10 Commandments of Good Health for the year 2015

‘Being healthy & fit isn’t a trend or fad, instead it’s a lifestyle’

Welcome the New Year with a renewed way of life that benefits your health and future. These wellness resolutions will keep you, fit, energized and healthy from the inside-out:

Rule 1– Reduce stress. Stress is one of the major causes of death all over the world. Fast paced lifestyle and the pressure of doing too much in too little time can easily make you tensed and trigger multiple health problems in the long run. Stress can have a negative impact on sleep, digestion and the immune system. Involve yourself in activities that keep your mind occupied and helps you unwind at the same time. Join a hobby class, add a fresh form of workout to your daily regime, meditate, take a walk at the beach or simply participate in various relaxation techniques.

Rule 2 –Incorporate at least 15 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine. There are 700 muscles in our body and without any kind of physical activity these muscles become sluggish & weak, which in turn results in the build-up of fats and harmful toxins. Use the stairs instead of elevator, do some household chores, indulge in gardening or walk your dog. Daily gym workouts, walking, cycling, swimming etc. could also prove to be extremely helpful.

Rule 3 – Give up all bad/unhealthy habits like cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. These habits can cause severe damage to the vital organs of your body. Moreover it could also have a detrimental effect on your loved ones. Alcohol consumption impairs the judgment skills of people due to which they end up making poor choices for themselves and their family. Secondhand smoke is equally damaging to the health of your near & dear ones

Rule 4 – Increase your water intake. Water consumption not only flushes out harmful toxins from the body but also protects you from dehydration and keeps you feeling full for a long time as a result of which you do not crave for aerated drinks and junk food.

Rule 5 – Get sufficient sleep throughout the day. It is recommended for adults to get at least 8 hours of sleep at night, failing which one could develop serious health ailments like heart disease, diabetes, mental health problems, infertility etc.

Rule 6 – Give your vital organs a break and help them relax by fasting for one day a week. All organs of the body work incessantly on a daily basis. When you abstain from eating solid food for a day, your system gets time to recuperate and perform better for the future. On the day of fasting, you must avoid milk, tea, coffee, liquor and aerated drinks and consume citric fruit juices, coconut water, fresh buttermilk (without salt/sugar/spices) and warm water.

Rule 7 – Always maintain personal hygiene. Bathe once or twice a day. Maintain oral hygiene by brushing your teeth daily. Wash your hands multiple times and carry a hand sanitizer when outside, wear clean clothes, keep your feet clean, take good care of your skin especially during the winter season and most importantly if you are ill with an infectious diseases, do not venture outdoors and be extra careful about your personal hygiene.

Rule 8 – Eat colorful fruits & veggies. In addition to being loaded with vital antioxidants, some researchers now have sufficient proof to believe that seasonal, colored fruits also contain cancer-fighting properties.

Rule 9 – Stay away from calorific junk and processed food items. They not only contain high amounts of saturated fats but are also loaded with sugar and sodium, both of which are extremely bad for the health. Instead of abstaining from such foods forever, what you can do is, limit their consumption to a bare minimum. (For example – once in 1 or 2 months)

Rule 10 – Get a periodic health check-up. When it comes to health, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Schedule a complete health check-up, once in every 6 months in order to know about your health status. Also remember, early detection is the only way to proper treatment and faster recovery from any disease.
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The year 2014 is nearing its end and it’s that time of the year when people look forward to partying and spending time with family & friends. Christmas & New-year parties are planned on full swing and during this period, people hardly think about diet & healthy eating.

