Pain free future ahead!

Pain in the lower back or low back pain is a common concern, affecting most of the people at some point in lifetime. Strain in the lumbar muscle is one of the most common causes of back pain especially in the lower back. Often, back pain is actually a symptom of something that you can control, like your activity level or the way you sit in your chair at work. Though there are other causes as well, most cases of back pain can be resolved

 Reasons:

·         Obese people experience back pain frequently. The pain is felt in the neck and lower back. Weight loss can help in reducing this type of back pain.

·         Sleeping Posture: The position and surface on which one sleeps may cause back pain, such as hard surfaces and mattresses. The soft surface tends to put strain on the spine. Some positional changes can reduce this type of back pain.

·         Injury to the back may happen from an accident or a torn rotator calf in the shoulder. During accidents the body receives large amount of energy or shock within a small period that damages the muscles, tendons and ligaments.

·         Faulty postures and poor body mechanics will cause lower back pain and be at least partially attributed to these faults.

Do’s:

·         Have a break at regular intervals and do stretching exercises like neck rolls, chin tucks, cupping head in hands behind the head and extension exercises.

·         Back pain can be caused by sitting in an improper position for a prolonged period of time. Maintaining a good and straight posture, using ergonomically designed chairs. 

·         Standing: keeping one foot forward of the other, with knees slightly bent, takes the pressure off your low back.

·         Avoid taking pain or anti-inflammatory medication when in pain from using a computer. This will serve to mask the symptoms but can lead to serious injury or permanent nerve damage in the long term.

·         Yoga and meditation is considered to be beneficial not only in back pain but also improves your posture and plays a vital role in a treatment for back pain.

·         Heat therapy: Apply heat to your aching back by using a hot compress, a dry or moist heating pad, or hydrotherapy (hot bath). Heat therapy can help decrease muscle spasms, relax tense muscles, relieve pain, and can increase range of motion.

·         The best position for relief when your back hurts is to lie on your back on the floor with pillows under your knees, with your hips and knees bent and your feet on a chair or just with your hips and knees bent. This takes the pressure and weight off your back.

  

Don’ts: 

·         Do not slouch in front of the computer or lie in bed and work on a laptop.

·         Do not ignore back twinges and back pain, hoping that the problem will resolve itself.

·         Do not sit on one leg or sit with legs crossed as this causes additional strain to the back.

·         Do not perch a laptop on the lap and stare down at the screen - this places extra strain on the neck, spine and arms.

·         If you are a smoker, quitting smoking can benefit your health in many different ways and will reduce your risk of future back pain.

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Healthy way for a healthy mind!

Choosing healthy food is important for your physical and mental health. Improve your mood naturally with more nutritious food choices. Food choices affect your mood, ability to concentrate and energy level. There has been more research to show how food does affect your mental health.

The psychological relationship between people and food is significant. For example, when people have tea or coffee, they may also socialize with friends, which may result in positive feelings. Such interactions are important to account for when considering how mood and food are connected.

A Quick Guide to a healthy, balanced diet:
 
·         Exercise: The healing effect of exercise on the mind is truly astonishing. Regular exercise can reduce stress, increase self-esteem and improve your mood. Exercise for 30 minutes three to five days a week to significantly decrease symptoms of depression.

·         Drink more water: Drinking more water can mollify several health maladies and depression is no exception. Dehydration has been linked to anger, fatigue and confusion. Cut your body weight in half; that is how many ounces of water you should drink each day. (Example: Someone who is 200 pounds should drink 100 ounces of water a day.) Not only will this help your mind feel balanced, it will do wonders for your physical health.

·         Regular meals: Missing meals, especially breakfast, leads to low blood sugar and this causes low mood, irritability and fatigue. If you feel hungry between meals you may need to include a healthy snack eg. fruit, nuts and cereals.

·         Refined foods: East fewer high sugar foods and more wholegrain cereals, nuts, beans, lentils, fruit and vegetables. Sugary foods are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. This may cause an initial ‘high’ or surge of energy that soon wears off as the body increases its insulin production, leaving you feeling tired and low. Wholegrain cereals, pulses, fruit and vegetables are more filling and, because the sugar in these food is absorbed more slowly, don’t cause mood swings.

·         Protein in your diet: Include protein at every meal to ensure a continuous supply of the amino acid tryptophan to the brain. You can ensure your brain gets a regular supply of tryptophan by including at least one good sized portion of protein at each meal ie. meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, beans, lentils (dhal), or a meat substitute such as textured vegetable protein or mycoprotein.

·         Weight: Both excessive weight loss or weight gain can make your mood worse and should be avoided. Weight loss and lack of good nutrition will deprive the brain of glucose and the other nutrients that control mood.

·         Healthy Fats: Unsaturated fats provide the fatty acids essential for brain function, a healthy heart, a strong immune system, and supple skin. Good sources of unsaturated fats include fish, nuts, olives, olive and corn oils, and avocados. An average adult should consume 5 to 7 teaspoons of unsaturated fats per day.

