Tag: #health habit # happy body and mind

Healthy alternatives to coffee.

Golden milk

Made with several spices including ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and black pepper, this caffeine-free traditional Indian drink is a comforting yet invigorating concoction that’s sure to wake your senses in the morning. Cardamom, vanilla and honey can also be added to the mix.

Apple cider

Cider made with real apple cider vinegar is great for supporting digestion, since apple cider vinegar contains enzymes that can help balance blood sugar levels, control your appetite, and potentially ward off issues like heartburn and indigestion.

Coffee is the go-to morning beverage for many, while others choose not to drink it for a host of reasons.For some, the high amount of caffeine — 95 mg per serving — can cause nervousness and agitation, also known as “the jitters.” For others, coffee can cause digestive distress and headaches. Many simply don’t care for the bitter taste or are bored with their usual morning cup of Joe. Drinking too much coffee can be detrimental because of its high caffeine content. “Too much caffeine may pose a danger to your health,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. People are now are slowly dropping coffee from their daily diet and are looking for healthier beverages. This is a sign for you to rethink your caffeine intake. There are several other drinks that can help you stay awake in the morning aside from coffee. They are-

Hot cacao

Brewed cacao is a low caffeine drink that is rich in theobromine, a mild central nervous system stimulant. It offers all the “decadent flavors of dark chocolate, without any of the sugar and fat, and virtually no calories,” licensed dietitian/nutritionist Monica Reinagel wrote in an article for Food & Nutrition.

Lemon Water

 Lemon water is a great way to start your day. It’s calorie- and caffeine-free and provides an ample dose of vitamin C.As an antioxidant, vitamin C plays a role in your immune system and protects your skin from sun damage. It’s essential for creating collagen, a protein that provides the basic structure for your skin, tendons and ligaments.

You can also add other fruits and herbs for a variety of flavors — cucumbers, mint, watermelon and basil are some popular options.

Herbal tea

Herbal tea like rooibos ( from South Africa) and chai tea (from India )can be great healthy alternatives to caffeine. Most herbal teas are caffeine-free, although it depends on the exact kind.They may help to support your energy levels by keeping you calm and aiding in sleep quality, and by supporting digestive/gut health. Unlike coffee ,teas are  low in tannin antioxidants, which can be beneficial but also interfere with the absorption of iron. Despite a low tannin content it provides a substantial amount of other antioxidants .

Kombucha

Kombucha is made by fermenting black tea with bacteria, yeast and sugar.After fermentation, kombucha contains probiotics, acetic acid and antioxidants — all of which may have health benefits .kombucha may boost your immune system, improve cholesterol levels and blood glucose levels in people with diabetes

5 Best Medicinal Plants And Their Uses

1. Aloe vera

-Constipation
-Digestive distress
-Acne
-Poor body immunity

2.Tulasi

-It gives you strength to fight stress
-Promotes a longer life
-Treats cough
-Treats indigestion
-Anti-cancer
-Good for hair loss, heart diseases, diabetes, etc.

3.Mint

-Keeps the digestive system running
-Boosts immunity
-Enhances mood
-Expels cough from the body
-Benefits respiratory health
-Keeps mosquitoes away

4.Fennel

-Treats cough
-Controls cholesterol
-Improves eyesight
-Cure acidity
-Prevents bad breath
-Improves breast milk supply in lactating women

5.Ginger

-Treats indigestion
-Eases headaches
-Controls blood pressure
-Treats cold, cough, flu and asthma
-Relives menstrual pains and cramps

Ever Heard The Term ‘Foodaholic’?

‘Whooping Walter Hudson’.

You probably know the meanings of the words’ workaholic’ and ‘alcoholic’.

What do you think a ‘foodaholic’ is? Walter Hudson was one.

How much do you weigh? Walter Hudson weighed more, much more. This is his obituary.

WALTER HUDSON, who has died at Hempstead, New York, age 46, was once listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the heaviest man on earth. About 183 cm tall and 274 around, with cherubic features set off by pigtails braided in the Cherokee style, he long devoted himself to the pleasures of the table. Four years ago, Hudson-then tipping the industrial scales at his top weight of 543 kg gained worldwide notoriety (as “Whopping Walter”) when he became stuck in his bedroom door. He was wedged there for some four hours. It took eight firemen to free him.

Walter Hudson was born at Brooklyn in 1945 and, as he recalled, “began gorging at the age of six.” At 15 he was so obese his legs collapsed underneath him and he was confined to bed. Indeed, except for the time when his family moved to Hempstead in 1970 and he was transported by motor-car (his then 266kg broke the seat,) he remained inside. “I’m just a foodaholic,” he once confessed, “I have no excuse.”

