Exercises are mostly gender neutral except for a very few that are confined to men due to their extreme need of stamina or strength (this is rarest of the rare!). Women too share their piece of cake where one set of exercises have been restricted only to them-Kegel exercises. It would be smarter to reconsider it as men too would definitely find these exercises to be helpful, especially as they age. Kegel Exercise Kegel exercise or pelvic floor exercise consists of repeatedly tightening and relaxing the muscles that are a part of the pelvic floor. In simple words, Kegel exercise is like pretending you need to urinate and then holding it back. They are usually performed to reduce premature ejaculation in men and by women after childbirth to reduce urinary stress incontinence. The main trick is to find the right muscle to relax and contract. For this, next time you urinate, start urinating and then stop midway. Feel the muscles in your vagina (women), bladder and anus tighten and move up-these are your pelvic floor muscles. Tightening is an indication that you are doing your exercise right. The biggest advantage with kegel exercises is that they can be performed anywhere and anytime-lying down, sitting, eating, driving, at the movies or while watching television. Hence, there is no possibility of giving excuses such as lack of time, place or energy to perform these exercises. Pelvic Floor Our pelvic floor area is composed of thin layers of muscle and tissues that stretch like a sling from the tailbone to the pubic bone. This muscle is involved in various important tasks-it supports the abdomen, colon and bladder and helps with urine and bowel movements. This muscle gets activated during orgasm, erection and ejaculations in men. Pelvic floor muscles might become too weak or too tight due to factors such as age along with other factors such as bladder, bowel or prostate surgery, constipation and chronic coughing from conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and smoking. Pregnancy, childbirth, overweight and caesarian surgery can also weaken these muscles. Such weakened muscles can lead to urine leaks when you cough, sneeze or lift a heavy object. Tight pelvic muscles can be due to sitting continuously for a long time, muscle tension and stress or problems with the back and hips. Such tightened muscle aggravates pelvic pain, increases urination frequency, leakage or incomplete urination. Pain during and after intercourse or pain in genitals, low back or hips can also occur. Kegel Exercises in Men Men do have problems with these pelvic floor muscles such as urinary leakage, bowel issues and erection problems. Urinary incontinence in men is primarily due to a weak urinary sphincter due to reasons such as prostate cancer surgery, overactive bladder or uncontrolled bladder output. Kegel exercises come to your rescue here and help in improving bladder control. Read more on urinary incontinence and ways to control it from the website www.firsteatright.com. Before doing any exercise the first step is to locate the right muscle: Find the right muscle: Stop urinating midway and tighten the muscles that keep you from passing gas. Squeezing these muscles makes you realize that you have hit right on the target muscle. Once you have identified your target proceed with the exercises in any position. It is advisable to do it while lying down during the initial days as it is easier for the individual. Attain perfection: Tighten the muscles, hold them for three seconds and then relax for three seconds. Do it for multiple times in a given period and when you feel your muscles getting stronger, do it while sitting, standing or walking. Do it the correct way: Tighten only your pelvic floor muscles avoiding flexing your abdomen, thigh or buttocks muscle. Try to breathe as freely as possible while performing the exercise. Do at least 10 repetitions thrice a day. Ensure to avoid using Kegel exercises to stop or start your urine stream as some doctors doubt that it might lead to bladder infection. There is no right time or right place to perform these exercises as they can be done anytime and anywhere. But, it is always advisable to follow certain disciplined practices to avoid missing out on these exercises. Make Kegel exercises a part of your daily routine by:
Even before practicing Kegel it is advisable to meet a physical therapist who can design a tailor-made program for you. The therapist suggests on your ‘hold’ time, teaches you how to perform the Kegels and helps you with the number of repetitions and sets. To benefit completely, it is advisable to make these exercise sets a regular part of your daily routine permanently. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched on June 15th, 2006 by the combined effort of International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization (WHO) at the United Nations (UN). WEAAD’s sole purpose is to bring awareness about the neglect and abuse faced by older people by shedding light on the cultural, social, economical and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. Globally, the number of people aged 60 and above will more than double from 542 million in 1995 to about 1.2 billion in 2025. Almost all countries, especially developing countries, are expected to see a substantial rise in the number of older persons between 2015 and 2030. As the number of elderly persons grows, the number of elder abuse is also expected to grow. Elderly people prefer ageing in their homes. To make their ageing