Warm Up & Stretching Exercises

UPPER BODY WARMUP

1) Arm Swings -- 1 minute

Stand with feet comfortably apart, knees slightly bent, and start with arms at shoulder level. Stretch arms straight out to the side and back behind you, contracting shoulder blades together, then bring them all the way across the torso, gradually speeding up the movements and increasing the range of motion until your muscles feel loose.

2) Shoulder Circles / Windmill Arms -- 1 minute 

Place hands on shoulders and start with small rotations backwards, gradually increasing the range of motion and then reversing circles and doing the same thing forward. Do both at the same time, or alternate one at a time. For greater range of motion toward the end of the minute, swing straight arms up overhead, forward and backward, in windmill fashion, as though you were going to swim the front crawl or back stroke. (Not pictured)

LOWER BODY WARMUP

3) Partial Squats -- 1 minute

This exercise will help you warm up the large muscles in your thighs and buttock, muscles used heavily in hiking, scrambling, jogging, and cycling, as well as any daily activities like sitting down and standing back up.

Position your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Turn your toes out slightly so that your knees track directly over the middle toe of each foot. The wider your stance, the more turned out your toes will be. If you choose to use a wide stance and your toes remain facing straight forward, the torque on your knees may be a little uncomfortable or even painful; check alignment right away. Keep your back flat (not vertical, but flat from shoulders to hips) and chest upright, abs tight to support the lower back, arms in front to counter-balance. Lower your hips and torso to a comfortable spot for you then exhale as you stand upright. Try to keep your heels flat on the floor. If you have any discomfort in the knees, then simply keep this movement in your pain free zone until you can have an expert assess any imbalances or problems with your muscular structure. If you have a difficult time keeping heels down, the frog stretch will help over time.

4) Elbow-Knee Touches -- 1 minute

Stand tall with legs shoulder distance apart and arms stretched out to the side. Without bending forward at the waist, lift your leg up and bring your opposite elbow in front of the body to meet it, then alternate with the other elbow and knee. If you have difficulty doing this move without excessively bending the standing leg or leaning forward, you will greatly appreciate the hamstring and lower back stretch, the last one listed below. If you feel stiff in the back as you bend forward and rotate, the standing rotational stretch will feel especially helpful. This movement is important for anyone involved in torso twisting activities, such as kayaking, climbing, skiing, or even gardening.

5) "Butt Kicking" 1 minute

This exercise will warm up the hamstrings in the back of the upper thighs. You may not be able to actually kick your own butt, but the goal is to try to get your foot as close to the butt as possible. If you like, you can do this as a high-footed jog, or simply keep one foot on the ground at all times. Keep your torso upright so as to prevent hyperextending the back. Play around with foot position--toes pointed, toes flexed--and see how different a single move can feel by simply changing one thing.

Once you are all warmed up, move right to the static stretches.


FRONT-OF-BODY STRETCHES

6) Tree / Door Jamb Chest Stretch, 20 sec.

A great feel-good stretch for everyone we’ve introduced to it, including climbers, kayakers, hikers, computer programmers, or any other people who typically have forward-shoulder posture or sedentary sitting jobs.Stand by a tree or wall and extend your arm out from the torso at a right angle, with elbow bent at 90 degrees. Place your forearm or hand against a wall (or both at the same time, if using a door jamb, as shown) and lean forward. For a more comfortable position, stagger your stance as shown with one foot forward to keep your balance. Hold the stretch on each side for about 10-15 seconds, and vary the angle (i.e. height of arms) depending on what part of your upper body is tight.

7) Hip Flexor Lunge Stretch, 20 sec.

Hip flexors frequently are tight in those people who spend lots of time sitting, (whether at work or in a kayak) and over extended periods of time, they can pull your body into improper posture, resulting in lower back pain if not resolved. Hip flexors are involved in repetitive motions that involve lifting the leg forward—such as hiking, walking uphill, and step aerobics. To keep them stretched out, try the following stretch using your body weight. Stride forward with one leg, coming up on the toes of the leg behind you, and lower your torso until front leg is at a right angle, knee just at or behind shoelaces. Hold onto a tree or wall, if you need help with balance. Keep your torso erect, and slowly extend both arms overhead, reaching fingers to the sky and looking up toward hands. Press the hip forward until you feel a good stretch right at the bend in your forward hip. An option is to turn the foot out, as shown (a modification of the Warrior posture in yoga) with insole of the foot flat against the ground.

8) Frog Stretch, 20 sec.

It’s a great stretch for thighs, hips, calves, and lower back. With hands out in front of you and feet and knees turned out so they remain in alignment, squat down as low as possible keeping heels flat on the floor. (If your heels pop up, try stretching your tight calves on a stair step with ball of the foot on the step and one heel pressing down toward the floor, hold 15 seconds.) Press knees open with elbows to prepare hips and legs for climbs that involve facing into the wall with legs spread far apart. Be persistent with this and with time you should see dramatic improvement.

BACK OF BODY STRETCHES

9) Spinal Rotation Stretch, 20 sec.

