Need a Spa Treatment for Your Eyes?

Your eyes work non-stop for you. Now it’s payback time. Thank your eyes for all they do by following the three peepers protecting steps below. Your eyes will feel like they’ve had a fancy spa treatment. Bonus: pricey creams and cucumber slices not required.

Stay well watered. Your tear ducts – those tiny tubes that keep your eyes moist and lubricated – need ample H2O to do their job. So help keep them hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

Get between the sheets. Adequate pillow time is the key for reviving tired eyes. Your retinal membranes – like the rest of your body – need the night hours to recharge. Remove all your sleep obstacles. Get a sleep-better plan.

Quit the staring contests. With your computer, that is. Let the machine win. Too much screen time makes eyes tired and achy. Take at least one 10-minute break every 2 hours. And adjust the flicker rate on your monitor to 70 or above to make your screen less harsh. On a PC, use the start-up menu to open your control panel, then change your display setting so that the monitor refreshes at a rate of at least 70 hertz.

5 Steps to Perfect Your Posture for Strong Abs

You may feel like you’re already standing straight, but in reality most of us stand like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Practice good posture bringing your head and neck back. The key element is breathing in to tighten your gut. That’s the component that lifts your chest and will give you Marine-like posture. 

Sometimes the smallest changes in your life can lead to the biggest results. Sucking in your gut while you do crunches, or even when you take the elevator, is a good example. It helps your body not only look younger – by skimming a couple of inches off your middle and adding them to your lungs/chest – but it also helps your body get stronger, because you’re engaging your abdominal muscles.

Simple 5 Steps to Perfect Your Posture:

• Pull your shoulder blades back slightly toward each other and down away from your ears.

• Lift your chest up and out.

• Pull your head back just enough to keep it in line with your spine.

• Position your pelvis or hips to create or maintain a natural arch in your lower back.

• Pull your belly button in toward your spine without changing or tilting your hips or losing the arch in your lower back.

What does DIET stand for?

DIET, according to me is the Distributed Intake for Exact Temperance. And a balanced diet helps you ensure the balance of the intake. But for many the distributed intake turns out to become a disturbed intake.

A balanced diet is very essential for your body to have all the kinds of nutrients in right proportion. Generally, the cause for most of the diseases is the imbalance of such nutrients either due to deficiency or excess of it. A healthy diet serves a good balance of these very nutrients. Different food groups have varied amounts of nutrients in them. To simplify, these groups can be classified majorly into Fruits & Vegetables, Dairy products, Cereals and pulses, grain products and so on.

Each group provides its own bulk of nutrition. Starting with, cereals and pulses which have high amount of proteins which makes your body grow and also help the healing of wounds. Coming to dairy products such as milk, curd, and butter, they have abundance of carbohydrates, fats and calcium which provides energy to the body. The balanced diet comprises of fruits and vegetables, beans, pulses, fish, meat or eggs along with good of milk and curd but with less amount of food containing fat or sugar.

Each nutrient performs necessary functions in your body and so their intake is useful. Of course, the amount of intake of such food-nutrients differs from person to person depending on factors like age, gender and body-size. A balanced diet helps you maintain proper body-weight, enhance your immune power thereby reducing the risk of so many diseases like blood-pressure, diabetes, heart ailments, etc and mainly keeps you fit and fine.

Water Therapy - A Myth or Panacea?

Water therapy has two forms to it. The one is consumption of drinking water and the second is the water therapy exercise programs (also called hydrotherapy or pool therapy). This consists of a variety of exercises to be performed in shallow water in a pool or in a tank. These exercises are specially tailored for back, spine, joints pain relief and muscles.

An individual who finds it difficult to do the land-based exercises due to pain or low bone density can benefit from this aquatic-based program because of the desirable properties of water. Hard surfaces make it uncomfortable to exercise on, but in water it is such a pleasurable environment.

One doesn’t strain his/her body as water helps to support the body weight thereby making it easy to balance and exercise. Secondly, the temperature of the water is about 90-94 degrees (Fahrenheit), as warm as bathing water. This helps in improving the blood circulation and muscle-conditioning. Also, the experience of being in water is so soothing that it makes you feel relaxed and fresh.

Doctors advise water therapy as a versatile exercise and are particularly good for people with diabetes, high blood-pressure, muscle pull or tears and osteoporosis. These ailments become better and manageable with the exercises in water. However, before beginning any such treatment plan, consult a qualified health person. These plans vary from individual to individual’s body, age and ailments. Also, avoid exercising in water during fever, cold & cough or any type of infection or contagious disease as this may aggravate the situation.