process comfortable and easy, we can take a few steps from our end with the help of guidelines from the website www.firsteatright.com. Elder Abuse According to WHO, elder abuse is a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person. Any type of violence, physical abuse, psychological, sexual, financial, material or emotional abuse, that causes loss of respect and dignity to the elderly person is a violation of human rights. While this might be a trivial problem when read, elder abuse is a major public health problem. A 2017 study that compared various studies across different countries reveals that more than 15.7% of people aged 60 years and older were subjected to some form of abuse. The numbers here are mostly underestimated and only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is reported as the elderly population are often scared to report cases of abuse to friends, family or authority. The different types of abuse include: Physical abuse which happens commonly when someone causes bodily harm by hitting, pushing or slapping. Emotional abuse which is predominantly faced by the elderly population. The ageing population is subjected to hurtful words, yelling, threatening or are constantly ignored. Some of them are even kept from seeing friends and relatives which is yet another form of mental abuse. Neglect that caregivers do by not responding to the older person’s needs. They might leave the elderly in soiled clothes or ignore tidying up their messy rooms. Abandonment when the senior person is left alone without planning for any care Sexual abuse when the caregiver forces the older adult to watch or be part of sexual act Financial abuse when money or materialistic things are stolen or deprived. It might be misusing someone else’s credit card, forging checks, changing names on a will and likewise. Healthcare fraud that is commonly made by healthcare workers, doctors and hospital staff in terms of overcharging, charging for unprovided care, billing twice for the same service or falsifying health policy claims. A Few Noteworthy Facts
Visiting our long-time friends/family can immediately let us know whether an elderly person is subjected to abuse with the following signs/symptoms:
World blood donor day is celebrated every year on June 14th to commemorate the birthday anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, the scientist who won the Nobel prize for his great discovery of the ABO blood group system. Practised since 2004, this day serves to fulfill needs of blood transfusion and blood products transfusion to the needy worldwide. Millions of people across the globe benefit from this campaign which serves to spread happiness and health through its contribution to thousands of complex medical procedures and surgeries. Pregnant women during their pre- and post-pregnancy complications are saved and cared safely during emergency response to any disaster with the help of donated blood. 2018 Campaign Goal The host country for this year is Greece and the theme is ‘Blood connects us all.’ Blood donation is an act of selflessness, harmony, empathy and respect, all of which are needed for the smooth functioning of unpaid blood donation camps. The slogan adopted by WHO for this year’s campaign ‘Be there for someone else. Give blood. Share life” says it all-to be kind to one and all, generate social ties and live together in harmony as a community. Campaigns arranged serve as a motivating factor to various people-those who are already giving blood to continue doing so by telecasting life-saving stories of people who have received blood through campaigns and also serve as a driving factor to people in good health to come forward and donate blood. Meetings, scientific events, publication of relevant stories and other activities that promote the theme of blood donation are arranged each year. Who Can Donate? While most people can donate, there are certain clauses that must be adhered to before you make yourself eligible for donation. Guidelines for blood donation include:
People with the following criteria must refrain from donating blood:
Pre- & Post-Donation Guidelines Before donating:
What Happens to Your Donated Blood? The donated blood is used to save lives of millions of people such as anemic kids, women with severe anemia, accident victims with excess blood loss, cancer patients, thalassemia patients, people with sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, blood disorders, clotting disorders and more. When the needy people lack access to donation they face life-threatening challenges. We can ensure enough blood supply only when people are self-motivated to donate blood as an unpaid service. James Harrison, a blood plasma donor from Australia is also called as the ‘Man with the Golden Arm’ for his altruistic blood donation for a period of 60 years saving more than 2.4 million unborn babies. His blood has an unusual plasma composition that has been used treat Rhesus disease. This selfless man ‘retired’ from being a blood donor (Australian policy prohibits blood donation beyond the age of 81) making his last blood donation on May 11th, 2018. He pledged to donate blood after recovering from a life-threatening condition with the help of blood transfusion from other blood donors. Staying true to his pledge, he has done his level-best to save lives of other people, including his grandchild. James Harrison is an example for all of us to learn from situations and remains as a motivating factor for people to come forward and