start your day with a bowl of breakfast cereal, and you’re more likely to get all the nutrients you need. That’s because most cereals these days are fortified with many of the important vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy.
The best breakfast cereals are rich in fiber, something most of us don’t get enough of. Experts say we need 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day to be our healthiest. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in September 1999, Harvard University scientists found that women who ate 23 grams of fiber a day, mostly from cereal, were 23% less likely to have heart attacks than those who consumed only 11 grams.
If you’re trying to drop a few pounds, sitting down to a healthy, high-fiber breakfast could be the key to success. One reason may be that high-fiber foods fill you up on fewer calories. Fiber also slows the digestive process, which in turn wards off hunger pangs later. That’s especially important in the morning.
Finally, the key to a healthy start to your day is to follow these simple rules: If you’re a seasoned breakfast skipper, consider changing your ways and start eating breakfast, even if you aren’t hungry. It takes two to three weeks to reset the appetite clock. After that, you should notice a boost in energy and fewer problems with overeating later in the day. Make sure breakfast includes at least one, preferably two, servings of fruit.
February 12, 2008
How should I deal with cravings?
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Write down all the reasons for stopping
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Pick a day to stop
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Occupy yourself to avoid thinking about the craving
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Tell those around you that you are stopping so that they can give you encouragement
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Take exercise.
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Don’t be put off if at first you don’t succeed.
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Take one day at a time
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If there is a stop smoking support group near you consider joining.
Contact your nearest health board for information about a group in your area. |
The Irish Cancer Society recommends the following tips to deal with cravings, known as “the four Ds”
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Delay at least three minutes and the urge will pass.
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Drink a glass of water or fruit juice.
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Distract yourself. Move away from the situation.
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Deep breathe. Breathe slowly and deeply.
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February 10, 2008
Why should I quit?
The health benefits of stopping smoking become evident within a very short time period.
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As soon as you stop smoking, body will begin to rid itself of tobacco toxins;
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Your clothes, hair and breath will smell fresher;
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After just 20 minutes, your circulation will improve;
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Within eight hours nicotine levels in the blood will have halved;
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Within a few weeks your sense of taste and smell will improve;.
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Your overall general health will improve; you will feel fitter and breathing problems will gradually disappear;
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Within a year or two of not smoking your risk of having a heart attack is reduced by half that it would have been had you continued;
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After three years of not smoking your risk of having a heart attack is similar to that of a life-long non-smoker;
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After 10 years of not smoking the risk of getting lung cancer is halved. The longer you stop the lower the risk;
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You will save money;
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Friends and family will also benefit.
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The sooner you decide to quit, the better but remember: it is never too late to quit smoking.
Many smokers are worried about putting on weight when they stop smoking. However, the average weight gain is only about 5lbs and you can lose this gradually once you have succeeded in stopping smoking. Besides, the positive benefits of being a non-smoker far outweigh the possibility of putting on a few pounds.
If you don’t succeed in stopping at first, don’t give up. If you give in to temptation and have a cigarette don’t regard this as a complete failure. Think about what made you give in, learn from experience and get back on track.
January 30, 2008
Self Massage
There are simple massage you can do it yourself. This is a great “pick-me-up” after a hard day of work. You can also get benefits of massage by immersing yourself in a Jacuzzi with the water doing the massaging.
Many massage and wellness centers offer workshops on massages and partner massages. It may be worthwhile going for a workshop to get some familiarity with this technique.
For the exercises given below you don’t need anything other than a few tennis balls, a quiet corner and your own two hands.
Head Massage
Pressure points in your skull can relax your whole body. There are two very significant acupressure points at the base of the skull on what’s called the occipital ridge. If you apply consistent pressure there, you can achieve total relaxation.
How do you find these points and apply pressure on those spots? There is a simple solution. Put two tennis balls in a sock and tie the end. Lie on your back on the floor and place the sock behind the upper neck, so that the two balls each touch the skull ridge that’s right above the hollow spot. Stay like that for 20 minutes. If you like, you can listen to soothing music. The pressure on those acupressure points send messages down the spinal column to relax all the muscles and it is very effective.
Face Massage
Just touch your face. There’s no need to knead it. With a very light touch, cup your cheeks and temples with your hands using no more pressure than the weight of a nickel. Hold your hands there for a minute. The warmth of the hands relaxes the muscles and connective tissue, bringing on an overall sense of relief.
Jaw Massage
Pull the sides of your ears gently straight outward, then straight up, then straight down. Or, with your index finger, press the tender spot next to your earlobe where it attaches to your head. Press and release. Now do it on the other ear. Repeat, alternating ears, 10 to 15 times.
Torso Massage
Get a quick boost by rubbing the area above your kidneys. That’s at waist level where the tissue is still soft. Rub briskly with your fists in a circular motion. This energizes the whole body.
Feet Massage
Foot massage is very soothing. After you try the following techniques on one foot, switch feet and repeat.
- Sit on a chair and place one foot on the opposite thigh. Rub some massage oil or lotion onto your foot if you like. Apply pressure with your thumbs to the sole of your foot, working from the bottom of your arch to the top near your big toe. Repeat five times.
- Make a fist and press your knuckles into the bottom of your foot, moving from your heel to your toes. Repeat five times.
- Massage each toe by holding it firmly and moving it from side to side. Extend each toe gently out and away from the ball of your foot. Then apply pressure to the areas between your toes.
- Hold your toes in one hand and bend them backward holding them there for five to ten seconds. Then bend them in the opposite direction and hold for five to ten seconds. Repeat three times.
- Press and roll your thumbs between the bones of the ball of your foot.
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November 15, 2007
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