Health - Fitness - Beauty

All disscusion on Health & Fitness Health issues, diet, exercise, sleep, fitness, endurance, flexibility, strength, physical skills, health habits, healing...etc on this thread..

Fun ways to keep fit in your office

some easy everyday things you can do to get healthy and fit while at your workplace:

Stay hydrated: Water helps your body with physical and mental performance, detoxification and digestion. Keep a water bottle at your desk and you’ll find it much easier to drink the recommend eight glasses of water each day.

Make reasons to walk around: Give yourself several reasons to take a break and move around after every 40 minutes. Simply getting up and moving around for a few moments can keep you focused, less fatigued and feeling better.

Hit the office gym in lunch hours: Try to exercise for 30 minutes during the lunch time and grab a bite at your desk afterwards.

Simple stretching: People often face stress, back and joint pains and weight gain problems at work. To get rid of such health problems, while sitting in your chair, flex your feet and circle your ankles, stretch your legs and arms as frequent as you can.

Take the stairs: Whenever possible, get moving and take the stairs rather than the elevator. Taking stairs will keep you fit and energetic.

Pack healthy snacks: Rather than buying chips, junk food and sodas during office hours, bring some granola, fruit or raw veggies to snack on.

Participate in different office games: Office games such as table tennis, basket ball are an interesting way to keep healthy and fit. These games not only keep your energy levels high but also keep your body in good shape.

matzieee :clap2:

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor way’

1. First, the most important - eating around three apples a day when you are dieting not only kills your appetite for junk, but also helps you lose weight. Apples have a lowcalorie-content and virtually no fat!
2. Apples contain ‘pectin’, a complex carbohydrate, which helps lower your cholesterol level.
3. Apples are great for your gums and teeth.
4. Apples contain antioxidants that are said to prevent the risk for breast cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer and lung cancer.
5. Apples aid digestion. Is that oily food you’re consuming that’s bound to give you acidity? Balance it by beginning the meal with an apple!
6. The phenolics (naturally occurring antioxidants) in an apple can prevent the manifestation of neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
7. Apples are good for your bones and prevent osteoporosis in menopausal women.
8. The pectin in apples once again comes to your rescue by managing diabetes and asthma.
9. Flavanoids are chemicals in an apple that are far superior to plain old Vitamin C and work harder by reducing your heart disease and stroke risk by almost 26%!
10. Apple products contain fruit sugars that are an instant source of energy. The next time you need a jolt, just have some fresh apple juice, yes?
A word of caution – before eating an apple, wash it carefully as it is probably treated with pesticides and polished with wax.

-Health Mag

Eye care


Glass lenses are fast being replaced by plastic lenses. According to National Reseach Development Corporation, demand for plastic lenses in India is about three million pairs per annum. Already, in the metro cities, plastic lenses have nearly 25 per cent share of the market.

ADVANTAGES OF PLASTIC LENS

Childrens eyes: Plastic lenses are the safest option as glass lenses can break and hurt your child. A good scratch resistant coating on both sides of the lens prevents damage during daily usage.

Computer Vision Syndrome
* Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is a complex set of eye or vision problems caused due to excessive use of computer. Some of the common symptoms includes eye strain, dry eyes or eye irritation, blurred vision and even headache.
* Plastic lenses provide a comfortable solution by eliminating lens reflections. If you are presbyopic, progressive lenses will enable you to focus from the keyboard to the screen and far off objects.

Eyes and driving: On sunny days, you need a good pair of sunglasses to avoid blinking or squinting. Night driving is especially demanding due to ghost images and reflections. Plastic lenses greatly reduce these ghost images and eye fatigue. If you are presbyopic, progressive lenses will enable you to see all distances, from your road map to signs far away.

Durability of plastic lens: Glass lenses can cause damage to the eyes but plastic lenses are much more safer. With the advancements in technology we have come with products which are highly scratch resistant and very durable.

Demand for plastic lenses: The potential market is really big as the biggest problem plaguing the market is lack of awareness. We feel that currently there are around 40 million pairs of spectacles sold every year. But in the absence of any syndicated data this is just an estimate.

