Tag: Health

Do you have an occasion you want to look hot for — a friend’s wedding or a hot date? We ask fitness experts for an exercise and diet plan to help you shed flab and tone up in just two weeks. Losing that extra flab around your waist and toning your body can feel like a challenge, especially when you have no time on your hands to prep yourself up before an occasion. If you’ve been thinking of starving yourself to flaunt that sexy saree, you’re heading the wrong way.

We ease out the challenge for you. Follow this two-week exercise and diet routine to make heads turn! Says fitness expert Althea Shah, “Instead of tiring yourself for two hours at the gym just before your occasion, set aside 30-60 minutes for cardio and 30 minutes for strength training at least five days a week. The cardio workout will help burn your calories and strength training will increase your metabolism for the rest of the day.” Fitness expert Jivesh Shetty suggests, “In the first week of your workout, you should concentrate more on shedding the extra flab than on toning up. Start with a good cardio workout.

You can also include a two-day weight training during this week. Running, swimming, playing some sort of a sport will help you lose weight.” Apart from walking on the treadmill, to keep your workout exciting, you can include kickboxing, running, brisk walking and swimming to lose weight.

Kickboxing
Kickboxing is an excellent way to lose weight from your thighs and butt. Keeping your fists tight, reaching shoulder height at the extension. Keep wrists in line with the rest of your arm. Rotate hips and pivot to protect your knees. Keep your eyes straight and kick. Repeat 20 times.

Push-ups
Raise up onto your toes, so you can balance well on your hands and toes. Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe without sagging in the middle or arching your back. Your feet can be close together or a bit wider, depending on what is most comfortable for you. “Before you begin any movement, contract your abs and tighten your core by pulling your belly button in. Keep a tight core. Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. Exhale as you begin pushing back up to the start position,” says fitness expert, Neville Wadia.

Running
Running is a great way to not only lose weight, but also tone yourself. The most important piece of equipment you need for running is shoes. Make sure to invest in a good pair of shoes that not only provide comfort but also proper grip while running. Start with a 10 minute brisk walk and alternate 30 seconds of running with one minute of walking. Increase the amount of time you run and decrease the amount of time you spend walking. This will help you to start running for 20 to 30 minutes in another threefour days.

Squat jump
“Stand with feet shoulder width apart — arms at side. Start by doing a regular squat and then jump when you rise up reaching for the ceiling. When you land, lower your body back into the squat position. Repeat 10 times,” says Shetty. Says Shah, “During the second week of your exercise routine, make sure to include more of weight training, combined well with cardio training twice a week. This will keep the weight you’ve shed in check and also help you tone faster.”

Forward plank
“The forward plank is a full-body exercise for your arms, butt and legs. Start on your knees and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Your arms should be straight and not locked out. Tighten your stomach muscles as you lean forward until your shoulders are directly over your wrists,” says Wadia. Stay in this position by extending your feet straight back with your toes curled and your weight on your feet. Keep your legs and butt muscles tight as you keep your body in a straight line. Make sure to not let your lower back sag and keep your belly button pulled towards your spine throughout the exercise. Repeat 10 times.

Dynamic lunges
Stand with both feet together. Take a long step forward with your right leg. Bending the back leg, move your back knee towards the floor — your front knee should not go further forward than your toes. Says Shetty, “Your back knee should go down to an inch off the floor but remember not to touch the ground. In one controlled movement, return your front foot back to the starting position with the other foot.” Repeat 15 times.

Mountain climbers
Place your hands on the floor — slightly wider than shoulder width. On your forefeet, position one leg forward bent under your body and extend the other leg back. While holding your upper body in place, alternate your leg positions by pushing your hips up while immediately extending your back leg forward and pulling your rear leg forward under your body, landing on both your forefeet simultaneously.

Leg raises
Lie on your back. Keep your lower body back in contact with the floor — keeping your feet and legs together and straight. Place both your hands to the sides or under your lower back for support. Lift your legs upward, until they are straight above your hips. Lower down to starting position slowly but do not touch the ground.