Anti-Oxidants for Anti-Ageing

Oxidation is a metabolic action in the body which results in the creation of free radicals. The free radicals have the ability to attract electrons which in turn can damage body cells. The malfunctioning or death of cells causes damage to the tissues and membrane in the body. Free radicals are also harmful to liver and heart. They are also observed to be carcinogenic. Smoking, exposure to sunlight, stress, pollution and alcohol consumption also results in the formation of free radicals in the body. They trigger aging and stimulate DNA in the cells and make it carcinogenic.

Free radicals are capable of damaging cells in the eye lens there by affecting the eye sight. They affect the neurons in the brain causing Alzheimers or Parkinson’s disease. The damage of membrane cells results in formation of wrinkles in the skin. Free radical makes the harmful LDL cholesterol to stick on to the arterial walls there by increasing the risk of heart diseases. These are some of the main symptoms that we you when a person gets aged, so free radicals play a dominant role in hastening aging.

Antioxidants have the ability to prevent the effects of oxidation and thereby generation of the free radicals in the body. The body cells have to produce free radicals as a by-product when it uses oxygen. Antioxidants can destroy free radicals by neutralizing it and there by prevent its damage caused to body cells. Antioxidants can strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of cancer and many other diseases. Antioxidants help to slow down the aging process of your skin, cells, tissues and organs. It also protects you from degenerative diseases.

Antioxidants are natural nutrients found in food we generally eat. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals are the major source of antioxidants. Minerals like copper, zinc and selenium and vitamins E, C, and A are effective antioxidants. Phytochemicals or non-nutrient antioxidants like anthocyanins in cranberries and lycopene in tomatoes are powerful antioxidants. Lycopene can prevent prostate cancer in men. Eating corn and spinach can reduce blindness due to degradation of eye cells in old age. A flavanoid called catechin in green tea is effective for cardiac problems. You can get plenty of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables like beans, grains, corns, orange, cantaloupe, butternut squash, mango watermelon and berries.

Oxygen is both essential and harmful for the human body. Reaction of oxygen in human body is similar to that of metals. Oxidation in iron forms rust, aluminum gets bleached and copper turns green. These are symptoms that show a metal is old or not. Similarly human body suffers from wrinkles on skin, loss of memory, impaired vision and many other diseases, indicating that you are getting aged. Antioxidants have the magical ability to fight free radicals and aging.

8 Benefits of a Cool Down

The importance of a cool down is manifold. Here’s why…..

• A cool down gradually reduces the body temperature and heart rate.
• On a metabolic level, it helps disperse the lactic acid that accumulates in the muscles during a workout.
• The immediate post exercise tendency for muscle spasm or cramping can be avoided.
• A good cool down routine will help reduce muscle stiffness and soreness.
• Helps avoid fainting or dizziness, which can result from blood pooling in the large muscles of the legs when vigorous activity is stopped suddenly.
• Prepares your muscles for the next exercise session enabling you to compete again at the same level within a short period of time.
• During the cool down routine, the body releases hormones that counter the effects of adrenaline and allow rest and sleep after exercise.
• Because of the increase in tissue temperature, it is an ideal time to stretch and improve or maintain joint range of movement and flexibility.

7 Nutrients for Radiant Glowing Skin

One of the greatest treasures that each one of us would die to have is healthy radiant skin and particularly women. The skin excretes waste products, absorbs moisture and protects from infections. If the balance of the skin is disturbed it can result in dryness, excessive oiliness and inability to protect against infections.

The natural and best way to begin would be by following a healthy living plan that would include regular outdoor exercises, enough rest and sleep, sensible stress management, drinking pure water and most importantly a nutritious diet. Each nutrient in a well-balanced diet plays an essential role in keeping the skin healthy and youthful.

• Protein has the major tasks of building and maintaining the skin cells.

• Iron helps to ensure a proper blood-supply, oxygen and other nutrients required for the maintenance of the skin cells.

• If the skin is protected from getting dry, it is thanks mainly to Vitamin A.

• Performing a similar function is the group of vitamin B-complex, which also prevents the appearance of brown posts, mainly on the face, forearms and legs.

• Vitamin C assists in retaining the freshness of the skin and making it glow.

• Vitamin E uses its antioxidant properties to prevent the skin from getting discolored and wrinkling.

• The minerals calcium and zinc help to protect the skin and keep it healthy.
  

So protect, nurture and cleanse your skin with simple tips to keep it glowing and charming.