Place left foot up on high surface (car bumper, rock, chair), hips and toes squared forward. Twist your torso to the left, right hand on left knee to give you a little extra leverage. Try to reach left hand toward right hip, so that you resemble a pretzel, or, to get an added stretch in shoulders and upper back, extend the left arm straight behind you. As you exhale, gradually twist farther behind you, eyes toward your hand. Repeat to the other side. Some folks may feel a very minor pop along the vertebrae when doing this—sort of like your own chiropractic adjustment. Be gentle the first few times you try it, and as always, keep stretches pain free and comfortable.

10) Lower Back and Hamstring Stretch, 20 sec. 

This is an excellent stretch for the hamstrings and lower back muscles. Stand with feet a bit wider than shoulder width, and slowly bend forward at the waist. Grasp your elbows with hands and dangle your head between your legs. Keep this comfortable, and as you hold the stretch, you’ll notice the muscles lengthening as gravity helps you drop down even further. Keep the legs straight but not locked; reach hand and torso toward opposite calf, bending toward the knee, and then repeat other side. To get out of the stretch, place hands on the thighs and round the spine, exhaling as you stand up.

With these general warm-up and stretching exercises completed, your body will be much better prepared for participation in any and all summer activities with less likelihood of muscle strain or stiffness. As you start out, take it easy for the first 10-15 minutes or so, getting the body more thoroughly warmed up in the moves specific to your chosen activity. Finally, once you are finished with your adventure, you may be ready to go for beers, sodas, or pizza--but take just a few short minutes to run through the last 5 stretching exercises. This will help you increase your range of motion while the body is still warm, and leave you more limber than when you started. It also will help prevent stiffness that often sets in following a long car ride. Believe me, your body will thank you for it.

A to Z Formula to be Slim

A to Z Formula to look Slim

A

AVOID ALCOHOL

AVOID ALCOHOL: You booze, you lose! Alcohol increases your levels of the hormone leptin, which in turn makes you crave sweets.Don’t want to be branded a teetotaller? Order a glass of Sauvignon Blanc – 119 cals per 5 ounces.


B

BREAKFAST

BREAKFAST: A good breakfast with fibre and protein will keep you full till lunchtime and help you avoid bingeing. Opt for multi-grain cereal, lowfat curd or fruits to kick-start your metabolism.


C
CORTISOL: Prolonged stress leads to high levels of cortisol which makes you crave junk foods. Solution: deal with long-standing stressors. As for short-lived ones, treat yourself to an oil massage.


D
DENSITY: Go for grub with an energy density of two or less. To calculate this, simply divide the calories by the weight in grams (per serving). Stay at it and watch the pounds melt faster.


E
EAT AT REGULAR INTERVALS: Go no longer than five hours between meals. Several small meals through the day lead to a better metabolism and greater control over binges.


F
FRUCTOSE: Ditch the artificially sweetened juices and sodas and get your fructose from natural sources such as fruits. Because natural fructose is kinder to your waistline.

CHEWING GUM

G
GUM: Chewing on gum helps cleanse the mouth of bacteria, satisfies a sweet-tooth and reduces your urge to eat. The next time you feel the urge to reach for a biscuit packet, try a piece of sugarless gum instead for a zero-calorie treat.


H

OLIVE OIL

HEART-HEALTHY FOODS: Overweight people face a greater risk of heart disease. So, switch to olive and vegetable oils. Fill up on omega rich foods like walnuts and fatty fish. Choose non-fat dairy products and lean cuts of mutton and skinless poultry.


I
INSULIN: The amount of insulin you secrete may dictate your diet. High insulin secretors shed more weight on a low-carb diet and less on a lowfat/high carb diet. Got a jelly belly? You secrete excess insulin and could benefit from fewer carbs.


J
JOURNAL: Write down everything you eat and you could cut your intake by 1,000 calories a day. Food journaling may seem boring but goes a long way in making you aware of what you eat and thereby helps you shed pounds.


K
KETOSIS: Ketosis refers to the point where your body runs low on carbs and burns fat for fuel. Therefore, ketosis jump-starts a diet. Restrict carbs and lose more initially. Later, allow yourself wholegrain cereals and roti, in moderation.


L
LOW BLOOD SUGAR: This is often the reason for between-meal cravings especially for sweet. When it strikes, reach for naturally sweet foods such as fruits and accompany it with a little low-fat dahi for a healthy dose of protein.

MILK

MILK: Get better results from your workout by downing milk. Two cups of skim milk after intense weightlifting can build more
muscle and burn twice as much fat as drinking fruit juice. But go with real cow's milk as it’s more beneficial than soya milk.


N

OMELETTE

NUMBERS: Nobody enjoys weigh-ins, but people who hop on the scale once a day are more likely to lose and maintain their loss. Make a standing appointment for yourself. But try to strike a balance rather than obsess over the number you see.


O
OMLETTE: Eggs are an ideal protein source. Protein helps build muscle, which will fry more calories per pound than fat. Bonus: You burn about 25 per cent of the eggs' calories just by digesting them.

PEANUTS

P
PEANUTS = PROTEIN: Take the edge off your appetite by snacking on a handful of peanuts everyday. Because, protein is the "secret" to weight control. Peanuts also boost your resting metabolic rate due to their fatty acid content.


