Loneliness is not being devoid of people around but feeling emotionally or socially disconnected from others. You might be amongst an ocean of people but still feel isolated and left out because of your thoughts and attitude. Social media platforms, chatting apps and smartphones connect people living across different countries. Then why has loneliness surpassed obesity and smoking as a greater public threat to the society? Social relationships remain integral to every individual’s well-being and there are sound research material backing the fact that social interaction and support protect against increased mortality rates. Despite such clear indications and results there is nothing much individuals and the society in general have done to curb this loneliness epidemic. That’s mostly because, the lonely individual as well as the people surrounding them mostly are unaware of the existence of loneliness in the person. Ironically, it isn’t straightforward and even well-appreciated when you talk about the ill-effects of obesity or smoking to a friend suffering from such habits, yet we do it out of concern. Why aren’t we showing the same concern, care and interest to approach a loved one/friend whom we doubt is suffering from loneliness? The World is a Lonely Place Loneliness has the power to make a person stressed, depressed, irritable and disconnected increasing the chances of premature mortality by as much as 26%. Economy and social status might remain higher in industrialized countries which also contribute as primary reasons for a third of the population affected by this condition and almost 1 in 12 persons suffering from extreme loneliness. Research shows many other conditions alongside premature mortality associated with loneliness. These conditions include increased blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and depression. Apart from all these physical damages, the impact of loneliness on your physical health is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day thereby decreasing your chances to live by almost 8 years. Total detachment or being entirely cut off from the outside world increases the risk of depression in such individuals and can even be a cause of suicide in old age. When people are not mentally stimulated they are at a higher risk (almost by 64%) of developing dementia. Even a long-term Harvard study proves that loneliness is toxic! More isolated people are, less happy they tend to be and brain function as well as physical health declines drastically. Check out on simple relaxation techniques to relieve yourself from depression and stress from the website www.firsteatright.com. Loneliness is a contagious disease just like your cold and cough. Individuals who are lonely spread loneliness wherever they go and lose even the very few friends/contacts they have in their social list. We can argue and debate that people feel disconnected and lonely in a crowded place, but statistics and studies show that what people miss the most is the presence of a person or simply being together. Older people feel deprived of simple things such as a tight hug, sharing a meal together, holding hands, walking or going for a vacation with loved ones. Being unmarried is a crucial cause for loneliness. At the same time, one cannot assure that marriage can make a person feel happy. It ultimately depends on the quality of the relationship. Even after living with spouse and in-laws, the girl/boy might feel lonely as he/she is emotionally disconnected and yearning for love. From Sixteen to Sixty Surprisingly, loneliness is not confined to the elderly population only and there are a shocking number of adolescents and young adults who feel lonely and left out. Loneliness takes a sharp dip from young adulthood through middle age and surges back in numbers not until oldest old age. Children today are engaged with their smartphones and don’t have time even for parents. They sleep, study, eat, go out and even attend functions/restaurant eat outs with their mobile phones connected over people across the world. Alas, they miss the physical contact, conversation, laughter and closeness of people around them absorbed in their online chats. Another major issue nowadays is that family sizes have shrunk and most children live in nuclear families where both parents are working to make both ends meet. Even grandparents don’t live with these families anymore and the child is left at the mercy of caretakers, television, mobile phones or daycare centers. Such kids spend time by engaging themselves in activities that include only themselves or rarely do they get to mingle with friends and share some fun. These grow into serious cases of loneliness and isolation affecting the physical and mental health of the individual greatly. Unite Together & Laugh Forever Take some time and think about a friend who has just lost her/his spouse or loved one, someone who has gone through a divorce or a person who might feel lonely or isolated despite being surrounded by people around. Reach out to them, laugh together, eat together and ease the isolation or loneliness and remind each other strongly that people do care and love. People in our neighborhood, communities, families and associations must come forward and take solid steps to solve the loneliness problem. We can organize activities and fun shows for the elderly population, schools can take students to visit individuals living in home care, those with limited mobility or locked into their houses and families can arrange for reunions and ensure to meet their dear ones at least once a while to stay happy and make others happy as well. If you think, there are numerous other options as well to stay happy together with people. Kids learn from their parents, teachers, friends and people around. When parents live together with many other family members, they are living examples of sharing, caring and affection. A mom laughing with daadi, a dad going for a walk with naani or nieces and nephews playing together are cherished moments of love, affection and goodness which can never be compensated by monetary benefits or socioeconomic status. Teaching children the need to exist together with compromises and compassion will take our society to the next level. We can witness less of old-age homes, young suicidal deaths or divorces. Shun away seclusions, warm up to people around and try to socialize more to push loneliness into darkness and shine light upon your life. Loneliness will not disappear on its own. Creating awareness, discussing openly and efforts from every person living in the society can tremendously impact loneliness and it is upon us to make this happen. Gymnasiums and fitness centers have established their presence strongly in almost every corner of the road alongside eat outs. Every other day we notice parks and playgrounds brimming with health-conscious people engaged seriously in a brisk walk, exercises or a session of yoga with their group members. Still, 1 in 4 adults worldwide remain inactive globally. This amounts to almost 28% of the global population or a figure close to 1.4 billion individuals which even comes across as 1 in 3 adults being inactive in a selected few countries, according to World Health Organization. Despite improved awareness regarding the benefits of fitness among people, global inactivity levels remain unchanged since 2001.
