Month: July 2016

Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga

Health benefits of Yoga go far and beyond improving flexibility. This article will help you know hidden benefits of Yoga along with the recommended poses which you might have been unaware of.

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1. Boost Immunity – There are various studies that say practicing yoga results in changes in gene expression which improves immunity at a cellular level. Yoga helps improve your overall health as you breathe better, move better and your circulation improves.

Strike a pose: Sun salutations (Surya Namaskar)

4_12. Ease Migraines – People with migraines have experienced fewer and less painful migraines after practicing Yoga. Yoga is considered as a natural way to fight against migraines with no side-effects. Practicing yoga for a few minutes every day will help you prepare better for the next migraine attack.

Strike a pose: Bridge Pose

4_23. Boost Sexual Performance – A recent study shows 12 weeks of yoga practice can improve sexual desire, arousal, performance, confidence, orgasm and satisfaction for both men and women. Yoga enhances your physical fitness by increasing blood flow to the genital area.

Strike a pose: Bound Angle Pose

4_34. Sleep Better – Yoga can significantly improve your sleep quality and help people with insomnia to sleep better. Yoga helps people to deal with stress and provides mental relief to get sleep.

Strike a pose: Corpse Pose (Savasana)

4_45. Fight Food Cravings – Regular Yoga practice is associated with mindful eating. It keeps you mentally aware of physical and emotional sensations associated with binge eating. It strengthens the mind-body connection which helps you to keep food cravings away.

Strike a pose: Meditation

Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga

5 Fun Ways to Improve Mental Health

Most of us are too focussed on our physical health to pay any attention to our mental health. And this results in high-stress levels, depression, and even anxiety. In this article, we will give you ideas for building a strong mental foundation which will help you relieve your stress levels and anxiety. What’s more exciting is that these activities are inexpensive and a fun way to maintain your mental health.

Most of us are too focussed on our physical health to pay any attention to our mental health. And this results in high-stress levels, depression, and even anxiety. In this article, we will give you ideas for building a strong mental foundation which will help you relieve your stress levels and anxiety. What’s more exciting is that these activities are inexpensive and a fun way to maintain your mental health.

  1. Let your coloring books fly off the shelves – We may have left our coloring books in the past, but let us remind ourselves about the joy they gave us. As we are overworked and over stimulated every day, coloring books can actually give us immense joy and take us back to the times of carefree childhood. It allows our mind to get off negative thoughts and move towards pleasant colors and beautiful shapes.
  1. Brain games – Challenge your brain with brain games. Games like Sudoku are known to stimulate synapses, improve memory and reduce stress. If you don’t prefer Sudoku, you have other options like crosswords, masterminds, and video games.
  1. Feel good with massage therapy – Most of us are huge fans of massages and regularly take time out for massages. According to some studies, massages have shown to decrease feelings of anxiety and stress and can restore your body to its healthy state. Moreover, massage can help in overcoming troubled sleep and even insomnia.
  1. Aromatherapy – You might not want to believe it, but a pleasant odor is helpful in reducing stress and improving one’s ability to sleep. Studies have shown a positive result on whether our mood gets altered for better or worse because of certain scents.
  1. Plants at your home – Trust us, you will forget about stress when you will get your hands dirty in the soil.  This is because of the fact that exposure to sunlight increases serotonin hormone in the brain, which is responsible for improving our mood. That’s why gardening is a favorite stress management activity of many.

Did any of the above activities excite you? We would love to hear if you have any other suggestion. Don’t be too harsh on your mental health and take out some time for the things you enjoy the most.