Q:
Q 10
Coenzyme Q10 is one of the nutrients needed to produce energy. Most people an energy - mg a day. Other benefits include a stronger immune system. Besides, it's also a great antioxidant.


R
REPLACEMENTS: Replace any silly weight loss pills you have been advised to take, with a good low fat smoothie.You will lose just as much weight without the side-effects of a pill.


S
SLIP-UPS: Slip-ups are bound to happen.Anticipate them. Instead of letting them derail your efforts, learn from them and get right back on track by simply keeping your eye on your target.

TEA

T
TEA: The fat-busting benefits of green tea boil down to disease-fighting compounds called catechins. Max your results by steeping your tea for longer. The darker the hue of your brew, the more catechin-rich the cup.Add some lime to tone down the bitterness.


U
USER-FRIENDLY: There are a million fad diets around; your friends are probably trying some too. But what helps you lose weight isn't the type of diet but compliance with it. Find a plan you can live with so you'll stick to it.

VINEGAR

V
VINEGAR: Studies show that consuming 4 tbsp of a vinegar mixture with a high-carb diet drops your calorie intake by 275 per day. If you can't stomach vinegar, mix into a low-fat dressing to add zing to your salad.

WATER

W
WATER: It quenches thirst without the calories. Infact, water also ups your caloric burn rate. Sipping six extra 8-ounce glasses a day can burn 17,400 more calories (about 5 pounds of fat) per year.


X
XYLITOL: Xylitol is a natural substance found in vegetables that tastes and looks just like sugar. But while sugar harms, xylitol protects against disease and has anti-ageing benefits. In its crystalline form, it can replace sugar in cooking.

YOGA

Y
YOGA: Normal-weight women who practise yoga for four or more years will gain three pounds less over 10 years than those who don't. Grab your mat and get breathing!


Z
Zs
When you skimp on sleep, your brain thinks you're low on fuel and sends a message to your stomach to start growling.Women who sleep for 5 hours or less are an average of 5 pounds heavier than women who snoozed for 7 hours.Want to stay slim? Hit the pillow.

How to avoid illness

How Few changes in eating can aviod illness

You are too busy to bother about what you feed yourself, often rushing to grab a burger, gorging on a pizza and washing these down with a cola. The reasons given for treating our body to junk are many. Health foods? Too expensive. Counting nutrients? Impractical. Organic and natural food? Not always possible.


But a wrong diet is the root cause of all illnesses. The way out? Make small changes in your eating patterns. Don’t make a 360-degree change, go one step at a time. Try to be as natural as possible, gradually include more raw foods and get rid of unhealthy eating patterns. Here are easy-to-adopt plant-based diet practices that can help ward off (and in most cases, reverse) ailments like obesity, diabetes, gastric problems, etc.


Say ‘No’ to animal protein
Don’t pack in protein from animal sources - cheese, milk, meat, butter, eggs etc. Unlike plant-based protein sources, these take more time to digest, making you feel heavy and bloated. To make matters worse, unknowingly there is a tendency to have acidic food to help digest the protein (eg, consuming alcohol with meat). And as is commonly known, one of the bottomlines of a good diet is to avoid acidic food (animal products, sugar, dairy, sugar and colas) and have more alkaline stuff (fruits, vegetables).


Too much acid also leads to long-term thinning of the bones and lower muscle mass. Moreover, meat contains huge amount of animal fat that’s a direct cause of obesity, heart diseases, cholesterol, etc. Moral of the story? If you want to avoid the afore-mentioned diseases, give your body a protein dose with normal greens and fruits.


Dairy can be avoided
Have soya milk or almond milk if you can’t do without your daily glass of milk. Dairy products, especially the ones available after processing these days, do your body no good.


Oily fact
Watch your oil consumption. The best way to consume oil is through nuts and seeds rather than the refined form where all fibre is lost. Think you cannot make your sabji without a generous dollop of ghee? Here’s how you can do it - Add a little salt to soften the onions and fry them in a pan without oil or fat. If you feel it sticks, just sprinkle a little water. Onions will get fried just as well.


Change your cooking style
Healthy, oil-free cooking might take a little longer than usual, but it’s worth the wait. Begin using vegetable broth to cook your sabjis and curries. Can’t do without tasty (oily) temptations like patties, fries or cutlets? Simply coat your patties in fine peanut powder and roast them. It might take a while, but the oil released from the peanuts is enough to cook them. Try it to believe it.


Have whole foods
Eat only whole foods because most of the nutrients and flavour is in the skin and when you peel them, you throw away the nutrients. Ever wondered why you add sauces and masalas to spice up vegetables? It’s because while peeling the skin, you are ridding it of its flavours too. If you learn to cook with whole foods, you won’t feel the need to artificially flavour them with sauces. Similarly, have unpolished rice and brown rice instead of the white one,s and atta instead of maida.


Use water sparingly
Washing vegetables, grains and fruits is well, necessary, but don’t overdo it, else you’ll lose all nutrients. Steam your veggies instead of boiling them. You’ll require less water and retain nutrients too. Also, never wash vegetables after chopping them.