Repeat 10 times.

Early risers who exercise before breakfast can burn up to 20 per cent more body fat than others who exercised after having something to eat, says a study. Researchers sought to find out if the known benefits of exercising after an overnight fast were undermined by an increased appetite and eating more food later in the day.

A team from University of Northumbria at Newcastle asked 12 active men to perform a bout of treadmill exercise at 10 a.m., either after having breakfast or in a fasted state; having not eaten since the previous evening. After their exercise, all participants were given a chocolate milkshake recovery drink. Later in the day, participants were provided with a pasta lunch which they were asked to eat until they felt “comfortably full”. Their lunchtime consumption of energy and fat was assessed and calculated, taking into account the amount of energy and fat burned during the morning period. The researchers, led by Emma Stevenson and Javier Gonzalez, found the ones who had exercised in the morning did not consume additional calories or experienced increased appetite during the day to compensate for their earlier activity.

It was also found that those who exercised in a fasted state managed to burn nearly 20 per cent more fat than those who had taken breakfast before their workout. It showed that performing exercise on an empty stomach provides the most desirable outcome for fat loss.

Ablood pressure pill, which is taken by tens of thousands of patients, could be the key to beating Alzheimer’s disease. British scientists believe that the 3p a day tablet could slow progression of the disease and even combat devastating memory loss, the Daily Express reported. Experts at the University of Bristol hope that the drug losartan will be so effective that high blood pressure patients could routinely be given it to protect long-term against Alzheimer’s.

The university’s Dr Pat Kehoe is launching a ground-breaking four-year 2-million-pound UK trial. “Without wishing to get ahead of ourselves, the beauty of this drug, if it is found to work as we expect, is that it is already available and is cheap,” he said. Previous research has found that people on losartan for high blood pressure also appeared to be significantly protected against dementia – in fact, it is thought to slash the risk by as much as 50 percent. Now, the scientists hope to test the drug on dementia sufferers.

They believe losartan could slow down Alzheimer’s by improving blood flow in the brain and altering chemical pathways that cause brain cell damage, brain shrinkage and memory problems. The ultimate test of any potential new treatment strategy is success in clinical trials, so it is encouraging to see this trial getting underway. Losartan, and related drugs working in a similar way, have been found to block a naturally occurring chemical called angiotensin II, which prevents the release of vital memory chemicals in the brain.

Doing things in style can help to keep the romance alive. In the initial stages of a relationship, most people take keen interest in dressing up well, going to good places, buying gifts, and talking well. Basically, they put in efforts to present themselves in the best possible manner perhaps to impress the other.But as time passes, more and more people start taking the other for granted and don’t mind meeting them in even their just-out-of-bed look. Although it’s not a great deal, yet many a times these little factors can be a cause for the romance to sneak out of the window.

Style speaks
It’s important to have a right attitude and a right approach. Have your own style in all that you do. Take up some etiquette classes. It may not be necessary that you have to be aristocratically formal with each other, but a little English style romance won’t be that bad either.
Groom sense
No you don’t have to move around in that red cocktail dress at home for your man everyday. But look good. Look fresh, and most importantly, look happy to see him. And just in case, if his friends or colleagues happen to drop by, you don’t want to be caught dead in those torn slacks and the green facemask.
Dish it right
The Japanese believe that we eat with the eyes first, so presenting anything well enhances the experience. Even if you’re an atrocious cook, you can still serve ready-meals with style. Be willing to experiment. Keep the recipes simple and put in the creativity in the way you lay it out. Well-cut salad ingredients, with a dash of herbs, or a few dried herbs for garnishing can make a world of difference.
Dinner dates
It’s not necessary that you have to spend a lot on lavish meals. Go out during happy hours in restaurants, or places that have some festive offers. Point is to have fun together at a good place without it being heavy on the pocket for both of you. As long as these small things can be worked out, it would really be an adventure everyday