Hudson’s eating habits were fuelled by food brought in by members of his family. He would generally start his day with a breakfast of two pounds of bacon, 32 sausages, a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, jam and coffee.

For lunch, Hudson favoured four enormous bowls of rice, four double cheese- burgers, eight boxes of fried potatoes, six pies, and six large bottles of coca-cola. For dinner he would eat six roasted corns, half-a-dozen yams, and another six or seven baked potatoes, ending with a whole apple pie. Between these main meals, he would eat a chicken or two, followed by noodles, string beans, six large bottles of soda, not to mention colossal sandwiches, and copious amounts of ice-cream.

“All I cared about,” he recalled, “was food, FOOD!” When not eating and sleeping he would watch television, listen to tapes and read the Bible-he had a particular penchant for the psalms and was apt to recite Psalm 121. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills…”

Hudson, though, was advised against sitting up for longer than five minutes because of the risk of being smothered by flab. The only exercise he engaged in 8. was when he attended to his ablutions; it took him an hour to negotiate the six yards to the bathroom from his bedroom. Then in 1987, he found himself wedged in the door-way. “The day I got stuck in that door,” he recalled, “that when the Lord got me the help I needed.” The help to which he referred was offered by Dick Gregory, a comedian who masterminded the Slim Safe Diet Scheme.

“We think what might have happened,” said Gregory about his new client, “is that in 27 years of lying around he might, because of the reading of his Bible, have taken on the same characteristics as Buddhist monks – slowed down the biological processes. But we don’t know.” Gregory placed Hudson on a1,200 calorie-a-day diet of raw fruit and orange juice. For exercise he was advised to lie in bed waving his arms about like a conductor.

Hudson soon lost some four inches off his knees, and within three months had shed 178 kg. It began to look as if he might fulfil such ambitions as visiting his mother’s grave, riding on the New York subway, driving into the country-and even flying to a clinic in the Bahamas, from which he envisaged emerging as a sylph of 13 stones. 12. But it was not to be. At the time of his death, of an apparent heart attack, Hudson reportedly weighed 508 kg. Rescue workers had to cut a large hole in the wall of his bedroom to remove the body. He was unmarried.

SO HOW CAN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY BE REDUCED? It is not good for human body in this pandemic era……………….

Overweight and obesity, as well as their related noncommunicable diseases, are largely preventable. Supportive environments and communities are fundamental in shaping people’s choices, by making the choice of healthier foods and regular physical activity the easiest choice (the choice that is the most accessible, available and affordable), and therefore preventing overweight and obesity.At the individual level, people can:limit energy intake from total fats and sugars;increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts; andengage in regular physical activity (60 minutes a day for children and 150 minutes spread through the week for adults).

Fundamentals of ‘LAUGHTER YOGA’.

Laughing is very important for health:

The most important principle behind Laughter Yoga or the most significant driving force behind the several Laughter Clubs is the theory that Motion Creates Emotion. Quite a few people wonder how a person can laugh when he is in no mood to laugh or when one doesn’t have any reason to laugh. However, the answer is very simple. For, there is a well established link between the body and the mind. Whatever happens to the mind happens to the body as well. This is easily understood and observed too. If a person is sad or depressed, his body also appears quite lifeless and sluggish. Such a person doesn’t walk or talk enthusiastically. But, what most people fail to understand is that the opposite is also true.

Whatever happens to the body also happens to the mind. I remember my father once telling me, “Son, if you are sad or feeling a bit low, don’t sit idle. Keep doing some physical work or go for a walk or do some jogging or go out to play some cricket or football . You’ll feel better.” And most of the times dad was proved correct. I would start feeling better quite soon. In an unhappy state of mind, if we bring ourselves to behaving or acting happy, soon enough we will start feeling light-hearted and chirpy indeed!

So, Laughter Yoga aims to use the two-way body-mind link to change the state of mind through voluntary physical gestures which include repetitive clapping, chanting, specific body movements along with laughter and breathing exercises. The result is so positive and its effects are so powerful that the modern world today has witnessed Laughter Yoga overcome severe and chronic depression in thousands of people right across the globe. In fact, several Laughter Clubs have adopted the motto, “If your Mind can’t laugh, bring your Body to our club.”