The new study by WHO shows that 1 in 4 four people are inactive which puts them at an increased risk of health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases and also at a greater risk of disrupted mental health and reduced quality of life. The study group analyzed 358 different population surveys in 168 countries and came up with few of the most shocking revelations:
It is natural that wealthier countries lean towards the inactivity graph as people there use motor transport for commuting, take up sedentary jobs for salary and make use of every luxury available to make their lives as comfortable as possible. Whereas, in low-income countries people rely mostly on public transport for commuting, walk to work, do most of the chores by themselves using their physical stamina and work hard for a decent living. Sedentary jobs are not the way people in these countries earn. There are various other physically exerting jobs that keep them fit and healthy. Heading Towards Darkness If this is going to be the state of the world for the next couple of years, fulfilling WHO’s target of reducing global inactivity by 10% would be missed. On the positive note, not all countries are witnessing diminishing physical activity rates unlike in the case of health conditions and diseases. Still, quarter of the adult population globally suffers from insufficient physical activity rates. Despite repeated studies and research data available on the benefits of exercising and a healthy diet (one study says that exercise, a healthy diet and a couple of other factors can extend a person’s lifespan by 10 years or more), what curbs people from physical activity-laziness, lack of time or ignorance? It can be either of these or a combination of all! Sadly, we don’t forget to brush our teeth or sleep due to lack of time. This again shows how people prioritize things. Physical activity mostly does not come in the priority list of most people. If sticking to your diet or lack of motivation to stay active is your problem, get in touch with registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com who can help you overcome inactivity in the right way. Also, we need to address the reason behind the inequal distribution of physical activity levels between men and women to try achieving the 2025 WHO target. It’s the duty of every nation to ensure that their women are given opportunities that are safe, accessible and justifiable. While economic development paved way for easy commuting options and more desk jobs, governments worldwide must now take steps to help people to be more active by forming separate tracks for cyclists alongside normal traffic roads, make it easier for walkers and foremost, make people aware of the side effects of an inactive lifestyle. Some countries have started levying extra taxes for obese people to bring down rocketing obesity rates and some restaurants too make people pay for the unused food! Slowly, by incorporating effective changes we can witness a better world filled with healthier people. Obesity/overweight is unhealthy, whatever form it might take. Recent studies, research and discoveries familiarize people with fancy names such as ‘healthy obesity’, ‘fat but fit’ and so on. Newton’s law of motion never changes forever, likewise, obesity/overweight can never become healthy. There might be variations here and there which make some overweight/obese individuals comparatively healthier than others, but these people can never become a role-model for health until they reach their healthy weight ranges. When we understand this basic yet confused concept, our goals in life become clearer and we start working towards good health and well-being.
Obesity Anomaly A pair of studies by a research team at the University of Michigan surprises people with its results that overweight people who break down fat speedily are less healthy than their counterparts who store fats more effectively. One might instantly go wild reading this as obese/overweight people exercise and diet to get rid of fat tissues and reach normal weight. Such results are ought to cause confusion and irritation among public as individuals are perplexed on their next course of action regarding their weight loss! The study’s intention is not to confuse the individual but to convey the fact that when fat breaks down, fatty acids released from the adipose tissue don’t get flushed out but get stored elsewhere in the body. Repetition of this process frequently leads to harmful accumulation of fatty acids in every other tissue and organ paving way for insulin resistance-typical risk factor for diabetes and heart disease. Insulin Resistance Most of us know that obese people are prone to developing insulin resistance, but the same concept had a boomerang effect on one-third of the study participants as they did not develop insulin resistance. Samples of the adipose tissue showed that the healthier study participants:
The second study involved collecting fat tissues from two groups (one group exercised regularly and the other didn’t) of overweight individuals after their aerobic session. The post-exercise blood vessel count is another clear indication of the immediate benefits of just one session of exercising-new blood vessels erupted and the regularly exercising group was equipped with more blood vessel count. Blood vessels play a crucial role in determining health of an individual and many problems start when supply through these vessels is hindered. Increase in weight increases demand of blood flow to fat tissues and when this does not happen, it results in a series of unhealthy conditions. Don’t Get it Wrong-Adipose Tissue We are all allergic to the adipose tissue as we feel it to be the sole cause for diseases and obesity problems but all it does is to store energy in the form of fat. Generally situated beneath the skin, sometimes the tissue also surrounds internal organs. All the excess energy accumulated when we eat too much gets stored in the adipose tissue. Now, who is to be blamed for the excess fat storage-the person who eats inconsiderate of portion sizes or the tissue that enables storage of energy from this food? But don’t get the study wrong, in no way does it recommend people to overeat/remain obese. All that it suggests is to have a safe place to safeguard the excess energy produced. Regular physical activity equips the person with a healthy fat-storing environment which becomes of utmost use when individuals overeat (excess energy gets stored in this environment). Get your queries cleared and your diet planned to enable