Archive for the ‘Daily Personal Health’ Category

You exercise, eat well and even sleep a good 7-8 hours. Still your weight hasn’t come down at all. You feel disappointed. – Is this the current scenario in your weight loss efforts?

What you’re missing here is Portion Control. Just because you have started exercising, it doesn’t mean that you can indulge and overeat all the time. Overeating is often followed with slight tummy ache, lethargy etc. But over time you get used to it and overeating becomes a habit.

And since you are taking in more calories than you lose by exercising, your weight remains the same. This is where you need to master the art of portion control and ingrain it in your daily life.

Portion control is not eating less. Portion control is eating only the amount of food your body needs.

At home, it is easier to control portion as you can measure foods with the plates, cups and bowls you’re familiar with. But this may not be practical when you decide to eat out, go to a party or picnic. Well, there’s no need to worry your head as you have the perfect measuring tool with you- your hand.

The hand method presents you a simple way to gauge a sensible serving. Let us see how.

How about trying this out at your next meal and see if it works? Here’s a toast to healthy eating with healthy portion!

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“Let me buy a good pair of running shoes and I’ll join you in your morning jog”

“I need to get some smart track pants before I go jogging”

And finally you have purchased all jogging gear including a headband and an iPod. Lets quit with the excuses that sound lame to our own ears and start this very morning or evening. Most old-hand joggers seem to foster a love-hate relationship with running. They love the health benefits and the feel-great factor that come with running. They hate the tedious task of getting up early and start running. Yet the benefits effortlessly cancel out the hatred.

Your reasons to go for daily jogging can range from goal for toned legs, weight loss, good health, enjoying with friends and so on. But as a beginner you need to keep certain things in mind.

• If you’re new in the joggers’ area, it is most likely that you’re out of shape and have been inactive for a while. Don’t get caught up in the beginners’ enthu and try to run 3-4 kilometers on your first day. A 5-minutes warm ups and stretches can get your body ready for the ‘shock’.
• It depends on the amount of time you’re willing to dedicate for jogging. Start with 10 minutes. Follow the pattern of 2-minutes brisk walk, 2-minutes running and then again 2-minutes brisk walk. Use a watch as your ability to judge time can be affected by your tiredness.
• Since even the best shoes’ shock absorbers can get weaker over time, it is recommended that you replace your jogging shoes atleast once a year. Let’s hope that your resolve to run daily last that long.

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Summer has just invited itself into our lives. This is when people endure heat-related diseases as their bodies are incapable of compensating and properly cooling themselves. The body usually sweats it off, a natural cooling mechanism. But in certain situations, normal sweating just isn’t enough to cool your body. In such a case, one’s body temperature can increase swiftly, causing a sharp tiredness. This, if disregarded, can be damaging to brain or other organs.

Usually, if one undergoes heat exhaustion, first thing to do is take him/her to cool place at the earliest and give plenty of cool fluids to drink. Take off the shoes and socks, loosen or remove excess clothing and fan the person with a book or something. In most cases, this is enough to make the victim feel better in less than 30 minutes without much health complications.

But if no treatment is received with in the first 30 minutes, heat exhaustion might lead to heat stroke a life threatening illness

In this season, you can do plenty to reduce risks of heat exhaustion:

• As much as you can, stay indoors from 11AM to 3PM when the sun is at its hottest. If your field work doesn’t permit that try walking in the shade as much as possible.
• Scarf, sunglasses and sunscreens are the 3 S than can shield you from the wrath of sun.
• If you are a 2-wheeler/bike user opt for a full face cover helmet rather than hat-like or half-face cover ones.
• If you are one for enjoying long spells of sports, please complement your physical exertion with plenty of fluids.
• Fruit juices and water, YES. Energy drinks, fizz drinks and alcohol, NO. This rule applies whether you feel thirsty or not.
• Now is the best time to store some fruits in your handbag or in office desk. Grabbing a fruit to munch in intervals means higher energy and more productivity.
• Preceding your dinner with salads consisting of vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes etc high water content is a ‘cool’ idea.
• Washing face with cold water, sprinkling water on your skin and applying a damp towel on neck etc are some ways to keep cool.

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You must have noticed a steady swelling of ankles in pregnant women. It can make women highly self-conscious and frustrated. Firstly, know that swollen foot is nothing to worry about health wise unless you count the slight discomfort.

Apart from hormonal changes, it happens because your body generates and holds more water than normal when you’re expecting. And fluids tend to collect in ankles which results in swelling.

Though normal, swollen feet can be easily avoided or alleviated if you take certain precautions.

• Avoid standing for long periods as standing for too long can obstruct proper blood circulation.
• Avoid sitting cross-legged as much as you can.
• Always go for comfortable and strong footwear rather than those with tight straps, heels and shoes that are either loose or tight.
• While sitting, always rest your feet propped up on a stool, or cushions. Resting foot for atleast 30 minutes a day is must. Ideally feet should be kept higher than your heart level as your rest.
• It may be relaxing to apply ice packed in a plastic cover to swollen areas.

