Tag: #selfcare

BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING(IF)

 So, if you’re the one person who runs away from exercise and workout and still dream of a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, let me bust out an age old myth about fasting for you. How can fasting benefit one’s body? What does intermittent fasting do to your body? Is a sixteen hour fast beneficial for your health? These are the type of questions that generally arise in our skeptical minds when we hear about intermittent fasting. Well, if you too find yourself in middle of these questions, then you have reached the right place. We’ll provide you with ample reasons to choose this fasting in order to benefit your inner and outer self.

Intermittent fasting is one of the most aired dieting methods these days, a pattern of eating and fasting in a cycle within 24 hours.

There are different patterns of intermittent fasting, the most common being the 16/8 (16 hours of fasting window and 8 hours of eating window) pattern. Others can be 20/4, 5:2 pattern etc.

You will be shocked to know that it is a scientifically proven method of improving your mental and physical health.

So here we bring your attention to some of the top benefits of intermittent fasting: 

1.CHANGES HORMONE, CELLS AND GENE FUNCTION

Many changes occur in our body while we don’t eat. Our body changes the level and functions of the hormones to allow them to use the stored fat for primary energy generation. It also initiates the repair of damaged body cells. 

Some of the aforesaid changes occurring in our body due to fasting are;

a. Increase in Human Growth Hormone (HGH)–

The exotic increase in level of HGH in blood leads to high fat burning, repair of tissues in the brain, boost in metabolism and gain in muscle mass, that’s why it is very common in body building industry.

b. Lowering the Insulin level-

Keeping the insulin level low in the blood is the main aim of IF. During the fasting window the insulin level of body lowers down dramatically and reverses the formation of fat and hence, you lose fat. Lowering in insulin also prevents diabetes. 

c. Repair of cells-

During IF, our body cells rejuvenate, cleanse themselves of all waste materials and repair themselves with the help of HGH in order to become stress resistant.

d. Correcting Gene expression-

IF affects different gene expressions to cures many diseases and health problems at genetic levels like cancer etc.

2. LOSING WEIGHT

                   While following an intermittent fasting routine; the body lowers the level of insulin, increases the level of HGH and increases amount of noradrenaline. This consequently leads to burning of excess body fat which is then converted into energy, that is utilized by the body for its daily activities.

                  It also breaks down visceral fat from our abdominal cavity that otherwise is hazardous for our physical well-being. So basically, IF takes down our calorie intake in order to boost our metabolism and correct our lifestyle.

3.IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION AND IMMUNE SYSTEM

                      As the metabolic activity of the body improves, so does the condition of the brain which is the most important part of our body. IF reduces inflammation, oxidative stress, blood sugar and insulin resistance of our body which leads to the growth of new nerve cells. It also leads to the secretion of brain hormones which prevents depression and brain damage like strokes.

IF even protects the body against incurable disease like Alzheimer’s.

4.PROTECTS FROM HEART DISEASES

               The intake of healthy IF diet leads to almost no formation of low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol which prevents heart attack and also reduces the risk of high blood pressure and other inflammatory diseases of heart. According to new research, regular follow up of IF can considerably lower the rate of heart failure and can add more years to someone’s life.

5. INCREASES LIFE LONGITIVITY

                   Taking an IF diet can persistently uplift a poor lifestyle of a person and help him get rid of heart diseases, abnormal blood pressure, atypical brain problems, obesity, fatigue etc. This, thus, brings the overall health of  a person in the right track also benefitting him from over-aging by repairing the body cells timely. 

LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND IF YOU WANT ANOTHER ARTICLE ON HOW TO START INTERMITTENT FASTING.

                       

                  

                   

SELF-CONFIDENCE

Self-confidence is one of the most significant aspects of a person’s personality; a person who believes in their own talents always succeeds and achieves their objectives. A person who is self-assured is constantly free to think about his or her goals without being distracted by negative thoughts; they are always focused on their objectives without question. Those who believe in themselves have a lower or zero likelihood of failing.

To achieve your goals and fulfil your aspirations, you must have self-confidence. People that are self-assured always succeed. Because a self-assured individual is typically autonomous, enthusiastic, hopeful, affectionate, and positive, he or she cannot attain his or her goal in life without confidence. Self-confidence is the key to success, or as we like to say, the first step toward it. If a person has self-assurance, he or she has already won half the battle. People who have achieved success in school, the job, and the public sector are more initiative, forward-thinking, and confident in their decisions, helping them stand out from the crowd.