Have fruits separately
Do not combine fruits with a meal. Our bodies digest fruits very quickly as compared to other foods, as fruits are very sugary and therefore ‘ferment’ in your stomach. This is fine normally, but if you eat fruits post a heavy meal, then the fermenting fruit remains in your stomach a lot longer and can cause bloating, gas and discomfort. Also, have fruits instead of juices. The calories are higher in juices and with fruits, you’ll get your fibre too.




Follow the monkey
Nature is the best teacher and among all animals, man’s closest relative monkey leads the way. Ever seen a monkey peel an apple? Not really. But it certainly does so for a banana or an orange. Follow the principle in your diet too! Never peel fruits and vegetables that don’t need peeling.

Cold prevention strategies

8 Effective Cold Prevention Strategies

 1. Wash your hands - The world we live in is filled with viruses and bacteria that can make us ill. Your hands are no exceptions. Wash your hands often to keep them clean. If you cannot wash them, at least use some hand sanitizer, such as Purel.


2. Drink hot fluids, especially in the morning - The rhinovirus incubates in the back of the throat and spreads in the upper respiratory area because it's cooler than the body temperature. Rhinovirus can't survive at 98.6 (hence it doesn't travel far down into the bronchi or the lungs). By drinking hot fluid (such as hot tea and lemon) you can prevent the virus from incubating.


3. Keep your hands out of your face - We have already discussed the germs and viruses on your hands. You cannot wash them continuously, so in between washings keep your hands out of your face. Your face is an open portal to your insides. Keep the germs away from your portal.


4. Drink water - Drinking more water is my answer to everything. Water will help clean out your body and keep it clean. It will also keep your body functioning at 100%. You should drink at least (eight) 8oz glasses of water everyday. This will also help you lose weight.


5. Eat your fruits and vegetables - There are phytochemicals and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables that can help strengthen your immune system and prevent diseases. You should eat at least four servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits every day.


6. Multivitamins - If you are not eating all of your fruit and vegetable servings, you should take a multivitamin to ensure you are getting all of the vitamins your body needs to function properly. Take a simple one-a-day multivitamin everyday.


7. Stay warm - Being cold weakens your immune system and makes your body more susceptible to illness. Look at the day’s temperature at weather.com before leaving your home. Wear layers in and out of your home when it is cold.


8. Relax and rest - Stress weakens your immune system. You can reduce your stress levels by relaxing and getting more sleep. Sleep is essential to maintaining a healthy immune system. Sleep will also boost your recovery time if you become ill.


Getting a cold can derail your nutrition and activity plans. However, if you follow the strategies I laid out for you, you can prevent this from happening

Herbal Tips

Chinese Indian Herbal Medicine Tips

1) Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.



2) Cut some beet root into small pieces and grind them. Squeeze juice from beet root and massage to your face for 5 minutes. Shower after 10 minutes with mild soap or gram flour.



3) Mix sandalwood powder with rose water and add 4 to 5 drops of milk in it and apply on to your face and body. Shower after 15 minutes with warm water.



4) Mix honey in water and drink daily in the morning to keep your skin shiny and smooth.



5) Warm honey and mix with lemon juice and apply on to face. Wash after it dry.



6) Mix Turmeric, sandal powder and olive oil and apply to body. Shower after 10 minutes.



7) Massage your skin with milk. Milk has moisturizer, it will keep your skin smooth.



8) Hot water blushes your skin and you don't feel fresh unless you have bath with little cold water. If you have shower for a longtime, dead skin will be automatically be removed. Do not rub with towel, be gentle on your skin.



9) Take food which contains more A and C vitamin.



10) Grate carrot and boil. Massage that mixture to body to get fair and smooth skin.



11) For natural bleaching: - mix milk and lemon juice. The milk will break as soon as you mix the lemon juice in it. Use that mixture to massage on your body. It works as natural bleaching.



12) Mix turmeric and cream on the top of milk, massage that mixture to body.



13) If you go into sun your skin will lost the fair ness. To get your skin color to normal take equal quantities of cucumber juice and tomato juice and apply on to skin. Shower after 10 minutes.



14) Massage mustard oil to your skin for 5 minutes and have shower with gram flour or mild soap.



15) Mix cream on the top of milk and all-purpose flour and apply that paste on to your skin avoid eyes, eyebrows and lips. Shower after 5 minutes. This will make skin smooth.



16) Mix curds (yogurt) with wheat flour and apply to your skin and take shower after 5 minutes.



17) Grind rose petals and mix with cream on the top of milk and apply to your body. Shower after 10 minutes.



18) Scaly skin is a result of fluorine deficiency. Fluorine is the anti-resistant element of the human body, the absence of which creates problems in the blood and spleen. Since cooking and heating foods destroys fluorine, it is better to eat uncooked raw fruits and vegetables. Other foods rich in fluorine are goat milk and cheese, rye flour, avocados, sea plants and cabbage, cream whey and cottage cheese.



