AEROBIC EXERCISES

Technology today has provided us with innumerable comforts that have simplified our lives a great deal. However, this comfort has come with a price. The lack of physical activity has brought with it many health problems. People are now looking for ways to combat these problems, and one of the most popular ways has been aerobic exercises.

Aerobic exercise is defined as any repetitive physical activity that is done long and hard enough, to enhance circulatory and respiratory efficiency. Aerobic means `with oxygen` and it requires the lungs and heart to meet the body’s increased oxygen demand. Some examples are running, swimming, cycling and skipping.

Types of aerobics

Low Impact Aerobics

http://www.aerobic.org/aerobic/types/lowimpactaerobics.asp

In this exercise, at least one foot is in constant contact with the floor, which makes it easy to do without putting much strain on the tissues. Low-impact aerobics are perfectly suitable for pregnant women, obese people and seniors.

Water Aerobics
http://www.aerobic.org/aerobic/types/wateraerobics.asp

It does not cause much stress or strain to the joints of the body, making it really enjoyable and entertaining. This is an excellent method to burn out unwanted flab from the body and build inner strength.

Step aerobics

http://www.aerobic.org/aerobic/types/stepaerobics.asp

Step aerobics is a form of exercise that burns calories and improves cardiovascular health. Step aerobics uses a riser or step that participants step on and off of, burning more calories and working the heart and lungs harder. All that is required is a flat surface and an aerobic stepping platform.

Sport Aerobics
http://www.aerobic.org/aerobic/types/danceaerobics.asp
http://www.aerobic.org/aerobic/types/sportsaerobics.asp

This sport generates a chance for adolescents, and adult individuals to compete in a sport that demands less risk than gymnastics while keeping the artistic quality and fun of aerobics.

Health Benefits of Aerobics

• Reduces the risk of chronic ailments including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and certain types of cancer.
• Strengthens the heart, to pump blood more efficiently to all the parts of the body.
• Helps in burning calories.
• It’s the best bet for those, who want to quit addictions like alcohol and smoking, because it reduces a person's craving for these.
• Improves immunity making you less prone to minor viral infections such as cold and flu.
• Keeps your muscles strong.

The most important thing is to be able to do any kind of aerobic exercise regularly. Therefore the best aerobic program is the one you enjoy and will stick to!!

A New Year and a new YOU?

Let these New Year resolutions help you turn over a healthy new leaf:

1. I shall eat sensibly and not try FAD diets
Don't be tempted by the promise of super-fast results. The way to reach and maintain healthy weight is to adapt your lifestyle gradually, to reduce the amount you eat, include healthy foods and be more active. Crash diet aren't good for your health and they don't work in the long run.

2. I will eat breakfast everyday
This is a very worthwhile resolution, because a good breakfast provides the energy you need to begin your day. Make a healthy choice for breakfast as it can help in maintaining a healthy body weight. Remember that skipping breakfast will not help you to lose weight.

3. I will eat more fruits and vegetables
Get your natural dose of vitamins and minerals through fresh fruits and veggies. These are generally low in fat, help to fill you up and make very healthy snacks if you get hungry in between meals.

4. I shall limit sugary and salty foods

It's a good idea to try to cut down on foods and drinks that contain lots of added sugar, such as biscuits, cookies, sweets, jams and sugary juices and soft drinks. As for salt, it's important to cut down on salt as it contains sodium and having too much sodium can raise the blood pressure. Most of the salt in our diet comes from processed, packaged, restaurant, or fast food. So check the food labels and opt for lower sodium content foods.

5. I shall limit refined grain products

Avoid refined grain products like white breads, pastas,noodles and foods made with "maida". Instead go for whole grain cereals and legumes which are long lasting form of energy and will keep you full for longer.

6. I shall drink more water

Replace your calorie laden beverages like sodas, sugary drinks, excessive teas and coffees with plain water. Carry a refillable water bottle at all times to ensure that you are well hydrated throughout the day.

7. I shall start exercising and be regular

Being physically active is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle and one of the best ways to lose weight and keep it off. Regular physical activity and exercise will make any healthy eating plan work even better. Whatever form of physical workout you choose, let it be enjoyable and try to do it regularly.

8. I will cut down on alcohol and STOP smoking

There is nothing wrong with an occasional drink, but drinking too much can cause problems. Alcohol is also source of "empty calories", so cutting down could help in controlling weight. Avoid binge drinking as drinking heavily over a long period can damage the liver.

Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and diminishes a person's overall health. The combination of smoking, liberal drinking and poor nutrition conceivably elevates the risk for various chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

So usher in the 2010 with some healthy resolutions to make it a "Happy, Healthy & Prosperous" New Year !