Laughter is all about playfulness. Have you ever wondered why children laugh 300 to 400 times a day whereas adults would consider themselves very fortunate if they manage laughter 10 to 15 times in a day? This is because of that seriously wicked and interfering tool called the brain! Adult use their brains or minds first to comprehend humour and then decide if they have to laugh. Very often, they suffer from what is said in Hindi the LKK Syndrome, that is “Log Kya Kahenge” or “What will people say?” This is called the “Mind-to-Body Model of Humour”.

On the other hand, children, who do not allow themselves to be too affected by the LKK Syndrome and don’t use their brain to seriously do the comprehension first, laugh the most while playing. Even if they fall into mud and slime while playing, they laugh heartily together without bothering about the consequences of soiling their spotlessly white school dress in case of a traditionally strict class teacher or headmistress in school or mother at home! Their laughter comes straight from the body and happily they don’t make use of intellectual capacity of the brain for it. Very clearly, they exhibit the “Body-to-Mind Model of Humour”, It is this childlike playfulness that Laughter Yoga aims at cultivating in people who are quite stressed these days.

Image -google.

What is sadly significant is the fact that more and more children and even women, to whom smiles and laughter and giggling should come as naturally as the turtle coming out of its shell to walk or leaves falling in autumn, are enrolling themselves as members of laughter clubs nowadays!

Laughter Yoga makes a clear distinction between Happiness and Joy. Happiness is a conditional response of the mind which is totally dependent on the fulfilment of certain desires of the mind. By its very nature, it is related to how one’s life had been in the past or how it will be in the future! It is not there at all in the present moment. The ironical and sad fact is that even if some dreams, goals or aspirations are fulfilled, happiness disappears quite quickly as the mind starts chasing new goalposts-a new, job, a new house, a bigger car, etc.

On the other hand, joyfulness is the unconditional commitment to be happy each moment, to have fun for the moment, despite the problems and challenges of life, no matter how insurmountable they seem to the mind. It is the promise that the Body makes to the mind to indulge in playfulness moment by moment and thereby give relaxation to it. During these periods of playfulness triggered by a plethora of physical activities like dancing, singing, playing and laughing, physiological and biochemical changes take place within our body that give us a sense of well-being that completely alters a negative outlook towards life and its challenges replacing it with confident positivism moment by moment.

Therefore, in Laughter Clubs, members develop positive conditioning of joy. By laughing together over a period of time, clapping in a rhythm ,chanting “Ho Ho Ha Ha” in unison and positive affirmations like ” Very Good Very Good Yay Yay”, the brain develops new neuronal connections to produce happy neuropeptides and hormones in the body that rejuvenate the members.

Finally, Laughter Yoga rectifies shallow and irregular breathing, which is the direct consequence of stress and negative mental state. According to Dr. Otto Warburg, a Nobel Laureate, one of the main reasons for falling sick is the lack of oxygen in the body cells due to incorrect breathing. So, let us laugh together and get the oxygen back into our cells!

Do Indians Get Enough SLEEP?

I’m telling you about on Sleep habits among Indians?

Aviral is a Man .Aviral knew he was dead tired. Though it had been more than thirty eight hours since the forty four year old marketing executive returned to Delhi early one morning from New York, he was still recovering from jet lag. He had forced himself to remain awake the whole day as he had hoped to coerce his body into sleeping at night.

But the much needed sleep seemed to elude him completely. “I hardly managed any sleep that night,” Aviral recalled. The time change had completely disrupted his sleep pattern, and when he got out of bed at 7a.m. to head for office, he was entirely ill at ease, to say the least. At the office, he could barely concentrate on his work.

Aviral wasn’t aware simply how exhausted he was until he had driven a quarter of the twenty-four kilometre stretch on his way back home in the suburbs of Delhi. He halted at a busy signal on the way, but fell asleep suddenly at the wheel. He dazed after the motorist behind him honked. Aviral drove on, but feeling woke up he couldn’t focus any further, he decided to pull off the main road and parked the car in a quiet place. Then, he rolled down the windows a bit and managed to take a two-hour nap in his car. It was only after that that Aviral could drive home safely.

It is an undisputed fact that not getting enough sleep can lead to problems in concentrating. In fact many sleep disorder experts think that lack of sleep is the reason for many ailments. Dr. Kumar Menon and his colleagues presented a study paper on sleep disorders in Mumbai in which they stressed on the need for early detection of the problem and concluded that it was high time that all the physicians “woke up to sleep disorders and included sleep history in evaluating their patients.”

Whatever be the cause of not getting proper and enough sleep, we’ve all experienced the exhaustion caused by lack of sleep. Thus, sleep is as important to a healthy lifestyle as eating properly and exercising. Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the simplest things we can do to stay healthy.