It’s not wrong to enjoy the party season but what’s important is that you do not let this be a reason to gain weight. With healthful choices, you can stay in shape whilst being a part of all the celebrations:

• Drink a lot of water throughout the day. It will not only make you feel full for most part of the day but also help in flushing out harmful toxins from the body.
• Keep away from temptations. Fried Appetizers, Junk foods, Aerated dinks and Alcoholic beverages are extremely tempting. The best way to avoid this temptation is by keeping a safe distance from such food items. If you know that they are placed at a certain part of the serving table, it’s better to position yourself far away from it. The lesser such foods are visible to you; the lower would be the chances of you wanting to have them.
• Consuming 1 or 2 standard alcoholic drinks may add to the enjoyment of your celebratory events, but over-consumption of alcohol can lead to weight gain and have a negative impact on your blood sugar. What’s more, Alcohol affects certain parts of the brain that control concentration, behavior, coordination and emotions. It can also diminish your judgment skills and lower inhibitions, leading to poor food choices
• Opt for sea food and lean protein. Avoid carbohydrates. Chicken is one of the finest forms of proteins. Always choose breast meat as it contains the lowest amount of fat
• After each glass of alcohol, drink a glass of water. Here’s how you can reduce the calories in wine – Mix ½ glass of wine with ½ a glass of carbonated water.
• Have a healthy snack from home before leaving for a party. This way you will reduce the chances of snacking on high calorie party food later at the venue. A bowl of cereal/oats or even a brown bread sandwich could be a better snacking option.
• If you are extremely tempted to have some of the delicious food at the party, then you can do so but make sure to keep a watch on the portion size. Also do not forget to burn all the excess calories the next day at the gym

A word of Advice – This is not the time to focus on losing weight (That’s something most health conscious individuals do throughout the year) as doing so could ruin all the festive fun. Christmas & New-year is an occasion to make the most of the time that you spend with your loved ones. All you need to focus on is, to maintain your body weight and not gain extra pounds.

The frantic pace of modern life and/or the urge to lose weight often compels people to skip meals but what’s important here is to understand that skipping meals can have serious repercussions on the overall health and well-being.

Here are a few health risks associated with skipping meals:

When you miss a meal, your digestion becomes erratic and the body finds it difficult to break down a big meal which automatically results in weight gain. This is the reason why people who skip meals to lose weight always tend to gain the weight back. The human body utilizes the food that is consumed as fuel. When you skip meals, the body begins to utilize stored fats as fuel in order to carry out its normal functions. This can prove to be harmful in the long run.

When you eat, you provide your body with essential nutrients but when you starve yourself, the body’s metabolic process is disrupted. This results in reduced energy levels and makes you feel weak and lethargic. This is precisely why it is very important for people who are physically active to eat small portions of food every 2 hour so as to conserve their energy. In order to have a healthy metabolism, you must have at least 3 nutritious meals in a day.

Skipping meals can make you feel hungry and irritable. Mood swings are common amongst people who skip meals and eat after long intervals.

When you skip a meal, your blood sugar drops dramatically. This not only makes you feel sluggish and tired but also wrecks havoc with the insulin in your body. If you make it a habit to skip meals, you can be exposing yourself to the risk of developing Diabetes later in life.

Skipping meals and restricting calories will create cravings. Also you might end up eating fatty foods (pastries and ice cream), which may result in too much consumption of fats. When you give in to these cravings, it may trigger high blood sugar

Skipping meals and not drinking enough water can make you feel dizzy especially in the hot summer months and after exercise. Try to eat 3-6 meals throughout the day, specifically within every 2 hours. These meals do not have to be huge meals, but enough to get your metabolism going.

The suspected suicide of world-famous Actor/Comedian Robin Williams has once again raised the question of ‘how well our society is equipped to prevent such incidents from occurring in future’. Suicide Prevention is the need of the hour.

Suicide has since long been a very controversial subject which is why many have refrained from speaking about it in the past. . Hectic lifestyles and mounting stress in peoples’ lives, is sufficient for many have to suicidal thoughts. A suicidal person may not necessarily ask for help on his/her own but that doesn’t mean that help is not needed.

Suicide Prevention starts by identifying the warning signs and taking them seriously. We have discussed a few potential warning signs that a suicidal person may exhibit:

Talking about dying or causing self-harm – Being extremely vocal about wanting to die is one of the most obvious warning signs of suicide. Research shows that about 50% to 75% of people who attempt suicide tell someone about it first.