Everyone likes receiving a bouquet, but often one finds that the flowers die out in a few days. With a little care, you can make them stay fresh for a number of days.
1)Water is important in order to allow the flowers to stay fresh longer. Most floral arrangements in baskets or other fancy containers do not have much water in them. Always check the oasis on which the flowers are placed for water. Alternately, remove them from the fancy packaging and place in a big vase.
2)Cutting the stems can go a long way in preserving the freshness of the flowers. Cut a half-inch off at a forty-five degree angle. Use a knife if possible as they work better than a pair of scissors.
3) It is essential to keep changing the water in the vase everyday, as once it goes stagnant, the flowers will start to wither.
4) Store your floral bouquet in a cool place. If they are in contact with direct sunlight, they may dry out much faster. 5)If you find certain flowers in your bunch have already started dying, remove them immediately. Dying flowers give out ethylene gas that can harm the healthy ones.
6)Try adding a teaspoon of sugar to the water mixture. They will help revive dull flowers.
7)If you’re looking for a longlasting bunch, ask your florist. Some flowers like orchids and lillies last much longer than roses.
8)Avoid cramming a large bunch of flowers in a small vase as the stems won’t be able to get enough support. Never use extremely cold or hot water in your vase as this can spoil the flowers.

Who doesn’t want sparkling white teeth? Clean, white teeth are an indication of how well-groomed you are. However, if you think spending a bomb at your dentist’s is the only way to keep your pearlies sparkling, you have got it all wrong. Here are a few things from your kitchen that will preserve that dazzling smile:
Baking soda
It’s not known as the universal cleanser for nothing. Add a little baking soda to your toothbrush and brush like you normally would.

Peroxide
It’s always used for cleaning as it kills germs. Teeth get discoloured because of the natural colourants in the food we have and also because of the bacteria and germs living on our teeth. After brushing, rinse your mouth with peroxide. It freshens and cleanses while whitening teeth.

Celery
It is mostly made of water and has very little colour of its own. Chewing on celery will dislodge plaque that has settled on your teeth while cleaning the space between teeth by removing food and germs.

Apple cider vinegar
Either gargle or dip your toothbrush in apple cider vinegar and then brush your teeth for the perfect toothy grin.

High in vitamins and proteins, walnut oil works wonders for your skin. Apart from eating walnuts, the use of it in the form of oil also helps your skin. They are known to be rich in fibre, Omega-3, protein and other vital minerals.

Fights wrinkles
It is believed that walnut oil has been recommended to fight wrinkles since at least the 17th century. Though walnut oil is greasy and rich, yet if you apply it on your skin daily, it helps treat wrinkles and fine lines and makes your skin look younger!

Cures infections
Walnut oil is known to be a remedy to treat fungal infections. Athlete’s foot and Candida are some of the infections which are known to get treated with the application of walnut oil. Apply the oil topically on the affected area. You can also mix this oil with other herbal anti-fungals like garlic to enhance its effectiveness.

Treats psoriasis
Psoriasis is known to be a painful and persistent skin condition that can be eased with the use of walnut oil. Add this oil to your bath or use it topically on your skin to treat this condition.

Excellent source of Omega-3
Walnut oil is known to be an excellent plant source of Omega-3. It is also associated with numerous health benefits which includes protection against heart disease, some types of cancer and other inflammatory disorders like eczema etc.

The kitchen is one of the most utilised places in your home. Moreover, it’s the place where you prepare all your meals and hence you should make sure it’s both clean and clutter-free!

Here’s how to keep the kitchen looking great without too much fuss.
Make proper use of counter space
To avoid having your countertops look cluttered, make sure everything that is not kitchen-essential is moved out of that room. Instead of just putting bananas on the counter, find a great banana hook or three-tiered platter that you can display fruit on without taking up added countertop area.

