Man’s best friend could be the best source for malaria detection in near future. Our uncompromising reliance on dogs for their loyalty and companionship takes us one step ahead in life with yet another feather to their cap!
‘Sniff’istory Sniffer dogs are primarily used by the police department for tracking criminals using the dog’s impeccable sense of smell. German Shepherds and Labradors are the favorites among the four-legged sniffer dog forces. Although Glasgow was one of the first police forces in Britain to give charge to four-legged officers in 1910, Germany saw more police dogs than Glasgow. Till date, Scotland’s police dogs have earned a special place for themselves with the police force. When it comes to loyalty, pace, agility and withstanding ability a police dog remains top in the list. Now, these creatures might find themselves recruited in the healthcare industry too banking on their sniffing ability. From Protecting to Saving Lives Dogs are ready to take up challenges in the healthcare sectors only next to their role as protectors and saviors in the police forces. A new study shows that dogs could serve as a great tool in detecting malaria in humans using their sniffing ability. Malaria exists as a killer disease, especially in developing countries such as Africa and Asia where hundreds of thousands of lives are sacrificed each year. The parasites are quick and smart infecting as many people as possible and many of them roam around the cities without realizing their infection state. While these people remain healthy, they might spread the disease to other people and regions that are not-so-healthy. Read more about malaria and ways to safeguard yourself from this killer disease by visiting the website www.firsteatright.com. The researchers say that some dogs were trained to identify malaria cases in humans simply by sniffing the person’s socks. Till now dogs have been used to detect certain cancers and diabetes in UK and this is the first time where dogs find their use in malaria detection. It is a known fact that people carrying malaria parasite have a unique smell that they carry with them and with a dog’s pronounces smelling ability, the creature must be able to smell this on a person’s clothes too. The research team collected socks from 600 students aged between 5 and 13 years who did or did not have malaria. Of this, 175 samples were used to train the dogs (30 samples were of malaria-infected kids) for almost six months teaching them to differentiate between the samples that tested positive and negative for the disease. Post training, the dogs were able to identify 70% of malaria-infected children and 90% of healthy children by sniffing socks. The WHO proposes that a parasite diagnosis tool must be 75% accurate at 200 parasites per microliter but these dogs could sniff out children infected with very low parasite loads (10 to 20 parasites per microliter of blood). Though results are positive there are quite a few restrictions and we need more studies to confirm a dog’s use in detecting malaria. Non-Invasive Method of Detection If the study turns out to be successful under rigid testing scenarios this could be a wonderful and non-invasive way to detect malaria instead of pricking the person’s hand for blood samples. Dogs have millions of sensors in the nose and we can have more studies that can find out if dogs can directly sniff out malaria in infected people. These dogs might be a worthy addition to countries where malaria has been almost eradicated and one is charged with the responsibility of preventing the entry of the parasite or the person with the parasite into these countries. It would be impossible to physically screen every person for malaria at airports and running a sniffer dog for the same could help us with answers in a jiffy. There is no guarantee for eradicating malaria with the help of dogs but only the advantage of detecting the disease and saving the lives of the affected. We look forward to welcoming a baby but never look forward to experiencing delivering pain or entering the labor ward. Holding our tiny angel in hands seems to be life’s greatest blessing and all the pain and trouble experienced before the delivery vanishes in a jiffy once the baby’s out. Until then, the process of labor is a serious determinant of the quality of life of the woman involved.
Surviving through labor and delivering a baby is equivalent to rebirth of a mom. Studies show that greater the labor time greater is the risk associated with maternal and perinatal mortality rates. Also, maternal characteristics such as BMI, age, parity, oxytocin and epidural analgesia have a strong impact on the labor duration. Hence the insistence on an active lifestyle, good dietary habits and a healthy body weight. Pregnancy time is precious in every woman’s life because that’s when every lady gets to pamper herself, care for her whims and fancies and also leads a healthier life. Most of them practice doing physical activity and the latest study tells us that maintaining an active lifestyle during pregnancy can reduce the time spend in labor during delivery. Studies on Exercise & its Effects on Labor Tenure 572 pregnant women who were between their 9 and 11 week of gestation were invited for study and only 508 women were declared to be eligible based on different study criteria. Of the 508 women each of them was put into two different groups randomly and finally, there were 253 women in the control group and 255 women belonging to the exercise group. Women in the exercise group underwent moderate exercise intervention program three days a week with each session lasting for about an hour right from the 9th or 11th week up to the end of the third trimester (weeks 38-39). Each of the sessions included a warm-up procedure, aerobic resistance training, muscle strengthening exercises, balance exercises, stretching exercises, pelvic floor strengthening and cool down procedures. Whereas women in the control group met their gynecologist at the stipulated time interval and were advised on general diet and exercise routines that were to be followed in general. Of the 508 women, many of them discontinued or were excluded from the study due to personal reasons, caesarian section or extreme bleeding. This left the researchers with 325 pregnant women of which 149 belonged to control group and 176 belonged to the exercise group. Results showed that:
The health of the mother can determine the fetus’ health greatly. Babies whose moms are obese are likelier to grow into obese adults. Eating to your hearts content rarely is not a sin but staying idle or remaining at rest completely are wrongful ways to approach a pregnancy. Every pregnant woman needs to be active, do her chores, eat nutritious foods and exercise daily for a lesser labor time during delivery. Those who have complications during pregnancy or pregnant women in general are advised to get their physician’s opinion before starting to exercise. Homeschooling is fond of the ‘S’ word but this time its not socializing but sweat! Any individual who is introduced to a homeschooled child asks the kid how he/she feels about being lonely or missing classmates as his/her first question to the pissed off kid who has already witnessed this monopolized question a thousand times earlier. What we are still lagging is the perception about this age-old concept which seems to have created a blur in people’s view of such children. C’mon, everything has its pros and cons but finally its up to us to choose the ‘one’ thing that we feel suits us irrespective of what others feel and think. Homeschooling has been the way of schooling for some of the elite kids but now there are many parents who opt for this method of schooling for their child considering various other things. Such parents feel that homeschooling provides the child with a plethora of opportunities to pursue plenty other things that interests the kid, helps him/her choose his/her topic of interest, get to know the outside world in a better manner and mingle with people from all age groups barring the concept of age-appropriate schooling. In fact, kids who’ve been homeschooled feel that children who attend regular school are pretty childish and look at life from a closed-minded perspective. Besides these, there are also disadvantages attached to this method of schooling and one main disadvantage is lack of enough exercise. Sweat it Out Baby Exercise is inevitable for good physical health and a fit body. It also plays a greater role in improving the cognitive skills of a person, ensuring his/her mental wellness and plays a vital role in