Tag: Health

They are commonly applied to beautify your talons, but nail varnish can serve other purposes as well. Take a look…

Colour code your keys
So, you have a ‘key’ concern. All your keys — those of your house, drawer and closet look similar. Just colour each key with a different-hued nail polish. Easy-peasy!

Labelling your spices
Powdered cumin seeds, coriander seeds and garam masala look the same to an amateur cook. Why not label your spice bottles? Waterproof those labels with a swipe of clear polish to protect them from dampness.

Seal an envelope
Just when you need to seal an envelope, did the glue stick decide to pull a vanishing act? Try dabbing some clear nail polish on the corners of the envelope.

A thread-and-needle situation
Don’t we all struggle to get the thread through the eye of the needle? Lightly dip the end of your thread in nail polish. This will make it harder and easier to pull through the needle.

Safeguard jewellery
Most of us love junk jewellery, but not everyone’s skin takes to it well. Have you observed how often your skin turns green after wearing that fancy ring or chunky necklace? Prevent it by painting a clear coat of polish on the side that comes into contact with your skin. Stone embellishments on dresses are delicate, so apply a coat of clear nail varnish to prevent them from falling. You can also do this for your costume jewellery.

Stick shoe
laces The ends of shoelaces have an uncanny knack of unraveling, rendering them useless in no time. You can either burn the ends or better still, coat them with nail polish. For a fun twist, give clear nail polish a miss and go for coloured ends.

Tighten loose
screws Remember that screw on the handle of your toolbox that loosens up all the time? Well, apply a coat of nail polish after tightening the screws. They won’t come off for a long time.

Paint your
shoe soles Give your plain, old soles a fresh lease of life by painting them in vibrant hues. Try turquoise blue and neon orange or go for red soles.

Smooth splinters
Sometimes, your clothes get stuck in those annoying bits of wood jutting out of furniture or wardrobe. Just smooth them down and apply a coat or two of clear nail polish. This should help until the handyman fixes the problem.

Avoid tears
You noticed a teeny-tiny hole in your leggings after you have left from home. Now, what do you do? Grab a bottle of clear nail varnish and apply a little on the edges of the tear. This will prevent the frayed edges from widening further.

Prevent tarnish Apply a coat of clear nail polish to your belt buckles to prevent them from tarnishing.

Secure buttons It is extremely embarrassing when buttons come off your blouse at unexpected moments. Here’s what to do — secure them with a coat of nail polish.

You’ve been told to cut down on junk fare and exercise regularly. But there are surprising ways to ensure your heart and blood vessels function fine So you’re aware of the standard ways of lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke: quit smoking, shed those extra kilos, exercise, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. But recent studies suggest some possible preventive measures that are not quite common. Here are five surprising ways to keep your heart and blood vessels healthy.

Have dark chocolate

A number of studies suggest that eating dark chocolate decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Another study found that those who eat small amounts of dark chocolate, had lower levels of a protein in their blood that is associated with inflammation. Other research suggests chocolate consumption may lower blood pressure, help prevent formation of artery plaque and improve blood flow. The benefits from chocolate may come from flavonoids, compounds in chocolate thought to help protect cells against damage. They are present in higher amounts in dark chocolate. Another study found that dark chocolate helps to inhibit an enzyme known as ACE, which is involved in regulating blood flow.

Stay away from traffic

According to a recent study that found an association between traffic noise and risk of stroke, the sound of horns, and noisy trucks may take a toll on your blood vessels. Besides, the exposure to loud noise may increase the body’s stress hormone levels, and increase blood pressure, which might contribute to the uptick in stroke risk.

Get enough sleep

Getting too little or too much sleep may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. The results showed that those who slept six or fewer hours per night had a 48 per cent higher risk of developing or dying from heart disease, and a 15 per cent higher risk of developing or dying from stroke, than those who slept seven or eight hours per night. Too little shut eye may increase blood pressure and cholesterol, and put people at risk for obesity and Type 2 diabetes. But the study showed getting too much sleep was bad for the heart as well. Those who slept nine or more hours had a 41 per cent higher risk of developing and dying of heart disease than those who slept seven or eight hours.