healthier fat accumulation by getting in touch with reputed dietitians/nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com. Individuals might have equal portions of body fat but those individuals who rigorously train their body (with physical activity) to accommodate excess fat using the adipose tissue in the right way might remain much safer from type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases. The fancy weighing machines in railway stations, restaurants and many other public places attract children, but the sight of it makes an adult shudder. Pity that these are installed in restaurants where people eat to their heart’s content and walk out unable to push themselves forward due to overconsumption. The printed tickets rolling out of these machines create double trouble-not only do they make us stare at our never-decreasing weight, but they also predict the fortune of the day. Alas, machines are machines and they can never understand that our weight printed on the slip determines our mood and in turn our day at office/home. Some love to admire themselves in front of the mirror while some others love to weigh themselves day in and day out. Standing on a weighing machine is just like brushing teeth or eating food for these people. It becomes a part of their daily chore. How good is this habit? Weighing Pros & Cons Weight loss or maintaining the lost weight, monitoring your weights is a critical step in succeeding. Eons of hard work and pain taken to lose weight must never go down the drains owing to our carelessness in preventing the lost kilograms from coming back. Its generally said that most people regain almost two-thirds of their lost weight within two years. None of us wish for this and if you seriously want to avoid this situation, it is better that you weigh yourself daily. Fluctuating weights capture your attention immediately and you start working towards eliminating the small weight gain eventually. A vast majority of the general public benefit tremendously from daily weigh-ins because even small weight chances don’t escape their eye and this motivates them to pursue a healthy lifestyle. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that 294 female students belonging to a University who weighed themselves daily displayed decreases in BMI and body fat percentage. Another analysis that reviewed 23 studies showed that weighing daily never disturbs a person psychologically with the exception of the teenage, young adults and women population who had the opposite effect after checking their weights daily. In fact, men are seriously better off weighing themselves every day as they treat this too simply in number form without attaching emotions to it. So, who are the ones who benefit from daily weighing? Maybe Not for You & Me but Good for So Many No one principle works good for all. For some dieters, seeing their weight motivates them to work harder and see better results but for some others, looking at the scales does not work well at all. It can frustrate, mislead and demotivate them. Your weight keeps fluctuating every single day depending on various factors despite regular physical activity and a well-balanced diet. Some days, the scale might show anywhere between a 0.5—75-kilogram increase in weight which totally crushes the dieter’s heart. It might be water retention, but the individual assumes it as fat overload. During these times, daily weigh-ins might compel the person to rely upon crash diet programs or exhaustive work out schedules to lose the target weight within the specific period. He/she might even skip meals to witness immediate results. This might cause stress, depressions and ultimately the dieter might even totally sack the scale and start binge eating to cope with his/her lack of positive weight loss effects. Stress is a serious weight loss offender which might further aggravate the weight gain process. Shhhh! Not Only People but Scales Too Can be Misleading My cousin always checks her weight at a specific machine placed in the railway station since she always weighs a couple of kilograms less on those scales. Yup! Weighing scales can surely be misleading and this is one of the main reasons for any of us to avoid daily weigh-ins. For example, you might weight a kilo or two less tomorrow comparatively which is impossible scientifically. Losing around 2 kilogram of weight requires a person to show 7,000 calories deficit in a day and even if you starve through the day it can never be possible to lose 1-2 kilograms weight by the end of day. Losing it in one week’s time is challenging enough. Weight fluctuations happen daily due to changing water levels in the body. Every 0.5 kilogram of fat is made up of 3,500 calories and to lose this, one must create a 500-calorie deficit every day for seven days by following a strict diet combined with regular exercise. How Frequently Can You Weight Yourself? The best practice is to weigh yourself once a week at the same time each week. This equalizes water content changes in the body and gives us a better accurate reading of body fat percentage ups and downs. Such weekly weigh-ins help you determine when you are off-track and guide you to correct your lifestyle suiting necessary changes. Rarely, some people don’t notice considerable weight changes but are granted definite inch loss! These people must measure their hips, waist, arms and thighs to track their weight loss results. Subsequent inch loss can lead to definite weight loss in course of time for these individuals. Inch loss is a definite indicator of body fat loss which gives a positive feedback on the person’s weight loss efforts. To know how to measure your hips, waist and thighs, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com where guidelines to note down these measurements are shown with diagrams. Our RDNs can effectively help you lose body weight with healthy diet plans and workout schedules. So, keep your machines in one corner of your room and don’t ever go near them before the designated time of week to check your weight. You may cheat yourself into believing that you have not put on weight despite the flabs in your stomach, but you cannot cheat your sperms whose concentration and count automatically decrease as you become overweight/obese. Obesity is a worldwide problem that’s been the root cause for various diseases such as heart attack, diabetes, cholesterol and other impending disorders. Reproduction is the basis for continuity of life. Overweight/obesity impacts fertilization hindering the continuity of human existence greatly.