Health hazards: There are no health hazards related to plastic spectacle lenses. These lenses are actually optical grade ophthalmic lenses. The nose pads are soft and its anti-allergic material and put less weight on nose. But it does have its disadvantage like they get easily scratched. Here too a hard coating can be done to prevent it from getting scratched further.

Price range: It is costlier than spectacle lenses. The cost depends on the refractive index; higher the refractive index, thinner the glass. Also it depends on the corrective power prescribed.

health info

daily dance practice makes u healthy.........

Matzz.. beauty tips vallathum kittumo??? : :

Minnoos wrote:

Matzz.. beauty tips vallathum kittumo??? : :

daily u go to beauty parlour

sunder. wrote:

Minnoos wrote:

Matzz.. beauty tips vallathum kittumo??? : :

daily u go to beauty parlour

:D : :D :

For your eyes only!

Don’t drive immediately after logging out of your computer, warn doctors. A tired retina hampers the ability to focus on the road.

It’s an occupational hazard that has ramifications beyond the work space. Most techies, who spend hours on end every day glued to the computer monitor, suffer from reddening, dryness and itching of the eyes.

This is bad in itself. But what makes it potentially fatal is that tired eyes prevent them from concentrating on driving or facing bright lights.

Ophthalmologists says the condition can result in accidents as techies drive back home immediately after switching off the computers and can’t concentrate on the road ahead. Most of the working professionals complains they have a very ‘sore’ feeling in the eyes, followed by redness and irritation. They find it difficult to face bright lights when driving.

Repeated rubbing of the eyes either due to dryness or pollution-related problems leads to a condition called ‘Keratoconus’. It can cause partial blindness, and in advanced cases, requires corneal transplantation.


DOs & DON’Ts
Those returning from work can minimise the probem by washing eyes
Blink more often
Use anti-glare glasses when in front of the computer
Use of AC reduces humidity
Eat more leafy vegetables
Don’t use tear drop substitutes frequently
Computer monitor should be at the eye level

Lemon water - Benefit

According to experts, water with lemon helps speed up weight loss. Drinking water with lemon for weight loss is also an effective way to help eliminate toxins, clean internal waste, and promote energy boosts. To use water with lemon for weight loss, follow the steps below.

Step 1
Drink a warm glass of water with a lemon slice upon waking in the morning. Drinking warm water with lemon for weight loss in the morning helps a sluggish digestive system, so it's a great way to start the day dieting after sleeping all night. Boil water in a pan or microwave. Wash the outside of the lemon and add a slice to the water. Sip like tea.

Step 2
Cleanse your body with lemons for weight loss. Many cleansing diets use lemon to detox the body. Add a slice of lemon to drinking water throughout the day. If desired, wash a lemon in the morning, and use a food processor to grind the whole lemon. Place the lemon puree in a small jar and add it to water throughout the day. The pectin in lemon peel is an excellent source of fiber, which helps stop the body from absorbing sugar quickly. According to research, pectin also helps eliminate cravings. Drinking water with a whole lemon for weight loss is an excellent way to speed up weight loss and detox the body.

Step 3
Mix lemon puree or a lemon slice with tea and apple cider vinegar to help maximize weight loss. Many experts agree that tea, apple cider vinegar, and lemon help people lose weight faster. The best teas for weight loss with lemon are green tea and oolong tea. Use one to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with tea once or twice a day. This is also a good drink for detoxing the body.

Step 4
Make sure to drink a lot of water with lemon for weight loss. Research suggests that drinking a lot of water helps people lose weight more quickly.

Five Reasons to eat FRUITS


Fruit consists for the largest part of water
Just like the human body does. If you think about it, it's logical to consume food that contains as much water as your body does...

Fruit Stimulates Our Memories
If you didn't know yet: fruit is the ultimate brain fuel. Fruit has a positive effect on our brains and makes you recall information easier and faster...

The Miraculous Healing Effects Of Fruit
Spectacular stories about people that cured from cancer by a strict diet of raw fruits and/or vegetables are well known but do we want tobelieve them? We still don't know that much about fruit and its contents...