Eat blueberries

Anthocyanins, found in foods such as blueberries, orange juice and eggplant are antioxidants. In a study, those who ate at least one serving of blueberries per week were 10 per cent less likely than those who ate no blueberries to develop high blood pressure. The researchers analysed the diets of 134,000 women and 47,000 men over a 14-year period. They studied to see how much anthocyanin, the subjects consumed. The study participants who had the highest amount of anthocyanins in their diets had an eight per cent lower risk of high blood pressure than those who ate the least amount of anthocyanins. This does not mean you opt for blueberry cakes.

Beware of

the fizz A recent study found, consuming diet sodas may increase your risk of stroke. The study, found that those who drank diet soda every day had a 48 per cent higher risk of stroke and heart attack than those who did not drink any soda at all. The results held true even after the researchers accounted for factors that might influence heart disease and stroke risks, such as whether or not the patient had metabolic syndrome or a history of heart disease. However, the researchers cautioned, the study only showed an association, and not a cause-effect link.

Do you cringe every time you are asked to have tomato soup? Well, tomatoes are filled with nutrients and antioxidants that help combat several diseases as well as keep your health in good shape.

Improves vision

Vitamin A, present in tomatoes, helps to improve your eyesight as well as prevent night-blindness and macular degeneration.

Helps fight cancer

According to studies, tomatoes contain large amounts of the antioxidant lycopene, that is effective in lowering the risk of cancer, especially lung, stomach and prostrate cancers.

Maintaining blood health

Research suggests that a single tomato can provide about 40% of the daily vitamin C requirement and also contains vitamin A, potassium, and iron that is essential for maintaining normal blood health. Vitamin K, which is controls bleeding and blood clotting, tomatoes help in blood circulation.

Reduces risk of heart

disease The lycopene in tomatoes can protect you against cardiovascular diseases. Consuming tomatoes regularly helps decrease the levels of cholesterol and triglyceride in the blood, reducing the deposition of fats in the blood vessels.

Good for digestion

Eating tomatoes daily can keep your digestive system healthy as it prevents both, constipation and diarrhoea. It also prevents jaundice and effectively removes toxins from the body.

After standing up to lose weight it is now time to run backwards to burn calories. Yes, according to a latest trend, fitness enthusiasts are trying out a new workout wherein you run backwards instead of running the normal way and this helps in burning more calories. The viability and excitement for this new trend remains to be seen.

Speaking on it, actor Gul Panag said, “Fitness is not about following trends and it’s certainly not about counting calories. For me fitness is about having a healthy heart and I won’t subscribe to this because the danger of me falling over and hitting my head is far greater than any other advantage I may get out of running backwards.” Sounding excited about the trend fitness expert Abhimanyu Sable added, “As this is a new motion for the body, more energy will be required.

I would suggest trying it because anything new that you do changes your body as a response reflex. But there is no research that suggests that you burn more calories by doing this.” Physiotherapist Dr Savita Rairikar feels it can prove useful to some extent. She said, “Running backward requires more concentration than running forward and this might be a reason behind burning more calories. One can suggest this to a person only after fully understanding the limitations of this method. As there is very less literature available on this matter and research on it is ongoing we are yet to say how useful is it taking into account a person’s physical capacity.”

Does running backward reduce the stress and impact faced by the knees and bones of the legs? Dr Shailesh Hadgaonkar, consulting orthopaedic spine surgeon, said, “If you are doing it to strengthen your spine or back, then you need to think again. Running backwards uphill is not advisable for anyone with a problem in their spine or lower back. Otherwise, there is no problem in trying it out. Also ensure that you are running in a safe area like a park to prevent injury and that the right erect posture is maintained while running. It is too early to say if it is going to be more useful than running forward.”