People that take more initiative and are more upfront and active in life gain success in school and at work. Furthermore, because they are more confident in themselves, they make better selections. As a result, it distinguishes them from the competition. People will notice you if you stand out from the crowd. As a result, you have a better chance of achieving life success. It will be difficult, on the other hand, if there is someone who does not trust or believe in themselves. They will have a difficult time succeeding since they will be subjected to both failure and criticism. As a result, if they lack self-confidence, they may take longer to recover than someone who does.

Importance of Self Confidence:

Develop a sense of self-acceptance: One of the most essential things we can do is learn to accept ourselves. Examine your accomplishments and strengths, and devise a strategy to address your flaws. We must cultivate self-acceptance, feeling good about ourselves and others regardless of the circumstances. In this sense, we may occasionally believe it is appropriate to be critical of our behavior and attempt to modify it without being critical of ourselves. This mindset aids in the development of a healthy sense of self-assurance.

Seeking Positive Experiences and People: We can increase our self-confidence by giving ourselves positive experiences. It’s also beneficial to spend time with folks who appreciate us for who we are. Surround yourself with positive people and stay away from those who are always negative. Being in the company of critical people can have a negative impact on our self-esteem and self-confidence.

Concentrate on Your Achievements: If you take the time to reflect on your life, you will see that you have accomplished a lot. What matters is that these accomplishments are meaningful to you. Consider your accomplishments and determine what you can learn from them. Make a list of everything you’re proud of and put it on it. The fact that you’re concentrating on the positives will also help you gain self-assurance.

Appreciation and Support: As you work to improve your self-esteem, reward yourself. It makes little difference what the reward is as long as it is something you truly appreciate. To sum up, self-confidence is a broad phrase that encompasses a wide range of emotions. Emotional restraint, empathy, and resilience all contribute to the development of a self-assured personality. A self-assured person would know how to state things that are true without hurting other people’s feelings.

How to Restore Our Sleep Cycle

Pandemic has a huge impact on the sleep pattern of the people around the world. Some of them are tossing side to side to get a proper sleep during night time, other stay long awake but unable to regulate their usual pattern. Many experts also suggested that these days people often faces troubled sleep, with many going to bed far later and sleeping longer than usual.

Image: Shutterstock

Our sleep schedules do vary from person to person, depending in large part on the environmental causes. Because according to our circadian clock , that control our sleep schedules are sensitive to light like things like how much sunlight we’re exposed to throughout the day and what types of light we’re exposed to at night affect our sleep schedules. It’s really a huge problem, having a disrupted sleep schedule can result in deteriorating sleep pattern. But this will led to severe health ailments linked to several chronic health problems, such as sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorders etc.

Image: Banala lite

But there are some suggested ways to get our disrupted sleep back on track:

  • A proper bed time routine: Try to stick to a schedule of sleep, like keeping your sleep-wake cycle the same. Our bodies have a circadian rhythm and walking up at different times disrupts it. The less you deviate from your normal bed and wake up times, the better you sleep. To get to sleep earlier, even doctors recommends going slowly and in small increments, adjusting no more than 15 minutes earlier every two to three days.
  • A touch of nature: Get a good amount of sunlight every morning. It serves an important purpose: it shuts down the release of melatonin, this hormone promotes sleep. Aim to get at least 15 minutes of sunlight every morning.

      Image: NPR

  • Cut off caffeine before sleep: Caffeine has a half-life of six to eight hours and a quarter-life of 12 hours. That means if you drink coffee at 4 pm, you’ll still have a quarter of the caffeine floating around in your brain at 4 am.
  • Limit your drinking habit: Alcohol suppresses REM sleep cause sleep disruptions. If you drink alcohol, limit that to two drinks or stop the intake at least three hours before bed.
  • Limit the screen timings: Avoid screen timings just before going to bed. As blue light of mobile screen interfere with sleep habits by sending wrong signals to stay awake. But many of us do it anyway. Avoid screen time before 2 hours of going to bed.
  • Journaling: You can’t get a proper sleep if something is bothering you, it’s always better to pen down your worries in a diary. Making this a habit can lessen your worries. Sit down with a blank piece of paper one to two hours before bed each night. Writing down your thoughts, especially anything that is bothering you. It will help you to schedule your activities and calm your mind.
Image: Unsplash

Meditation and Music: Meditation eases your woes by giving a direction to your thoughts. To get a proper sleep one should practice this 10 minutes daily routine. On the other hand, music calms mind and listening to a relaxing one will help to achieve sleep.

  • Avoid sleeping at day time: To promote better sleep one should avoid day time nap, so as to get a better sleep at night.
  • Environment: Make a good sleeping environment like switching off unnecessary lights and put on the curtains to prevent the entry of noise and lights. Take a warm bath and play some relaxing music, for instance. Make sure your bed is comfortable, the room is dark, and the temperature is not too warm.