·         Good sleep: Your mind and body will feel better if you sleep well. Your body needs time every day to rest and heal. For adults, 7-9 hours of sleep is essential in a day. If your sleep is frequently interrupted or cut short, you're not getting quality sleep which might disturb your mental well being.

·         Reduce caffeine: If you’re a coffee junkie, you may not realize the effects caffeine has on your body system. However, you can reduce your stress levels and improve your mental performance throughout the day if you gradually wean yourself off of large amounts of caffeine.

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Start Your Day with a tablespoon of Honey

HONEY, a most assimilable carbohydrate compound, is a very much acceptable, practical and most effective aliment to create and replace energy. It has long been used as a health aid. Honey by nature is a antibacterial and antimicrobial. Hydrogen Peroxide is naturally produced by the enzymes contained in honey. This makes honey good for medicinal purposes.

Sweetener:
Sugar can be substituted with honey in many food and drinks. Honey contains about 69% glucose and fructose enabling it to be used as a sweetener.

Energy Source:
It contains about 64 calories per tablespoon. Hence honey is also used by many as a source of energy. On the other hand, one tablespoon of sugar will give you about 15 calories. Further the carbohydrates in the honey can be easily converted into glucose by even the most sensitive stomachs. Hence it is very easy to digest honey.

Weight Loss: Though honey has more calories than sugar, honey when consumed with warm water helps in digesting the fat stored in your body. Similarly honey and lemon juice and honey and cinnamon help in reducing weight.

Energy booster: Honey is an excellent ergogenic aid and helps in boosting the performance of athletes. Honey facilitates in maintaining blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy.

Source of Vitamins and Minerals: Honey contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. The type of vitamins and minerals and their quantity depends on the type of flowers used for apiculture. Commonly, honey contains Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron.

Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties: Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and hence it can be used as a natural antiseptic.

Antioxidants: Amongst the many health benefits of honey, what is most impressive– it can be a powerful immune system booster. It contains nutraceuticals, which are effective in removing free radicals from our body. Honey’s antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease.

Skin Care with Milk and Honey: Milk and honey are often served together as both these ingredients help in getting a smooth soothing skin. Hence consuming milk and honeydaily in the morning is a common practice in many countries.

Honey in Wound Management: It speeds up the healing process by stimulating wound tissues and also helps in initiating the healing process in dormant wounds. Honey also helps in promoting moist wound healing.
Supports blood formation: Honey provides an important part of the energy needed by the body for blood formation. In addition, it helps in cleansing the blood. It has some positive effects in regulating and facilitating blood circulation.

Good Remedy: For stomach ulcers, gastritis, dyspepsia and sore throats, 1-2 teaspoons on an empty stomach (½ hour before meals), 1-4 times a day to assist in healing and provide pain relief.

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Milk in your daily diet..

Drinking milk has many benefits on body as it contains more nutrients. Milk is one of the most commonly consumed beverages by all section of the people.

Milk deficiency can cause severe anemia, osteoporosis and other related illnesses. Milk consumption is very essential to maintain good health and doing normal activities. It is the best source of calcium for all age groups.

What makes milk so special?

· Milk has been universally recognized as a balanced diet. It practically suits almost all the age groups. It is rich in nutrients.

· The main sugar present in the milk is Lactose.

· It has the essential minerals present in the milk are Calcium, Phosphorous, Sodium and Potassium.

· It also contains Vitamin A, C, and D, riboflavin, thiamine and amino acids.



Health benefits of milk

· Milk provides a unique balance of nutrients. It contains unique proportions of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.

· More milk- stronger bones, as it contains abundant calcium. Calcium also aids in muscular and circulatory function. It also prevents osteoporosis.

· Low fat or fat free milk consumers are thinner and maintain a good overall health. It also helps in reducing weight in obese individuals.

· Fighting cavities: protein, calcium, phosphorus content in the milk protects the tooth enamel, stimulates saliva production, and neutralizes food acids.

· Reducing Blood pressure and diabetes- Calcium, magnesium and potassium content in milk helps to reduce the blood pressure and diabetes.

· Reduces the risk of colon cancer: Consuming at least one glass of milk per day reduces 15% risk of developing colon type of cancer

· Consumption of milk products can also help in reducing acidity


Other benefits of milk consumption

· Milk is an excellent post exercise beverage

· Milk helps in acidity and gastric ulcers, especially cold milk.

· Milk with pepper and turmeric helps to fight cough, asthma and allergy

· Milk with honey boost the immune system, to fight against infection

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Stay away from heat, Stay cool!

Excessive body heat may result in generalized weakness and lethargy in an individual. Reducing body heat becomes crucial when the environmental temperature is high. Sweating is a natural process to reduce body heat; however your diet and food play a crucial role in controlling body temperature.