Don’t let your desk job make you unhealthy and fat. Here are a few exercises and diet tips to stay fit in spite of a sit-down job. Many people complain about this. Increasing stress and inactivity at work leads to weight gain. Here’s what to do…

Exercise at your desk

For a toned stomach: Sit tall and straighten the spine. Clench the abdominal muscles tightly pulling the naval into the spine. Hold for one to five seconds and repeat 20 times. Try doing this at least three times in a day. FOR GREAT THIGHS: Be seated with knees together. Keep them together in a way that no one can pull them apart even if they try their best. Squeeze your inner thigh muscles in one-second pulses. Do this at least three times daily. FOR A SHAPELY BUTT: Start to stand up and tighten your butt and thigh muscles; then pause for a beat. Sit back down and stand up as you normally would. Do this every time you get out of your chair.

Nutrition chart

EAT MORE OF NUTS AND SEEDS: The vital nutrients that your body requires – protein, magnesium, vitamin B and healthy monounsaturated fats are found in favorites like almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. They help keep blood sugar under control. Have them in the earliest part of the day – they will pack you with lot of energy. RAW VEGETABLES AND COLD CUTS: Consume foods that are high in fibre. Vegetables like broccoli and celery are rich in plant compounds that regulate blood sugar. Also, go for cold cuts like turkey and cheese slices that are high in protein. HAVE EGGS DAILY: Egg is the highest quality protein you can have. They increase nitrogen stores in muscles and make them firmer so they burn more calories even when your body is at rest. Moreover they are loaded with vitamin D and prevent fat from trapping.

If you’re an emotional eater, chances are that whenever tragedy strikes, you probably go running to seek comfort in ice creams, desserts and cookies, pizzas, burgers, etc — basically foods that are loaded with sugar and fat. However, you know that no matter how much a soothing effect these foods have on your emotions, they aren’t really great for your waistline. But still you gorge on them in times of despair and get racked with guilt later. We give you a list of healthy foods…

Nuts
Walnuts and almonds are the healthiest of all nuts. Nuts are fortified with the B group of vitamins, magnesium, zinc and omega oils that helps to keep cortisol (a stress hormone) levels low. Also, they are a good source of energy, balance out sugar cravings and aids metabolism. The monounsaturated fats present in nuts help in curbing overeating. But there’s no need to go overboard with nuts as they have high calories. Stick to a handful; say about 10-12 nuts daily.

Broccoli
Broccoli is considered as one of nature’s superfoods. It’s rich in folic acid that helps in reducing stress and irritability. But if you’re still averse to eating steamed or stir-fried broccoli, then eat it with a low-fat version of your favourite dressing.

Salmon
If you’re a seafood lover, then you’ll definitely relish this option. Oily fish (including mackerel and anchovies) but especially salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which aid in optimum functioning of the brain. Low levels of omega-3 have been associated with poor blood and energy regulation linked with stress. This in turn, helps you to deal with stress effectively.

Milk
Drinking a glass of milk can boost your mood because it contains a compound called tryptophan, which gets converted to serotonin, also known as the happy hormone. Also, the magnesium, potassium and calcium content in milk help keep blood pressure in control. Lactium, a protein in milk has a calming effect on the body. Also, drinking milk reduces symptoms of PMS and boosts energy.

Hot cocoa
Having warm beverages tend to raise the temperature in the body by a few notches. And the feeling of warmth that we derive from a slight raise in temperature, which we often associate with comfort, triggers a similar response in the brain

Chamomile/Green/black tea Theanine, an amino and glutamic acid found in tea, reduces tension producing beta waves and accelerates the production of relaxation inducing alpha waves in the brain. A UK study found that having four cups of black tea daily for about six weeks lowers cortisol levels. Having chamomile tea is known to have a calming effect and is great for aiding good sleep.

Did you know?
The antioxidants present in green tea aid curbing physiological stress and also a genetic tendency towards stress called COMT gene.

Berries
Take your pick from a variety of berries like strawberries, raspberries and mulberries. Berries have abundant antioxidant properties that support brain function and blood circulation. Raspberries are said to contain the most amount of ellagic acid that improves liver functions, regulating cholesterol levels and eliminating toxins. Since berries are sweet, they are the healthiest choices to satisfy your sugar cravings.

Beetroots This colourful tuber is a great source of folate also known as vitamin B9. This vitamin promotes functioning of the liver and the nervous system, which usually gets congested under chronic stress.