save lives. We might hear that blood donations help a person lose weight and there is also a study done by the University of California researchers which shows that donating one pint of blood (450ml) helps the body burn about 650 calories. But this can never be used as a means for weight loss as it can cause devastating effects on the body when carried out in an uncontrolled manner. While blood donation remains a safe procedure that causes no harm to the donor when done under sterile conditions, it is always better to consult your doctor before choosing to donate blood. Irritating the patient and delighting the people around him/her, hiccups are common in most people. They serve no purpose but cause problems and minor nuisances but prolonged hiccups are indicative of medical problems. Few Seconds To Decades Together Hiccups occur 4-60 times per minute and mostly vanish away after 30 or more hiccups. Anything that lasts over a few minutes is a matter of concern. Some hiccups last over 48 hours and are considered persistent or protracted. Some last beyond a month and are termed intractable. There is one uncommon incidence of a hiccup that lasted for over 6 decades continuously! Never does this minor nuisance indicate a major medical problem, even when they last for longer periods. Rarely they are signs of a medical problem, mostly of something that causes irritation of one of the nerves in the chest such as neck tumors, goiters, infections near the diaphragm or hiatal hernia. Apart from such medical conditions, continuously hiccupping causes difficulties in eating, drinking, sleeping and talking, all of which are the basis for a healthy life. Hiccups are more pronounced during evening hours, commonly seen a few days before the menstrual cycle starts and subsides drastically during pregnancy. The Mystery Remains Unsolved The National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) describes hiccups as an involuntary spasmodic contraction of the muscle at the base of the lungs followed by the rapid closure of the vocal cords. The root cause behind hiccups remains a mystery till date, but there are certain factors that are associated with an increased risk of causing hiccups:
Stop the ‘Hic’ Hiccups usually go away on their own in a few minutes or hours without medical treatment. Many common home remedies are suggested and are supported to work good on the individual, but there are no authentic proofs to back their relevance and effectiveness.
This universal mystery remains to be solved. Avoid drinking alcohol, sodas, changes in temperature and eating rapidly to stop hiccups from developing. Medications and treatment follow pain, disease, accidents and illnesses. Pain rings a bell in our mind that something is wrong with the body. It is a symptom of an underlying condition and can disrupt a person’s quality of life. Almost 20-70% of pain can be relieved using simple medications and it is the remaining cases that need various medications that can ease pain though it cannot be negated. Acute pain is the simple form that stays for a short period and relieved using simple medicines. Chronic pain as in the case of rheumatoid arthritis or cancer remains forever and there are no truly effective medicines for such pains and people find relief to a certain extent only to experience some other crippling side effect.
Cannabinoids Marijuana as a pain reliever come as a shocking, surprising and relieving news to people worldwide! This is one of the few topics of interest that create great controversies among doctors, researchers, scientists, policy makers and governments. The statement spurs thousands of questions in each of our minds-Is it safe? Is it a trick to legalize marijuana use? Do we become addicted? How effective is it as a drug? Medical marijuana is legalized in certain countries such as Uruguay, Australia, Columbia, Canada and in 29 states of USA. India has been using cannabis as early as 2000 BC for recreational purpose, as a prasad of God and is available at the lowest price compared to anywhere else in the world (2016 report). In late 2017, cultivation of marijuana plant for medical research was legalized by our government. Acute or Chronic Acute pain is experienced following a surgery or a minor accident and physicians prescribe opiates to relieve pain. But the same drugs don’t act effectively on people suffering from chronic pain, might cause nausea and sedation that adds burden in the long run or the dosage is steadily increased over the years as they become tolerant to the current dosages. Better alternatives would be welcome by those suffering from chronic pain. The question here is whether marijuana might serve the purpose? In Search of Relief Chronic pain that cannot be treated effectively with medications pushed researchers to look out for alternate and better pain relievers. This was the point when researchers stumbled onto marijuana, the oldest form of medicine, for using it as a pain-relieving medication. Early in this pursuit, people discovered fascinating results of marijuana use in relieving headache pain to even easing pain during childbirth. On the Medical Front Cannabidiol or CBD is the part of the marijuana plant without the intoxicating properties. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the component of the plant responsible for the ‘high’ feeling and as CBD has no THC in it, patients who consume it face no stability issues. On the other side, CBD can relieve insomnia, anxiety, spasticity and pain due to epilepsy.
