Health Tips

‘Why so serious?’ Anger can destroy everything. A peaceful mind gives way to logical thinking and constructive planning. Rage, anger, regret, etc. leaves you with an unhealthy heart, mind and body. A recent study has found the real cause behind rage issue – Junk food.

If a simple problem, leaves your fuming and blowing steam off your ears then check on your food. Fast, food and processed items are rich in trans-fat and sugar content. They increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. They also cause outbursts and rage, even violence to a great extent.

Our body needs a balanced source of minerals, vitamins, fiber, carbohydrate, protein etc. which make up as nutrients. The nutrients help in a proper functioning of metabolism and also maintain bouts of stress and anxiety too. So, having an increased amount of junk food items, which are already infused with hell amount of salt, sugar and oil, without even an inkling of nutrients, will obviously cause an individual to become hyperactive and stressed with every life issue!

The University of California had conducted a study recently and found that trans-fatty acids are linked with increased level of aggression and rage. This occurs because the trans-fats mess up omega 3 metabolism and omega 3 fatty acids are vital for neurons in our brain. The neurons ensure proper functioning of our brains. It is because of these neurons, we are kept happy and stress-free. When the level of neurons is hampered, every inch of happy sign is destroyed – courtesy, Trans-fatty acids!

In fact, each organ in our body is given a task to maintain different emotions. For example, our liver controls joy and also anger. The liver really works hard to breakdown food we consume. It has to work harder to breakdown the greasy and fatty items, using up almost all the energy in our body, thereby leaving us stressed and irritable. Food is linked with our mind and body. Eating something in excess, like sugar and fat leads to stress, irritation and anger.

Therefore, curb your anger, with a simple change in your diet and daily eating habits. Start with a well-balanced diet, including lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and nutrient packed food items. It is high time that we take care of our body, mind and soul.

Start today because it is still not late!

I was reading an article online, about sleep gadgets. You heard me, sleep gadgets. Sounds like inception. The gadget is like a large pair of shades, which will make you look like Darth Vader. These shades supposedly help users get into a state of meditation and sleep. It’s a weird deal altogether – using gadgets to get a good sleep? Not a device for me. I prefer the natural method. (Someone sing me a lullaby!)

You can alter your diet, if you are deprived of a good night sleep. In fact, our diet determines the sleep cycle. It is what you eat, determines whether you will get a good or bad sleep. You’ve heard a lot of yapping about healthy and unhealthy food items, read numerous articles and posts on processed and junk food and how unhealthy they are. For the matter of fact, you have come across many posts in our website only (if you still haven’t, then browse through the articles right now, because I am talking complete sense here people!)

Processed food items, which we eat in the form of junk food and packaged items, spike the level of insulin and cause the fluctuation of blood sugar throughout the day and even night, thereby causing sleep instability.

Here is a breakdown of food item that will help you get enhanced quality of sleep.

Breakfast

Kick-start with the right type of breakfast, including a lot of fruits, nuts, berries and yogurt, with an omelet filled with veggies and a cup of green tea. Avoid cereals, pancakes, muffin, coffee, ham and bacon and other fatty food items.

Lunch

For lunch, have a big bowl of salad, including a lot of beans, seeds of sunflower, sesame, flax etc. mushrooms or even fruits, wraps and sandwiches, which are made with whole grain only. Don’t add processed or smoked meat in your salad or sandwich and avoid using white bread, pastas etc. that are made with refined flour and definitely avoid sugars. Nutritious lunch will aid in the elimination of binge eating and also cravings.

Dinner

Include vegetables, seafood or turkey in your dinner, along with salads, lentils, eggs, nuts, seeds or soy items. Forget about spicy dishes that are packed with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and definitely let go of pastas made of refined flour and salt. In fact, seafood and turkey contains natural sedative called tryptophan that induces sleep, by converting serotonin.

Midnight Snacking

Most of us get hunger pangs in the middle of the night, but if you follow the above diet plan and avoid those mentioned in the same, you will not have to worry about waking up in the middle of your sleep. However, if you do and feel like eating something then have a grapefruit or banana or yogurt, oatmeal cookies, soy milk but do keep yourself many feet away from carbonated drinks, milk chocolate, tea, fries and chips and alcohol!

Vegan diet, detox diet, lacto vegetarian diet, fruit diet, 14-day challenge diet, cabbage soup diet, hallelujah diet, Edenic diet … and the list goes on. So many diet plans and so little time. One shout out to God, in the words of Joey from Friends, “Why God, why?!”

Before you go ahead and punch a hole in the wall, learn about Paleo diet. It’s a diet fad that is growing popular day by day and why not. It does work!

Paleo Diet: What is it?

Paleo diet is the only healthy method that functions along with your genetics and helps you to not only stay lean but also energetic and strong. This particular diet is also called a cavewoman or caveman diet. It is because; Paleo diet is based on a diet plan that was followed by our primal ancestors. We are talking about the period before there was any wheat harvest. The diet is all about eating like humans who lived thousands and thousands years ago!