Suicidal individuals may also seem very eager at times to find ways to kill themselves by seeking access to lethal weapons. Buying dangerous weapons like a gun, knife, poison, harmful medications etc. is another warning sign to watch out for

Depression can also trigger suicidal thoughts in some cases. The first stage is when people lose interest in everything around them and become withdrawn from family and friends. In time their obsession with death increases to an extent that it becomes extremely obvious. For Ex- You may find some people writing letters, stories, poems etc. about their wish to die

Negative Feelings like helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, shame, self-hatred etc. can also be some of the reasons why people may want to give up their life. You may hear such people blurt words like “There’s no hope for me’, “I just can’t take it anymore, I want to put an end to it”, the world would be a better place without me” etc.

Taking care of unfinished business or putting affairs in order can also be a sign that the person wants to make sure that all his/her responsibilities are taken care of before dying. For Ex – Talking to people about the details of their ‘Will’, giving away prized possessions, making property arrangements for family members etc.

Self destructive Behavior – Tempting fate by taking unnecessary risks that could cost their life is certainly something that suicidal person would do. This is because such people basically lose any or all interest to live and thus do not value life. Alcohol/Drug abuse, reckless driving, accepting life-threatening challenges etc. are a few activities that they indulge in

Saying untimely Goodbyes – Such people sometimes tend to make unexpected calls and visits to loved ones and behave in a manner that indicates as if it’s their last conversation or won’t be seen again.

If you know someone who is thinking about suicide, never leave him/her alone. The best option would be to help them get professional help with a counselor/therapist.

3 of the biggest risk factors for a Heart attack or Stroke are: High blood pressure, High cholesterol and Obesity.

The Good News is… Each of these risk factors can be managed comfortably by making healthy food choices. If you pick the right food items starting from breakfast to dinner, your entire day can be heart healthy. Gone are the days when healthy foods were restricted to bland salads and soups. Today, you have a variety of food choices that can be termed as anything but flavorless.

Take a look as we give you the tastiest heart healthy foods ever

Whole grains whether its barley, millet, wheat, pulses and even beans for that matter are good for the heart because they are loaded with natural fibre and vitamins, iron, magnesium and a host of anti-oxidants. Whole grains when consumed on a daily basis are also known to reduce blood pressure.

Soy Protein in the form of Soya chunks and Soya mince can be easily accessed in the market these days. Soy chunks are also referred to as vegetarian meat because when cooked properly it can sometimes create an illusion of having red meat which is high in saturated fats and bad cholesterol.

Apples contain ‘Guercetin’, a photochemical that contains anti-inflammatory properties. It also plays an important role in prevention of blood clots. Make sure to add an apple to your Breakfast Menu. You can also use it as a snack for satisfying your untimely hunger pangs.

Salmon is an oily fish which is also a rich source of protein, B vitamins, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids which effectively reduces blood pressure and keeps clotting at bay. Aim for at least 2 servings per week, which may reduce your risk of suffering a heart attack by up to one-third.

Not a big fan of Salmon fish?

No Problem, you can always replace this fish with other oily fishes like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines. They too possess heart healthy properties.

An excellent source of Monounsaturated fats, Olive oil reduces Bad LDL cholesterol and minimizes your risk of developing heart disease. Extra virgin olive oil contains polyphenols and gives even greater health benefits. Use olive oil for preparation of your daily meals and see the difference. If you are planning to go on a strict diet to lose weight, you can also drizzle some of it in your salad as a dressing.

Nuts like walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and peanuts are packed with vitamins, minerals, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and low levels of saturated fats. Research suggests that nuts when had in moderation (2 to 4 days a week) can lower the incidents of heart disease.

Researchers suggest that eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate (with 70% or more cocoa content) has a blood-thinning effect, which can boost your heart health and reduce inflammation. So now, you don’t need an excuse to break off a piece of that tempting chocolate bar. Just make sure you don’t overdo it because anything in excess can have a detrimental effect on your health