Common Health Issues Ignored By Men

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Check out some health issues that men usually encounter and should definitely go for a health check-up if they see any of these symptoms:

  1. Chest pain – Most of the times we associate chest pain with heart attack, but there may be several other issues that share this symptom. For instance, pneumonia and asthma are also linked with constant chest pain. Moreover, there are conditions, such as acid reflux or stomach ulcer, which cause severe chest pain. One should immediately consult his doctor for the proper course of action.
  1. Breathlessness – A lot of men complain of breathlessness which is an indication of serious health concerns related to the cardiovascular system. It is also a symptom of lung diseases, such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary  disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma or pulmonary hypertension.
  1. Fatigue – Men often complain of lack of energy and motivation (both physical and mental or both) on a regular basis.  Though it is mainly a symptom and not a disease, it shouldn’t be ignored as it is linked to serious physical and psychological health conditions. Congestive heart failure, liver disease, arthritis, anemia, diabetes are some of them.
  1. Depression – As men undergo a lot of stress, fulfilling expectations from their family and society, this makes them more prone to depression. It may cause them to become withdrawn or to feel irritable, aggressive or hostile. Clinical depression is linked to mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social phobia and anxiety.
  1. Memory loss – Forgetfulness indicates serious health issues like Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors, brain damage or inflammation, etc. Studies show that men are more likely to develop age-related cognitive impairments that often cause memory loss.
  1. Urinary crisis – Just like women, men also undergo genital issues which they largely ignore. Having trouble while urinating or observing blood in the urine can be a serious concern as it is linked to kidney and lung disorders. Bloody urine is a noted symptom of prostate cancer, kidney stone, and inflammation of the bladder.

So, dear men, if you have any of these symptoms or issues, you are advised to schedule a health check today. If you are ignoring your health constantly, this may lead to further complications and affect your life adversely.

 

Tips To Combat Stress and Anxiety

There have been times when you have faced situations which increase your stress levels, anxiety and tension. And at times, you don’t have any clue how to calm yourself down. Read on to know ways on how you can fight such stressful situations.

Tips To Combat Stress and Anxiety

  1. Listen to music – Take a break from your routine life and listen to some soothing music of your choice. Even better if you know how to play an instrument. It will have a positive effect on your mind, lower your blood pressure and reduce cortisol, a hormone linked to stress.
  1. Call a friend – Pick up your phone and just call a friend. You can discuss things bothering you if you want to. For a healthy lifestyle, good relationships with friends and loved ones are very important. A reassuring voice can put everything in perspective.
  1. Laugh it off – Watch funny videos or read some jokes or how about practicing laughter yoga? It is helpful because laughter releases endorphins that improve mood and decreases levels of the stress-causing hormone cortisol. It tricks your nervous system into making you happy so that you forget about the stressful situation at least for some time.
  1. Grab a cup of tea or coffee – Sometimes stress results from a lack of sleep and fatigue. Caffeinated drinks prevent your brain from feeling tired and make you feel more alert. Green tea is also a healthy option if you want to calm yourself down.
  1. Breath in, breath out– Relax your mind with the help of some meditation. Cut yourself from your hectic surroundings and spend some quality time alone. It enhances both your physical and mental health. It helps you move away from negative thoughts and increase self-awareness.
  1. Get moving – Exercising even for a minute has a positive effect on your body. Sweating boosts endorphins and can improve your mood instantly. When in office, take a break for a short walk or do simple stretching at your desk.

7 Surprising Facts About The Human Heart

Guess who is the most hard-working organ in our body? We are talking about that organ which keeps pumping blood throughout our body and may even play a role in the matter of love! It’s our Heart ladies and gentlemen and it has no holidays.