These are the ways which enable us regain our disturbed sleep pattern. Sleep, itself promotes body healing. So, this is advised to get a proper 7-8 hours of sleep during night time.

Image: PBS

Depression And Self care

The term depression is quite common these days which is a serious matter of concern. To know the cure we must know what depression is .In simple words depression is mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It can range from mild depression to chronic depression.

According to data published in times of India — 43% of Indians are suffering from depression. Just to think that almost half of the nation is scary and terrifying. This rate is increasing ever since the Covid 19. The feeling of being trapped and difficulty to cope with the situation is pushing people to fall into the pit of depression. Not only this India also accounts for 36.6 % of suicides globally and suicide has surpassed maternal mortality as the leading cause of death is among women and teenage girls aged 15-19 years. It should be noted that depression may not always lead to suicide or suicidal thoughts.

Anyone can be a prey of depression , so it very important to know how to cope up with this overwhelmingly gloomy feeling. So here is certain tips—

1) Journaling – experts say that journaling and writing down your feeling can lift up your mood.

2) Set attainable goods – Instead of trying to do whole work altogether , your should divide your work into small chunks. This will save you from being overwhelmed by the work

3) Creating routine – Having routine set for the next day always helps to control the day you want. This way you will not feel as if everything is out of your hand

4) Listening to music – Research shows music can be a great way to boost your mood and improve symptoms of depression. It may also help to strengthen your reception of positive emotion

5) Being true to your feelings – Always be true to your feelings , never try to deny it. If you feel like seeking the help of expert , go for it, don’t hesitate.

Trying To Fit In or Self Harm??

“Social media is taking toll on this generation”. We are living in a era where happiness is associated with perfect pictures, perfect dresses, perfect body , perfect skin etc . To enter into this world of perfection and to fit in many people start to fake. This can create a huge emotional turmoil in person’s mind.

People are constantly comparing themselves with others which can lead to lowering of self esteem. Generally comparing and competing is said to be good thing as it helps us to do better than others but we need to realize that it can also lead to huge blow on self confidence. We drag ourselves to fit in and sometimes go to a extreme level to gain people’s acceptance. According to study published in the ‘Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology’ there is a casual link between the use of social media and negative effect on well being , primarily depression and loneliness

To save ourselves from such harm ‘Social Media Detox’ has become very much important.Social Media Detox is conscious elimination of social media use and consumption for a set period of time . Spending time on yourself and self care can be the key for happy and self satisfied life.

How to maintain healthy relationship with yourself

If you’re searching for that one person that will change your life, take a look in the mirror. The relationship with self defines our inner world, and the way we process information and respond to events in life. Being a great friend to yourself unlocks long-term happiness. Finding a way to stay centered can be invaluable. One way that is beneficial in establishing balance is developing a positive relationship with oneself. Your relationship with yourself is arguably the most important relationship in life. 

What does a healthy relationship with yourself look like?

 A healthy self-relationship is the ability to value yourself as a person, and embrace your strengths and weaknesses.

Here are five ideas on cultivating a good relationship with yourself :

  1. Regularly make time for yourself.

It is very crucial to interact with yourself. Sit quietly for 10 minutes in the morning with your first cup of coffee. But if your mornings are too hectic then try meditation in the evening or even better you could write a  journal. 

  1. Check in with yourself

It’s easy to find yourself wondering, “I don’t know who I am anymore”, if you don’t check in every now and then. 

Question yourself everyday, “How am I feeling? What am I struggling with? What am I interested in? What are my goals?” Come up with a list of questions like these that you can routinely quiz yourself with, so you get a sense of where you’ve been, where you are now and where you are going. 

Self-awareness is key to improvement.

  1. Accept yourself

Part of having a relationship with yourself is understanding who you are and accepting the good and the bad. It is extremely important that you learn to forgive yourself and avoid being overly critical. Acknowledge your strengths and give yourself a pat on the back when you are successful.

  1. Be your own friend

It’s important to evaluate  the relationship you have with yourself. Ask yourself, what can I do to make my day-to-day life easier? It could be something as small as reflecting on a mistake you have recently made and taking the time to sort through it. What could you have done differently? How can you keep that from happening again? 

It is extremely vital to reason with yourself, it gives you perspective and clarity about your life choices.

  1. Enjoy your company

You need to show yourself that you can be happy and have fun without relying on others to experience it with you. Not that you need to shut people out, but you can keep yourself occupied in healthy ways to discover things and laugh with yourself.

You will be your only constant throughout your life. People will come and go. Some relations will last a long time, some won’t. In this life of hustle, one thing that should never take for granted is yourself. Always remember to be kind to yourself.