19) Wrinkle skin is a result of Sodium deficiency and makes skin sticky. Cucumbers are ideal for combating and preventing sodium deficiency because they are not only high in sodium, but also help in keeping the body cool, a great summer's treat.



20) Skin rashes are the result of silicon deficiency. To avoid pus and rashes, eat plenty of sprouts, alfalfa, barley, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries and figs.

Preventing Bad Breath

Preventing and Fixing Bad Breath (Halitosis)

Many people have bad breath without even realizing it. This can cripple your likelihood of enjoying a healthy social life, finding a significant other, and even advancement in your career. Halitosis or bad breath is mostly a result of poor hygiene and is completely treatable. It is quite easy to prevent and fix bad breath with the following guidelines.

Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue first thing every morning, and also after each time you take a nap. Foul-smelling bacteria have had a chance to take over your mouth while you slept, and are most likely causing yucky "morning breath."

After you brush your teeth and scrape your tongue, rinse your mouth thoroughly and gargle with fresh, cool water. This is a very important step, one that many people overlook.

Drink plenty of water - Insuring that you drink plenty of water throughout the day can help to control bad breath (halitosis). This can be an especially important consideration for those people who suffer from xerostomia (chronically dry mouths).

Rinse your mouth with water often - Rinsing with water can mitigate bad breath problems for brief periods of time. Rinsing will both dilute and partially remove the bacterial waste products that are the cause of breath odors.
Stimulate your mouth's flow of saliva - You can help to minimize bad breath odors by stimulating your body's flow of saliva. This is because saliva has a cleansing and diluting effect on the bacteria and bacterial waste products that cause bad breath.

One way to stimulate salivary flow is to chew on something. Doing so will trick your body in to thinking that it is getting a meal. And in preparation for digesting this meal your body will increase its production of saliva.

Chewing gum, cloves, breath mints, or lozenges can also be used to stimulate salivary flow. If you elect to use one of these products make sure it is sugar-free since sweets will promote the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay.
After you eat or drink anything (besides water), thoroughly rinse your mouth and gargle with water. Use this practice without fail, day and night, and you will keep abreast of nasty bacteria buildup in your mouth, which cause bad breath. Run your tongue along the surfaces of your teeth throughout the day, and if you ever notice any plaque buildup, brush your teeth again and rinse thoroughly with water, making sure that you feel your teeth, not plaque buildup, which is a contributing factor in bad breath.


Fixing Bad Breath on the Spot -

Drink water and ask for lemon to be included. Surreptitiously squeeze as much of the lemon into the water as possible, as it will help cover up the odor.
Chew a piece of gum or eat some mint candy.
Gargle with salt to neutralise some of the odour.
Sneak a spoon into the bathroom. Check to make sure you're alone. Look into the mirror, stick out your tongue and check for a pasty white goo on it. Turn the spoon upside down and use it to scrape your tongue, using a back to front motion. If you can't manage to sneak off with a spoon, head to the restroom, wash your hands, use your fingernails to scrape your tongue.

12 ways to stay top of Stress

12 Ways to Stay on Top of Stress

It takes a million years for one gene to change in our bodies. One million years! I'm bringing this up because, physiologically, we're the same humans we were 300 years ago. But look at how things have changed in that short time. Some things make life easier now: washers and dryers, transportation, abundance of food, electricity, etc. But some things make life today more insane: cell phones, traffic, increased population, fake food, TV, busy schedules. I heard a statistic from a doctor-friend that we make more decisions in one day than people used to make in a year. No wonder we're stressed out and reaching for doughnuts or alcohol to cope.

All this craziness and high-speed living isn't going away. Since we can't change our genes, we have to create a map to navigate this crazy life. What can you do to try and stay on top of the stress so it doesn't affect your health, happiness, or waistline?

1. Exercise. Amen for endorphins. Believe me, they've helped me many days with my perspective. If you have to work out, then go take a brisk walk and get that blood flowing. It isn't about working out to lose weight -- it's about being healthy and staying sane.

2. Eat the real stuff. Crappy food (fast, processed, and loaded with sugar) doesn't help your chemical brain and body handle stress. Living food, real food, helps support your mind and body while it's trying to deal with the million things coming its way. Every time I reach for the chocolate, I'm looking to feel something from it. Don't get me wrong -- if it's just a little here and there because I enjoy the taste of it, great. But if I'm using it the minute I feel overwhelmed, then that's when that food is no longer OK to eat. It doesn't make the problem go away, and then I just feel bad about eating the food to pacify myself. Grab green food instead. Put things in your mouth that are going to support your immune function and keep you levelheaded.

3. Notice. Try not to let the stress overtake you. Recognize the situations that cause the stress and notice them coming your way. You have a better shot at fending off the full effects of the stress when you can anticipate it.

4. Get it off your chest. Talk to a friend or partner about the stress. Sometimes just getting it off your chest can help unload some of the burden.

5. Keep your sense of humor. If you do have the chance to talk about it, try to see the irony and humor in the wacky bits. I think someone is dead in the water once they lose their sense of humor.

6. Stay grateful. Make a habit of saying thank you. You will notice the sunny spots a lot more often, and not just the gray skies and storms.