Life Begets Life Its been more than a decade since we’ve known that maternal obesity hinders embryo development. We’ve also been witnessing increasing number of couples seeking the help of artificial reproductive technologies (ART) for conceiving babies. As a society, we have started accepting that its not only the female but also the male who can be responsible for infertility issues. There is an increasing awareness that male obesity reduces sperm quality and quantity, dad’s health cues are passed over to the offspring and also theories that dad’s obesity makes the offspring susceptible to developing obesity. All the while the society has been advising women in childbearing age to take care of their health as they are the ones who would be producing offspring. Sadly, the husbands are sidelined and almost ignored. Recent studies and evidences are increasingly probing on the health nature of the dad whose conditions might affect offspring conception and development. A new study shows that widening waistlines might narrow production of sperms decreasing sperm numbers. A study by Indian scientists on 1,200 men found that increase in weight was associated with a decrease in sperm volume, sperm count and concentration. Among the participants the researchers found that obese men had lower sperm numbers, decreased concentration and inability of the sperms to move at normal speed towards eggs compared to normal-weighted individuals. Also, these sperms were sometimes defective possessing thin/pear-shaped heads all of which together complicated pregnancy chances be it through natural conception or IVF. It even affects the ability of the sperm to move towards the female reproductive tract lowering chances of conception. We already know that obese women can delay conception and now it’s proved that obese men too can delay the process of conception. Men in Western countries are already trending towards decreased sperm health which has become a worrisome news for many. Such stark decline in sperm numbers and count can greatly affect reproduction. Along with growing obesity rates are declining sperm quality rates. Although this study does not specifically deal with infertility it does indicate a future that would trend towards it and this is extremely disturbing. Another study by a group of researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that overweight men were 11% likelier to have a low sperm count and 39% likelier to have no sperms in their ejaculation. Obese men were 42% likelier to have a low sperm count and 81% likelier to produce no sperms compared to their normal-weighted counterparts. There are also emerging observations and research that food habits of parents can be passed over to the offspring. So, everything again boils down to the point that health and normal body weight affect our quality of life to a great extent. Nutrition-induced changes to sperms affects both the fertility chances of the dad and the health of the next generation. Eating nutritious foods, staying active and exercising daily is recommended not simply because it is the norm but also because it helps you lead a smoother life and improve your quality of living. If you are facing obesity issues and skipping to conceive, it is better to get in touch with reputed dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com who can help you lose weight, conceive and produce a healthy offspring. We have ruined our health to a great extend by indulging in junk foods and irregular meal timings. At least, lets try to save our future generation’s health to some extent by reviving our healthy eating habits. Days at home never start without a refreshing cup of coffee/chai. The smell of caffeine is good enough to enliven our energy levels and shake us off our sleepiness. Else most of us would be zombies moving around the house in half-sleep states! The logic behind brewing a fresh cup of coffee the first thing in the morning now makes utmost sense. Cheers to our earlier generation people who discovered this even before we coined the term ‘caffeine’. Coffee in the morning makes us feel better, feel good, much alert and wide awake. Has this really got something to do with a reaction happening in the brain or are we tricked into believing that caffeine helps us stay awake and energetic? Stimulating Sensation Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system (CNS) causing increased alertness and wakefulness. It also diminishes the effect of adenosine receptors thereby increasing the concentration of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine and glutamate in the CNS. This increase eventually leads to wakefulness, alertness and energy. Adenosine receptors are primarily involved in negating the effect of these neurotransmitters. There are mounting evidences that uphold the fact that caffeine improves attention, alertness and mood, to a greater extent when we are tired. Some might choose to go with coffee while others grab a bottle of soda during their break. One cup of coffee contains around 80-100 milligrams of caffeine while soda has 30-60 milligrams. What about exercise? Does it have any positive effects on fighting off fatigue? If yes, its time again to debate upon the best of the two energy-producing activities-drink a caffeine-rich beverage or do small bouts of exercise? A very tiny study compared these two activities and came up with its result. The study included healthy but sleep-deprived individuals who were subjected to a dose of caffeine, stair-climbing exercise and placebo. Surprisingly, the research team found that 10 minutes of stair-climbing boosted energy levels far more than a cup of caffeine-rich (50 mg) beverage. Though a small-scale study (involved around 20 participants only), this provides us with a generalized opinion about the better of the two fatigue-fighting sources. This might be the starting point for further studies and research in this field down the lane. Yet another study went one step further and compared the benefits of exercise alone against the benefits of exercise with a dose of caffeine on cognitive tasks. Exercise along with caffeine intake proved to provide greater benefits than exercising alone. Results are not surprising as combining two instances of energy-rich actions rather than conforming to one always increases output. Normally caffeine takes around 30 minutes to start producing positive effects on the body and it is recommended to consume it some half an hour prior to workout for improved performance. Weighing the Pros & Cons Caffeine intake in coffee form is an often-debated topic and every other day we see some new piece of information about its advantages/disadvantage that make it difficult for the common man to judge. Proving to be beneficial in reducing the risk of certain types of dementia, cancer, high BP and diabetes caffeine also occupies the limelight for increasing the risk of bone loss, rheumatoid arthritis and making a person feel more nervous/anxious. How much of caffeine is too much? Check it out yourself at www.firsteatright.com. There are various studies that throw light over the benefits of exercising such as improved mood levels, cognition, fitness and function. Ageing population and those with dementia are shown to attain maximum benefit from exercising. Caffeine helps to boost alertness and energy levels for some time but the same is possible with some quick exercising too. Moreover, while caffeine has both pros and cons, exercising only has benefits attached to its kitty. With such clear evidences one can say without doubt that involving yourself in small bouts of exercise does you good than sticking to a cup of coffee in times of fatigue. Who doesn’t love to cuddle and kiss a chubby baby who exists as a look-alike of a sumo wrestler? Flabby stomach, rounded thighs and roly-poly cheeks seem to be the best traits of an infant. People across the world feel that fat is how babies should be and are least bothered about the baby’s overwhelming weight gain and health. We are committing a grave mistake by ignoring baby fat assuming it to be a temporary trait but scientifically this never remains a periodic one and neither is it healthy. As parents, we need to protect our baby’s health and ensure that the infant stays right on track. By this, I don’t mean putting our tiny ones onto diets, weight-loss meals or activities. Its just that we need to channelize their eating habits and activities right from a young age. There is no age barrier to start living healthy. Exercising and eating good food don’t require a minimal age criterion. What is needed is the right frame of mind and willingness from parents to nurture their infants in a nutritious manner and groom them into health-conscious adults. There are a number of simple steps that can be taken by parents to keep their baby on a healthy weight and sketch their path to future wellness.