overall well-being of the person. When such are the irreplaceable benefits of exercising what exactly do you think of homeschooled children? Even if they are enrolled into basketball coaching or skating classes there are ample chances that these kids don’t sweat as much as their day schooled counterparts. This is not a theory but a research result that should have a greater impact on all those parents who think about homeschooling their children in the future. While the World Health Organization insists that children should get at least one hour of physical activity daily it has been observed that other than kids who are involved in elite sports rest others don’t get beyond 20-30 minutes of exercise a day. Its been everyone’s assumption that kids enrolled in organized sports or physical activity are fulfilling the required physical activity levels needed for a fit body, healthy heart and strong bones and muscles. But the recent research breaks away all these beliefs. It shows that simply enrolling your kid in some activity that’s close to your place is not going to fulfill your wishes of a sound mind and a healthy body. There is no doubt that school-going kids too don’t achieve the required activity duration as sometimes the sports period is taken by mainstream teachers and at other times more than 50% of the time is wasted in getting the students assembled for any activity. Whereas, in home schooling the problems posed are completely different and moreover, we don’t have much information on these children as their numbers have started to increase quite recently. Schools conduct sports days, have extracurricular activities such as cricket or football (and the kid has to choose at least one activity) happening every week and the parents get to see their wards performing relay activities or races. Schools are not giving as much attention as they should on physical exercise period. If there are some of you who are still unaware of the benefits that could possibly spring out of regular physical activity at school please visit the website www.firsteatright.com for intricate details. When the parent attends an event and finds his/her child not sweating hard it is a sure indicator of unfulfilled exercise sessions. How are parents who homeschool kids going to accomplish this? This calls for more time dedicated for unstructured activity daily. Understand that there’s more to playing than organizing a relay match or swimming. Letting kids choose activities on their own, form rules as per their creativity and play in groups also improves their imagination skills and attentivity. Nurture children who grow into complete citizens responsible for their own well-being. Heart failure is more serious than heart attack as this involves a long-term problem with the heart such as an inability to pump enough blood, pump blood hard enough or bring in needed oxygen to the body. And, primary causes for this include increased blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels, sugar levels, smoking and family history of heart failure. The older you grow the graver is your risk for heart failure. By older, I do not mean your 60s and 70s but even your late 30s and 40s. Such has become the plight of our world with an unending number of processed foods and baked goods flooding the markets.
Medical advancements have improved longevity of people and there are many who surpass death from heart attacks and live past it. This increases their risk of heart failure and until now, we don’t have effective drugs to curb it unlike the ones available for high BP or sugar levels. Hardcore strategies are the need of the hour despite the availability of certain drugs such as beta blockers as these drugs are only useful to reduce the damage but don’t help in preventing the damage from occurring in the first place. Starting to Exercise anytime in Life: Beneficial or not for the Heart? We all know that exercising and physical activity have the capability to keep us away from heart failure as much as possible but how much do we know the impact of exercising as it changes with time? If you have not got the point just ponder upon these two scenarios:
We known that it is generally recommended to be physically active at least for 150 minutes a week or 75 minutes when it involves vigorous-intensity physical activity. So, after three visits the participants responded that:
Its been observed that not even half of the population fulfill the required exercise rates despite insistence on the importance of physical activity. Take charge of your body requirements and follow healthy practices to fulfill the daily required exercise durations and reap health benefits. Along with exercising there is a mandatory need for eating a healthy diet to reap the benefits of a 100% healthy lifestyle and to help you in this regard we have nutritionist and dietitians at www.firsteatright.com whom you can rely upon for any of your meal planning and exercise goals. The idea of a vacation seems to invoke pleasure and a sense of delight to every human yearning for a break from the rigorous routine. And, its just a flight away to your dream destination from the troubles of pressurizing office work/home chores. In words, the idea seems simple and executable in a jiffy but if you are not prepared for the impending flight journey (which might take a couple of hours or almost a day depending on your choice of location) the travel can become your ticket to inferno. Become Fit to Travel Thousands of Feet Above Sea Level Millions of passengers take up flight travel across countries but do you know that the airplane cabin is not really something we must look forward to as it’s really not a healthy environment. High up in the air the oxygen availability is very low and this adds pressure on the human body to supply the required amount of oxygen to the bloodstream. Humidity in the air is lesser than 25% compared to 35% in our land environments which makes breathing a tad difficult. Long flight journeys are sure to invoke health concerns specifically in passengers who are old or suffering from health concerns. Women especially have bigger health concerns and needs while travelling due to different reasons:
The flight journey might cause a few discomforts for which it is always advisable to take precautions: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): Though widely spoken about not may experts agree to the connection between DVT and air travel. Dry cabin air, less space for legroom and inactivity (this slows circulation) can cause DVT. DVT causes clots to form affecting arteries that supply blood to the lungs. Avoid DVT by wearing loose-fitting clothes, avoid sitting cross-legged, drink a glass of water every hour, keep the space under the seat in front of you empty to help you exercise and walk down the passage every hour to stretch your body and stay active. Decreased oxygen and pressure: As mentioned before air pressure is lower than normal and blood oxygen saturation during flights can be 5-10% lower than average. A healthy person can easily accommodate this but for someone with a lung condition (such as COPD) the need for supplemental oxygen might arise. It is better to talk to the airlines beforehand and keep it ready to use it during the journey (if the need arises). Ear pain: Many adults and children feel a strong pain in their ears especially during takeoff and landing as the air cabin pressure changes rapidly during these times. Swallowing, yawing, chewing gum or opening your mouth wide open can release the ear block and alleviate pain. Termed as barotrauma almost 5% of adults and 25% children suffer from this problem which has been elaborated at www.firsteatright.com. Start getting fit-go for a walk, hit the gym or do exercises at the comfort of your home-before you board the flight for your travel. Happy journey and best wishes for a wonderful time ahead in your dream place. Childbirth brings about ample changes to a woman’s life physically as well as mentally. It takes a long time before the new mum gets adjusted to her new routines, gets physically fit and finds ways to continue some of her older routines. The time a woman takes to settle down after childbirth depends on her personality and equally on the help and support provided by people around her. In between this, there is a greater chance that the new mum succumbs to postpartum depressions. This happens due to her rising fears in handling the new born, continuing her career, getting back in shape and insufficient ‘me’ time. Postpartum depression is common but how each woman reacts to it decide the consequences drastically.