Fruits to Reduce Body Heat:

There are certain fruits that can help reduce body temperature and also aid in balancing of the internal environment of the body

· Fresh fruits juices are very beneficial in reducing body heat. Orange and Grape fruit juice is considered beneficial in maintaining an average body temperature

· Excessive heat may result in excessive sweating which in turn may result in electrolyte imbalance and hence consuming fruits that help restore electrolyte balance is crucial in maintaining ideal body temperature.

· Banana is rich in potassium and helps restore electrolyte balance in the body. Other fruits that help to maintain electrolyte balance include lemon, pineapple, jackfruit and watermelon.

Foods that Reduce Body Heat:

Excessive body heat can result in dehydration, as sweating is the natural process of controlling body heat. Hence remaining adequately hydrated is crucial to prevent tiredness and lethargy which may be attributed to body heat and dehydration.

 · Avoid intake of alcohol and caffeine. These foods may result in dehydration and in turn result in increase in the body temperature

· Foods that are astringent are good for reducing body heat.

· Vegetables are cooling and consuming of lots of vegetables and vegetable juices are very helpful.

· Increase the intake of dairy products like buttermilk and yogurt. These foods tend to aid in cooling the body internally.

· Nuts are highly acidic and result in generation of heat in the body. Avoid meat and restrict your diet to purely vegetarian to reduce body temperature.

· One should eat well during the day and less at night as the food is required in the stomach during the day time to prevent acid build up.

· Drink plenty of liquids, coconut water, butter milk, fruit juices and at least 10 glasses of water daily.

· Opt for foods high in water content including fruits, salads, soups and buttermilk.

· Barley has a cooling effect on the body and should be included in your daily diet.

Pranayama – Sheetali (cooling breath):

The practice of sheetali breathing calms the mind, reduces the stress or fight - flight response. It cools the body and mind. The blood pressure is also lowered. This pranayama is very effective in hyperacidity or even ulcers. This pranayama removes excess heat accumulated in the system.

The purpose of the Sheetali breathing is to reduce the body temperature; this may have positive effect on the endocrine glands and nervous system.

Few other Remedies:

· Add a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of sugar and few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to a glass of water and drink about four to five glasses a day.

This drink supplies essential electrolytes to the body that are lost through perspiration due to heat. Further studies have shown that Vitamin C can help reduce body temperature and lemon is packed with Vitamin C.

· Local application of sandalwood paste can help reduce body temperature. Apply sandalwood paste on the forehead, chest or back. This will help your body cool faster and reduce perspiration.

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Papaya - Powerhouse of Nutrients

Papaya is packed with number of health benefits for us. Papaya is a very common fruit and the best part is it is available throughout the year. It is good for overall health and is specially considered good for stomach and is helpful in digestion.

Immune Support

Vitamin C and vitamin A, which is made in the body from the beta-carotene in papaya, are both needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system. Papaya may therefore be a healthy fruit choice for preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.

Anti-oxidants in Papaya It is a fruit high in fiber which lowers cholesterol levels. It contains antioxidants which prevents the cholesterol from oxidizing. When cholesterol in the body gets oxidized, it can lead to heart-attacks. The anti-oxidants in papaya also help in controlling premature ageing, which helps to give a young look.


Papaya for the Skin A papaya face pack can also be made using the fruit. Papaya is a product from nature which is used in many skin lightening creams. Many of the lotions or creams which are used to make the face lighter or fairer contain papaya as an ingredient. It also helps in getting rid of acne because when papaya is applied as a face pack it helps to open the pores and makes the skin glow. It contains the enzyme papain which helps to dissolve dead skin ,thus imparting a fresh and clean glow to the face.

Here are some more interesting Papaya nutrition facts - 

·         Papaya contains a high amount of potassium and its is very high in Vitamin A.
·         It contains protein which is a digestive enzyme that helps in natural digestion process.
·         Papaya juice helps in alleviating infections of the colon by clearing away the infection, pus and mucus. Regular consumption will help in improving the problem.
·         The skin of papaya is excellent for treating skin wounds and places that do not heal quickly.
·         Papaya is low in calories and high in nutritive value hence it is an excellent food for those on a diet.

·         Regularly consuming papaya helps to relieve morning sickness and nausea.


·         Papaya has anti-inflammatory properties and anti-cancerous properties. The anti-inflammatory properties will help reduce pain for those suffering from arthritis, edema and osteoporosis.


·         It is also very good for the hair and helps in controlling dandruff. Papaya shampoos are good for the hair and are available in many health stores.


·         Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease.


·         Papaya cleans the stomach and studies have shown that papaya alone eaten for 3 to 4 days has a highly beneficial tonic effect upon the stomach and intestines.

All the parts of the papaya fruit are useful and beneficial. Right from the seeds to the papaya leaves and the flesh of the fruit, all of it has some value. Both the inside and the outside of the fruit can be utilized. Thus, no part of the fruit is useless or goes as a waste.


Thus, if you love to eat papaya, it is great because along with savouring the taste you are also ingesting all the benefits associated with eating the fruit, which will result in good health for you!

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