If you are trying to lose weight and have no time to hit the gym, try munching on a handful of almonds. According to a new study published in the International Journal of Obesity, ‘Almonds may help you shed those unwanted pounds’. These nuts are healthy and are rich in healthy fats which offer a high level of satiety.

Besides, they are also loaded with numerous nutrients like vitamins and minerals, which will help you to lower your carbohydrate cravings and so, help you lose weight. Almonds are also rich in minerals like manganese, copper and magnesium and B-complex vitamins like niacin and biotin, which help to activate the energy production in our bodies.

So, the more active your body is, the more it will burn calories. This nut is also good for your overall health, because of its heart healthy property also known as monounsaturated fatty acids. These acids help in lowering the bad cholesterol levels in your body and reduce the risk of various heart ailments. Besides, it is also rich in vitamin E, which helps in protecting your cardiovascular health from damage by free radicals. So, if you are hungry in the evening and are trying to lose weight, grab a handful of these nuts, because they will not only help you maintain a healthy weight but also boost your heart health.

Laughing, cuddling and hugging not only display your affection towards your loved one, but it can also be a health benefit. Multiple researchers conclude that hugging and cuddling can cure depression, stress, tension, anxiety and loneliness. A proper hug where you heart touches the other person’s heart can aid you with the following health benefits: Hugging leads to release of love hormones called Oxytocin, which fights feeling of depressions, loneliness and also fits of anger.

It promotes a sense of safety, trust and honesty in a person. A long hug results in an increase in serotonin levels, which elevates your mood and makes your happy. As mentioned on mindbodygreen, “Hugs strengthen the immune system. The gentle pressure on the sternum and the emotional charge this creates activates the Solar Plexus Chakra. This stimulates the thymus gland, which regulates and balances the body’s production of white blood cells, which keep you healthy and disease free.” Hugging is a way improves one’s self esteem and helps in nurturing the ability to love oneself.

As they boost blood circulation to the softer tissues hugs can ease your pains, relax your muscles and can also relax your body. Hugs are similar to meditation or even laughter. You’re mind stops thinking and you live in the moment. So you get out of your circular thinking patterns and unite with your heart, emotions and breathing simultaneously. Hugs get you out of your circular thinking patterns and connect you with your heart and your feelings and your breath. According to Virginia Satir, an American author and psychotherapist, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”

Anew study has shown that chronic intake of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, can protect critical immune tissue in the gut from the damaging effects of HIV infection. Patricia Molina and coauthors from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, report that chronic THC administration was associated with greater survival of T cell populations and reduced overall cell death in the gut in monkeys, which is known to be a key target for simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication and infection-related inflammation.

“To better treat HIV infection, we need a better understanding of how it causes the disease we call AIDS. We also need alternative approaches to treatment, This study is important because it begins to explain how THC can influence disease progression in SIV-infected macaques. It also reveals a new way to slow disease progression,” Thomas Hope, Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, said. The study was published in the journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.

According to a recent study, 96 per cent women feel guilty at least once a day, having a destructive effect on their health. Here are 10 ways to deal with this, that could leave you happy and guiltfree. Are you sick of reading about how an amazing broccoli-only diet will make you happier, how spending more time with your children will boost their self-esteem, or how decluttering your home could transform your sex life? You’re not the only one. According to a recent study, 96 per cent of women feel guilty at least once a day. This can have a destructive effect on our health, even factoring in the onset of depression. Here’s how you can beat the 10 most common causes of guilt.

Not spending enough time with your children
A startling majority of working moms feel like they haven’t struck the right balance between their work and children. If you’re at work worrying about the children, work isn’t getting the best out of you and the kids aren’t getting anything. You should give your full dedication depending on where you are, whether at work or with the kids. That way everyone, including yourself, benefits.

Not losing extra weight
More than 70 per cent women report being on a diet at any one given time, regardless of whether they are actually overweight or not. If you want to look gorgeous and slim, choose to change your situation and make time to go to the gym or a slimming group. Recognise it is your choice and no one else is to blame.