Downsides of this Potential Ancient Drug Experts likely witness numerous disadvantages in consuming marijuana. It makes you:
Eid al-Fitr is the most important religious holiday in the Muslim calendar observed at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Indeed, Eid is the first and only day in the month of Shawwal during which Muslims must abstain from fasting. This week brings the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the 30-day fasting period practiced by all the Muslims living worldwide. During this period, the body gets adjusted to eating foods at only certain times during the day. While eating before sunrise and eating only after sunset might scare some, individuals observing the fast get used to it, enjoy it and savor it. Get in touch with a registered dietitian nutritionist at www.firsteatright.com who can help you with healthy food suggestions and eating habits post-Ramadan to help your body adjust itself to daily routine in due course. Feasting after Fasting After fasting for a month, it is natural to indulge in some high-calorie treats and savories. But remember, the body has been subjected to extensive fasting and smart eating can help an individual eat a variety of foods. Suddenly forcing numerous foods and beverages can put the body into a shock mode and such intense changes can be extremely harmful on our body such as indigestion and bloating. Eid is a time of gettogethers and celebration which cannot be ignored. Instead, surely follow certain regulations to ensure that 2018 Eid is healthy and happy. Talk, Walk, Exercise How does exercising make you feel energetic? A walk or exercise does make you happy, relaxed and refreshed due to the release of feel good hormones that enhance appetite and uplift mood. Also, these regulate diseases, keep them out of sight and make you energetic. You can happily attack a bowl of Mughlai biriyani with curd or Palak Paneer with Naan on the eve of Eid. Prioritize Eating Vegetables Eating veggies is a punishment of sorts, especially on Eid. But the best way to control appetite and reduce intake is to eat a bowlful of veggies as they are brimming with nutrients and fiber. These nutrients make you feel full sooner and you are left with no choice but to eat small portions of high-calorie delights. Starting your meal with a bowl of veggies makes your tummy yearn less for carrot halwa or malai kofta. Note your Portions Gettogethers and social gatherings might take us off the food track and we might start eating foods beyond control. Portion control is of upmost importance when you are in such public places. Availability of food is not an excuse for overindulgence. Don’t pile up food onto your plate just because it is there right in front of you. When you do this, somewhere you are forcing yourself to abstain from wasting food and end up eating a lot more food than needed. Make it a point to say a strong ‘no’ to second helpings even when your close neighbor keeps pestering you. Start a chat with your loved one or speak on something that interests you. Doing this makes you focus more on the topic at hand and less on the food in our plate. Aerated Beverages are your Best Foes People love to sip on aerated beverages in between heavy food options as they believe that such drinks help in digestion. But, the reality is far from truth as these beverages are loaded with sugar and do no good on the body. Rather, go for a glass of thickly churned butter milk with pudina leaves as they aid in digestion and also remain sugar-free.