Cheers !

HOW STRONG IS YOUR BACK?

Back Pain is one of the most prevalent problems in corporate employees. The Health Care Welfare Society [Mumbai, India], an NGO, surveyed 3,200 professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 and found that a majority of them suffered from back pain after sitting for eight hours at a stretch.

Common Causes of Back pain

• Muscle strain or spasm
• Sprain of ligaments
  
• Muscle Weakness
• Sitting too long in same position
• Slipped disc
• Spondylosis

Postures to avoid back pain

• Good Posture: Always sit / walk straight. While sleeping do not lie on your tummy.
  
• Take a break: Avoid sitting in a chair for longer than 30 minutes at a time; get up and move around.
  
• Practice relaxation techniques: Relax your back muscles, when you're sitting in one place for a long time. Stretch your upper and lower back. Hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds and slowly release.
  
• Drop the load: Exercise for 4-5 times a week to shed extra weight (if any). Aerobic exercise or yogasanas are good for preventing back pain.
  
• Exercise your back & Abdomen: Back exercises strengthen back muscles. Abdominal crunches strengthen abdominal muscles and this decreases the tendency towards back pain.
  

Good posture and back support are critical for reducing the incidence and levels of back pain. The result is freedom from back pain and a stronger, healthier back.

JUNK FOODS

Junk food is everywhere. It’s become more of a convenient food to most of us, be it a sugar-laden biscuit or cake, chips, soft drinks, sweets, fast food like burgers or pizzas. We always associate the western foods to being junk, but even Indian foods like mixtures, murrukus, vadas, sweets or even some of the yummy evening chaats can be considered pleasurable only to the palate.

How do we define junk foods? Junk foods are those foods that are high in calories but low in other nutrition aspects. Read on to know what ill effects junk foods can have on you…..

Harmful Effects of Junk Food:

• The regular consumption of junk food is the leading cause for obesity and excess weight.
• Consumption of soft drinks containing sugar has been linked to weight gain and an increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes.
• Also the consumption of soft drinks that contain phosphoric acid, hinders the calcium absorption and leads to calcium loss in the bones.
• Junk foods increase the risk of heart disease.
• High fat from junk food puts undue strain on the liver, causing damage to this essential organ.
• Research has suggested that diets high in fat may also impair essential brain functions, like concentration and memory.
• Flavorings and colorings present in junk foods can cause asthma, rashes.

Consumption of soft drinks alone can increase the risk for:

• Osteoporosis : this can happen due to the phosphoric acid present in the soft drinks that leads to calcium loss in the bones
• Weight gain and obesity
• Tooth decay and dental caries due to the excess amount of sugars that sweeten the drink.

The junk food industry deliberately targets children to create brand preference. Children fall prey easily to the attractive advertisement, which would also include their favorite cartoon or super hero in the advertisement. Fast food chains use free toys to get the kids to buy their products. Artificial flavors like the tomato flavors in chips or strawberry flavors in wafers aimed at kids can be twice as sweet as the artificial flavors used in adult food. Parents also sometimes treat children with these foods to keep them from throwing tantrums. A better idea would be to reward them with something useful like a puzzle or a book instead of treating them to junk foods. You could even put your cooking skills to the test by making a healthy version of their favorite junk food and keep both happy.


Junking over a period of time becomes a habit. So try to stay away from it………..

FOOD COLOUR

Colour is an important constituent of food. When we think of an apple, our mind shows a nice picture of a red apple, grapes are associated with blue or green colour. Addition of colour to food gives an attractive and appetizing appearance and also enhances its acceptability.

Ancient people used natural ingredients like saffron and ‘haldi’ or turmeric to give a rich orange or yellow color to various foods. Other natural foods such as carrots, grapes, spinach, tomatoes were also used as coloring agents.

With the advent of food technology we now have a wide range of artificial food colours as additives. A food colour is a substance that is added to food or drink to change its colour.
You can make a palak paneer look greener or a Manchurian look bright red. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and sometimes even in home cooking.

So what are the advantages and the disadvantages of these? This is something that you probably have not given a thought to.

The main and only advantage of the food colour is to make the food look more appetizing. When natural colours like turmeric are used, they are some health benefits too.

The disadvantages of using artificial food colouring seem to outweigh the advantages. The disadvantages may vary from the colours causing simple allergies to some heavy metallic colours that can be carcinogenic or cancer-causing. And more often than not even the safe food colours are used in excessive amounts to give the food a nice colour, which may be harmful. Some of the artificial colours can even destroy the nutrients in the food because of their chemical composition.