A good night’s sleep means waking up rested and invigorated. On an average, a healthy adult requires just over eight hours of sleep a night, according to Dr. Jeffrey Lipsitz, a Canadian expert on sleep disorders. However, the amount of sleep it takes to rejuvenate an individual varies from person to person. “It’s not a fixed number,” opines Joseph De Koninck, a renowned professor of psychology, adding that if one consistently gets less sleep than one needs, then “a sleep deficit accumulates.” The time it takes for a sleep deficit to accrue depends on how consistent the problem is. “Missing a couple of hours of sleep every night for a week is probably enough,” says another psychiatrist Robert Levitan.

Swarup Chatterjee, the 28 year-old IIM graduate and assistant manager at a BPO in Hyderabad, knows very well that he doesn’t get enough sleep. “I haven’t had more than four to five hours of sleep for the last three years. There’s always so much that needs to be done in my professional as well as personal life that I am constantly thinking.” Swarup is fully aware that all that is very stressful and he admits that even though he has high energy levels, he is often tired and so he drinks several cups of coffee to counter the fatigue. “But I know that I’ll be able to concentrate better if only I got more sleep,” Chatterjee concludes.

In a study conducted by sleep-disorder experts, it was found that at least one- third of adults have significant sleep loss, i.e. they have just six and a half hours or less of sleep every night. Then a recent survey conducted in India has shown that twenty-nine percent of Indians went to sleep only after midnight and sixty-one percent slept for seven hours or less. The survey also arrived at the conclusion that Indians were among the world’s earliest risers, with sixty-four percent getting out of bed before 7a.m. Is there a need to reiterate that “Early to Rise” is good provided a person follows the “Early to Bed” principle as well?

Sleep is crucial to maintaining one’s health. Without it, we increase our susceptibility to an astonishing array of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and depression. Not sleeping enough can compromise your immune system, says Stanley Coren, noted professor of psychology and author of the very popular book, “Sleep Thieves”. You eat well and exercise in order to keep your immune system up, Coren goes on to explain, but if you aren’t sleeping, you undo all that good work. “The immune system works best when you are sleeping,” he says. “That’s when your natural killer cells are generated.”

Image Source -google.

Natural killer cells are produced in the bone marrow and found in the blood and lymph fluid. They are part of the body’s defence mechanism against viruses, bacteria, even cancer, and they do not work properly in the persons who are sleep- deprived. A study in Turkey revealed that after 24 hours of sleep deprivation, the percentage of natural killer cells in the blood declined by 37 percent. Another study in the USA conducted on 23 boys and men found that one night of partial sleep-deprivation reduced natural-killer-cell activity to 72 percent of normal levels. Though their activity returns to normal when we begin to get proper sleep, the real problem is that a lot of damage might have been done to our bodies when we were sleep-deprived for several nights and our immune system might have left us undefended and susceptible to infection.

Sleep is important in keeping not only our waistline trim, but ensuring a balanced brain activity too. During sleep, brain neurotransmitters-the chemicals that deliver messages between nerve cells in the brain-are replenished. When we do not sleep well, our brain chemicals become depleted which leads to emotional disturbances like depression, anxiety and general feelings of sadness, anger and irritation.

5 common habits which are as dangerous as smoking

India is home to more than 12% of world smokers. In India alone, 10 million people die each year due to smoking. Smoking as a habit is seen more common in youngsters these days. These habits then become so addictive that for some people it is even carried to their death bed. But there are more habits that are as dangerous as smoking. We often ignore these habits but they have the potential of causing us the same harm as smoking does.

Loneliness:

Research has proven that loneliness can affect our overall health. Its impact is more significant on brain health. There are also studies that point out the connection between loneliness and developing diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. In India, almost 22% of elders stay alone.

Poor diet:

We all know that food is necessary to maintain good health but not many of us practice that on daily basis. Many of us eat junk foods, and foods rich in salt and sugars. Not just those, we often do not include vegetables and fruits in our diet. Taking poor diet causes diseases like obesity, diabetes, etc. In India, people consume more cereals and avoids proteins, fruits, and vegetables. There is an increasing status of obesity among men and women, especially in urban areas.

Inactive lifestyle: 

In the contemporary world, we all sit long hours in front of the screen. A study in 2014, by the University of Regensburg in Germany, showed that every 2 hours a person sit, increases the chances of colon cancer by 8% and chances of lung cancer by 6%. This was regardless of other physical activity during the day.