7 Surprising Facts About The Human Heart

  1. Our Heart is a pump: Well, not just a pump, but a super pump. Each organ of our body requires oxygen to survive. The heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to every organ of our body. Every day our heart beats about 1,00,000 times and pumps 2,000 gallons of blood to almost all of the body’s 75 trillion cells, except for the corneas in our eyes.
  1. Men and women’s hearts are different: There are subtle differences between the appearance of a man’s and a woman’s heart. An average man’s heart weighs 10 ounces while a woman’s heart weighs 8 ounces. However, a woman’s heart beats slightly faster than a man’s heart. The average heart rate of a man is 70 beats/minute, and that of a woman is 78 beats/minute.
  1. Our heart is not red: Despite the fact that we have known for years that a heart is of red color, it really isn’t red at all. The blood our heart pumps is red of course, but our heart itself is a little darker and browner than the blood. It is more the color of a colonial brick house. Furthermore, due to the abundant deposition of fat around the surface of the heart, our heart appears to look yellow.
  1. Our heart is not on the left side of our chest: Most of us think that our heart is on the left side of our chest. But the truth is that the heart is located between our right and left lung. However, it is slightly tilted towards the left. That’s why our left lung is slightly smaller than our right lung to make room for our heart.
  1. A bigger heart is not a better heart: Though a person with a big heart is considered admirable, but isn’t healthy. An enlarged heart can be dangerous since it’s weak and out of shape. When you have an enlarged heart, our body starts to retain fluid, our lungs get congested and our heart begins to beat irregularly. An average healthy heart weighs less than one pound and is roughly the size of our clenched fist.
  1. Our heart will continue to beat even if it’s removed from our body: If you have seen Indiana Jones movie ‘Temple of Doom’, it shows a heart continues to beat even after it has been ripped out from the chest. It is possible that our heart continues to beat even if it is removed from our body because it has its own electrical system that causes our heart to beat. And it will continue to do so as long as it receives oxygen even after getting separated from the body.
  1. You can have a heart attack without chest pain: The classic symptoms of coronary heart attack may include heaviness or tightness in our chest and shortness of breath. But, there are other symptoms of the heart attack which including fatigue, sweating, nausea, palpitation and neck or arm pain. People with any disease, particularly diabetes, may have no symptoms at all and a heart attack in this situation is called the silent heart attack.

 

7 Secrets to a Healthier Smile

A Smile is the first impression a person sees when they meet someone. Besides that, it also shows how friendly the person is and his/her confidence level. When you smile, your teeth get the maximum attention, so keeping them healthy is very important and great for your overall oral hygiene.

7 Secrets to a Healthier Smile

So, here are some tips for good oral health:

  1. Regular visits to a dentist – Though it is essential to visit a dentist twice a year, it is recommended that adults should see a dentist after every 90 days. It is because the bacteria that get cleaned out during a check up can re-colonized after 3 months. It might hurt your pocket, but it’s totally worth it.
  1. Delaying checkups until absolutely necessary – Most dental issues are usually asymptomatic with no pain in the initial phase, but in the later stages, the pain along with other symptoms increases rapidly. Dental issues like Cavities and gum disease are painless in the initial stages, but become painful over a short period of time. Therefore, it is advised not to wait until the last moment, but instead visit your dentist on a regular basis.
  1. Get whiter teeth through your diet – If you are a red wine or black tea drinker or smoke regularly, then don’t expect your teeth to be pearly white. Other culprits for pale teeth are colas, gravies and dark juices. The bottom line is that foods which are dark in color may stain your teeth and cause their color to fade. Brush immediately or eat an apple for a convenient tooth-cleaning action.
  1. Chuck your toothbrush – Replace your toothbrush after every 2-3 months. Choose a soft bristle toothbrush as it is recommended by most dentists. Maintain a habit of brushing twice a day, first when you get out of the bed and before you get into bed at night.
  1. Clean your tongue – We encounter so many people with bad breath on a daily basis and it’s very embarrassing. One major cause of bad breath is the build of bacteria on your tongue. So, to freshen your breath and to remove tongue plaque, use a tongue scraper every morning. It’s even more effective than brushing your tongue with a toothbrush.
  1. Gargle with apple cider vinegar – Do this every morning before brushing your teeth. It will help in removing stains from the teeth and kill the bacteria in your mouth and gums.
  1. Brush your teeth with baking soda once a week – Brushing your teeth with baking soda once every week will help remove stains and whiten your teeth. Use it just like you would use your toothpaste. One can also use salt as an alternative to toothpaste.
  1. Stay fresh – Other than regular brushing, use mouthwash to stay fresh any time of the day. You check the freshness of your breath by licking your palm an\d smelling it while it is still wet. If it doesn’t smell good, then it’s time to use the mouthwash! Make sure you choose an alcohol-free mouthwash since too much alcohol in your mouthwash can dry out the tissues in your mouth, making them more susceptible to the bacteria.

Don’t let your smile fade away. Keep these things in mind while taking care of your oral health.