Leave the Table Once You Are Done
Mealtime is to satisfy hunger, help you try a variety of delicacies and enjoy time with family members. Once full, the tummy sends signals to the brain to stop eating. Stay attentive and look for such signals. Indeed, you have relished your meal and enjoyed your Eid delights greatly. Leave the table once you are done with your meals. The Big Day In a few places, people usually start celebrating Eid with a plate of Shir Khurma (vermicelli and milk pudding spiced with cardamom and cinnamon). Eat a small breakfast rich in fiber and proteins. Baklava is an important sweet but engaging in high quantities of sweet after fasting can make one feel nauseous and ill due to high blood sugar. Eat small portions of a variety of foods including baklava, roti and sabji ensuring that you get the right quantities of protein, carbohydrates, fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day to keep your body healthy. It is also advisable to include probiotics such as cheese and yogurt to provide energy for the good bacteria (these crop up during the fasting period) in your gut. After a month of fasting it is crucial that you stay healthy to spend quality time with friends and family. For this, you need to eat nutritious foods without overindulging in delicacies but enjoying the festive mood. Share gifts, buy new clothes and offer prayers on this holy day. Ultimately, one should enjoy and have a good time. The past, present and future reserve a special place for popcorns. The buttery, creamy and salty kernels would be etched in our minds forever as they have been one of the sought-after snacks since our childhood movie-going days, are still our favorite one amongst doughnuts, burger or nachos and would still be our possessed prized in the future too! Do You Know? Popcorn is a whole grain which can cover up almost 12% of your daily fiber requirements only for a mere 30 calories. Popcorn is from maize, but not from the same variety as the corn you eat on the cob. It comes from a specific breed of maize that produces small kernels with a hard outer shell. So hard are the shells that you would not be able to bite into them without breaking your tooth. Popcorn is the result of heating the kernel to the point of utmost pressure beyond which it bursts releasing the soft inner flake and giving us the delicious snack. It derived its name from the noise it makes on bursting open-pop, pop, pop. There are other similar healthy snacking options given at www.firsteatright.com that foodies would love to explore and enjoy! Topping Your Popping Corns While simple, salted and plain popcorns are tasty as such, who would not like to indulge in some delicious as well as nutritious ways that attract people worldwide? Popcorn in a Brown Paper Bag: Prepare an instant tasty snack of air-popped popcorns by placing ¼ cup of popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag and closing the top. Keep it in the microwave oven and cook it on high for 2 full minutes. Transfer it to a bowl and top it with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt. Popped on the Gas Stove: Microwave oven is a recent discovery. Way back, popcorns were made on the stovetop. Take a large pan, pour ¼ cup of vegetable oil and add some garlic powder and seasoning of your choice. Add 2/3 cup of kernels and stir to ensure that the kernels are coated with the oil. Keep it on medium flame, cover the pan and let it pop. When it is half-done, remove the pan and shake it once to prevent burning. Once this is done, return it back to the gas to let it finish popping. Air-popped: Air poppers authentically used to make popcorns are good, but the downside is that all the kernels shoot out like bullets from a gun once they are cooked. Using a microwave popper is advantageous in this aspect. While some of us enjoy the original taste of simple air-popped ones, many people relish it even more when with some dressing over it. Use an olive oil sprayer to spray the popcorns first as this enables the dressing to stick to it. If you like it sweet, sprinkle cinnamon or chocolate powder, if you want savory, season it up with some garlic pepper and herbs and if you love the cheesy taste, top it with dried cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese along with some herb toppings. 100-Calorie Pack: To avoid overeating, pop a 100-calorie pack into the microwave and sprinkle it with a dusting of Parmesan cheese to enhance flavor and nutrition (in the form of calcium). Pumpkin spicing: This is a unique topping unexplored by many. In a small brown bag, add popcorn kernels, a small amount of oil, a pinch of sugar and pumpkin spice and microwave it in high for 2-3 minutes. You are ready with your pumpkin-spiced popcorns in a jiffy. Cinnamon & Chocolate-sweetened popcorn: Get yourself corrected-butter popcorns are not the only tasty versions! Make your own version of yummy popcorn delights. For something sweet, add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, ¼ tablespoon of cinnamon and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate. Let it rest in the fridge for a couple of minutes to allow the seasonings to stick to the popcorn. While this is a less-sugary seasoning