Foot exercises can make it flexible & improve blood circulation to and from leg and heart. Here are some foot exercises especially for pregnant women (and others too) that don’t cause much exertion.

• While sitting, curve and stretch your feet up and down- This can be done in office, as you watch TV, as you travel in bus etc.
• Rotate one foot clockwise 10 times and then do it anticlockwise. Do the same with the other foot.

Just as the gradual swelling of feet is normal, sudden swelling warrants expert medical help to make sure that there are no underlying causes. Your gynecologist can monitor this and confirm or rule out any cause for worry.

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It is estimated that 1 in 5 people experience some kind of hearing problems, not counting the selective deafness you may adopt when someone says something you don’t like. Hearing problems often start as mild and thus not easily noticeable in the initial stage.

Certain steps can be taken to protect hearing in such cases like using earphones rather than speakers, wearing earmuffs when going to noisy places like discos or factories. But these steps will only work if hearing problem is due to environmental factors such as regular exposure to loud traffic snarls, loud music in a discotheque or noise in a factory. If hearing problem is due to some underlying reason, it may require expert help.

Signs of hearing problems in people:

1. Inattentiveness: If you notice one going all ‘spaced out’ while talking to him/her, it can be a sign of hearing problem unless his/her attention span is too small.
2. Talking loudly: “He speaks as if we’re all hard of hearing”. Do you jokingly say this about your friend or colleague? Chances are that he has hearing problems.
3. Listening to music or TV at high volume: Do you get annoyed at that inconsiderate neighbor who leaves his TV or music on blaringly high volume? Do you often have to remind your kids to lower the volume? This is a disturbing indicator of mild hearing problem.
4. Misinterpretation of your words or mispronunciation in kids: People with hearing problem either out of embarrassment or because they don’t know it yet, try to compensate by reading your body language and lip movement. But since all this is done without any training, they end up misinterpreting your words.
5. Being distracted at school: If your child’s teacher informs you that his/her concentration is lacking and the child is kind of upset and worried at school, check with an ENT to make sure these are not due to any hearing problem.

If you notice any of the above signs in someone you know or if one has informed you that you manifest these symptoms, consult an ENT.

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Urinary Infections are infections caused by bacteria in your urinary tract, which can be said as your body’s cleanup system. Statistics show that women are the worst affected due to anatomical reasons. Certain microbes and fungus tend to leech themselves to your urinary tract lining for long, making the infection a painful affair.

Fighting Constipation & Urinary Infection with Diet:

Constipation is often an underlying cause for urinary infection. If you have constipation, this has to be dealt with immediately.

• Increase the quantity of fiber in your daily diet.
• Include greens, spinach dish etc as side dish with your lunch.
• Munch on fruits like banana, mango, orange etc in between work.
• See that your water bottle filled is always kept filled and keep sipping whether you’re thirsty or not. Recommended water intake for a day is 8-10 glasses of water.

To keep your urinary tract infection-free, you can stick to the following pointers:

• Go to the loo as soon as you feel the urge to urinate rather than controlling it till you are free. Bacteria multiply when urine remains in the bladder for long.
• If you’re on the move, you can use the restroom in a shop or mall.
• See that a roll of toilet paper is a permanent resident in your handbag.
• Hygiene can go a long way in preventing infection. Let washing genitals before sexual intercourse be a norm for you.
• It is advised that you urinate after sex.
• Opt for cotton undergarments. Tight and synthetic clothes trap moisture making it a breeding ground for bacteria.

Urinary Infection Red Flags:

• a recurrent and strong urge to go to toilet
• urination in droplets despite the strong urge to urinate
• if your urine stinks and is dark yellow, orange or bloody
• a throbbing pain when urinating
• fatigue, muscle cramp and tummy ache

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It is not exaggerating when they say nothing spoils your day more than a painful stiff neck!

Have you ever woke up one morning with a sudden and sharp shooting pain in the neck? It happens when your sleeping position somehow went wrong and your neck got twisted or locked to one side.

How/When it happens-

• when the weather turns cold
• falling asleep while reading, working on laptop, watching TV
• sleeping in a bus
• when the pillow is too high or fluffy
• after a bad fall
• some underlying medical condition which needs to be checked by your doctor

What you can do-

• If you do regular workouts, go easy on that day and the next day if its still painful. This can bring down the soreness.
• Do minor neck exercises like moving your neck gently up-down, side-side etc. This can strengthen neck muscles in the long run.
• Ask someone- partner or roomie- to give you a soft massage on the aching area.
• Is your mattress too fluffy and soft? This might be the reason. Try sleeping on a firm mattress and use a thin pillow (or better yet, don’t use a pillow for a few days).
• Sometimes your routine stress can also pave way to neck pain and stiffness. Deep breathing, meditation and yoga are easy relaxation techniques you can adopt.

It is time for you to consult a doctor if the stiffness last for more than a week with self care.