Benefits of Paleo Diet

• It helps in the reduction of bloating and increase chances of getting flat abs. Bloating is reduced because fiber content is increased through this diet, along with water. The most important aspect of the diet is that, it is absolutely absent of any salt!
• Absence of processed food items, not even inkling is found in a Paleo diet. Our ancestors, wandering in the jungle, living in caves lived on everything natural and organic (Thank God). Their food did not contain artificial ingredients, preservatives, salt, trans-fatty acids, sugar etc. that is only found in processed food. Thus, following this particular diet will enable you to induce your body with pure and clean food items.
• The diet is enriched with vegetables and fruits that are further packed with nutrients and healthy elements.
• The diet contains a good source of healthy fats and is enriched with omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in nuts and fish.

Final words on Paleo diet is that it fills your stomach and reduces cravings and binge eating. The diet has stood against scrutiny from the science department and delivered the best results. They include –

1. Improved weight loss
2. Enhanced lipids
3. Reduction of aches
4. Complete body detoxification

Our ancestors had prolonged lives and all because of their diet and on-the-run-always-active lifestyle. Here is a chance to live or long-live like your ancestors, with Paleo diet!

Love is blind; you’ve heard this phrase or even experienced it. Being blind when in love is part of the experience but being blind and even dumb when following a diet plan will hamper not only your weight loss program but your overall health too. Intelligent diet planning is what you must adopt and be committed to it. Being committed to a diet plan is equally important as being loyal to your beau. Cheating on your diet or beau or even trying your hands on many will cause major damages!

How to choose the perfect diet plan?

First and foremost, don’t just blindly opt for a plan that your best friend is following. Furthermore, the market is flooded with numerous diet programs. Don’t go for the fad ones. Evaluate your health requirements and compare them with the diet plans. Create a checklist and do a thorough research. If required take assistance or consult a health expert.

• Consult your dietician and discuss every minute detail with him or her. Keep in line your needs, concerning your preferences, weight loss aims and lifestyle

• If you are following a diet for the first time, then do some studies, research about facts and fictions, go through testimonials, feedback, discuss with individuals who have or are following the same diet plan

• Determine whether you want to start a plan completely on your own or you are more comfortable to work along with a support group

• Go for a complete health checkup, find out about any existing health conditions and determine, whether the concerning diet plan, will effect it negatively or positively

• With so many weight loss programs and diet plans available in the market and hovering the viral circuit, you are bound to get tempted by promises, deals and benefits. It is important to evaluate to the core. Find out whether a plan is flexible or not. Check out what are included in the plan

• Find out whether you will enjoy following the diet plan and will it suffice your lifestyle or not

• Choose a plan that has end number of scope for physical activities, which are vital for a proper weight loss regime

The bottom line is – Listen to your body and a dietician. Do what is best suited to you and not go by words only. It is all about trying first and testing, in order to get beneficial results!

With the rise in fast food chains, departmental stores selling processed and junk food and our changing lifestyles, health conditions are deteriorating. High life expectancy in US alone has become history. Our generation and the next will have to work up real good to enjoy their lives because life expectancy is decreasing slowly.  Diabetes is the most common disease that is slowly engulfing the US population. As per statistics, till 2011 out of 25.8 million, 8.3% of the US population is diagnosed with diabetes. You do the math!

If you don’t pull up our socks now, it will become too late later on. It is time to do some damage control. Start by checking your health and those of our loved ones. It does not matter, whether you are diagnosed with diabetes or not, keeping a proper check is mandatory. Begin with a proper diet plan. What you will eat and avoid, will help in controlling diabetes and prevent the diagnosis amongst those who are not affected by it.

Diabetic diet plan

Take help of a health expert or your doctor and prepare a proper diet plan. It is all about number game. Introduce food items, along the line of carbohydrates and proteins in the right amount. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, then the first thing to do is, control your weight. Obesity is the major cause of diabetes and other diseases.

Moderation is the call to action

Here is a list of food items that you should introduce in your diet and some that you should immediately through out of your list.

Throw outs –

• White rice
• Pasta and breads made from refined flour
• White potatoes
• Breakfast cereals that have high sugar content
• Pastries
• Instant oatmeal

Include –

• Wild or brown rice
• Pasta and bread made from whole wheat
• Sweet potatoes, cauliflower, winter squash and yams instead of potatoes
• Breakfast cereals that are enriched with high fiber content, like granola, raisin bran, muesli etc
• Pastries made of bran, like, bran muffins
• Rolled oats and steel cut oats

Avoid carbonated drinks, caffeine and alcoholic drinks. Instead, opt for fresh fruit and vegetable juices, green tea and definitely water. Add a large amount of fruits, beans and vegetables that do not contain starch, for example, apples, peaches, berries, pears, mangoes, papayas, bananas, cauliflower, yam, sweet potatoes, winter squash etc. Stick to three meals per day and have light snacks after every 3 hour.