Fruit Is 100% Bad-Cholesterol Free
No doubt about this reason. Too much cholesterol is not good for our bodies and fruit doesn't contain much cholesterol. Animal products like meat and dairy contain a lot of cholesterol...


Fruit Makes You Feel Better
Several stories have told us about people that were frequently depressed and how they got out of their depression slowly but surely after consuming substantial amounts of freshfruit on a regular basis. Eating a lot of fruit can have a mysterious healing effect on human beings.

Brown Rice and White Rice difference

Often you have heard nutrition experts recommending brown rice instead of white rice. Brown rice is considered not only better than white rice for your health, but it is also environment friendly.

Brown rice, also known as hulled rice, is unmilled or partly milled rice. After harvesting, the paddy seeds are put in a husker for milling. After removing the outer grain husk, we are left with the brown rice.

To prepare the white rice, the milling process is further extended to remove the germ and the inner husk or the bran. The grain is then polished. The extra steps required to convert brown rice into white rice, removes the beneficial nutrients present in the husk and the bran, making white rice a far less healthy food than brown rice.

continued

Nutritional benefits of brown rice

Although, rice contains Vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, folic acid, vitamin E, iron, potassium and magnesium, but these nutrients are present in much lesser amount in white rice compared to brown rice. Moreover, the fiber content in white rice is only a quarter of the fiber present in brown rice. Sometimes a part of the nutrients lost while milling brown rice to make white rice is returned to the white rice to form fortified white rice.

Cooking

One of disadvantages of cooking brown rice is that it takes much longer to cook brown rice compared to white rice. However, if you soak the brown rice for over an hour before cooking, your cooking time will be considerable reduced. To decrease the time needed to cook brown rice you can use less water for cooking the rice and keep the pot covered while it is being cooked. You should only use as much water as it is needed to cook the rice, so that no excess water is left in the pot after the rice is cooked. The steam generated while cooking the rice in this way will quicken the cooking process.

Shelf life

Brown rice has lower shelf life compared to white rice. By storing brown rice in an airtight container, it will last for around six months.

(Health Mag)

In summer season there is highest possibility that eating of stale or rotten food and drinking of filthy water can result in catching stomach infection. The most common stomach ailments that register highest growth in summer season are diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera.

The beginning of all such ailments is made by loose-motion and vomiting. And if at this level, some precautionary steps are taken then serious illness can be brought under control.

Two Types of Diarrhoea

Increase of viral and bacterial parasites in water reduces the capacity of body to absorb fluid. This situation is termed as Watery Diarrhoea. It is advisable to boil water and then drink it as bacteria is easily killed by boiling water. Because of pollution, the level of toxic contents in eatables gets increased which in turn can result in Infective Diarrhoea.

Toxins cannot be destroyed even when water is boiled and are commonly found in milk or milk products and non-vegetarian food. As a precautionary measure, always use fresh milk and butter and try to abstain from consuming meat and other related products in summer season.

Symptoms

Regular vomiting and loose-motions can bring lot of weakness, pain and laziness in the body. Fever and headache can also be one of the symptoms in this case. Sometimes, it happens that

Precautionary Measures

- Try to take low-calorie diet in summer and eat half amount of food of your hunger.

- Never eat road side eatables.

- Minimize your consumption of oily and fried food because in hot season it restricts the digestion of food.

- Never eat stale food.

-Always keep prepared food inside the refrigerator and use it on the same day itself.

- Try to eat maximum amount of curd as it helps to keep your stomach cool and is also beneficial for your skin.

- Eat fruits that have high water content, such as, water melon, sweet melon, mango, cucumber and grapes, etc.

- Always wash your hands with soap before taking food.

- Try to eat home-cooked or fresh food.

- Add chlorine tablets in portable drinking water drink water after boiling it.

- In summer, drink at least 10 to 12 glasses of fluid including water, juice and coconut water, etc.

(Extract from ayushveda. Thanks!)

Tips to maintain white cloth


White is said to be the color of peace. White is also called the divine color. It adds a soft and soothing effect to our minds. Thus, wear white when you are disturbed or depressed and feel the difference.

However, most of us are very skeptical about wearing this favorite color often. This is because we are scared that the favorite attire of ours might be ruined easily as white is a very sensitive color.