Life takes a U-turn for the mother with a newborn in the household. She devotes all her attention and time to the little munchkin and this puts some of them into depression. It seems to be an emotional problem from outside, but a new research tells that women diagnosed with postpartum depression are at a higher risk of having a heart attack, stroke or heart failure. From a 1.8 million Californian women who did not have a history of cardiovascular disease or chronic depression 40,276 of them were diagnosed with postpartum depression. The research found that within five years of being analyzed with postpartum depression these women had a 70% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (including heart attack, stroke and heart failure). The study team adjusted for risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, smoking and alcohol. While probing the causes behind such an effect the researchers theorize that a drop in the estrogen and progesterone levels after childbirth may be the underlying reason. Both these hormones shoot up drastically during pregnancy and the level of these hormones might decline more than normal in women with postpartum depression after childbirth. Health Takes a Backseat when Depressed Depression can ruin day-to-day life greatly. It makes the depressed person uninterested in doing things-eating, exercising, preparing food or taking care of thyself. It paves way for unhealthy lifestyle practices which might also exist as the reason for increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with depression. While postpartum depression exists as a risk factor and these women must assess their cardiovascular risk there is no denial it holds good for all other women too of other ages to get their risk assessed as heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Meanwhile, start living a healthy lifestyle and eating nutritious foods rich in vitamins and minerals with the help of nutritionists and dietitians at www.firsteatright.com who specialize in post-delivery nutrition. A sense of fear, anxiety and panic is more pronounced in the female population on any given circumstance. Its only the degree of these feelings that differ depending on the intensity of the problem. A child’s failed exam results, an unhelpful family environment or a manager troubling at office evokes a sense of frustration but it’s some health-related problem that raises panic and anxiety levels to the superlative mode in women. Not all are well-aware of the fact that women are twice likelier to suffer from stroke as they are to breast cancer and that, more than 60% of stroke-related deaths occur in women. So, when a woman suffers from serious health consequences such as stroke her life takes a U turn both mentally and physically. While major symptoms of stroke are common between the two sexes some symptoms are subtler and there are chances that these signs might be missed frequently. Educate yourself on the subtler signs/symptoms of stroke that affect women with the help of www.firsteatright.com.
Post-stroke Emotions Stroke can leave a person with debilitating side effects and the intensity of wreckage depends on how sooner or later the patient was admitted. Post treatment, individuals are recommended to attend rehabilitation programs. Anxiety is commonly observed in one third of individuals affected by stroke and this has the ability to obstruct such rehabilitation efforts and delay the patient’s return to normalcy. Any change in emotions/behavior after stroke might be due to physical damage done to the brain. This usually happens when the part of the brain responsible for emotions gets affected when stroke hits. Apart from physical damage reviving back to a normal life does seem extremely difficult and it takes abundant time to understand and adhere by the life changes that have happened along with the stroke. A feeling of depression, anxiety, anger, irritation and frustration are just travelers in your journey and hence, don’t be disappointed or shocked to find yourself behave in a weird way for some time after stroke. Research Studies on Anxiety & Stroke Though we know that emotional turbulences are viable after stroke we are not pretty sure of the statistics. A group of researchers tried understanding this math and have come up with alarming statistics. According to their study one in four stroke survivors report moderate to severe anxiety two to eight weeks after stroke and this is much pronounced in women, especially those who are single, divorced or widowed. Stroke is mainly of three types and ischemic stroke (here, blood flow to the brain is blocked) is the most commonly witnessed one among the general population. The research team probed into the records of 194 ischemic stroke survivors who were screened for any anxiety disorders in their follow-up sessions at the physician’s place. They found that 32% women and 21% men reported moderate to severe anxiety. The researchers theorize that anxiety after a stroke attack might be due to changes in the brain caused due to the condition or the person might have a history of anxiety or depression. The best way to counter anxiety is to be informed literally. This takes away fear and puts you in control of your life. Relaxing yourself too proves to be helpful. It might be something beyond meditation. Go for things that makes you happy and relaxed-it might be a hot bath, hearing some soothing music, going for a walk or even doing breathing exercises. Penning down thoughts and emotions too have seemed to help some people. If none of this works, your physician might suggest psychological treatments and when this too becomes a failure, he/she might prescribe medications as the last resort. Metabolism’s effect on weight changes has been an often-debated topic. It is partly genetic, often individuals lack control over it and the question still lingers whether there is any possibility to change one’s metabolism. Weight loss is the difference between calories consumed and burned where exercising, daily activities and basal metabolic rate (energy required to keep the body functioning at rest) play major roles in calorie expellation. Its common to see people blame it on their metabolism when they don’t lose weight and this reason is 50% true and a myth the other 50% of the time. Every obese person cannot take this as an opportunity to blame metabolic rates as environmental factors (diet and exercise) play an even greater role in determining our weight ranges. Still, there are exceptions to every law formulated. By eating junk foods and staying inactive your friend might never put on weight while you sweat it out and follow a diet still losing weight remains an arduous task.
Fat Metabolism Rising obesity and overweight rates are not the permanent fault of diet or exercise but we need to look into other anatomical changes that can result in such increase in weight among people. Its not a new domain and researchers have always been doubting fatty tissue mechanisms which has the potential to make some overweight and ensuring that some others don’t put on weight irrespective of the similarities in their lifestyle. Why allow it to linger on as a doubt when there is every mean to prove it? A team of researchers tested portions of tissue samples from subcutaneous fat taken from the stomach of women before the start of the experiment and once again at the end of the follow-up (10 years) period. Test results showed that lipolysis (the process by which fats are broken down in the body with the help of enzymes/water) could be a determining tool in deciding upon which of the participants would be prone to developing type 2 diabetes. Subcutaneous fat is far better than visceral fat stored in the body. Fat is bad then what difference does it make whether it is subcutaneous or visceral fat? Get to know why by visiting www.firsteatright.com. In simple words lipolysis is a process where the fat cell frees fatty acids and the resulting energy is used by the muscles. It can be either basal lipolysis (triggered continuously) or hormone-stipulated lipolysis (triggered when there is a need for energy). Researchers found that women who developed obesity later on showed fat cells that were composed of high basal but low hormone-stimulated lipolysis. Such differences put the individual at a 3-6 times higher risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Fat cells of these people take up more fat than they can burn and lead to various problems. The research was conducted on not one but two groups of women and yielded the same results. Are you a frequent visitor to the loo? Then this is the right article for you! There are still not many who are aware of their urinary frequency. As such, there is no fixed number that is set as normal and it personally depends on the person. But visiting the bathroom couple of times in between sleep such that your visits affect the sleep quality, avoiding travelling fearing frequency of urination or emptying your bladder a couple of times before starting your trip somewhere are clear indications of something beyond normal.