It’s not wrong to compare a kid to a talking parrot. The only difference is that while a talking parrot only repeats what you speak, your child talks, acts and mimics whatever he/she sees around through his/her camera lens-eyes. Maybe, the energy bee is the walking CCTV who monitors you, digests all the information and exhibits his/her knowledge as and when time demands. So, it is literally necessary to create a serene environment that benefits the child as well as the adult in all ways including mental, physical, emotional and overall well-being. Thus, with much guidance, perseverance and channelization from parents, kids can be taught healthy eating and physical activity habits that can last a lifetime. Kids Bear the Brunt of the Situation I feel sorry for this generation kids as they are expected to eat healthy, do physical active and restrict portion sizes to stay well within their healthy body weight. All this help direct a kid’s mind and body towards good health but the only problem these days is that it has become a rigorous task rather than an enjoyable affair. Staying fit is expected from kids of any generation and the variation comes only with the methods followed and the instruction fed into a child’s brain. The present-day children face restrictions in ghee, butter, cheese, oily foods and sugary foods intake but kids of the previous generations enjoyed the liberty of eating dollops of ghee, fried papads and all sorts of sweet. So, where does the difference lie? Decades back, there was no availability of burgers and pizzas, numerous sweet shops as today and almost every food item from A-Z was homemade. Also, adulteration of food was minimal or almost non-existent. Coming to physical activity, kids enjoyed climbing trees, playing hopscotch or swimming in the rivers which fulfilled their activity requirements even without their knowledge. The absence of all these puts kids these days to suffer from strict ring masters (parents) who are forced to monitor their kids’ every meal and activity. Call it a curse or burden, this is the real scenario existing these days. Start Young, Stay Young When kids are active and eat right they face minimal chances of becoming obese, one of the top health problems in today’s world. Children who enter obesity during childhood or adolescence are likelier to grow into obese/overweight adults. When a person starts eating healthy and staying active from an early age, he/she tends to continue these habits in the long run. This is applicable for adults who can self-regulate their needs, but children require supervision and encouragement to make healthy choices. Parents can stimulate healthy or unhealthy habits by the kind of environment they set. This is because:
Parents gained weight in due course of time but even after 10 years, more than 40% of kids who worked with their parents had maintained at least 20% of weight loss. Also, even if parents fall back to their previous eating styles and activity, kids are mostly likelier to stick with their healthy lifestyles. Start your infants and preschoolers on a variety of healthy foods such as fruits, veggies, whole grains and dairy to familiarize them with these foods and also to help them develop a liking for them. Even studies insist starting your kids on a healthy eating pattern right from a young age-‘the earlier, the better’ is their suggestion. Fight On, Don’t Give Up There is no denial that young children are not open to eating fruits and vegetables and some parents take hasty decisions in avoiding them when the child avoids it once or twice. Exposing children to these foods often, maybe anywhere between 9 and 15 times will help them develop a liking towards the food. It might be that your child does not show a positive response to the food immediately but still keep trying. You can ask your child to taste just a bite of the new food offered but see to that you don’t create a scene or inflict stress upon the kid to eat it. Kids prefer to try out new foods when they are seated in a relaxed and pleasant environment. One of the biggest concerns now is portion control. Kids below three years of age stop eating once they feel full but older children are forced to clear their plateful of food, hungry or not! Parents must avoid this clean plate strategy (For more details, visit www.firsteatright.com) otherwise be prepared for the negative consequences following it. Serve small portions of foods and give kids the space to ask for another serving if they still feel hungry. Guide your kids to realize their fullness or hunger feeling without disturbing peace. When your child asks for another serving, it is better to comment something like ‘Oh dear, you are extremely hungry tonight isn’t it’ rather than saying, ‘No beta, that’s more than enough food you have consumed’ When they avoid finishing food on their plate it is never wrong to comment, ‘Dear, you must feel full I guess.’ All these help a child understand hunger and fullness. Every small change in the house can have huge effects on the physical activity. For instance, you can put the skipping rope somewhere in a place which is accessed by your kid often or enroll your child for swimming, squash or basketball classes which promote healthy activity alongside being a hobby. Try playing hopscotch, bicycling or racing against your kid thereby convey to your little one that you are game for ample physical activity anytime. “What kind of a personality are you compatible with?” or “What is your personality?” is an often-asked question by people worldwide. Personality refers to the individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving, according to the Encyclopedia of Psychology. A person’s personality makes people around him/her develop an affinity/repulsiveness towards the person. A charismatic individual is liked by all, a comic person is a pleasure to have around, an ill-tempered/angry person is a trouble to hang around with and a helpful/caring person is a boon for people in contact with the person. Every personality has certain aspects that define the person and his/her actions in life. Obesity, at one point of time, was considered a sign of affluence but now, it has become a worldwide health crisis that needs to be immediately dealt with. Obesity contributes as much as smoking in terms of diseases and can act as a trigger factor to many other diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers and decreases life expectancy. We may blame food quality, quantity and the availability for increase in obesity rates but how many of you realize that personality traits constantly influence controllable behaviors that lead to obesity? Numerous studies totally focus on food, nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle’s influence on obesity. But, if you ponder for a minute, don’t you realize that all of these factors are impacted/influenced by one’s personality? Your Behavior & Thoughts Direct Actions According to a 50-year data analysis whose results have been published by the American Psychological Association, people who possess personality traits of high neuroticism and low conscientiousness are more likely to suffer from altering cycles of weight gain and weight loss throughout their lives. Body Weight Affects Every Aspect of Life Body weight is a very affluential factor when it comes to living-it has a strong impact on the way we lead our lives. Apart from affecting physical health greatly, it also disturbs psychological processes such as well-being and perception. Obese/overweight people often suffer from depression (but, in today’s scenario most of us go through a depression phase, for instance the famous Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone went through a depression phase sometime back in life but she wasn’t overweight!), are seen as a negative vibe by others, are branded with certain traits due to their body size and above all, many people don’t like to be associated with an overweight person as they fear of negative evaluation. Generally, the traits in the five-factor model of personality (FFM) that include Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness are associated to health behaviors and outcomes generally and fluctuating weights particularly. Now, which among these five do you think is strongly linked with weights? It is conscientiousness and individuals having a higher degree of this trait have lower adiposity. That’s because these individuals are orderly, stick to their meal schedules, refrain from binge eating and drinking and follow an organized lifestyle that keeps them lean and strong. Binge eating can prove to be detrimental to health and for the complete set of side-effects due to eating disorders, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com. On the contrary, Neuroticism is strongly linked with abnormal weights. Underweight individuals, those who suffer from eating disorders and overweight/obese individuals (these people suffer from psychiatric issues) score high on neuroticism. Surprisingly, both kinds of extreme weights are strongly linked with this personality trait. The other three traits are not as dominant as conscientiousness and neuroticism in affecting weight. Present Study Researchers assessed data from a longitudinal study of 2,000 people who were followed over a period of 50 years to understand whether personality traits are likely to affect weight and BMI and if so, list down the most common traits that affect weight. There were equal number of male and female participants involved in the study who were well-educated and healthy. The researchers assessed these participants on the Big-five traits of the FFM model along with 30 other subcategories of these traits. Results showed that:
The plane starts to descend smoothly, but your ears start paining. You hear a ringing in your ears and sometimes your ears get clogged too, just like a nose block. There are many instances during which our ears get clogged due to factors both outside and inside the ear. Anyone can suffer from blocked ears, but children are likelier to suffer from blocked ears, especially during cold. Some of the common reasons for clogged ears include:
A stuffy nose can mean a lot more than a constant headache, fatigue and body pain. It can also cause pain, dizziness and discomfort to your ears. A stuffy nose can lead to stuffy ears because the swollen membranes block the opening of the Eustachian tube. Sinus and ears are connected in your head and the stuffiness can cause pressure in your ears. Try to use nasal sprays, humidifiers, decongestants, pain relievers and other home remedies to treat your sinusitis. Sinus can make flying a painful affair. Don’t wait for the ear pain to strike before trying to relieve pressure. Use a nasal spray, oral decongestant or pills at least 30 minutes before your flight journey to clear off your blocked nose. The Eustachian tube is a membrane-lined tube that connects the nose with the middle ear. Air in the middle ear is maintained is being absorbed by its membranous lining and supplied again by the Eustachian tube. This maintains air pressure on both sides of the eardrum and you get an ear block when this air pressure is not equal. Altitude Attitude! Flying high includes rapid changes in air pressure. The Eustachian tube opens frequently and wide enough to equalize the pressure changes, especially when the plane is landing. This is because the earth’s atmospheric pressure is higher and when we land from a low-pressure zone to a high-pressure zone, we need to be much more cautious. This is seen not only during flight journeys but also among deep-sea divers, swimmers who dive down to the bottom of the pool and even while riding the elevators. Divers and pilots are taught to equalize air pressure and it is possible for anyone to learn the tactic too. Medically termed as barotrauma of the ear, almost 5% of adults and 25% of children who fly get their ears blocked, according to a research published in a famous journal. But some other sources quote that almost 20% of adults and 55% of children experience this pain. The Big Question: Why? The middle ear connects to the environment through the Eustachian tube. This narrow channel runs from the middle ear to the back of the nose. The Eustachian tube equalizes pressure between the ear and the back of the nose. But what happens during air travel is that, the environmental pressure inside the plane changes rapidly, during both taking off and landing, and the Eustachian tube may not be able to keep up. This creates a pressure difference between the cabin pressure and the middle ear and affects mostly children, infants, people suffering from cold, allergies or those whose Eustachian tubes don’t work properly. ‘How’ To Solve This! Swallowing helps to unblock ears during air travel as it activates