Spending money on yourself
Going on a shopping spree may be fun, but the after effects can send some into a spiral of self-loathing and guilt. However, if you rationalise your reasons for spending money on a spa break because you need the downtime, or a new business suit because it will help you in your work, then you have no reason to feel guilty.

Your partner is unhappy
If you do feel guilty that you’re not doing enough to make your partner happy, then it is suggested that you both sit down and look at your timetables and agree on how you can make more time for each other. Discuss it and come up with a change in your behaviours that will make you both happier as a couple.

Always being late
Sometimes, situations arise which will make us late, no matter how well prepared we are, prompting feelings of guilt and panic. Sitting on a train and getting aggravated about what you could be doing if you were there already is a waste of energy. Ask yourself how you can use the moment? You could write out a full shopping list, rehearse what you want to say in the meeting or call your mother. Sitting there winding yourself up hurts only yourself and no one else.

Not being able to play the perfect hostess
Many women say they would like to put on the perfect dinner party or a drinks bash but they often set themselves high standards that they then fail to meet. The desire for social excellence derives from our need to be perfect all the time. Go on, host your party and be a bad party hostess.The moment you accept you can do it, but do it badly, it takes the pressure off.We give ourselves a lot of ‘I should be the perfect dinner party host’. Everyone has a different perception of everything so you can try to host a dinner party but you have to do it your way.

Forgetting birthdays
It’s not deliberate. Some of us are running about for 18 hours a day and have a million things to do. If you do feel guilty then simply tell yourself you know you’re doing your best, apologise and make clear that it wasn’t something done deliberately. If the person chooses to take umbrage, then that’s up to them.

Taking out some me-time
Living up to the ‘superwoman’ image that many women wish to maintain, can lead to terrible feelings of guilt over giving themselves time off to get their hair done or read a book. But doing nothing is very important in allowing us to physically and mentally recharge. But it is very difficult for other people to see you doing nothing and allow yourself to do it. Tell people the truth. That you need a break because you are at your limit – then accept that the world is not going to fall apart without you. Letting your parents down Women can inherit guilty feelings through the generations of not doing enough for their elders and in some way failing their parents. Learn to accept that your parents will love and judge you no matter what. Obviously do try and be sensitive but if you go your own way and you are successful and happy, then if they are decent human beings, they’ll be happy for you in any way.

Saying ‘No’
Saying ‘no’ is hard because we don’t want to be seen as the baddie and because women are taught from a young age to put others first. The first thing to do is to give yourself time to think about each request and it is suggested that you say something noncommittal like, ‘That sounds interesting, give me half an hour and I’ll get back to you on it’. If you really don’t want to do what they ask, then give the person other options to help solve their problem.

Serve your husband some spicy food if you want some real action between the sheets tonight.

A French study has found that men who love to consume more spicy food have more testosterone and perform better during sex.

For the study, scientists from University of Grenoble chose 114 men in the age group 18-44.

They were given a meal of mashed potatoes with spicy pepper sauce and salt. The team observed who consumed more spicy pepper sauce. The men who poured a lot of sauce on their dish gave saliva samples, which was used to measure testosterone levels.

Researchers found higher levels of male hormone in them, clearly making a correlation between higher hot sauce usage and testosterone.

According to study co-author Laurent Begue, regular spicy-food consumption “contributes to increasing testosterone levels” but the mechanism is still not known, the Telegraph reported.

Low testosterone levels are associated with lethargy or depressive mood.

Does height matter when it comes to matters of the heart? Yes, and to women the most mostly for femininity and protection. “Evolutionary psychology theory argues that similarity is overwhelmingly the rule in human mating,” said Michael Emerson, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology at Rice University in Texas. According to the study data, the dominant reasons females cited for preferring a tall partner are matters of protection and femininity. “As the girl, I like to feel delicate and secure at the same time,” said a woman in the study. She “something just feels weird in thinking about looking ‘down’ into her man’s eyes”.

According to her, “I also want to be able to hug him with my arms reaching up and around his neck.” Men were much less likely to say that height mattered, and for those that did, they preferred shorter women, but not so short that it would cause problems with physical intimacy. It is a widespread perception that tall height is a personal asset for men and a personal liability for women, said George Yancey, a professor of sociology at the University of North Texas.