7. Ask, "What's the hurry?" Have some fun. We're always so busy going somewhere, we miss just enjoying the moment. If an opportunity comes your way to do something fun, take it.

8. Take a deep breath. When you feel the stress getting to you, take a moment. Get away, even if it's just for an hour, to be with yourself and your thoughts. Some people like to take a walk, meditate, lock themselves away in a beautiful bath, or go to church. Find the peace and the silence.

9. Keep it simple. Simplify where you can. Does Junior really need to be in 78 activities at the age of 5? Do you have to go to every little party or gathering you're invited to?

10. Turn off the TV. A lot of it is bad news anyway, and it robs us of hours that we could use to be getting other things done. Since everyone complains that they have no time, get some by unplugging from the tube.

11. Sleep. If you're rested, you have a better shot at handling things. Not to mention, you may not stress out as easily if you have a chance to recover at night.

12. Drink water. Hydrate with water. Help you entire system function better just by drinking enough water. Oh, and by the way, if you don't think that weight loss and proper hydration have a relationship, think again. Shift the paradigm on its side -- don't think about exercise and nutritional eating just as something you have to suffer through to get into those jeans. Instead, think of them as armor that will protect you in this crazy world, with all of the bazillion details you deal with every day.

Tips for Good Night's sleep

10 tips for good night's sleep

Stick to a schedule. Erratic bedtimes do not allow for your body to align to the proper circadian rhythms. Mum was right when she set a time we always had to go to sleep as kids. Also, make sure you try to keep the same schedule on weekends too, otherwise the next morning, you’d wake later and feel overly tired.

Sleep only at night. Avoid daytime sleep if possible. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to 20-minute, power naps.

Exercise. It’s actually known to help you sleep better. Your body uses the sleep period to recover its muscles and joints that have been exercised. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.
Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax tense muscles.

Avoid eating just before bed. Avoid eat large meals or spicy foods before bedtime. Give yourself at least 2 hours from when you eat to when you sleep. This allows for digestion to happen (or at least start) well before you go to sleep so your body can rest well during the night, rather than churning away your food.

Avoid caffeine. It keeps you awake and that’s now what you want for a good nights sleep. We all know that.

Read a fiction book. It takes you to a whole new world if you really get into it. And then take some time to ponder over the book as you fall asleep. I find as I read more and more, regardless of the book, I get more tired at night and so find it easier to fall asleep. Different for others?

Have the room slightly cooler. I prefer this to a hot room. I prefer to turn off the heat and allow the coolness to circulate in and out of the windows. If I get cold, I wear warmer clothes. It also saves on the bills as you’re not going to require the heat all night long.

Sleep in silence. I find sleeping with no music or TV on more easy and restful. I guess others are different, but sleep with no distractions is best for a clearer mind.

Avoid alcohol before bedtime. It’s a depressant; although it may make it easier to fall asleep, it causes you to wake up during the night. As alcohol is digested your body goes into withdrawal from the alcohol, causing nighttime awakenings and often nightmares for some people

Super Food for Shedding weight

10 superfoods for shedding weight

It's time for a new slim-down funda: Eat more to weigh less. Eating the right foods help you shed weight by increasing your calorie 10 superfoods for shedding weight burn and 10 superfoods for shedding weight cutting down food cravings.

1. Steak : Contrary to popular perception, eating a beef stake may help you drop weight. In a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women on a diet that included red meat lost more weight than those eating equal calories but little beef. The protein in steak helps you retain muscle mass during weight loss.

2. Eggs : Dig in to eggs, yolks and all: Eggs do not harm your heart, they can help you trim inches. Women on a low-calorie diet who ate an egg with toast and jelly each morning lost twice as much weight as those who had a bagel breakfast with the same number of calories but no eggs, a study from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge reports. Egg protein is filling, so you eat less later in the day.

3. Oats : "Oatmeal has the highest satiety ranking of any food," Grotto says. Unlike many other carbohydrates, oats—even the instant kind—digest slowly, so they have little impact on your blood sugar."

4. Lentils : Lentils are a great tummy flattener. "They're high in protein and soluble fibre, two nutrients that stabilise blood sugar levels," says Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., author of The F-Factor Diet (Putnam Adult). Eating them helps prevent insulin spikes that cause your body to create excess fat, especially in the abdominal area."

5. Apples : An apple a day can keep weight gain at bay, finds a study from Penn State University at University Park. People who chomped an apple before a pasta meal ate fewer calories overall than those who had a different snack. Apples are high in fibre—4 to 5 grams each—which makes them filling. Plus, the antioxidants in apples may help prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by excess belly fat or an "apple shape."

6. Chiles : A great reason to spice up your meals: You'll increase your metabolism. A compound in chiles called capsaicin has a thermogenic effect, meaning it causes the body to burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat the chiles. Plus, "you can't gulp down spicy food. Eating slowly gives your brain time to register that your stomach is full, so you won't overeat.