Fixing the Number Age, medications, supplements, foods, beverages, presence of medical conditions such as UTI or diabetes and bladder size are determining factors of your urination frequency. It is considered normal when people urinate 6 to 7 times a day but peeing between 4 and 10 times a day is also considered normal when it does not affect the individual’s quality of life. A person who drinks close to 2 liters of water a day pees up to seven times. Pregnancy Principles Pregnancy brings with it hormonal changes and increase in the pressure on the bladder which in turn increases urinary output. Such increased output is noticed in new mums up to 8 weeks or so too. Many-a-time frequency of visits to the loo increases in pregnant woman as she sails through her third trimester as the fetus grows in size and increases pressure on the bladder. This decreases the bladder size and hence, the bladder unable to hold the average urine content pressurizes the conceived mom to empty bladder contents frequently. Signs of a Problem Peeing too rarely or frequently is indicative of some problem and this is often accompanied by symptoms such as back pain, blood while urinating, pain during urination, fever, difficulty passing urine, cloudy or discolored urine and foul smell while urinating. If an individual starts to notice startling change in urinating frequency even though it still falls within the desired frequency ranges he/she must get in touch with a physician immediately. Factors Affecting Frequency Increased intake of fluids and beverages, especially caffeinated ones can cause tremendous changes in urination frequency. But such changes are often indicative of some underlying medical condition. Surprisingly almost 80% of urinary bladder problems are concerned with factors that go beyond the bladder. Consumption of liquids: Too much fluid consumption increases urinary output while too little consumption decreases output and causes dehydration. Caffeine-rich beverages and alcohol have a diuretic effect that increase urination frequency. Hence, someone who drinks beverages such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate, energy drinks and colas are sure to witness a rise in urinary output even though he/she suffers from no underlying condition. Age: Its common to see individuals above the age of 60 frequent the bathroom during night in between sleep. However, the normal frequency is not more than twice and if the numbers go beyond that it is time to call the doctor. Medial history: Urinary tract infections (UTI), overactive bladder, diabetes, hypercalcemia/hypocalcemia, sickle cell anemia and prostate problems can cause changes in urinary frequency. Pelvic floor weakness that most often occurs after giving birth can increase the frequency of urination and performing pelvic/kegel exercises can minimize the effect. Medication: Using diuretics increase the frequency of peeing as these drugs take fluids out of the bloodstream and send it to the kidneys directly. Individuals with high BP, heart problems and kidney conditions are prescribed such medications. Treatment There is no need for treatment unless our quality of life is affected and there is an underlying medical condition. Pregnant women too require no treatment as the frequency decreases on its own a couple of weeks after delivery. For treatments such as UTI or diabetes that increase frequency the medications prescribed will resolve symptoms on their own and if some treatment causes an increase in urinary frequency adjustment of dosage and medication should do the trick. It is better to notice urination frequency, fluid intake, urgency and other symptoms at least for a few days before visiting the doctor. Adhering to the below things can also help ease the problem.
If you’ve always wondered standing outside a high-segment supermarket about what would be the best pick for you, you’ve got the answer-new fruits and vegetables. If you are bored with your regular watermelons, musk melons, grapes and oranges why not try upon unexplored territories-something such as a passion fruit, mangosteen or the mulberry? A wholesome diet is a great combination of fruits, veggies, whole grains, dairy, fats and proteins that offer the body with the essential minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. Its not a single fruit or veggie that satisfies these requirements and that’s why we suggest any individual to eat rainbow-colored produce that have a great variety and benefits. A Twist to the Tale Numerous fruit and veggie families exist each of them bearing numerous plant compounds that are great for the health. Eating a variety of them fulfills your body’s nutrient needs and beyond fulfilling the health part of it they are also eye-catchy and appealing on the plate with their colors and brightness. Maybe it’s time now to look beyond your regular produce and try your hands on those fruits and vegetables you have constantly eyed upon but keep passing by at the grocery store. Food experts strongly believe that diversifying your diet can help an individual stick to the weight control plan (which is an important aspect in the life of many people). More variety ensures that the things we do/eat are interesting. All the more, adding variety in the fruits and veggies domain aids in keeping healthier items on the plate rather than grabbing a few desserts! Though the name might scare you the pink and bright dragon fruit gets its name from its scaly outfits. But once you eat the fruit, I can bet that you are sure to give a second try for its taste as well as its antioxidant property. We’ve been using the bottle gourd to make subzi but our supermarkets these days store other squashes that can find a place in our home too. The spaghetti squash is the latest craze as it exists as a low-carb and gluten-free alternative to pasta. Another amazing fact is that broccoli (green cauliflower that works great against cancer and improves bone health) can often be seen in pull-along carts and road-side shops as well. There are many other advantages of consuming broccoli and other such cruciferous vegetables which are clearly explained at www.firsteatright.com. That’s the same in case of kiwis and strawberries that seemed out of reach to the general public. Thanks to the plethora of supermarkets and international grocers that we get a chance to explore new foods that are a regularly used in other cultures across the world. With the latest gadgets and the world in your hand with the availability of the Internet learning to cook such produce has become easier. If you are a picky eater try slowly-maybe some iceberg lettuce that are like your cabbages, purple cauliflower instead of your normal one and some blueberries instead of strawberries. Remember, these exotic fruits and vegetables are just a suggestion to expand your eating horizon and are never a compulsion. All the nutrients are easily available in our very own mangoes, apples, papayas, brinjals, lady’s finger and drumsticks. If you are on a weight loss program and looking forward to some delicious and different recipes the exotic produce is readily at your disposal. Its got its own disadvantages of being priced at a fancy price but we hope for a day where these produce become cheaper like how the kiwis and strawberries have! Women have a cutting-edge advantage as they grow older. Men might serve as the head of the family, take decisions and lead the house but it’s a woman who conquers it finally! Men, don’t you ever try challenging your lady during her 50s or 60s. She has got better brains and brawn. Haven’t we seen women taking charge of the household as they mature in age? In fact, what’s all the hype surrounding the longevity of women? There is no denial that Alzheimer’s strikes more women compared to men as women get to live a longer life. At the same time, how do women fare with their cognitive and mind skills as they grow old?
Mars Vs Venus Ageing brings about inevitable changes to the human body in terms of mental and physical well-being. Bones and muscles lose their strength, skin sags, eyesight is affected, digestion is not as good as before and our memory too starts to blur. Many elderly people start forgetting names, things that they ought to do and in that course of life start repenting it making the situation pathetic for themselves. Its understandable that our brain tends to lose its charm and smartness as someone grows old but a man’s brain shrinks faster than a woman’s brain. Body metabolism takes a back seat and starts to rest as we grow old making weight loss more painful and time-consuming. Likewise, brain metabolism too starts sinking as people grow old with the major difference that a man’s brain loses memory skills faster comparatively. A new study shows that a woman’s brain appears to be three years younger than a man’s brain of the same age. The study included 121 women and 84 men aged between 20 and 82 years who underwent PET scans to measure oxygen and glucose flow in their brain. Metabolism was measured using measures of how much oxygen and glucose were used at different locations in the brain. An algorithm was used to find the link between age and brain metabolism. Both the men and the women’s data were fed and surprisingly, every time the algorithm tried to age a woman it estimated her numbers to be a little bit lesser than the man. The algorithm judged the women’s brain age to be almost 3.8 years younger than the actual age and a man’s brain to be 2.4 years older than his actual age. It’s clearly visible that its stronger than some of the gender differences that have evolved but it has not surpassed some other differences such as height. This difference between brain age and actual age was not only visible in the older study participants but also in those who were as young as 20 years or so. Elderly women hold a better advantage when it comes to cognitive abilities as they grow old surpassing men in reasoning and problem-solving skills. This might also be one of the reasons why women are not trapped into greater cognitive decline during their older years compared to men despite falling estrogen levels after menopause. Sail through menopause without much hurdles with the help of nutritive diet plans from our nutritionists and dietitians at www.firsteatright.com. Beyond everything, don’t get carried away by external negative forces that blame it on ageing and old age for any cognitive decline. Believe in yourself, strive hard to stay smart and achieve your goals. Bodybuilding and weight lifting were confined to a certain set of people who wished to showcase their skills to the outside world decades back. But surprisingly, this world has a number of takers who would love to become an Arnold Schwarzenegger or a Jay Cutler showing off their muscles and brimming with satisfaction. Protein supplements were confined to giant bodybuilders sometime back but now they are marketed to everyone in the world. A billion-dollar industry currently these supplements boast of helping us gain muscles and preventing them from wasting away as we age. The hype and hoopla surrounding this industry is not wrong considering that one in every 20 individuals rely on these supplements after middle age, but the lingering question is that do we need more proteins in our diet?
Falsifying the Claim Our muscles are made of proteins and logically when you eat more proteins it must result in bigger muscles. Whey protein, the highest form (as it contains all amino acids) of protein has been a craze among bodybuilders and weightlifters, and also among gym goers and older individuals worried about declining muscle strength. When one of the studies tried to find if protein supplements do work really, they tested it on 24 participants of which half of them were given protein supplements and the other half was given a placebo. Each of them was measured of their lean mass, maximum lifting capacity, knee strength and thigh muscle thickness at the beginning of the study and again at the end of the study. Results showed that all participants became stronger but no significant difference in values was observed between the two groups. While there are a couple other studies whose result align with this study’s result there have also been other researches that show that protein supplements do ‘have’ an effect on muscle building. Despite such confusing results the protein supplements market survived to thrive and grow into a billion-dollar industry. This has been possible only because of a strong customer base. People want results without hard work, success without efforts and popularity without earning it. Likewise, some individuals want a toned and well-built body without facing major hardships or subjecting the body to a rigorous fitness routine. They rely majorly on supplements to achieve their results. While there have been much debates and controversies surrounding the use of protein supplements in improving muscle strength in weight lifters and body builders the latest study has brought an end to all such speculations as they indicate clear results. Protein supplements are the winner! The Study The latest study published in the journal shows that benefits of protein supplements increase with resistance training, but these supplements become less effective in older adults raising the need for greater supplementation for optimal results as we age. These protein supplements too have an upper limit measured at 1.6 grams of dietary protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day beyond which it doesn’t appear to be beneficial on the body. The researchers involved in the study have always seen that protein supplements have faced a mixed response until now even among dietitians, nutritionists and physicians. The latest research is the combined effort of various other studies thereby arriving at 49 high-quality individual studies which included 1863 participants. Review showed that beyond equipping human with muscle mass and strength gains the intake of protein supplements remains unaffected by the source of the supplement. You consume proteins in the form of steak or whey protein supplement, consume it during any time of the day or after a workout. One thing common across the studies was the fact that effectiveness of protein supplement diminishes as the person grows old. There is a mounting need for adding protein to your body as researchers are convinced that the recommended 0.8 g protein per kg per days is too low. Apart from relying only on food sources for protein supplementation one must also ensure to exercise to build more muscles. Too much of protein consumption beyond the suggested limits don’t get stored as muscles but get converted to fats. Read more about how young adults perceive body building from the website www.firsteatright.com and also you’ve got your options to read more about the various food sources that are stacked with proteins and of use to your body. Communicating is a skill and learning a new language needs adeptness. Kids learn to speak by hearing others speak in their home and try to reproduce what they learn. In the early stages of infancy, it’s the parents, grandparents and others who keep communicating with the child without expecting any reply from the little one. The first word that the child utters brings immense joy and fills the parents with a sense of pride. In course of time we are in awe of our child’s conversing skills. Around the age of 3.5-4 the baby starts reproducing all that we speak and even learns to talk sentences of his/her own. But all our joy and hopes shatter literally when out of the blue the kid starts to find it difficult to speak, pauses for a long time before uttering a word or repeats certain words or sounds. Stammering/Stuttering Stammering and stuttering are one and the same and it was not until recently that in India physicians started showing inclination in defining the problem as stuttering, a term more common in North America or Australia. Stammering involves a tense struggle to get words out which is entirely different from the lack of fluency experienced which causes repetition of words or a hesitation before speaking out. Here, the words/sounds are prolonged or the person gets stuck on the word without producing any sound. Some people avoid words that they find it difficult to produce altogether and a few others avoid speaking altogether both of which are important to stammering. Its common for kids aged between 2 and 5 to undergo a temporary period of stuttering when their speech and language skills are fast developing. The child is now eager to reproduce all that he/she has learnt and the mind works faster than the mouth could comprehend resulting in a difference in coordination between the brain and the mouth. The stutter remains for a period of few weeks or months before the individual outgrows it but rarely the stuttering remains until adulthood. Causes The exact cause for stuttering remains a mystery but researchers believe that it’s the result of a combination of factors which includes:
Stammering affects a person’s life in different ways according to the situation in which he/she is present, to whom the person talks and how he/she feels about his/her own speech. The problem varies in frequency, intensity and manner from person to person highly dependent on the individual who stammers. Stuttering is not only difficulty in speaking but a serious communication problem that can shatter the person’s confidence levels, self-esteem and makes them go into seclusion. Such people are also often bullied with harsh jokes, comments or sentences. Almost 5% of the children under the age of 5 experience this problem. More commonly present among the male gender the frequency of male to female is almost 4 to 1 showing that almost 80% individuals who stammer are men. Taming Stammering with Helpful Tips Parents have a great effect on the child, the way he/she sees his/her disorder and the level of comfort that the child feels in expressing himself/herself. Under the age of 5 Recognizing the problems at an early stage and starting on speech and language therapy are the most effective solutions for children under the age of 5. When the problem is diagnosed at the early stage (called as Early Intervention) there is a high probability that the child starts to speak fluently again. A speech and language therapist (SLT) works with the child, his/her parents and educational staff to determine the best treatment plan. Psychological therapy is suggested to deal with emotional problems that are intertwined with speech difficulties. The SLT suggests handling the problem in two different ways: Indirect Therapy Here, parents play the main role changing the way in which they communicate at home instead of directly correcting the child’s talking. This is the first approach suggested by therapists for kids under the age of five. Indirect therapy is based on the concept that the child lacks the attributes to keep up with the demands of language skills and this demand might either be from other people around or due to the child’s own desire to communicate, talk all that he/she learns or due to too much enthusiasm. The ultimate goal of indirect therapy is to create a serene environment which makes the child feel less pressurized during communication. This is possible through:
Here the SLT guides the parents on whose instructions the mom and dad provide consistent feedback to the child regarding his/her speech in a friendly and supportive way which never discourages the little one during any point of time but only helps him/her understand the mistakes and correct them. Elders Any traces of stammering that lasts for more than 3 years or lingers beyond the age of 6 is extremely challenging to treat. Stammering leads to other side problems such as anxiety or fear about speaking, embarrassment and isolation too. SLT with older children and adults includes behavioral therapy as well as dealing with social, emotional and psychological aspects of stammering. Impressive tips to avoid/reduce stuttering include:
Choked from all sides with weight loss tips, weight loss foods and more information on weight loss! But do you know that the most important point in weight loss isn’t knowing what to eat? All of us have heard it thousand times to eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and proteins. The ultimate key lies in correcting your habits to make these healthy foods a part of your daily routine without feeling deprived or famished. Count on these five tips as golden phrases that can help your weight loss dream become a reality:
Prepare healthy meals at home: Restaurant meals might be tasty, but they are also extremely high in calories, salt, sugar and fat compared to home-cooked meals. It is true that you might need to set aside some time to select recipes, buy groceries and cook. You can either do it during weekends or take 10 minutes every day to buy your required stuff which is almost equivalent to getting half the work done. You can even cut a batch of vegetables or use the packed pre-cut veggies sold in supermarkets (ensure that they are fresh). Keep ready-to-eat snacks such as fruits, nuts and low-fat cheese sticks handy to use them when you are hungry. Spread your calorie intake evenly through the day: Individuals often eat a light breakfast (or skip it altogether), a medium-sized lunch and a lavish dinner opposed to the general rule of eating a lavish breakfast, medium-sized lunch and a small dinner meal. Eating a tiny meal for breakfast revs up your appetite by lunch and you tend to eat a huge meal. Whereas, eating a scrumptious breakfast increases your metabolism for the day and keeps you energetic to sail through the day easily. Eating 450 calories during every meal can help you avoid feeling hungry between meals. Eat a light supper and avoid snacking during late nights to reduce overall calorie intake. This might even help you feel hungry for breakfast. Take plenty of time to eat your food: You might find it comical when someone suggests that you eat every meal at least for 20 minutes when you don’t have even 2 minutes to spare for a glass of milk in the morning. It is difficult but not impossible to steal time here and there. Set a timer on your smartphone for 20 minutes when you sit down for meals. This is the time it takes for the gut hormone to send signals to the brain indicating your fullness. 20 minutes is what is required to feel satisfied but not stuffed. Eating too quickly can make you overeat as you don’t give enough time for your body to signal. Take time to chew between mouthfuls and set your fork down between each bite. Sleep well: Numerous studies have shown clear links between shorter sleep hours and increased obesity rates. People who sleep for less number of hours tend to follow irregular eating habits such as consuming smaller, frequent, energy-dense and fatty snacks such as cookies, ice-creams and chips. Watching late-night movies at home with packets of crisps or popcorns will only increase calorie values. Eat early and have a good night’s sleep to stay within desired calorie limits. Weigh yourself regularly: Research shows that people who check their weights often are more likely to lose weight and maintain their healthy weight. Don’t go overboard and keep measuring yourself after every meal but do measure sensibly-once a week or every alternate day perhaps. Use a digital scale and hang a calendar right above your weighing machine to remind you to jot down your weight every day. Your scales are never going to lie and even if you don’t get hold of your calories from the foods you eat, your weight indicates them! If you would like to lose weight in a healthy way by eating the right kind of foods, doing proper exercise and leading a healthy lifestyle, get in touch with registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com. These RDNs can help to chalk a personalized diet chart and lifestyle program suiting your needs and help you accomplish your goals in a desired way. Math has never been a favorite subject for many but weight loss has always been about calories consumed, calories burned and the resulting calorie deficits created. Some despise calculations and totaling but BMI calculations, calorie differences and the impending changes have never haunted the determined soul in their weight loss journey. Its good to be motivated by fitness enthusiasts who offer positive comments and boost your spirits to lose weight but being weary of their goals, not getting carried away by their latest diet principles and staying within healthy dieting and exercising regimens is critical for healthy weight loss. If you are one of those who relies strongly on your fitness enthusiastic friend, I am sure that you would have heard about macro counting and the IIFYM strategy. Learning to Count Your Macros The If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) diet has been the talk of the town in the dieting world inspiring people with its startling before and after pictures. To get an insight into the IIFYM world understand what exactly macros are first. Macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates and fats that we consume daily to supply our body with energy to function properly. Every diet includes a definite portion of these macronutrients but the twist here is that when a diet overlooks at macros broadly the nuances existing within each of these macronutrients is missed greatly. For example, sugar and legumes are both carbs. Consuming sugar increases blood glucose levels rapidly and also decreases it as rapidly as its increase causing hunger to hit early. Whereas legumes are rich in fiber and stay in the body for a long time after eating thereby preventing early hunger and increasing fullness levels. IIFYM involves monitoring macronutrients that provide energy instead of counting calories in the same foods to enable weight loss. The underlying idea is that when you decide upon the grams of protein, carbs and fats that must be consumed each day this will pave way to achieve your healthy weight ranges. For example, if you determine that you need to eat 2000 calories every day for achieving weight loss by creating calorie deficits and the calories comprise of about 40% each of carbs and proteins and 20% fats it is easier to focus on the nutrient rather than the calorie numbers for succeeding in your endeavor. While the concept seems genuine and alluring this is not the best way for achieving weight loss in the long run due to the below-given reasons: Quantity is Achieved but Quality Remains an Issue: There is emphasis placed upon the amount of carbs, protein and fats that go into the body but no consideration is placed on the nutritional content of these foods. Technically a carb is a carb and there are no rules laid down whether the individual should fulfill his/her 40% by consuming pastries or whole grains. This surely fails from fulfilling vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) needs of the body as it is possible for the IIFYM diet to comprise only of protein shakes, refined carbs or processed foods. The body is deprived of the essential fruits, vegetables and whole grains resulting in health problems. Get in touch with registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com to plan a diet that’s got all the macro- and micronutrients covered, stays within the calorie limits and improves overall health of the body. Unsuitable for Long-term Weight Loss: IIFYM for enabling weight loss in the long term remains a distant dream. For example, when you underestimate daily carbs intake by as much as 5 grams (the difference between a small- and medium-sized banana) only there are abundant chances for gaining almost 5 kilograms over 10 years. This is a small deviation from the desired calculations and what would be the plight when such deviations occur in great numbers over the lifetime? A Reason for Stress & Not a Stress Buster: If you are going count macros it requires you to track each and everything that you eat. There are numerous food tracing apps that hep you realize your intake but in course the very same act might trigger anxiety and stress. Stress causes very little/no weight loss due to increased cortisol levels. Abstaining from acknowledging body cues: When you decide what and how much to eat instead of obeying your body’s orders on fullness and hunger you are distancing yourself from realizing hunger and fullness based on body signals. Mindful eating is an integral part of long-term weight loss. Also, believing that your body knows what’s good for you is the right way to approach weight loss. Oral hygiene is a gateway to overall body health. Our gums and tongue appear pinkish and our teeth are white in color. Changes in color to any of these can be indicative of underlying deficiencies or illnesses. One such is white spots on the gums that can be due to various reasons. These spots can appear independently or together as clusters leaving the affected person with pain or discomfort.
Causes Most common causes of white spots on the gums include: Mouth ulcer: Also known as canker sores, these white spots appear on the soft tissue of the mouth and around the gums. These sores might be oval or round in shape, comprise of red edges and contain a white or slightly yellow center. Common causes of mouth ulcer include dietary deficiencies, stress, irritation to mouth tissue or bacteria. Leukoplakia: Sometimes, thick white patches are seen in the mouth and no amount of brushing can remove them. While smoking or chewing tobacco are said to be the common causes of leukoplakia even wearing ill-fitting dentures or long-term alcohol use is likelier to cause this disease. Oral thrush: Overgrowth of Candida fungus can cause sores that look creamy white and have the texture of cottage cheese. Mostly affecting babies and older adults due to their reduced immunity this oral infection can affect anyone. Get more details about this fungal infection at www.firsteatright.com. Oral lichen planus: This involves inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth and causes white patches. Sadly, no treatment is available to cure oral lichen and only pain management is possible. Symptoms The symptoms usually vary depending on the underlying cause. Mouth ulcer: Red edges on the sores, stinging pain when using the mouth for any activity such as eating or talking and a burning sensation before onset of the infection. Leukoplakia: Flat or irregular-shaped lesions that are red in color and become thicker or harder over time. This can lead to discomfort or pain while swallowing. Oral thrush: Pain, redness, cracking or bleeding in the corners of the mouth, loss of taste and creamy sores. Oral lichen planus: Redness, open sores, swelling, sensitivity to hot foods, burning pain and white patches. Diagnosis & Treatment While the sores might clearly explain the disease, the doctor sometimes suggests checking the tissue from the oral lesions for cancerous or precancerous cells. The physician also asks for the patient’s medical history and blood tests. Treatment again depends on the underlying cause of the infection. In the case of canker sores, treatments such as salt-water rinsing, pain relief medications and ointments can relieve pain. Normally, the infection goes away within 2 weeks and in severe cases the physician prescribes steroids or laser. Leukoplakia: The first step is to ask the patient to stop using tobacco. The white patches can be removed using a scalpel, laser or frozen off. Oral thrush: Antifungal medications are prescribed usually. Oral lichen planus: No cure is available and the treatments aim to reduce pain. Corticosteroids and numbing gels are generally used. Prevention Techniques Practice good oral hygiene to stay away from gum infections. Follow the suggestions below and reap good oral health:
Eyes provide insights into our hearts and souls, and above all give an insight into our health. Our eyes are a great tool for physicians to know more about our blood vessels, nerves and connecting tissue without surgery. This has garnered a great interest in scientists to work on new technologies to get a better look at our eyes and diagnose diseases at an earlier stage. Advancements are sought after in helping people with vision loss lead better lives and improve the quality of such individuals’ life with the designing of new tools. Eyes: An Insight into Our Health There are some people who survive without wearing glasses up to their late 80s and there are some others who are forced to wear glasses at a tender age of 2 or 3. Every individual must get his/her eyes tested even if they are sure about their vision quality. The eye professional looks out for eye problems as well as for signs of diseases during a regular eye checkup. This is critical because most eye problems don’t come with early warning signs and the best treatment is possible only when the disease is identified at an early stage. Dilating the eye is the best means of examining it and the dilation is done after checking for vision sharpness. The physician dispenses drops into the dark center of the eyes (pupil) and this allows more light into the eyes which helps the doctor examine the eyes more clearly. Tissues at the back of the eye (which includes the retina [light-sensitive tissue], the macula [for sharp vision] and the optic nerve [carries visual messages from eye to the brain]) are examined with a magnifying lens and any signs of damage to any of these areas are a sign of an eye disease. Eye has the capacity to reflect an illness that begins in another tissue far from the eyes themselves which includes illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders, sexually transmitted diseases and cancers. Eye doctors often diagnose diabetes by observing the retina and blood vessels of the eyes. Surprisingly, the disease shows its presence in the eye tissue before a blood glucose test shows positive results. Hence, a regular eye checkup helps preserve vision as well as detect any illnesses that need immediate attention. Imaging Improvements Imaging technologies have witnessed tremendous improvements but are still undergoing further research for more advanced options. This will equip ophthalmologists with more powerful imaging tools than every before. One such improvement is on a microscope that helps to detect glaucoma with improved diagnosis. Glaucoma is a disease that has the potential to damage cells that are hard to see in the early stage of the disease. This disease has the potential to cause blindness by damaging nerves at the back of the eye and the current technology has the ability to detect glaucoma only after thousands of cells die. The fact that glaucoma runs in the family has become increasing popular of late and the website www.firsteatright.com has aplenty information regarding this insight which could be of immense help and interesting to you. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) also has the ability to cause vision loss and blindness and eye imaging techniques are being developed for detecting AMD as well. Yet another new imaging technique developed helps physicians track a specific protein in the eye. This can help doctors detect cataracts and presbyopia at an early stage. Presently, cataracts are operated and corrected but scientists are identifying different ways to correct this and one of them is by dispensing drops which includes a chemical that has the potential to reverse cataracts. Cataract is common in old age (if you live long enough to get it!) Citing Ways to Improve Sight There are some whose blindness and vision loss cannot be corrected forever and improvement in technology can better the lives of such people helping them perform their day-to-day activities with ease. For instance, a researcher developed a miniature telescope technology that can be mounted upon regular eyeglasses and help those with low vision see better while driving. Yet another discovery is a partially robotic cane that has the ability to detect what is nearby. The roller tip guides the person move forward. Even smartphone apps have been designed with sound as a guide to blind/visually impaired people. Here, the app gives prompts to the person tipping him/her on the safest crossing locations and helping to navigate through the streets. Technological improvements exist on one side but there are many things that we can do from our end to improve a better quality of life. Actions such as eating healthy meals rich in foods such as carrots, kale and spinach, refraining from smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and keeping blood sugar levels under control can protect eye health. Become aware of certain eye diseases that have the potential to run in families and take precautionary steps by getting yourself tested for these regularly. That’s also one of the reasons for getting your eyes checked regularly. Also, ensure to wear sunglasses to protect from harmful sun rays and wear protective eyewear while involved in sporting activities or likewise. Mama and papa are engrossed in watching their favorite reality program, the son spends time watching his favorite Doremon and his sister is obsessed with Dora. Four members in the family sit in the house in three different rooms watching their favorite TV episodes. Gone are the days when books were a man’s best friend and now are those days when ‘any electronic gadget’ is a man’s best friend. ‘Couch potato’ is not an apt word but the finest phrase to define someone binge-watching TV series, movies or more. Its unimaginable without a television nowadays in our homes and people go mad when the network is interrupted for a few hours