Keep things at the right place
Don’t just drop your keys, wallet and cell phone on the counter when you come home from a long day. Hang an organizer shelf on one wall and store those items there until you need them again.
Utilize technology
Posting coupons all over the fridge is a great way to ensure you’ll see them every day, but it doesn’t make for a streamlined look. Invest in an inexpensive coupon box or plastic envelope and refer to it when you are making your grocery list.
Avoid piling up
Don’t allow dishes to pile up in the sink, put them straight into the dishwasher or hand wash the items you’ve used and put them on a drying rack or hand dry them immediately. If you have company, of course, wait until the party’s over to get to the dirty work.
Hide unnecessary items
Though accessories like spice racks and utensil caddies are designed to be part of your kitchen decor these days, try to limit the number of accessories and small appliances (such as coffeemakers, automatic can openers, juicers, etc.) that sit out on your counter. Keep these items in cabinets or your pantry and pull them out only when you need them

To make the pancake batter mix together 1 cup wheat flour add 1 whole egg (whisked). Gradually add 1 cup milk to this mixture making sure that no lumps are formed. The batter should be thick and smooth. To this batter add ¼ th tsp of baking powder and mix well. Slightly grease a non stick pan/ skillet with butter and heat on the stove. Add ¼ th cup of the batter and spread into a circular shape like a thick poorie.

Allow to cook covered for a 2 to 3 minutes till slightly brown. Flip to the other side and cook . Sprinkle on one face of the pancake with pitted cherries which have been chopped finely. Fold the pancake so that it forms a semi-circular shape. Serve with melted butter or maple syrup.

Set curd with 1 cup whole milk. Take a muslin cloth and spread it over a deep bottomed dish. Place the curd into it and allow the water to drain through the muslin sieve for 2 to 3 hours. Now take the curd remaining on the muslin cloth and add a pinch of cardamom powder and 1 tbsp powdered sugar. Mix well and spoon the mixture into tiny dessert bowls. Add a couple of strands saffron to each bowl and refrigerate before serving.

Make fresh paneer from 2 cups milk. Allow the paneer to sit on a fine sieve for 2 to 3 hours so that all the whey water is removed. Take the paneer and knead it well with the palm of the hand for at least 8-10 minutes so that no granules remain. Add the kneaded paneer and 2 tsp of grated jaggery in a pan and heat slightly on the stove for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and knead the mixture once again. Form into small balls and then flatten it to shape that you like.

Grate 200 g raw papaya in a pan. Add ¼ th cup sugar to it and mix well. Cook this mixture over low heat on the stove and stir continuously. Once the sugar is dissolved raise the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and ¼ tsp garam masala powder and cook for another minute. Serve with rice/ rotis or any bread.

Grate 1 medium size carrot and keep aside. Whisk 1 cup yogurt with a fork and 1 tsp powdered sugar and mix well. Add the grated carrot and ¼ cup sultanas to it. Serve chilled.

Do you wish your children would show more appreciation for the presents they receive? Do you have to constantly remind them to say those two little words that let people know they are grateful? And do they moan and groan when you ask them to write a thank you note?

Here are some tips:

Reward them
After your child has taken the time to say thank you or make a creative thank you (see above!), ask Grandma or Grandpa to let your child know that his or her thoughtfulness was appreciated. Basically, ask your loved one to say thank you for the thank you. As funny as that might sound, if kids see the benefits of their efforts, they’ll be more inclined to repeat the behaviour. And maybe next time, it will be your child’s idea, not yours!

Be an example
Practice what you preach. If you want your child to say thank you, you need to remember to say it, too. And not just when you receive a gift, but when someone compliments you, holds the door open for you or even when your husband does something simple like taking out the trash.

From the little things to the big things and everything in between, those two little words can be just as impactful when your child says them as when he or she hears them. And the same goes for sending thank you notes. Show your child that it’s not only important to you to send them, but to send them in a timely fashion –not six months later!

Be thankful every day
Teach your child to be grateful for what he or she has every day. Make the importance of appreciating life’s blessings a regular topic of conversation in your household. A great way to do this is to make it a family affair. Have everyone in the family start a gratitude journal.