Do not wear white when you are doing some messy jobs that are likely to leave stains on your clothes like cooking, painting, gardening, etc. This may ruin the color of your garments easily. However, if you have no choice than be very careful, like wear a robe on your white garment to protect it before you start working.

Always wash your white clothes with warm water. Soak them for time before you start washing to get the best washing effects. Soaking helps in realizing stubborn stains from the cloth. You can also apply detergent on the particular spot and rub it well to realize the stain. Leave it undisturbed for some time before you rinse it.

Do not allow stains to stay on white clothes for long, as they may become a permanent mark running the look of your dress. Also, avoid soaking or washing white clothes with other colored garments. This is because the color of your other garments might ruin the white.

Store your white dresses carefully. Check the place well before you keep your clothes there so that there are no materials around that can leave a stain on your clothes.

>>>extract frm Ayusveda>>>

Have trouble falling asleep?

Insomnia is a condition when you experience complete or partial loss of sleep. Those suffering from the condition end to sleep only for 1-3 hours every night.
A general practitioner once had said the condition is a result of stress or substance abuse. It may be genetic in rare cases and the sleep deprivation, may take a major toll on health

Anxious?

Anxiousness may cause temporary insomnia. According to Porecha, this happens when you are expecting or preparing for some event.

These could be important events in a persons life like their board exams, university graduation or the night before their wedding. "The adrenaline produced due to anxiety does not allow the mind to rest," she explains.
What it could lead to…

Chronic insomnia, is prolonged sleep loss that lasts over a few months or even years. The most common causes are drugs, irregular sleeping patterns or stress.People suffering from this have trouble sleeping for more than an hour or two.

"This causes muscle fatigue or even hallucinations in some extreme cases. While some patients of are able to get by without sleeping, others are sleepy but unable to rest their minds," says Porecha.
Help yourself

Many people believe in taking tranquilisers or sedatives. According to Porecha these are only short-term solutions.

Chronic insomnia needs proper therapeutic cure. Temporary insomnia though is easier to treat. Porecha suggests the following ways to beat it.

1. Take a warm shower before bedtime: A warm water batch slows down blood circulation. This helps your mind and body relax and helps you sleep better.

2. Avoid reading or watching TV before bedtime: Reading and watching the TV require concentration. This is especially true if you're watching a suspense movie or reading a thriller. It aggravates the mind, leading to anxiety and sleeplessness.

3. Proper eating habits: Avoid eating spicy food especially for dinner. Make sure you finish dinner at least two hours before you go to bed. Eating too close to bed time may interfere in the digestion process and cause uneasiness. This can lead to disturbed sleep.

4. Meditation: This is a great way to beat stress and anxiety. It relaxes the mind and thus ensures sound sleep.

5. Cut down on caffeine: Caffeine stimulates your brain. Therefore, consuming caffeine close to bed-time can interfere with sound sleep.

thanks TOI

Tips for those working long hours on computers!!

Some useful tips for you.
1. Give a break to your eyes every 20 minutes this will help improve your productivity too.
2. While writing with the right hand, ensure light is on the left side so that the shadow does not fall on the writing material.
3. Make a conscious effort to blink more frequently.
4. If necessary, use eye drops 3 to 4 times a day to lubricate the eye; however, it is best to consult your ophthalmologist before putting any medicine on the eye.
5. Eat lots of spinach, leeks, blueberries (and fish) because all contain properties known to keep eyes healthy.
6. Use an umbrella or sunglasses to avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight.

Exercise for the Eyes

Eyes often get tired due to working on the computers, heavy reading or writing. Regular exercise helps in the blood circulation which than relaxes the eye.

-Sit upright on a chair and look at a far off small object.

-Then hold a pen at level with your eyes and at an arm's length and look at its tip.

-Gradually bring the pen close to your eyes to a point where you feel a mild strain on your eyes. The tip of the pen should remain clear and single in appearance. Hold the pen in this position for about half a minute and then again gradually take it back to an arms length. Hold it here again for about half a minute, and then again bring the pen close to your eyes.

-Repeat all the above three steps 10 times.