7. Yogurt : Dietitians often refer to plain yogurt as the perfect food. With its trifecta of carbs, protein and fat, it can stave off hunger by keeping blood sugar levels steady. In a study , people on a low-calorie diet that included yogurt lost 61 per cent more fat overall and 81 per cent more belly fat than those on a similar plan but without yogurt.

8. Parmesan : Women who had one serving of whole milk or cheese daily were less likely to gain weight over time, -dairy fans didn't experience the same benefit. Whole dairy may have more conjugated linoleic acid, which might help your body burn fat.

9. Avocado : Don't let the fat content of an avocado (29 grams) scare you—that's what makes it a top weight loss food. The heart-healthy monounsaturated fat it contains increases satiety.

10. Olive oil : Like avocados, olive oil has healthy fat that increases satiety, taming your appetite. But that's hardly its only slimming feature. Research shows it has anti-inflammatory properties.

Going VEG is good for health

Why going 'veg' is good

Veggie delight

Why going veg is a good idea ?


Detoxifies: A veggie diet contains dietary fibre (bottle gourd, pumpkins, spinach, cabbages), which flushes toxins out of the body. A diet containing only eggs, fish and mutton is a poor source of fibre.

Stronger bones: Gorging on meat can lead to protein overload. This can tax our kidneys, interfere with the absorption of calcium and prompt the body to extract existing calcium from the bones. Such calcium excretion is rare amongst vegetarians.

Carb deficiencies: A non-vegetarian diet is a poor source of carbohydrates. Carb-deficiency can lead to ketosis – a condition where the body starts breaking down fat (instead of carbs) as a source of energy.

Easy digestion: Complex carbohydrates in vegetarian foods are digested gradually providing a steady source of glucose. Conversely, meats rich in fat and proteins are difficult to digest.

Healthy skin: Eating beetroot, tomato, pumpkin and bitter gourd can clear off blemishes. And guava, apples, pears and peaches, eaten along with their peel, promise a glowing complexion.

Weight management: Avoiding meat is the simplest way to reduce fat intake. Instead, eating whole grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and fruits, lowers cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and obesity.

Easy on the teeth: Our molars are more suitable for grinding grains and vegetables than tearing flesh. Digestion begins with the saliva, which can only digest complex carbohydrates present in plant foods.

Phyto nutrients: Diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, stroke and bone loss are partially preventable with a good intake of phytonurtients. As these are present only in vegetarian diet, the non-vegetarians are at a loss.

The Dream Diet

Presenting - the dream diet

You hit the gym four times a week; you watch what you eat without cheating. Yet, your weight won’t budge. All those late nights might be the culprit. The experts advise you to sleep off those extra kilos. Does it get any easier than that? If you think this is too good to be true, read on as we back up the claims with solid scientific facts.

The link between sleep and weight

Sleep deprivation plays havoc with the hormones. The hormone Ghrelin is responsible for hunger pangs while another hormone, Leptin, tells your brain when it’s time to stop. When you don’t get enough shut-eye, your Ghrelin levels increase and Leptin levels decrease. The result – an increased craving for food and a feeling of not being satiated despite eating more than you normally do! Secondly, the growth hormone is secreted, for the most part, during the first round of sleep or the slow-wave sleep. This hormone plays a very important role in body weight as it controls the body’s proportion of muscle and fat. When you don’t get proper sleep, you secrete less of this hormone. In fact, just one week of sleep deprivation reduces the production of the growth hormone significantly. And low levels of growth hormone equal more fat. Also, as we age, the time we spend in deep sleep reduces, which translates to reduced growth hormone production. Add to that reduced hours of sleep and you significantly increase your chances of weight gain. Also, a good restful sleep has the ability to de-stress the mind and body. Lack of sleep tends to cause physical stress. This leads to excessive production of the stress hormone Cortisol, which in turn stimulates the production of glucose in excess. And this little extra is then converted into fat. Sleep deprivation puts your body in starvation mode Sleep deprived people tend to opt for high calorie sweets, salty and starchy foods to snack on. That’s because sleep deprivation stimulates the cells to shout out for more food. Want to beat those hunger pangs? Go to bed!

Sleep deprivation and sluggishness go hand in hand

When you sleep less, you are low on energy and as a result you are less likely to be physically active. In fact, even small non-exercise related activities like standing instead of sitting or simply fidgeting are significantly reduced. As a result you burn fewer calories. Also when the body senses low energy levels, it reacts by hoarding calories as fat, thereby making weight loss difficult.

How many hours of sleep do I need?

If you are unsure how many hours you need, experiment, when you have the luxury to, by sleeping as much as you want for four nights in a row. Record how many hours you sleep on the fourth night. The hours of sleep you received that night will be the approximate number of hours you should try to get every night. That’s because by the fourth night your body is refreshed and your body clock will reach its natural rhythm.

What if I sleep less to exercise more?