Then find a time every week to share the highlights from the journals. It will be fun to find out not only what stands out for your child as being special, but also what tops your child’s list. Thus, with this your child will learn manners also!

Smoking affects your body in more ways than you can imagine. The trouble is that most people start smoking at a young age and don’t consider it a threat to their health as they are too young to feel the ill-effects that early.

By the time they start experiencing symptoms of poor health from smoking, they are well-entrenched in the habit and find it extremely hard to let go.

This leads to a chain of effects that ages their bodies – affecting them in all aspects of skin, hair, organ health, digestion, etc. All of this directly affects the ageing process.

Today we’re sharing insights with you about how smoking ages the human body.
Pale skin
Smokes contain harmful substance and several chemicals. These damaging, yet attractive substances, can smoke out oxygen and nutrients by depriving your cells with healthy molecules.
Wrinkles
Premature wrinkles are a fall out of smoking. The nicotine narrows the blood vessel, blocking oxygen supply to your skin. Wrinkles are a constant complain for the older generation, but this can be your problem a lot sooner than you think if you continue to smoke.
Dark circles
Same goes for dark circle, the dangerous chemicals affect your blood vessels blocking the supply of oxygen to the skin. Smoking also forms bags under the eye. Every time you inhale, your eyes tend to create wrinkles. After a prolonged period, wrinkles around the eyes are more prominent.
Lips
They say if you frown a lot you are creating wrinkles, same goes for smoking. Every time you take a drag, you’re using particular muscle. But smoking also loses your elasticity of the skin, enhancing wrinkles around your lips.
Teeth
Tobacco affects your teeth. Whether you’re chewing it or smoking it, the signs will remain there. It’s like the guilt of smoking lingers just like the guilt appears when you binge on fried food or a mud pie.
Hair loss
Smoking speeds up the process of hair loss. Your hair will start to thin if you continue smoking. Those harmful chemicals that we keep talking about, barricade the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the necessary cells.
Bad breath
Tobacco breath is also a side effect of smoking. Smokes tend to leave behind the smell of tobacco; that’s how your close ones and colleagues know that you just had a smoke. In case you did not know, these particles can also affect non smokers.
Hearing loss
Hearing loss is common among the elderly, but smokers may experience hearing loss a lot sooner if they continue to smoke into middle age. Loud music and head phones are some of the culprits of hearing loss. But smoking too affects and hampers your hearing.
Back pain
It is not clear why smoking affects your back. But smokers do complain of back pain. So far surveys have only linked smoking to back pain, but the real reason of the cause is yet to be studied. Some speculate that this could be a result of dehydration, poor blood circulation, or chemical deposits.
Sagging skin
The chemical present in a cigarette can destroy collagen and elastin, the foundation for healthy skin. These fibers make the skin elastic, without them you will be a victim of sagging skin. Sagging skin appears on your inner arms and for women it could leading to sagging breasts a lot sooner than necessary.

Older adults who play video games report higher levels of emotional well-being, North Carolina State University researchers say. Researchers asked 140 people aged 63 and older how often they played video games, if at all. The study participants then took a battery of tests to assess their emotional and social well-being.

61 per cent of study participants played video games at least occasionally, with 35 percent of participants saying they played at least once per week. The study found that participants who played video games, including those who only played occasionally, reported higher levels of well-being.

Those who did not play video games reported more negative emotions and a tendency toward higher levels of depression. “The research published here suggests that there a link between gaming and better well-being and emotional functioning,” says Dr. Jason Allaire, lead author of a paper describing the study and an associate professor of psychology at NC State.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that a molecule in green tea can prevent misfolding of specific proteins in the brain, which is associated with amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease. The aggregation of these proteins, called metalassociated amyloids, is also associated with other neurodegenerative conditions. U-M Life Sciences Institute faculty member Mi Hee Lim and an interdisciplinary team of researchers used green tea extract to control the generation of metal-associated amyloid-beta aggregates associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the lab.

The specific molecule in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, also known as EGCG, prevented aggregate formation and broke down existing aggregate structures in the proteins that contained metals—specifically copper, iron and zinc. “A lot of people are very excited about this molecule,” said Lim, noting that the EGCG and other flavonoids in natural products have long been established as powerful antioxidants. “We used a multidisciplinary approach. This is the first example of structure-centric, multidisciplinary investigations by three principal investigators with three different areas of expertise,” the researcher added.

The research team included chemists, biochemists and biophysicists. While many researchers are investigating small molecules and metal-associated amyloids, most are looking from a limited perspective, said Lim, assistant professor of chemistry and research assistant professor at the Life Sciences Institute, where her lab is located and her research is conducted. “But we believe you have to have a lot of approaches working together, because the brain is very complex,” she said. Lim and her team’s next step is to “tweak” the molecule and then test its ability to interfere with plaque formation in fruit flies. “We want to modify them for the brain, specifically to interfere with the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s,” she said. The study was published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Try these simple natural home remedies to get rid of that oh-so-exhausted look on your face. Dark circles are a common problem not only amongst hassled housewives but also anyone with hectic work schedules and erratic sleep hours

They are not a very grave problem but can make you look much older than you already are. And in today’s age where the market is being flooded with anti-ageing, skin lightening creams, it is a considered almost a fashion crime to sport dark circles.

Here are some natural home remedies to help to get rid of those ghastly-looking dark circles:

1) Grate some raw potato and soak a cotton ball in the potato juice. Close your eyes and place these cotton balls on your eyes. Make sure they cover the dark circles under your eyes as well as the eyelids. Leave it on for 10 minutes and wash off with cold water.

2)Applying a mixture of a teaspoon of tomato and lime juice, twice a day will help in reducing the dark circles.

3) Drink a glass of tomato juice with some mint leaves, lemon juice and salt. Drinking this twice a day is another remedy.

4)Prepare a paste of four to five almonds with some milk. Apply this paste over the affected area and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. This will lighten the skin around the eyes.

5)A mixture of a few teaspoons of fresh pineapple juice along with a pinch of turmeric powder, when applied on the dark circles regularly will help clear them.

6) Every night before sleeping, apply creams containing vitamin E and C around the eyes.

7)Crush some mint leaves and apply them around the eyes. Doing this will also provide a cooling effect on tired eyes.

A divorce coach has revealed the problems that lead a couple to split. Micky Wade said that an affair is thought to be the most common insurmountable problem in a marriage, but it is more often a symptom of underlying issues in the relationship, the Huffington Post reported.

The marital problems that lead to divorce are:
One problem is that a partner feels like the parent of the other because he or she believes the other is immature, irresponsible, untrustworthy or selfish, the marital dynamics eventually crumbles and destroys intimacy and sexual attraction for both people. Domestic abuse is the most extreme version of this inability to be partners.

Secondly, when marital problems are not resolved to the satisfaction of the couple, resentment builds, which erodes relationship of any kind. Bickering is a symptom of resentment and is toxic, needing to be right makes communication impossible and puts the other partner on the defensive.

Thirdly, everyone has a degree of narcissism, which becomes a problem when one or both partners are unable to empathize with and support the other. If one partner carries the financial weight and the other is taking care of children at home, there may be no true understanding of the other’s contribution and both think the other has it easier. If this continues, neither person feels supported or understood. It can become a continuous dynamic that will kill intimacy and eventually, the relationship.

Fourthly, when a partner has a problem with addiction, the main focus of the addict is obtaining and consuming drug of their choice – rather than on the marriage and family.

A person could appear quite successful to others outside the home but privately, an addict calms feelings of anxiety, emotional pain, dread, shame or PTSD with drugs, alcohol or a compulsive behavior, masking the need for mature problem-solving and the issues remain unresolved.