The finding that height matters more to women supports the social system of patriarchy, in which males are the primary authority figures. “The masculine ability to offer physical protection is clearly connected to the gender stereotype of men as protectors. And in a society that encourages men to be dominant and women to be submissive, having the image of tall men hovering over short women reinforces this value,” Yancey added.

Kitchens need not really be the messiest place on earth as with a little bit of effort you can keep them spic-and-span and absolutely organised. Besides, when at home we do end up spending a lot of time in the kitchen, then why should a little inspiration hurt. Anurag Saxena of German kitchen furnishing brand, Hacker Kitchens, shares with us some ideas to tidy up the kitchen space and make it look more orderly and liveable.
1. Make more efficient use of your space, from simple drawer inserts to clever pullout shelving units, to fullon custom cabinetry that enables storing.
2. Store spice containers with labels facing out, and group by type or organise alphabetically. Discard and replace spices that no longer have much of a scent; if there’s no smell, there’s no flavour.
3. If your kitchen doesn’t have enough counter space, add a rolling cart that provides extra room to organise.
4. Remove any cookbooks or magazines you don’t use regularly. For instance, store holiday cookbooks outside the kitchen.
5. Keep dishes either close to the dishwasher so they’re easy to put away – or close to the table, so it’s a snap to set.
6. Consider different countertop heights. If you’re short, you might want to lower some countertops below the 36-inch standard — a good rule of thumb is countertops should be 3 inches below your elbow.
7. Keep extra trash bags in the bottom of your trash can so that you always have a new bag handy — and the unused bags don’t take up room in your cabinets.
8. Even a kitchen with lots of storage space can get overrun with clutter. Get rid of duplicates, and don’t be tempted to fill every shelf and drawer to capacity.
9. Choose drawers instead of cupboards for heavy, large items such as pots; they slide out and make it easier to find what you’re reaching for.
10. When cleaning the interior/exterior surfaces of your kitchen furniture, remember to never use scouring agents, furniture polish, abrasive cleaning agents, or artificial resin thinners, acetone or similar cleaners or micro-fibre cloths in order to prevent damage. 11. Wood is a natural material. Its grain and colour make every kitchen unique. To clean them, simply wipe them in the direction of the wood grain using a slightly damp cloth to remove dirt particles from the pores.

Ever woken up to a suspiciously empty looking fridge or a messy kitchen? You could have Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder (NS-RED) Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder (NS-RED) is a mild disorder where people tend to eat in their sleep. Although not as common as sleepwalking, it is often known to occur during sleepwalking. While many may just shrug this situation off or shy away from taking consultation, it is a lifestyle-related disorder that requires help occasionally. There are a number of reasons for the same.

Says Taryn Samuel, dietician and fitness expert, “People who diet rigorously during the day may find themselves sneaking towards the fridge in their sleep. Alcoholism or nicotine addiction are also factors, extreme stress can also infuse the desire to binge in one’s sleep.” The eating mostly occurs during delta sleep, which is basically deep sleep. Most sleep disorders are known to occur during this stage of sleep, when the mind is known to have very minimal control over the body. Interestingly, this is also the stage of sleep where sleepwalking and sleep talking is most likely to occur.

Since sleep eaters are known to often wake up during the night, this could severely affect their day functioning because of lack of proper sleep. If the syndrome is unheard of to you, this is what Renita D’Silva, a victim of the same has to say, “NSRED can be quite annoying in terms of what you end up eating in your sleep. It greatly interferes with your nutrition pattern. I remember instances of waking up with peanut butter smeared across my face or even uncooked pasta! There is virtually zero control over your eating.”

Is there any treatment available for the same?
Says obesity consultant Dr Seema Paranjpe, “Its quite a mysterious condition. An extensive sleep evaluation is the first step in order to diagnose the basic problem. Sleep eating often gets induced during times of stress, learn to manage your stress to take control of your eating habits.” Experts also stress that weight gain and other dietary issues might be related to sleep eating.