The American Thoracic Society International Conference recently held in San Diego, California reported the following in a study – Women who don’t get much sleep, up to five hours each night, are much more likely to have put on 33 lbs (15 kilos) over a 16 year period. This is 30 per cent more likely when compared to the women who managed to get seven hours sleep each night. 1. What surprised the researchers was that sleeping patterns had a much greater influence on women’s long-term weight than eating habits or physical activity. 2. At the start of the study, the women who slept up to five hours a night weighed 5.4 pounds more than those who got seven hours or more. They also put on 1.6 pounds more each year than the good sleepers. 3. The 1.6 pounds extra per year may not sound like much, but multiply this number by ten and you have a sizeable weight gap. Imagine what the difference would be over 20 or 30 years! 4. However, having the best sleep every night and a terrible diet will not make you lose weight. Make sure that your daily food intake includes 25-30 per cent protein, 45-55 per cent complex carbohydrates, 15-20 per cent essential fatty acids. Secondly, make sure you are on an effective exercise program, 4-5 times a week.

For a good night’s sleep

Don’t go to bed hungry : While this does not mean that you should have a heavy snack at bedtime, it does suggest that a light snack, rich in sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan, can help.

Take a warm bath an hour before bedtime : Your body temperature will slowly drop after you get out of the tub making you feel tired.

Keep your days active : Resist the temptation of nap so that your body will be ready for a restful sleep at night.

Reasons why to start drinking Green Tea

25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Now. Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits. It is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health. And if you're not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today, you're definitely NOT doing your health a big favor. Here Are The 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Right Now: 1. Green Tea and Cancer Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer. 2. Green Tea and Heart Disease Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. Even after a heart attack, it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells. 3. Green Tea and Anti-Aging Green tea contains antioxidant known as polyphenols which fight against free radicals. What this means it helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity. 4. Green Tea and Weight Loss Green tea helps with your body weight loss. Green tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally. It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day. That translates to 7 pounds in one year. 5. Green Tea and Skin Antioxidant in green tea protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin aging. Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer. 6. Green Tea and Arthritis Green tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Green tea has benefit for your health as it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage. 7. Green Tea and Bones The very key to this is high fluoride content found in green tea. It helps keep your bones strong. If you drink green tea every day, this will help you preserve your bone density. 8. Green Tea and Cholesterol Green tea can help lower cholesterol level. It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, by reducing bad cholesterol level. 9. Green Tea and Obesity Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink green tea, it is unlikely you'll be obese. 10. Green Tea and Diabetes Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate. 11. Green Tea and Alzheimer's Green tea helps boost your memory. And although there's no cure for Alzheimer's, it helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer's. 12. Green Tea and Parkinson's Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson's. People drinking green tea also are less likely to progress with Parkinson's. 13. Green Tea and Liver Disease Green tea helps prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure. Researches showed that green tea destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers. 14. Green Tea and High Blood Pressure Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure. Drinking green tea helps keep your blood pressure down by repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure. 15. Green Tea and Food Poisoning Catechin found in green tea can kill bacteria which causes food poisoning and kills the toxins produced by those bacteria. 16. Green Tea and Blood Sugar Blood sugar tends to increase with age, but polyphenols and polysaccharides in green tea help lower your blood sugar level. 17. Green Tea and Immunity Polyphenols and flavenoids found in green tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections. 18. Green Tea and Cold and Flu Green tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu. Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold. 19. Green Tea and Asthma Theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma. 20. Green Tea and Ear Infection Green tea helps with ear infection problem. For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in green tea and clean the infected ear. 21. Green Tea and Herpes Green tea increases the effectiveness of topical interferon treatment of herpes. First green tea compress is applied, and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment. 22. Green Tea and Tooth Decay Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases. It also slows the growth of bacteria which leads to bad breath. 23. Green Tea and Stress L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in green tea, can help relieve stress and anxiety. 24. Green Tea and Allergies EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies. So, if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking green tea. 25. Green Tea and HIV Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells. What this means is that green tea can help stop the HIV virus from spreading.

How to turn Dark Circles Under Eyes into Shining Bright Eyes

Dark Circles Under Eyes to Turn into Shining Bright Eyes

Dark circles under eyes immediately start disappearing turning them into shining bright eyes as the eyebrows get raised naturally and lift the eyelids further up and lock them there. The skin under the eye is thinner than the rest of the skin around. Hence the veins under it give it a blue tinge appearing as dark circles there. Also the skin under the eye is affected more by the sun tanning. Rubbing or scratching the eye darkens the skin under the eyes as well. Medications causing the blood vessels to dilate also pronounce these dark patches. Lack of nutrition discolors this area too. Lack of sleep or excessive fatigue turns skin pale and shows these dark patches more. Pregnancy and menstruation also accentuate the dark under eye circles. Age sags the skin, drooping the eyelids and generating bags over there. The dark circles start showing even more than before. But the way we have been going through our previous posts not only lifts-up the drooping eyelids, removes the excess eyelid skin along with the excess fat-tissue, removes dark circles under eyes, and turns back the eyelids that have gone turned-in or turned-out; but also gets a total facelift for you without going for an anti aging eye cream or an anti wrinkle eye cream, or any surgical procedure. Just open your eyes FULL in their TOTAL WIDTH by putting a slight smile on your lips, and you will have got the two bright eyes on your face! And then this only is the right way you should always open your eyes in while you are awake. If you are really interested in and really curious about whatever you are looking at, it automatically happens so.