the muscles that open the Eustachian tube. Chewing a gum or sucking on candies prove to be helpful before takeoff and during landing. You can even purposefully yawn to unblock your ear but never fall asleep as you would not swallow as much as you do while being awake. If yawning or swallowing doesn’t help, close your nostrils with your fingers. Take a mouthful of air and direct the air to the back of your nose (as though you are blowing the nose gently). This can make you feel a buildup of pressure but take care to never let the air out your mouth. Oral or nasal decongestants can help to shrink mucous membranes, including those of the back of the nose and the Eustachian tubes. Although decongestant tablets and sprays can be purchased easily, it is recommended that people with irregular heart rhythm, thyroid problems, high blood pressure, heart disease and excessive nervousness avoid it. Babies cannot do any of these and the only way to pop their ears is to help them with a bottle or pacifier. Suckling milk or a pacifier relieves a blocked ear and ensure to never let the baby fall asleep during ascend or descend. More children are vulnerable to blockages as their Eustachian tubes are narrower than in adults. Ways to Treat Clogged Ears Earwax accumulation is common and it forms a barrier between the opening of the ear and the inner ear. It helps to block foreign objects from entering the ear and serves as a defense mechanism. But sometimes, the glands that create earwax sometimes overdo it and this accumulation can cause the wax to become hard. This buildup can block the entire Eustachian tube as well. Common signs of earwax accumulation include a ringing sound in the ears, earache and feeling dizzy. Ear drops are the most commonly used treatment procedure for clearing away the excess wax. Please don’t try to dig your ears by using cotton swabs as these can push the earwax deeper into the ear. Any allergy or infection can cause a blocked ear which can also be the result of a runny nose, sinusitis, coughing, sore throat or fever. Here again, you can try steaming, yawning, swallowing, chewing or gently blow the nose with the nostrils shut until a popping sound is heard. Read more about allergies and infections that are bound to hit individuals during the cold winter at www.firsteatright.com. Meeting a Doctor It is advisable to meet a doctor if home remedies don’t work or if blocked ears are accompanied by symptoms such as fever, pain, hearing loss, failure to unclog or refusal to clear on their own. Rarely, the clogging might be due to acoustic neuroma, a benign growth that can pressurize the ear and close the Eustachian tubes of the ear. If this is the root cause, the physician will remove the growth through surgery. Clogged ears are not something dangerous and it depends on the person involved to abstain from making it a dangerous affair. Most people can relieve clogged ears using home remedies and when this is not possible, it is advisable that the individual meets a physician and gets it treated. Diet, weight loss and slimming are also associated with decreased calorie intake. The first thing someone advises when you ask them for a weight loss suggestion is to cut down on your food portions. A new study by renowned researches might turn the table upside down as it has found that people who eat plenty of healthy foods without worrying about portion control or calorie count while avoiding foods that contain added sugars, refined grains and the highly processed ones showed increased weight loss over a one-year period.
Also, this strategy worked for both sets of people-ones who followed a healthy low-fat diet or a healthy low-carbohydrate diet. We should also be aware of the fact that the strategy worked irrespective of the insulin-response or genetic code which again disproves the increasingly popular idea that diets should be recommended based on a person’s DNA code or his/her carbs/fat-tolerance level. If you are surprised by the same weight loss measures obtained through a low-fat or a low-carb diet which proves that both diets are equals, visit the website www.firsteatright.com for the actual study. Continuous research on dietary guidelines proves that calories do matter but relying on food quality is as important and integral to promote weight loss/prevent weight gain. Buy high-quality, healthy foods and minimize intake of low-quality foods. High and low quality don’t refer to the amount spent or purchasing power of the customer but refer to the types of food. By ‘high’ quality foods, we mean those foods that are minimally processed such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, unrefined and those that contain healthy proteins/fats. By ‘low’ quality we include all those that highly processed snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, refined sugars, fried foods, those foods high in saturated/trans fats and high-glycemic index foods such as potatoes. While researchers are trying to arrive at the best diet plan based on the three macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates), comparing each of the diets that ask individuals to add varying proportion of these nutrients and their effect on weight loss, evidences are still abstract which leaves the researchers with no proper concluding results. We need to remember that there is no ‘one size fits all’ diet for all as every individual is different with a unique lifestyle, height, weight, body composition and environmental factors. It depends on the person to choose a healthy and workable diet plan that is flavorful, tasty and diverse. A constant throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head can ruin your day. Yes, migraine not only ruins your day but impacts your social life, personal life and emotional well-being. There might be multiple reasons for migraine to hit you hard on your head (literally too this is what happens) but what about people blaming it on the weather as the primary reason for their migraine attack? Thoughts that Bring About Actions We feel sick before an examination, children complain of fever/stomach pain right before boarding the school bus (believing they can bunk classes for the day) or our body aches with pain before a presentation at office. In most cases, these are false attacks that vanish once the actual presentation/examination/school day is over. On second thoughts, we arrive at a conclusion that