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Hello Readers,

March 1 is observed as Self Injury Awareness Day worldwide. The day recognizes self-injuring tendencies of people as a serious health concern and urges you to identify the symptoms in yourself and others (if any) to nip this habit in the bud.

What makes a person resort to such crude measures? Self-harming is essentially a coping mechanism. Unable to deal with emotional turmoil and problems in life, some people injure themselves so that they are forced to focus on the physical pain rather than face the issues in life. They invite this bodily pain to numb the real pain. Does this sound familiar anyone?

Self-injury is like drug addiction. Like drug-intake starts with smaller doses, self-harm too starts with smaller cuts and scratches. Soon minor cuts stop having the same effect and you escalate to bigger and frequent injuries till you become extremely dependent on self-harming. There have been reported cases of people using this mechanism to help them sleep as their problems keep them awake at nights.

What one forgets is that self-injury only calms you or gives momentary relief (if you can call it a relief). It doesn’t kill your real problem, be it some trauma in the past, abuse, or self esteem issues. People can suffer for years without confiding in anyone or knowing that they even have a problem.

What you can do-

• The first thing to do is to identify and admit that you have a problem and self-injury is NOT a normal way of coping.
• When you feel that bout of depression, stop whatever you’re doing at once. Taking some time off to mull over your emotions can help you a lot.
• Ask a trusted family member or friend to be a point of contact when you feel like you are going to self-harm.
• Low energy levels are due to hunger, thirst or fatigue, which you may not recognize at the time, can also trigger depression and consequentially Self-injury. Avoiding long gaps in between meals is the best way to deal with this.
• Like any craving, your urge to self-injure too has a peak-point, which will not last more than 5 minutes (though you may feel like its forever). After that peak-time, it will go away on its own. Distracting yourself with loud music, meditation, calling up a friend or going for a walk may work.

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Stomach pain and stomach upsets mostly come without warning to warn us that all is not well. Reasons range from obvious ones like period pain, food poisoning or even a hard fall. It is usually brief and due to a minor upset or bug. It might be some other underlying conditions like appendicitis or ulcer. Needless to say, sudden and severe cramps or aches in the belly are greater grounds for concern.

Abdomen cramps are mostly caused by bloating, passing or trapped wind. Chewing bubble gum, smoking, sucking aimlessly on things like pen tops, swallowing foods in a hurry rather than eating slowly etc may be the reasons for passing wind. This is quite common but can be awkward. But remember, certain lifestyle & diet changes can easily thwart this problem. Or your doctor can suggest medicines to relieve this.

One of the possible reason for passing wind and resultant tummy ache can be due to foods high in carbs.

• Since you cannot do away with carbs completely as they are essential to your body, the trick is to pick carb-foods that are easy to digest such as – potatoes, bananas, curd, citrus fruits like lemon and orange, apple, rice etc.
• It is important to note that different people will react differently to certain foods, so some of the foods listed above may still cause gas. Therefore keeping a food diary can help you track which foods make your symptoms better or worse.
• Also, when you eat, take time to chew your food. This will lessen the quantity of air you are taking in and aid digestion.

If you are overweight or obese or less active than you should be, your stomach fat puts extra pressure on your abdomen, which may lead to tummy ache and sometimes heartburn. So keep aside 10 minutes after each meal daily for smart activities like brisk walking. This you can easily fit in your schedule?

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Of course! Aerobics is the exercise to burn or lose extra belly fat. No need to squander a fortune to tauten and tone that Abs! Aerobics exercise is any physical activity intense enough to work your lungs and heart harder- resulting in increased blood circulation and fitness.

“Belly fat located deep within the abdominal cavity fills the spaces between internal organs and is linked with increased risks for heart diseases, diabetes and some cancers.” -  MayoClinic

Aerobics exercise is a safe bet to combat these risks. Let us see how.

Brisk Walk

Did you know brisk walking too is as good as aerobics? Brisk walking puts all your Ab muscles through its paces. It is important to swing your arms and pull in your tummy while at it. Walking in this manner for atleast 30 minutes a day can attain the aerobic effect. Make it a point to do this before breakfast, post lunch and after evening tea, 10 minutes each. This will largely increase the chances of you sticking to it.

Weight Train (Resistance Training)

Weight training not only boosts your metabolism, but also good for bones. It reduces the odds for osteoporosis after middle age. No, weight lifts do not make you masculine as commonly believed. Moreover, it enhances your energy level while burning most of those unhealthy belly fats. Same can be achieved through regular push-ups.

Link earlier blog on the same?

Play a sport

Playing a sport is the best bet to make one break into sweat. Not everyone may have access to tennis court, basket ball court or swimming pool. But one can easily rig up a net on a nearby ground and enjoy a spot of badminton. Same can be said for sports like cricket and football if you can gather enough people. It will set your heart racing and shed those bad fats.

Remember, you need to start somewhere and crossing the starting-trouble hurdle is a huge step. So ready to face that aerobic challenge that leaves you out of breath to make Ab fats history?

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