Sleep deprivation:

Sitting long hours before the screen aids in sleep deprivation as well. The blue light from the screen has been linked with problems like strained eyes, blurred vision, and even cataracts. Almost 33% of adults in the country suffer from insomnia and the bigger problems.

Pessimistic attitude:

We all have heard of the phrase that does not let negative attitude ruin your life. But negative attitude and pessimism are now a widespread problem. Pessimism is when you think that things will go wrong or will not go according to your plans. This leads to depression and unwanted stress.

These 5 habits are as dangerous as smoking. So, give up on that negative attitude, sleep well, be more active in daily life, eat balanced food and be happy. You will see positive results in your mind, body and spirit once you give up on all these 5 habits.

Nausea! It could be Cybersickness or Motion sickness

Nausea due to watching fast moving digital images becoming common if you are watching computer generated mayhem in the latest action film or scrolling rapidly on your smartphone, you may start to feel a little off. Maybe it is a dull headache or dizziness or creeping nausea. And no, it is not something you ate.

A peculiar side effect of the 21st century is something called digital motion sickness or cybersickness. Increasingly common, according to medical and media experts, it causes a person to feel woozy, as if on a boat in a churning sea, from viewing moving digital content.

“It’s a fundamental problem that’s been kind of been swept under the carpet in the each industry,” said Cyriel Diels, a cognitive psychologist and human factors researcher at Conventry University’s Centre for Mobility and Transport in England. “ It’s a natural response to an unnatural environment.”

Digital motion sickness, known among medical professionals as usually induced motion sickness, stems from a basic mismatch between sensory inputs, said Steven Rauch, medical director of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Balance and Vestibular Centre and professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical school. “Your sense of balance is different than other senses in that it has lots of inputs,” he said “ When those inputs don’t agree, that’s when you feel dizziness and nausea.”

In the traditional motion sickness, the mismatch of occurs because you feel moment in your muscles and joints as well as in the intricate coils of your inner ear, but you do not see it. That is why getting up on the deck of a ship and looking at the horizon helps you feel better. But with digital -motion sickness, it is the opposite. You see movement -like the turns and twists shown in a movie or video e game car chase that you do not feel. The result is the same: You may have sensory conflict that can make you feel queasy. It can happen to anyone, even if you are someone who is not prone to motion sickness in cars, boats or air r planes. Various studies indicate it can affect 50% to 80% of people, depend ting on the fidelity of the digital con tent and how it is presented. Studies show that women are, more susceptible than men, as are a those with a history of migraines or concussion.

How do you treat cybersickness?


The moment you feel the onset of symptoms, you should take a break from whatever screen you’re looking at. Crowson says you need to give your brain the visual cues that you’re not moving, ideally by looking at the horizon (which, depending on where you live, might not be possible). Even if you can’t see the horizon, anything outside or not moving around you will do.

How do you prevent cybersickness?


Since it’s not realistic to stop looking at screens (unfortunately), we have to find a way to manage our time with them. “Structured breaks are really important,” says Crowson, who recommends 50 minutes on and 10 minutes off your screen. “Even if you’re feeling good at the end of the 50 minutes, it’s still good to take that 10 minutes off, especially if it’s been a trigger before.”

Since screens aren’t disappearing from our lives anytime soon, your best bet to avoid cybersickness is to keep up with those breaks even if it’s for a walk, to stretch, or to look outside the window. Chances are you need it.

HEALTH AND HYGIENE

Health is a state of complete well being both physically and mentally. A healthy person is one whose mind and body are completely fit. Hygiene refers to habits or practices that ensure good health and a clean environment. We consume a variety of foods everyday.


Health refers to a healthy state of mind and a body physically fit to have no disorder, illness or disease. … Hygiene refers to good practices that prevent disease and lead to good health, especially cleanliness, proper disposal of wastewater and drinking water supply.




Good personal hygiene is one of the best ways to protect yourself from getting illnesses such as gastroenteritis and the common cold. Washing your hands with soap removes germs that can make you ill. Maintaining good personal hygiene will also help prevent you from spreading diseases to other people.

Healthy Habits for a Healthy Life

• Regular exercise

• Always eat breakfast.

• Practice healthy eating throughout the day.

• Stay hydrated.

• Don’t neglect dental hygiene.

• Get your sleep.


Personal hygiene is how you take care of your body. Maintaining hygiene practices reduces the spread of illness and risk of medical conditions caused by not taking care of yourself. It also increases self-confidence and positively impacts personal relationships.