these are mostly mental blocks that stimulate a virtual pain/feeling in order to avoid things/activities. Effect of weather on migraine might be on similar terms with this. While most people think that weather changes trigger a migraine headache most scientific studies have been unable to bring about a solid link between weather patterns and migraine. A small study of not more than 20 migraineurs came up with the conclusion that only a small sub-group of them were weather sensitive. Another study involving 238 participants revealed that the effect of weather changes on migraine is almost negligible. Migraine is a complex disease that can be triggered by numerous factors and weather might be the primary reason for migraine only when there is a dramatic change in it. Also, weather might be an additional trigger owing to certain other reasons such as fatigue, stress or lack of sleep. Weather changes might not be a triggering factor in all people with migraine. Even when it is one, the weather that triggers the disease actually differs from person to person. Sun or Rain, which Causes More Pain? Each migraineur has a definite set of triggers and likewise, the type of weather that triggers a migraine differs from individual to individual and also depending on the country’s climatic condition. We insist on a country’s climate as the amount of sunshine seems to induce migraine in people according to some studies. A study from Austria shows that sunlight for more than three hours a day can induce migraine while another Norwegian study showed that migraines were likelier during the long summer days in the Arctic. Falling barometer pressure or strong wind also induce migraine headache in some people. Other weather-related triggers include extremely bright sunlight, dry air, sun glare, wind and storm and extreme heat or cold. Move Out of Your Country If certain kinds of weather influence the attack of a migraine on certain people, would it prove useful if these people moved from one country to another where the weather conditions suit their requirement? It might, but you cannot escape from weather altogether. The country where you relocate to might have much stable weather conditions, but you cannot be sure of avoiding migraine triggers as you don’t know what weird weather conditions prevail there. The only way to keep weather triggers to a minimal is by minimizing other migraine triggers during times when the weather might be a problem for you. Ensure to get a good night’s sleep, eat meals at scheduled times of the day, drink water, don’t skip meals and most importantly, manage these triggers well during times when weather might be a problem for you. Its understandable when people are irritated over migraines owing to weather changes because nothing is in our hands to control the weather. We might not be Lord Vayu or Indra to control the wind or lightning, but we can take every step possible from our side to minimize its impact on migraine. If you feel that the weather outside might impact you please stay indoors. To diagnose the weather that impacts you the most, try to maintain a diary listing down every migraine occurrence, when it occurred, how long it lasted and the circumstances under which it occurred. This helps to determine some specific pattern that finally lands you on the weather change causing it (if weather is a reason!). Above all, lead a healthy lifestyle by balancing your meals and activity routines to reduce the frequency and severity of a migraine attack. Get in touch with registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com to start practicing healthy food changes and physical activity routines for adapting to a better lifestyle. International Day of Persons with Disability (Dec 3rd 2018)Disabled people are looked down with empathy. There are not many great changes in terms of treating people with disability. People normally associate disability with failure, dependency and an inability to perform tasks and hence, feel sorry for them and sympathize with them greatly. Contrarily, surveys report that disabled people account for a better quality of life than the rest of the population. A Detour from Normal Life Disabilities can impede normal daily activities which are trivial for others. This does not make it a disease or sickness and neither does the affected person suffer from restricted abilities-he/she can work, play and enjoy a healthy life with the help of mobility aids and assistive devices that make daily activities easier to perform. A lack of such devices and aids makes the disabled person over-dependent on his/her family members which obstructs both, the disabled person and the family member from leading a socially active and an economically safe life. We cannot refute the fact that disabled people have several of their needs unmet as support services are not given primary importance in several countries worldwide which makes them rely on family members for assistance. By support services I mean:
Healthy Life: First and foremost, one must understand that disability does not stop a person from leading a healthy and active life. All it requires are the right information and method to make healthy choices and prevent illnesses. A disabled person must understand that any health problems (such as depression, pain or certain diseases that occur as side effects of the disease) related to his/her disability can be treated. It is understandable that disabled people have a harder time becoming healthy and staying fit compared to those without any disability. There are a few guidelines that can help these people live a healthy life:
A normal life is very difficult for a person with difficult and so is for the person who cares for the disabled person. In fact, it affects the entire family as it puts the families in abundant stress, emotional, physical and financial too. Psychologists and counselling people can offer support and help in dealing with the challenges of living with disability or taking care of someone with a disability. |
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Dr. Nafeesa Imteyaz of First Eat Right clinic, is the Best Dietitian Nutritionist in Bangalore. Best Dietitian Nutritionist in Pune. Best Dietitian Nutritionist in Hyderabad. Best Dietitian Nutritionist in Chennai. Best Dietitian Nutritionist in Mumbai. Best Dietitian Nutritionist in Delhi. Best Dietitian Nutritionist in Kolkata.