Hence, it becomes crucial to eat a balanced diet and allow yourself a few treats here and there. If you suspect you have this disorder, there are ways you can prevent it. Seek help before it gets any worse. Or start putting a lock on your fridge.

Symptoms of nocturnal eating disorders:

• You find yourself waking up at night with a gnawing hunger in your stomach.
• You have very little or practically no appetite for breakfast.
• You wake up to food left out in the open.
• You notice a major weight gain despite keeping a check on your eating habits.
• You don’t have much of an appetite throughout the day

Causes of nocturnal eating disorders:

• Excessive dieting can lead to sleep eating.
• Depression, stress or being overworked can also add to this disorder.
• An irregular eating pattern can be a possible cause.
• A history of medical problems like sleep apnea or bulimia.
• Past alcohol or nicotine addictions

With a warm, spicy and sweet flavour, nutmeg not only enhances the taste of your food but also nourishes your health in many ways. Here’s why you should add this spice to the glass of milk or in your North Indian recipes. Cures joint pain: The essential oil of nutmeg brings relief from muscular and joint pain. Apply it to the area where there is a swelling and discomfort. Boosts immunity: Rich in potassium, calcium, iron and manganese, nutmeg helps to improve your body’s immune system.

Clears skin: Apply a little amount of nutmeg, ground and mixed with water or honey into a paste on your face. It can help clear your skin of scars and acne and also improve your complexion. You can add nutmeg to your face scrub for the same benefits. Protects teeth: Due to its antibacterial properties, this spice also helps in dental care and is often used as an ingredient in toothpastes. Nutmeg oil has eugenol, which brings relief from toothache. Combined with cinnamon, it makes a powerful antiseptic, antimicrobial paste. Helps digestion: For centuries, nutmeg has been used as a medicinal spice that brings relief from digestive problems. Grate this spice into your soup and stew.

Hate milk? Opt for these milk-free sources of the bone builder — calcium. Milk and milk-products are considered to be a rich source of calcium. But what do you do if you are not too fond of it, and more so, if you are lactose intolerant? Not many of us know this, but there are there are certain foods that are a great-vehicle for calcium — fish, nuts, dried beans, green leafy vegetables and seeds. When you have fish, you should chew on their bones too, to get the most out of it, and munching on a few nuts and seeds every morning can supplement your daily calcium requirements.

Sesame seeds
These seeds are nutrient-rich. Munching on just one tablespoo can get you around 50 mg of calcium. A handful can provide necessary minerals, vitamins, phenolic anti-oxidants and protein. 100 GM OF SESAME SEEDS: 975 MG

Almonds
Though you have to eat this nut in moderation, because is rich in calories — half-a-cup is around 500 calories — the almond is a rich calcium source. 100 GMS ALMONDS: 264 MG

Chinese cabbage or Bok choy
This plant is a rich source of calcium. Use it in generously in your salads. 100 GM OF BOK CHOY: 105 MG

Sardines
This fish is a great source of Vitamin-D, not easily seen in our regular diet. Vitamin D plays a very crucial role in increasing calcium absorption and therefore, is great for bone health. 100 GMS SARDINES: 382 MG

Orange juice
The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, in May 2005, published a study that said, that of two types of calcium sometimes used to fortify orange juice, your body absorbs calcium citrate malate better than a combination of tricalcium phosphate and calcium lactate. There are many different brands of fortified orange juices available and one needs to the check labels. HALF A CUP OJ MAY HAVE: 175 MG

Okra/ladies’ fingers
This green vegetable is rich in calcium and other nutrients. One could have it raw, when tender, organic and freshly plucked off or when lightly steamed and quickly stir fried. 100 GMS OKRA: 81 MG

Tofu
The way tofu is made, determines the amount of calcium it may contain. Silken tofu has around 130mg while firm tofu may contain around 230mg. When using tofu, make sure you press the water out of it by keeping in between kitchen towels. Avoid adding too much oil to tofu dishes, try oilfree ones, because it absorbs a lot of oil. 100 GMS TOFU: 350 MG

Salmon
Most fish are a good source of calcium, more so when you chew on the bones. Half a tin of salmon has around 440 mg of calcium. 100 GM SALMON: 9 MG