than caramel corn, it is still sweet containing lesser calories. Avocado oil & Nutritional Yeast: Pop the kernels either on stovetop or microwave, add a drizzle of avocado oil using a spray pump and season it with salt, pepper and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a smart choice as it delivers a cheesy flavor to the popcorn without the extra calorie additions but with added vitamin and mineral boost. Topping Popper: Before sprinkling any seasoning over the popcorn, spray a dose of olive oil from a spray bottle over the popcorn to enable the seasonings to stick onto them. After this, use any topping of your choice-salt, thyme, pepper, etc. People fascinated by gastronomy are exploring other seeds that are explosive and edible. Seeds with hard shells such as rice, wheat, barley and amaranth can be popped but not as much as popcorn. Sit back, relax and enjoy a small bowl of popcorn seasoned with your favorite seasoning during weekends, summer vacations or as an anytime evening snack. The ‘swooshhhh’ sound of the hand dryers is a common sight in public bathrooms. Way back, industries wanted to cut down on expenditure, uncover environment-friendly alternatives to paper towels and establish a better alternative to these paper towels for drying hands, an integral part of hand washing etiquette. Hand washing is an art that needs to be mastered to minimize germs in our hands and ensure hygiene. Learn this art from the steps clearly defined at www.firsteatright.com. Hence, hand dryers and jet dryers replaced paper towels and helped industries cut down costs by as much as 99.5%, forego removal of paper waste and shell out limited maintenance cost (electricity consumption is minimal). Organizations, industries and the public were satisfied with this discovery but now, this happiness is short-lived. Bacterial Breeding Ground Handwashing is one of the most effective ways to stay away from germs when done in the right way. But all your efforts of handwashing disappear once you keep your hands under the hot air dispensed from a hand dryer. A new study shows that these dryers act as bacteria storehouses sucking bacteria from the air and dispensing them onto newly washed hands of individuals. Researchers exposed petri dishes to bathroom air under different circumstances and analyzed them for bacteria in the laboratory. Those dishes exposed to air for 2 minutes with the hand dryer off either did not grow bacteria or utmost grew only one colony of them while petri dishes exposed to air from hand dryer for 30 seconds grew up to 254 colonies of bacteria (average number was between 18 and 60 colonies). People who used jet dryers had 4.5 times bacteria on their hands than people who used a warm air-dryer and 27 times more bacteria than people who used paper towels. Did the bacterial colonies multiply inside the dryer or were they sucked from the air inside the bathroom? When the scientists added an air filter to the dryers to check this out, results showed that bacterial colonies count fell down by 75% once the filter was added proving that the bacteria splashed on our hands from the air dryer are mostly from the washroom air. Popping Out Poop Flushing an open toilet can litter bits of poop and bacteria all over the place up to 65 square feet. These minuscular bits of poop and bacteria are sucked by the hot air dryers and deposited straight onto your neatly washed hands. There are people who avoid using public toilets at any cost and this bit of news might disturb them to a greater extend as well as approve the ideology of these individuals. Others too need not worry much about this news as most of the bacteria are unharmful. Apart from those individuals suffering from a weakened immune system (mostly seniors) or those hospitalized most others remain unaffected as these bacteria are relatively harmless. The research was conducted in a university health science building where plenty other bacteria were used in experiments in labs and the sample would have surely contained at least some of them. Real-world bathrooms would definitely contain fewer bacteria than the bathrooms used in the study. Fungi, bacteria and other microbes are present everywhere and just because the hand dryer pukes out a bacterial galaxy does not mean that you are going to be seriously affected by it. Most of these pathogens are unharmful and exposure to them will only strengthen your immune system and help you live longer and healthier. Drying Your Hands Faecal bacteria onto your hands due to a hand dryer might put one in a state of hygienic hysteria, but there is no proof that these bacteria make way for some disease. Also, the hand dryer is only spewing out bacteria from the air mostly found in any place where a majority of people gather together. Some alternatives to a hand dryer include:
Though shaped like a ‘0’, the egg is 100% beneficial. This powerhouse of protein has been consumed by humans for thousands of years and most people feel their breakfast to be incomplete without eggs-either poached, scrambled, boiled, fried or consumed as an omelettes. There is one question that keeps nagging in our minds each time we eat our eggs-Which is better for health, egg whites or egg yolks?