In the beginning this exercise should be done for 5 to 10 minutes just once a day in the morning at a time when you are fresh and rested. After one week it should be increased to twice daily and after two weeks thrice a day. Avoid the exercise when you are tired or are having eye pain or headache. In the initial period when you begin exercising the pain in the eyes and headache may increase, but this should not discourage you. As you continue the exercise you will gradually feel relief from the symptoms over 2-3 weeks. Continue the exercise routine for 2 months to build good eye muscle strength.

Common eye problems

Short-sight (myopia) and long-sight (hypermetropia) are common problems, both caused by the cornea and lens not focusing properly on the retina. Short-sight is where the eyeball is elongated or the lens is too thick, causing the image to focus in front of the retina. Long-sight is where the eyeball is too short or the lens too thin, causing the image to focus behind the retina. Both long and short sightedness can be overcome by wearing glasses.

There are other sight-threatening conditions which are not so easily corrected or overcome. Cataract, trachoma, glaucoma and river blindness, for example, will cause complete blindness if left untreated.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Matzzzz [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Easy foot care tips!

Your feet face the greatest pressure when you are training. We give you some foot care tips


1- When starting with a fitness regime, remember that slow and steady is the key. Try to start with low impact exercises where pressure on the feet is less. Opt for swimming or cycling instead of running or tennis.


2- The right footwear is of utmost importance. Make sure you
buy footwear that fits right and is apt for your chosen activity. Don’t buy shoes that are uncomfortable in the beginning with the hope that they’ll become comfortable later on, buy shoes that fit well from the start. Shoes that are tight in the beginning will never loosen up later.

3- Stretching your feet, ankles and toes before and after a
workout is a great way to avoid foot injuries. Since the foot is used the most, it is important to take care of the ankle tendons, ligaments and muscles. A minor injury could lead to a more serious one later on if not tended to immediately.

4- The dampness of your shoes or atmosphere around is a
great breeding ground for fungi. This infection could lead to Athlete’s Foot, hence it is essential to take care of your feet and always keep them clean.

5- Pamper your foot by visiting a spa in order to keep them in
sync with your exercise regime. Soaking your feet in warm water thrice a week also works wonders for the feet. This refreshes and softens them.


from TOI, thanks

Don't skip brain food - eat your breakfast

Are you suffering from acidity, obesity or reduced attention span? Perhaps you are skipping breakfast, also called brain food and the most important meal of the day.

People in cities tend to give breakfast a miss perhaps due to hectic lifestyles or in the belief that it will keep them slim. But experts say it could end up making people obese.

"People do not seem to have time for breakfast these days. They have every reason to avoid the healthy tradition of having a good nutritious breakfast. Describing it as a change in perception and lifestyle, she said: "People usually do not eat because of their tight work schedules, late night dinners, zero figure obsession or just anything else that keeps them away from a healthy breakfast."

According to the dieticians, breakfast is most essential. They say breakfast must be balanced and should include nutrients like calcium (milk or milk products), proteins and fibre (sprouts or cereal), and some amount of antioxidants (apples, strawberries, banana, oranges, etc) and vitamins.

<continued>

A nutritious breakfast is necessary to keep the body'smetabolism going properly. "Generally, there is a gap of 10 to 12 hours between the dinner and breakfast and it is anyway very long for the body to resist." In case, breakfast is skipped, "Not eating on time leads to a lot of ailments. Obesity, acidity, reduced attention span and ulceration are a few on the list."

"People think that if they skip breakfast, they will lose weight. But it is a myth. They gain weight at a faster rate instead because they end up eating more than in the normal course," said Priti Vijay, head dietician at Max Hospital, Saket.

"In the long run, if more meals are skipped in a day than just the breakfast, it can also lead to shrinking of the stomach and intestines," . The ideal time for breakfast is between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Any delay results in weight gain. "Half of overweight patients have a tendency to skip breakfast," said Vijay. "Some 60 to 70 percent patients who come to me with digestion or stomach-related problems or for advice on weight gain disclose that they frequently miss their breakfast."

Perhaps it is time to take an old proverb seriously - "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper".

matzooooooooooo

useful info!! :clap2: