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Health Type: Health A Z

All about Pilates.

All about Pilates: When losing weight becomes a burden the result is usually disgusting… so relieve that stress and try working out with PILATES.

Pilates is the best way to workout – one that is becoming extremely popular among fitness-friendly folks and those who want to lose weight. Pilates is low impact exercises that are extremely effective in toning up the full body and increasing the metabolism in long run which in turn helps in trimming the fatty tissues in body.

The best thing about Pilates is that, although you don’t usually break much of a sweat during a session, it can still help you with your weight loss goals and much more. In fact, Pilates can make a huge difference to your life.

Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on using both the mind and body to achieve optimum performance.  The deep stabilizing muscles of the body are conditioned and strengthened using sequences of movements that helps to build and maintain lean muscles while you are losing weight, help to realign posture as the body’s centre of gravity changes, promote long elegant posture and graceful flowing movement, and keep you centred and energized.  Pilates trains the mind to maintain a constant level of awareness of the way the body moves resulting in a greater control of motion. Pilates has developed over the years to become a credible system of conditioning and rehabilitating the body.

The best thing about Pilates is that the exercises are not at all difficult and you experience the benefits even before you achieve full competency. The point is to just keep trying till you get them right and always work within your comfortable limits.

Starting up with Pilates: While there are a number of ways to take up Pilates, but a local class is always a good place to start with, as they have the benefit of being well structured, are easy to follow and there is an instructor on hand if you need any help or guidance. A second way would be to find a personal trainer who will teach and assist you on one to one basis particularly if you have specific requirements as in pregnancy or any injury. Lastly, you may also purchase some instructional books or DVDs to try Pilates at your own convenience.

Benefits of Pilates:

  • Toning and Strengthening the Muscles: Pilates is a fantastic way to sculpt and strengthen your muscles.  In order to get optimum results you should participate in 3 or more sessions per week.
  • Improves the Body Control: Pilate work outs are designed to improve balance and coordination between the mind and body thus improving the awareness about our own body so that we can use it to its full potential.
  • Postural Alignment and Core stability: Poor body postures account for a variety of aches and pains that hamper a large percentage of the population.  Pilates teaches you to consciously maintain optimum anatomical alignment in all positions and during movement thereby reducing the chances of injury due to incorrect use of any body part.
  • Rehabilitation: Pilates is not a substitute for any medical treatment but this form of workout provides you with a structured method of taking control and improving your own strength and stamina. Do take prior permission from your medical practitioner before starting any exercise form.
  • Total body workout and weight loss: Pilates works the body in a functional way, using muscles in synergy with each other, and this toning up of muscles helps in weight loss. .  The best way to get that body fat off would be to combine regular Pilate sessions with 5 x 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week.
  • Pilates as stress buster: The workout helps you to stay focused and also breathe properly thereby reducing the tensions of your everyday life.

Success in anything needs hard work and dedication and so is with weight loss. You will need to be focused and disciplined and to practice regularly to see and feel results. Each of us is different and the only way to know if Pilates will work for you is to try it for yourself.

Authored by: Team, Health Sanctuary

Coconut water & its benefits.

Rejuvenate this summer with a glass of refreshing coconut water. Named “Mother Nature’s sports drink”, the demand of Tender coconut water is skyrocketing, endorsed by celebrity and athletes, this refreshing drink promises to hydrate the body and help with a whole host of conditions, from hangovers to cancer and kidney stones.

One of the most valuable super foods on earth and nature’s most refreshing drinks, coconut water is packed with a variety of health benefits. Coconut water is the purest liquid second only to water and is now popular all over the world for its refreshing nutty taste as well as its health benefits.

Drinking coconut water straight from a green tender coconut in the summer heat is simply divine. Nothing can be better than coconut water to beat the tropical summer thirst. It is excellent for electrolyte replenishment in body fluids when a person loses a considerable amount of water due to perspiration in scorching summer heat.

Each coconut contains 200ml to 1000ml of water depending on its cultivar size and type. Loaded with vital nutrients, coconut water is a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates. It is rich in amino acids, enzymes, dietary fiber, vitamin C and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and manganese and the plant growth hormone – cytokinins.

The fat content of coconut water is so low, it is essentially fat-free and even though it is low in sugar, it has a mildly sweet, delightful taste, making it an excellent alternative to fruit juice and sodas.

According to tradition, coconut water is useful in preventing and relieving many health problems including dehydration, constipation, digestive disturbances, malnutrition, fatigue, heatstroke, boils, diarrhea, kidney stones, osteoporosis, urinary tract infections, and sterility. Whenever someone is sick, coconut water is usually part of the treatment to nourish the patient back to health. Interestingly, modern medical science is now confirming the effectiveness of coconut water for many of these conditions.

Low in calories, naturally fat- and cholesterol free, more potassium than four bananas, and super hydrating – these are just a few of the many benefits ascribed to this latest health craze: coconut water.

Below are the health benefits that coconut water has to offer:

  • In the tropics where heatstroke and dehydration are common problems, it has long been known that coconut water is far more effective in relieving symptoms associated with these conditions than either plain water or fruit juice. Because of the nutritional content of coconut water, fluids and electrolytes are absorbed quicker and more efficiently into the bloodstream than with other beverages and fluids.  It has been used extensively as a treatment for cholera, dysentery, influenza, and other infectious diseases that promote dehydration.
  • Good for losing weight: Drinking coconut water can aid in losing weight as it is low in fat, cholesterol and chlorides. Coconut water has only 50 calories a cup. It keeps a person feeling full and reduces food cravings.
  • It is excellent drink for diabetics as coconut water improves blood circulation. One of the characteristics of diabetes is poor circulation and a tendency to develop atherosclerosis. Many of the complications associated with diabetes, such as numbness in the feet, loss of vision, and kidney failure are a consequence of poor circulation. Coconut water helps dilate bloods vessels, improves blood flow, and reduces plaque formation, thus helping to relieve these symptoms. Coconut water also contains certain forms of dietary fiber and amino acids that help moderate sugar absorption and improve insulin sensitivity thereby controlling the blood sugar level.
  • Regular drinking of coconut water is beneficial for kidneys as it can clear-up bladder infections, remove kidney stones, and reduces the risk of kidney stone formation in future. Tender coconut fluids acts as a natural diuretic because it has properties that tend to increase urine production and flow. Urologists around the world recommend that kidney stone sufferers should drink coconut water every alternate day to gradually reduce their stone size for easy elimination throw urine and also eliminating the need for surgery.
  • Coconut water also reduces hypertension by promoting excretion of water out of the body. High blood pressure is one of the primary risk factors associated with heart disease and stroke. The minerals potassium and magnesium which are found in abundance in coconut water are responsible for this diuretic effect.
  • Coconut water is also known as a heart tonic as it is used to strengthen the heart and improve circulation. Research bears out that coconut water consumption improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad and reduces plaque formation in arteries, thus reducing risk of heart attack and stroke.
  • Coconut water has long been known for its therapeutic effect on the reproductive system. It is reported to improve sexual vitality. Medical research has shown that the consumption of coconut water can be very effective in dissolving kidney stones.
  • Apart from the above there are some other lesser known properties of coconut water which may become the route for a big finding in future. Coconut water also has anti viral and anti bacterial properties as it has been found helpful for a person who has flu or herpes both of which are due to types of virus that attack the body. Cytokinins present in coconut water are being tried for their beneficial effects for anti aging, anti carcinogenic and anti thrombotic as these slow down the growth and proliferation of cells.
  • Coconut water works wonders for your skin too. When coconut water is applied to acne, spots, wrinkles, stretch marks, cellulite and eczema, and left overnight for two to three weeks, it clears up the skin giving a youthful looking smoother skin. This effect is due to the presence of cytokinins as they regulate growth, development, and aging. Cytokinins can slow down the ageing process of cells thereby keeping the cells look and behave younger for longer. It can be used as a light moisturizer on oily skin. In addition to the benefits to the skin it also helps in repairing and growth of nails and smooth hair.

The only drawback with coconut water is that it is high in sodium, for example, a cup of coconut water contains 242mg of sodium. And also the limited shelf life; once a coconut is cut open the water should be consumed immediately as exposure to air can result in loss of nutrients.

Coconut water is a healthier option than most of the packed or fresh fruit juices, sodas and energy drinks as it’s not adulterated with preservatives or artificial sweeteners .So stay hydrated with coconut water this summer.

Authored by: Team, Health Sanctuary

Smelly Feet and many remedial measures.

Embarassed of your smelly feet! Here are some ways to cure: Foot odour can be very unpleasant and embarrassing. Foot odour is caused by sweat mixed with bacteria from your skin. Some people sweat only during the hot months of the year, while others sweat year-round.

Hot, sweaty feet usually become stinky feet. And that’s pretty much impossible to avoid in the summer. Sweat by itself is odourless, but in contact with bacteria it begins to smell bad.

Bacteria thrive in hot, moist conditions and feed off the dead skin cells your feet shed. Some bacteria are known to eat away at the top layer of skin in severe cases. Shoes and socks are the perfect environment for sweat and bacteria to mingle, which is why it’s critical to maintain proper hygiene. You may not at first notice the odour, which may only be in your shoes. Eventually it may become hard for you and everyone else to ignore.

Most of the moisture our feet produce each day evaporates before it has a chance to attract bacteria. But if you wear socks and shoes that do not allow evaporation, the moisture gets trapped and the bacteria begin growing. Still, our footwear isn’t the only culprit; there are some additional causes of foot odour. These are:

  •  Hyperhidrosis (sweaty feet)
  •  Stress
  •  Medication
  •  Alcohol and drugs
  •  Hormone changes, such as can be brought on by puberty or menopause
  •  Poor hygiene

So now let’s find out the ways to tackle this embarrassing situation:

  1.  Wash your feet daily with soap and water and apply a zinc and castor oil cream daily after washing and drying the feet.
  2.  Keep your toenails trimmed and maintain hygiene.
  3.  When possible, wear sandals and let your feet breathe and moisture can evaporate from your feet. If you wear sneakers or other closed shoes, get yourself some “moisture-wicking” socks made from synthetic blends, they actually pull moisture away from your feet. Cotton socks absorb moisture which means you’ll just end up with soggy socks that can lead to stinky feet and blisters. You may even keep an extra pair in your bag and change them midway through the day if the situation is that bad.
  4.  Washing your feet with white vinegar will also help. Mix a cup of white vinegar in a gallon of lukewarm water and soak your feet for 15 to 30 minutes once or twice a day.
  5.  A drop or two of hand sanitizing gel or spray after washing also keeps bacteria away.
  6.  Dust on a thin coating of talcum powder, cornstarch or plain baking soda before slipping on socks and shoes to absorb wetness.
  7.  Don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day. Give shoes a chance to dry out between wearings. You can also use an odour-control foot powder in your shoes. Washable types of shoes can always be a good option.
  8.  Wash your socks regularly and before washing your socks turn them inside out to allow the dead flakes of skin to wash away more easily.
  9. Consult a doctor if nothing works. Your dermatologist can prescribe more powerful antiperspirants for your feet.

Try these few points and forget the smell of your sweaty feet and the embarrassment too.
Authored by: Team, Health Sanctuary

How much sodium is too much?.

Sodium is one of the most crucial minerals needed by our body for functioning normally. If you are in the impression that sodium is a culprit that has a hand in deteriorating your health then it is important for you to know that sodium does benefit our body in several ways. It helps in retaining water, stimulates muscle contraction, and aids in proper digestion of food.

Yes sodium does have some negative effects when taken in excess but is sodium the actual culprit or we….Think again.

It is we who choose our food and we need to do it correctly. The super market shelves endorse a lot of processed and packaged products that lure us. We are busy people with no time for wholesome cooking. This indeed adds on to our list of excuses for buying those sodium loaded ready to eat or ready to cook foods and as a result we end up consuming sodium in much higher quantity then what is actually required. Our bodies’ do grant us excuse for putting in a sodium burden for sometime but then repeated mistakes are not forgiven. This is when our body starts signalling us to stop consuming blindly and think for a remedy or a newer lifestyle approach.

A key to healthy eating is choosing foods lower in salt and sodium. Most of us consume more salt than we need. The current recommendation is to consume less than 2.3 grams (2,300 milligrams[mg] ) of sodium a day. That equals 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt a day. The 6 grams include ALL salt and sodium consumed, including that used in cooking, at the table and those sodium products used as preservatives or additives in processed foods. Below are the ways of reducing salt and hence, sodium intake:

  •  Check Your Food Labels: Most packaged food like soup powders, baked products, dehydrated or frozen foods, canned or pureed fruits and vegetables, etc. clearly mention the amount of sodium used which most of us fail to read. So read before you buy.

 

  • Keep Your Palate Distracted: Cut down on the habit of adding excessive amount of table salt by distracting your taste buds using flavoring that can easily overcome the saltiness and enhance the taste to such an extent that you don’t feel like adding salt. This includes using flavored herbs and simple additions like lemon juice. The more the seasoning, lesser would be your dependence on salt.

 

  •  Interpret Foods Better: Many a times a food advertised to be a low calorie food may not be necessarily healthy if it has a higher content of sodium as flavoring agent or preservative which is done to ensure that the customer is overwhelmed by the taste of the food. Thus the need is to choose food correctly and wisely and not by the gimmicks of the advertisements.

 

  • Balance Your Salt Intake: If your kidneys are working perfectly then you can play a trick to balance your high intake of sodium by consuming potassium rich foods like colored fruits and vegetables but then don’t make this a habit too. Spare on the kidneys.

 

  • Keep Yourself Well-Hydrated: Drink at least 10-12 glasses of plain water as it helps in eliminating sodium from body via urine, but then don’t drink too much of mineralized or softened water as these packaged varieties of water are known to contain a reasonable amount of sodium.

 

Compiled by: Team, Health Sanctuary

Lifestyle Changes including dietary changes to protect and maintain a healthy heart

Bring on these changes in your life and protect your Heart

“Survival of the fittest” – meaning one needs to be pliable enough to change according to the needs of the situation and time. If your health demands attention and age alarms you to be cautious then it’s your immediate duty to bring on suitable changes to your lifestyle that can add years to your life and also make you stay protected from health problems for longer.

Medical studies are ever happening and a lot is known now about the physiology of our organ systems and the way food elements work for or against our body. Going by these studies and the advancing medical knowledge, one should adapt changes for betterment of our health and in the same light, there are certain things that once exercised can bring on huge difference to our heart health.

So throwing light up on few such things:

  • Eat a heart healthy breakfast: Bored of your low-fat breakfast smoothies, oat meal puddings, brown bread crackers and egg white omelettes, then try on something that tantalise your taste buds along with providing you wholesome nutrition. Recent research shows moving most of your daily fat into your morning meal (and saving carbohydrates for later in the day) reduces your production of artery-clogging triglycerides and prevents blood sugar surges – two huge risk factors for heart disease. Eating fat first thing in the morning switches on your body’s natural ability to properly burn and use all types of fat – so that far less of it ends up clogging your arteries and damaging your heart.

 

  • Spice up your meal: All that chilli is not bad, rather fresh chillies do you good. Studies suggest that capsaicin – what gives these spices their fiery flavor – is a powerful anti-inflammatory compound that prevents the formation of dangerous blood clots in the arteries, break down blood fats before they could be converted into artery-clogging cholesterol and also relaxes the arteries, cutting the risk of damaging blood pressure into half.

 

  • Eat fruits: Adding two cups of fruit to your daily diet can lower your risk of heart disease as much as 25 percent. Fruit contains dozens of phytonutrients, polyphenols and antioxidants that lower the levels of artery-clogging fats, plus help keep your heart’s blood vessels clear and healthy.

 

  • Munch on some nuts: Nuts like walnuts, almonds and pistachios are loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids – a healthy kind of fat that nourishes and strengthens artery walls, helping to prevent plaque build up.

 

  • Take fish oils daily: If you are a fish eater then its good but otherwise also you need to supplement your diet with capsulated fish oils. Its omega-3 fats lower your liver’s production of triglycerides – a troublesome type of fat that clogs arteries and makes blood less sticky and far less likely to form dangerous clots.

 

  • Snacking in the afternoon: An easy way to flatten a bulging tummy is to enjoy a daily snack in the mid-afternoon. Snacking later in the day helps tame the evening munchies, cutting up to 300 calories out of your daily diet.

 

  • Clean up the mess: Daily exercise for about 30 minutes can be of much help to stay fit and heart healthy because exercise raises your production of artery-clearing HDL cholesterol by 10 percent or more. But a daily routine can become monotonous and boring to maintain for longer span of time.  In a surprising new study, the fittest women weren’t the ones exercising outdoors but those with the cleanest houses! People who dust, vacuum, wash floors and keep their homes tidy and organized are naturally active and it’s often easier to stay fit by puttering around indoors than by trying to carve out time for formal workouts. So choose you way to stay fit.

 

  • Sip on hibiscus tea: This ruby red colored flavourful brew contains plant pigments as powerful as ACE Inhibitors, a class of prescription drugs used to lower blood pressure. Now you a new flavour to try and be healthy with a sip.
  • Socialize: Yes take out some time from your busy schedules to chill out and make merry with your friends and near & dear ones; nurturing a couple of solid friendships can cut your risk of heart disease and add years to your life. Having great friends to chat with and rely on keeps your blood pressure lower, even during life’s most stressful and trying times. A unique stress buster, isn’t it.

Authored by: Team, Health Sanctuary

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