Eggs for Health Eggs are replete with proteins and one medium egg contains around 70 calories with 7 g of protein and 5 g of fat. A reputed journal study even shows that children who eat one egg daily for six months along with a diet that contains reduced-sugar foods can help them grow taller and prevent stunting. Eggs contain choline (an important nutrient mainly because our body cannot produce choline), a nutrient without which we become deficient in folic acid too. Egg Yolk The yellow portion of the egg or the egg yolk is the most-debated part for its health and calorie values by people worldwide. There is no denying that the egg yolks contain cholesterol, fat and saturated fat but what we ignore is the rich nutrients too, such as the fat-soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids and other major nutrients, that are present within it. The egg yolk makes up about 34% of the liquid weight of the egg and contains almost all the fat in the egg and around 50% protein content of the egg. Precisely, one egg yolk contains around 55 calories, 4.5 g of total fat, 210 mg of cholesterol and 2.7 g of protein. Nutrient-wise, the egg yolk is anytime high in all nutrients such as vitamins (B6 and B12), folic acid, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, zinc and thiamin except for niacin and riboflavin. Vitamin A, D, E and K are present only in this golden portion of the egg. Vitamin D or the sunshine vitamin is rarely present naturally in foods and egg yolks are one valuable source of this vitamin. With so much in line inside one egg yolk, what about the nutrient contents of double-yolked eggs? Do they contain twice the quantity of the nutrients? Double-yolked eggs are generally produced by younger chickens whose production cycles are not completely synchronized. Sometimes, genetics too might decide the fate of the yolk as certain hens produce only double-yolked eggs throughout their life cycle. Though rare, it is not weird for a chicken to produce an egg with no yolk at all. Egg White or Albumen Albumen contains the remaining portion of the egg’s liquid (66%) and is comparatively a greater source of egg protein (more than 50% of the total protein content), niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, potassium and sodium compared to the egg yolk. One egg white contains only 17 calories with 4 g of protein and 55 mg of sodium. That, the egg white contains 0% fat is worth noting here. Egg White Vs Egg Whole eggs top all other protein foods and for this reason, have been classified under the ‘protein’ foods group alongside meat. The opinion on the best portion of the egg has varied greatly over the years with different suggestions and recommendations pouring in from physicians, nutritionists and dietitians worldwide. Latest studies do show that controlled consumption of egg does not impact cholesterol levels negatively. Coming to our comparison, although egg whites might contain a greater protein portion, the whole egg contains even greater protein than consuming the whites alone. While egg whites might contain 7% of protein, the whole egg contains 10% of protein. Also, vitamin D is present only in the egg yolk and this is of immense value as this vitamin is rarely present in foods naturally (Already mentioned, but worth noting again!). Coming to the heart of the issue-cholesterol content of the egg yolk. Not all cholesterol is bad for health and you might all be familiar with the two types of cholesterol, the good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol present in different foods. Reduce your LDL levels that is popular to increase your chances of heart attack and increase your HDL levels to reduce your chances of heart attack considerably. The cholesterol in egg yolks are the good ones (HDL) and it is extremely beneficial to your body to eat the egg yolk as well. Just because there is a small percentage of fat in the yolk doesn’t mean that you completely ignore taking the yellow portion of the egg. Instead, reduce or cut out fat from other unhealthy food sources, do plenty of exercise and continue consuming your egg yolks for maximal health benefits and balance. Even people on a weight-loss diet can surely continue taking their whole eggs. The restriction might come in the quantity of eggs they can eat and it is fully up to a registered dietitian nutritionist to guide the individual taking up the weight-loss diet on the quantity of eggs allowed for consumption. Get in touch with dietitians/nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com to help you in this endeavor and don’t completely ignore the egg yolks eating only the whites until you are guided by a professional. World Environment Day is UN’s most important day for encouraging and spreading awareness and action for the protection of our environment on a global note. Since its inception in 1974, this day has become famous worldwide with more than 100 countries showing active participation every year. History Ever since 1974, millions of people have participated, supported and worked towards changes in our consumption habits and national and international policies as well. Each World Environment Day is organized around a strong theme based on which all the participating countries organize events and awareness in their place. This theme is usually one that focuses on the most pressing environmental condition happening currently. The first World Environment Day was based on the theme ‘Only One Earth’ while the theme for 2018 is beating plastic pollution. Theme for 2018: Beat Plastic Pollution Plastics have invaded our lives such that we cannot imagine a life without them. Right from containers, bags, chairs, cups, dress packaging, buckets and mugs to straws, lunch boxes, water bottles, milk packets and pencil boxes, everything is made of plastic-either high-quality or low-quality plastic. Although many metropolitan cities in India have come up with strong ideas and strict policies to curb plastic use, we are still far behind in our achievements. Every World Environment Day has a different global host country which selects the theme for the day highlighting the environmental challenges it faces. The host for 2018 is our Mother India and the theme chosen cannot be more appropriate than the current one. Plastic is invaluable to humans, but we have become solely/over-reliant on single-use or disposable plastic which affect environment severely. The facts below will surely motivate any person to become less-dependent on plastics and move over to other reliable replacements (the process is hard, but the results are worthy!):
Host of 2018 World Environment Day-India By the time Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowls an over in a cricket match, four full trucks of garbage are dumped into the ocean! Host of 2018, India, has a deep-rooted belief of co-existing with nature. Ayurveda, a system of medicine based on nature and its regenerating forces, has its historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The Government of India has plans to celebrate this World Environment Day through a series of nature-based engaging activities and events to create strong public interest and participation. Plastic clean-up drives in public areas, national reserves and forests along with beach clean-up activities are planned throughout the nation. Environment: A Bigger Perspective A healthy environment is the basis for human life. It provides us with all essentials needed to survive and thrive in this world. Drinking water, energy, livable climate, food, clean air and natural beauty are the basic necessities to lead a life worth living. Peanut Turtle: A Lesson for a Lifetime None would forget the misery of the little Peanut turtle that became jailed under the plastic ring of a six-pack holder due to the irresponsibility of some individual who failed to dispose it effectively. More than a decade after being a hostage to the plastic ring, the turtle was rescued but will never fully recover from her deformity. But, she continues to live as an educator to people of this world, a role which not many turtles are privileged of! A brewery in United States started creating completely edible six-pack rings made of barley and wheat ribbons. These rings are 100% biodegradable and edible which would never harm a marine animal that comes across it. Edible Cutlery How about using a spoon to eat food and then eating the spoon itself? This is not a joke, but a reality proved by Bakeys in India who made the world’s first edible spoons. The spoons are made using sorghum, rice and wheat flour and kneaded using hot water. They are 100% vegan, 100% natural and 100% biodegradable. Read more on sorghum and other such whole grains at www.firsteatright.com. Biodegradable Bags Researchers at Egypt are keen on discovering a replacement for plastic bags which is a pressing problem in the country. They are working on a polymer that can be made into grocery bags. This polymer is procured from the organic compound chitin, present in the shells of sea creatures such as shrimps, lobsters and crabs. A motorcycle driver in Indonesia created an edible plastic bag made of cassava starch, vegetable oil and organic resins. While it might seem impossible to eradicate the use of plastic from our world, people around the planet are taking every step possible to bring about alternatives that are feasible, economical and environment-friendly. If we don’t take the right step now, by 2050 we would be living in a world where there would be more plastic than fish in terms of weight in the world’s oceans (World Economic Forum). The last two decades have witnessed companies and researchers trying their hands on various biodegradable and compostable plastic substitutes that would not harm the nature when they are accidentally released into the ocean, streets or anywhere in the world. There are so many things that we can do from our side to embrace this special day and make the world a better place to live by avoiding plastic use. Try following the below-given suggestions:
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