Eating Disorders at a Glance

Eating disorders can cause serious physical health problems in a person. Eating disorders is no longer a behavioral problem; it has roots dug into mental and physical health conditions. It is a medical problem that requires immediate medical diagnosis and treatment. It is not possible to point out the exact reason behind eating disorder. Several factors like genetic, family and social conditions or mental disorders like depression and phobia can result in eating disorder. People with eating disorders will be unable to identify its effects on their body. They will not experience anything unusual happening to them even when they are starving.

Advertisements, movies, television programs and sports programs cast a spell in the mind of a person and motivate them to become slim. They imagine that getting thinner makes them beautiful. Research on this issue indicates that 42% girls above third grade and 81% of girls above 10 years want to become slimmer. Sports like ballet, gymnastics and wrestling which need a thin body also cause eating disorders. To become thinner people go for dieting and exercising in an unscientific manner. Children trying to reduce body weight like this, very soon get mentally depressed leading to eating disorders.

2 common diseases caused by eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia.
A person infected with anorexia nervosa turns to starving to get slimmer. Initially they start dieting to reduce weight but soon look to suppress the sensation of hunger leading to starvation. Some even try to purge consumed food by vomiting or taking laxatives. Anorectics have a distorted image of their body in the mind; they always think they are getting fatter even when their body weight is decreasing at an alarming rate. They refuse to maintain the normal weight required for their age and height.

Loss of menstrual periods is common in women. Unlike anorexia nervosa, a person affected by bulimia constantly eats and purge food. A person with bulimia may not experience serious weight loss but they have a varying body weight. Both disorders motivate to do straining exercise. A child with anorexia or bulimia may face dehydration. When the disease gets severe, it can affect brain and cause symptoms like dizziness, fainting, agitation, confusion, inability to concentrate, and loss of memory. Anorexia may affect a child's growth; bone mass, puberty delays, irregular heartbeat, blood pressure problems, and gastrointestinal problems. The continuous vomiting involved in bulimia can cause tears, severe inflammation of the esophagus, gastric disturbances and erosion of tooth enamel.

5 Types of Sleep Disorders

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost

Insomnia may not have inspired these lines from the poet, but the excerpt definitely holds true for stress-prone people, who find it difficult to switch off into oblivion once they are done for the day. The reasons behind an increasing number of sleep disorders may be rooted to one’s diet, anatomy, stress and anxiety. Factors like these create a vicious cycle of poor quality sleep in the night and feeling sleepy and fatigued during the night.

A significant number of people are sleep deprived however there isn’t much awareness about sleep quality among masses. In fact, more than 50% of the American population encounters sleep difficulties at some point in their lives. In Australia, for instance, where health awareness is pretty high, drivers of public transport don’t get a license unless their sleep study is fine.

Sleeping disorders are found in various forms:

• Sleep Apnea: An obstruction in respiratory system in the form of dust or mucus. This can cause loud snoring and the person wakes up unexpectedly when the breathing is blocked.
• Narcolepsy: The person suddenly fall sleep without any intention at inappropriate times.
• Parasomnia: The sleep will be interrupted many times without any reason. 
• Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder (RBD): The person may turn violent on some dreams and wake up. The eyeball constantly moves involuntarily depriving a comfortable sleep. Sudden involuntary movement of arms or legs while sleeping.
• Somnambulism: The person wake up suddenly and involve himself in activities like walking, eating or dressing etc. without any conscious knowledge.

Even though a good night’s sleep is one of the basic requisites for good health, it is also the most overlooked one. Insomnia or sleeplessness as they say deprives a person of mental rest and thereby interferes with his activities in the daytime.

Studies show that lack of sleep not only affects concentration and alertness, it also increases risk for diabetes and obesity impairs immune system function. The most common causes of sleeplessness are mental tension brought by anxiety, worries, overwork and over excitement and suppressed feelings of resentment, anger and bitterness.

Exercising Doesn't Prevent Child Obesity!

Contrary to the commonly accepted wisdom, exercise doesn’t prevent children from becoming obese, for a new study has revealed that they are actually programmed to be sporty or couch potatoes.In a recent study, researchers have found that physical activity daily has little or no effect on whether kids are fat or not, a finding which means the obesity epidemic among them is caused more by what they eat than lack of exercise.

In fact, according to the researchers, the amount of exercise a child does is not linked to their Body Mass Index (BMI), a calculation of their height and weight used to measure if they are a healthy weight or not.

Each child is programmed to a particular level of activity. No matter what you do, they will modify their activity to remain at their level, some will always do more and some will always do less. Some children do meet the physical activity guidelines and some don’t but BMI will not tell you which one’s do and which one’s don’t. But it is worth doing exercise because there is clearly a benefit in doing so, it is just that the BMI does not reflect that.