Synthetic Food Colours, also known as Artificial Food Colours, are manufactured chemically and are the most commonly used dyes in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Some of the chemicals used may not be under permissible values and hence make the whole food colour unsafe.

Go Natural!!! Natural colourants are extracted from natural herbs and plant parts. For example kokam, beetroot and safflower form a very large source of natural coloring agents. Usage of food colours is not bad, but the right use of the right colour is most important. Use natural colours found in foods like greens, bright red tomatoes, white radish, and turmeric.

Did you know?
" Blue colour is believed to be an appetite suppressant. Your foods might not look appetizing when you eat from a blue plate. In the hospitality industry, blue plates are not normally used in food service”

Cereal Power!!

A recent study aimed at studying the anti-oxidant content of some of the popular breakfast cereals and whole grain snacks revealed that raisin bran cereals and popcorns contained a large amount of polyphenols. Polyphenols are chemical substances that act like antioxidants and have been known to protect against health problems like cancer, heart problems and even prevent aging by removing free radicals from the body.
The study which was conducted by Dr Joe Vinson at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania adds a new dimension to the benefits of whole grains. Whole grains were always known to be beneficial due to its fiber content, but the discovery of polyphenols greatly increases its nutritional value. The researchers also pointed out that the polyphenol value increased with the addition of polyphenol-rich ingredients such as raisins and cocoa to the breakfast cereals. The study also concluded that among the whole-grain snacks, popcorn topped the list in having the highest amount of polyphenols.
Though this gives us more reason to reach out for whole-grain cereals and snacks, a general word of caution since some of these products can be high in terms of sugar(e.g.: breakfast cereals), fat and salt content (e.g.: popcorns). The best thing to do is to check the labels. Buy cereals with less or no added sugars and sweeten your bowl of cereals with fresh fruits. As far as popcorns are concerned, buying the corn kernels and popping them at home with a little oil and a dash of salt would be a better idea than buying the readymade microwavable sachets.
To read more:
WebMD: Popcorn,cereal pack anti-oxidant punch.
Medical News Today: Popcorn rich in antioxidant and fiber

20th October: World Osteoporosis Day

With the World Osteoporosis Day just around the corner comes a startling new revelation about Indians and Osteoporosis. A recent article in the The Times of India drew light on a survey which revealed that India will have around 36 million cases of osteoporosis at the end of just four years. One of the reasons seems to be that Indians are consuming way too less calcium than the recommended daily allowance. Also stated was the fact that around 80% of Indians were found to be deficient in Vitamin D. This is most surprising as India is a country with abundant sunshine, and a 10 minute exposure to mild sunlight is all that is needed to get one’s daily quota of the vitamin.
So, what exactly is Osteoporosis, and how are calcium and vitamin D connected to it?
Osteoporosis is the thinning of bones making them brittle and more prone to fractures. Everyone knows that calcium is the mineral that is important for strong bones and teeth. When there is inadequate calcium in the diet, the body ‘borrows’ the calcium from the bones. Over the years, this ‘borrowing’ makes them more porous and brittle resulting in osteoporosis. Though it is prevalent among both sexes, women are at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis after menopause because the female hormone estrogen also helps in keeping the bones strong. After menopause, since the estrogen level tends to fall, the rate of bone loss also speeds up.
Osteoporosis is also called the ‘silent’ disease as most often it is diagnosed only after a resulting fracture. A bone mineral density testing, also called the densitometry or DEXA scan is thought to be the best for detecting osteoporosis.
The prevention and cure of osteoporosis should include:
• A diet rich in calcium: The recommended daily intake of calcium is around 600mg, depending upon age and gender. To meet this, include good sources of calcium in your diet like low-fat milk and milk products (e.g. low fat cheese, paneer, yogurt), soy products, small fish with bones and/or calcium supplements (as recommended by your physician) on a daily basis.
• Adequate amounts of vitamin D: Vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium into the bloodstream. The easiest way to obtain Vitamin D is by exposure of the body to sunlight for at least 10 minutes per day ( avoid harsh sunlight)
• Regular exercise: Studies have shown that regular exercise, especially weight bearing exercises (like walking, jogging, and free weights) and those which promote balance (like yoga and tai chi) for at least 30 minutes every day, can reduce the incidence of osteoporosis. Suryanamaskar has a double benefit of exercise and sunlight exposure.
Taking adequate amounts of calcium rich foods in your daily diet (regardless of age or gender) seems to be the first step towards preventing and treating this disease. Talk to your dietitian/health care professional/physician to estimate if you require additional calcium supplementation and also to find out if you are fit enough to start on a fitness routine. Last but not the least, don’t forget to get your daily dose of ‘sunshine’-it’s good for your bones!!
Sweta Uchil