in between. Parents punish their kids with a no-TV day sometimes. Some schools accept only students from those homes that don’t have a TV set and am sure most of us would never even keep a foot forward into these schools forever in our lives. In fact, there are people spending lakhs of money on a smart TV rather than upgrading themselves to become smarter in life. Its almost a silver jubilee for the obesity-TV link where a Harvard research associated TV watching to obesity 25 years ago. Since then there have been numerous research and positive associations between watching television and rising obesity rates. The Glitzy Media & its Ugly Outcomes What values we instill, habits we teach and activities we preach to our kids shape their growth as adults. There have been quite a many number of researches that show that more the time a child watches television greater is the risk of obesity. The risk is even higher when the child has a TV installed in his/her bedroom. Restricting a child’s viewing time to not more than 2 hours a day has been helpful in improving body mass index (BMI), body fat and other obesity-related measures. Such restrictions take time and need cooperation from parents, school and the child himself/herself. It might be anything such as setting a few timings dedicated to watching television, schools insisting on the importance of a no-TV meal where food is eaten together at the table rather than watching television and likewise. The impact of television is the same on adults too-more the number of TV viewing hours likelier is the adult to gain weight. There are evidences even showing that watching too much television increases the risk of weight-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease or even early death. Its not a sin to watch television but why don’t you involve yourself in some physical activity while enjoying the program and restrict your viewing to a limited time every day? Food Marketing Gimmicks that Grab your Attention Apart from sitting down and staying inactive while watching TV, the act of watching can promote obesity in various other ways too in the form of limiting time for physical activity, paving way for eating junk foods while watching some show, advertising unhealthy diets and even hindering sleep hours. People tend to eat diets high in calories and poor in health. Main ways in which the foods and beverages marketed on television affect individuals include:
Playing video games, surfing the Internet, driving or sitting to work are also sedentary behaviors whose effects are not much known as these are not extensively studied as that of TV viewing. But evidences do exist that these habits also contribute greatly toward obesity. Evidences do exist that sitting at office/home increases the risk of becoming obese and also increases the risk of chronic death. Sitting prevents a person from being active but the confusion here is whether sitting as a standalone activity increases the risk of obesity or whether sitting just paves way for another unhealthy lifestyle routine such as watching TV or playing video games. Working on the computer continuously might lead to stress which in turn can result in overeating whereas listening to music distracts people from noticing whether they are hungry or full. Dealing with stress is easier when you are aware of the different tactics available to uproot it. Meditation and yoga are common ways to deal with stress but there are a number of other different ways mentioned at www.firsteatright.com that can help you offboard stress easily and onboard happiness. Switch Off Electronic Devices, Switch On Activity Routines Studies have time and again showed that sitting and watching TV is an important risk factor for obesity which can be overcome in the following ways:
Ordering for a pizza, eating the creamy pasta or gulping down sugary soda with a smartphone in the hand has become a fashion statement for individuals. Kids birthday parties too are incomplete without pizza or cheesy burgers. Obesity shows no signs of slowing down irrespective of the negative impact it has caused on the health of the generation. Diet and exercise exist as ‘two’ factors to control obesity while food marketing practices and institutionally-driven reduction in physical activity exist as ‘two’ factors that promote obesity and this includes increased portion sizes in commercially marketed items, widespread availability of fast food at a cheaper cost and less awareness on physical education in schools. But the attention given to the ‘two’ elements that promote obesity has neglected other potential factors that affect obesity such as lack of quality physical education, restaurant dining, lack of enough sidewalks and the built environment and increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup to name a few. Environment It might be in your gene to become an artist, a musician or a foodie but how you train yourself and the environment in which you live also determine your growing phase. Likewise, a research suggests that modern-day environment exists as the primary culprit behind the obesity epidemic and not genes. All the more, individuals with a genetic predisposition to obesity were affected greatly by factors that promote obesity such as wide availability of inexpensive high-calorie food, environmental structuring that pave way for decreased physical activity and leisure activities that make you an ardent couch potato (such as the play stations and desktop games). Individuals with a greater genetic link to obesity are more responsive to environmental conditions that promote obesity. On the other hand, even those people with very low genetic risk of obesity weigh heavier these days. While genetics must have prevented obesity in these people contrarily, the obesity epidemic has made them fatter. So, environment is a determining factor for obesity with the only difference that people with a high genetic risk are even greatly affected than the rest. The research which dealt with modern-day environment’s effect on obesity relied on data of close to 9000 individuals born between 1900 and 1958. Each of the participant’s genetic predisposition to obesity was calculated based on whether they carried any of the 29 genetic variants linked to obesity. The risk score was then compared with the participant’s body mass index (BMI). Results showed that while the percentage of obesity-related genes did not increase over time, the effect of these genes on BMI did increase in the coming decades due to changes in the environment (that promotes obesity). The genes remained the same in people belonging to different centuries but had a greater impact on people born later in the century. The researchers attribute this increase in obesity rates in people belonging to the current century to various possibilities. One of them is genetic factors that influence hunger and whether eating makes you feel satisfied. Maximum weight gain might be in people whose genetic variants make them feel hungry quite often and they also live in a place which provides easy accessibility to calorie-dense foods. Another might be that advances in science and technology has caused people to become sedentary relying on their cars and bikes rather than walking to the bus stop or railway station to catch the bus. We don’t get off our couch to change channels in the television nor do we get off our seats at office to talk to our colleague. The remote is our slave and emails our messengers used to communicate with someone who sits on the other corner of our floor. When such is our level of daily activity, what more can you expect other than a problem such as obesity? Two-Headed Weight gain is always a war between the number of calories consumed versus the number of calories burned. While all of us have ample time and money to spend on fast food and latest gadgets we crib that we don’t have enough time to engage in physical activity. The obesity genes have remained a part of mankind since our evolution and they haven’t changed. It’s the environment that has drastically changed and causing the genes to have a bigger effect on the outcome. Eating healthy food, exercising regularly, trying to reduce stress and changing the lifestyle for the better are sure-shot ways to stay on healthy weight ranges. Get in touch with a registered dietitian nutritionist at www.firsteatright.com to help you embark on your journey to a better lifestyle. Sub title: Genes may Load the Gun but its Dependent on Your Lifestyle & Environmental Factors to Abstain from Pulling the Trigger |
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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.