Juggling Boosts Brain Development And Prevents Dementia

Posted on October 4, 2022 by admin

Many of us juggle tasks every day. As a mother of 3 teenage girls, I juggle house tasks, work-related tasks, and tasks of caring for my daughters every single day.

Did you know that juggling is a great exercise for your brain? But it is not juggling with daily tasks that help boost our brain development, rather, the juggling of objects like balls!

Juggling is scientifically proven to increase gray matter and help strengthen your brain cells’ connections. It can even help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s. Juggling is an exercise for your brain muscles. It’s part of a brain-building process that helps your brain fight the injury and infection that may lead to dementia.

As a total mind body workout, juggling helps to work virtually every upper body muscle from the reaching and throwing motion of juggling as well as bending down and picking up the props you drop.

When you juggle heavier objects or more objects at the same time, you can even build or tone your muscles. Juggling is a fantastic exercise for your brain as you focus on multiple objects in the air and the pattern as a whole all at the same time. This works both sides of the brain as objects are continuously crossing between the left and right sides of your body.

Many people fail to realize that exercising their brain is not something that they need to do. However, our brain is like a muscle and it needs regular exercises or activities that stimulate it in order to sharpen our mind. Failure to do this may result in our brain losing its efficacy, just like any other muscle in our body.

World renowned juggler and performer David Ferman once struggled with ADHD as a child. When he started juggling, his parents noticed that his attention span had increased and he was able to sit still for extended periods of time. David has appeared in the finals of the popular TV program, America’s Got Talent, and has won multiple medals in juggling competitions.

Research shows that learning to juggle accelerates the growth of neural connections related to memory, focus, movement, and vision. The beneficial changes persist even after weeks without practice. However, after three months of no practice, it was discovered that the participants who learned to juggle lost their gained brain power and the enhanced brain regions decreased in size.

Thus, in order to see continuous improvement in brain power, you should consistently juggle. Just like physical exercise where you have to train regularly in order to feel the health benefits, juggling should also be a continuous effort in order for you to reap the brain health benefits.

Since juggling on a regular basis has been shown to improve brain density in gray matter, more and more people are turning to juggling recreationally to help stave off dementia, as well as alleviate the symptoms of ADHD, dyslexia, and autism. Gray matter is the part of the brain that does all the calculations and computations, and by increasing the density of the gray matter in your brain, your brain will be able to perform more efficiently, just like upgrading the central processing unit (CPU) of your computer.

After you’re done reading this article, go buy 3 oranges or juggling balls and juggle away to keep your brain mentally sharp always!

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) In Managing Weight Loss

Posted on August 23, 2022 by admin

What is NEAT?

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sports-like exercise activity, sleeping, or eating. It ranges from the energy expended in walking to work, typing, standing, performing house chores, undertaking agricultural tasks, and even fidgeting. Even trivial physical activities like walking to the toilet or swinging your arms increase metabolic rate substantially and it is the cumulative impact of a multitude of exothermic actions that culminate in an individual’s daily NEAT.

An Ergotron height-adjustable sit-stand workstation.

Having a desk that allows you to go from sitting to standing at your work place is a great way to increase NEAT and burn more calories.

‘NEAT exercise’ can have a huge impact on hitting your weight loss goals with very little effort, but it’s easy to get confused. Contrary to popular belief, it’s nothing to do with rolling up your gym mat at the end of a workout and being neat, but much more to do with getting active throughout the day, every single day. From mopping the floor to swinging your arms at your desk, NEAT exercise refers to a lot of different things.

Walking exercise in the evening, seeing the orange light of the sun fresh air

More more every day to increase your NEAT.

Examples of NEAT

Those trips to the pantry, walking over to talk to your colleague instead of intercom all count as part of your NEAT.

Examples of NEAT include:

1. Performing house chores (more motivation for you to keep your house clean and neat!)
2. Washing the car
3. Fidgeting (swinging your arms, stretching your legs)
4. Walking the stairs
5. Walking the dog
6. Grocery shopping
7. Gardening
8. Playing with children or pets
9. Using a standing desk at work
10. Change your posture often throughout the day
11. Sit on an exercise ball or fit ball at your desk
12. Perform balance training while brushing your teeth
13. Washing your car

Doing house chores like mopping, sweeping and vacuuming is a great way to increase NEAT.

Why is NEAT Important?
It is important and beneficial to incorporate NEAT into your daily routine as it can account for a significant portion of your total energy expenditure – the number of calories you burn in a day.

High-effect NEAT movements could result in up to an extra 2000 kcal of expenditure per day beyond the basal metabolic rate, depending on body weight and level of activity. Implementing NEAT during leisure-time and occupational activities could be essential to maintaining a negative energy balance.

NEAT can be applied by being upright, ambulating, and redesigning workplace and leisure-time environments to promote NEAT. For example, you could use a standing desk at your workplace, have a 5-minute walk around the office or do quick stretching exercises for every one hour of sitting.

The benefits of NEAT include not only the extra calories expended (thus helps in losing weight) but also reduces the occurrence of metabolic syndrome, reduces chronic diseases, cardiovascular events, and all-cause mortality.

If you have been sedentary and therefore have lower NEAT levels, you’re at a higher risk of obesity and other long term health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers.

Being sedentary may contribute to poorer long term health regardless of weight. This means even if you are not considered to be overweight but your NEAT is low, you are still at an increased risk.

NEAT could be a critical component in how we maintain our body weight and/or develop obesity or lose weight.

A consistent calorie deficit is one of the most important rules to losing excess weight and body fat. One of the ways to help get this balance right is by increasing the amount you’re moving each day, through NEAT. Of course you still have to eat healthy, have controlled food portion and eat at the right time to synergize the weight loss effects.

Even if you exercise half an hour a day but are sedentary for the rest of the day, you are still considered sedentary. Exercise does not make up for long periods of sedentary behavior. There is a lot of research on the effects of a sedentary lifestyle on health, some even claim Sitting Is The New Smoking. Thus, incorporating NEAT into your routine throughout the day, every day is a great way to control and maintain a healthy weight, as well as to prevent diseases.

Conclusion

NEAT is a great way to control and maintain a healthy weight, in addition to staying healthy and keeping those aches and pains at bay.

Whether you’re a newbie to exercise or exercise regularly, getting your non-exercise activity in line can be a great first step to staying fit, slim, happy and healthy.

Health Benefits Of Walking 10,000 Steps A Day

Posted on August 1, 2020 by admin

I have been wearing a Fitbit fitness tracker watch for more than 3 years now but it’s only during the Covid-19 lockdown that I actually started to track my steps closely, making sure that I hit at least 8,000 steps a day during my shelter-in-place.

On most days, I clock in an average of 12,000 – 13,000 steps a day. On days that I don’t exercise, I hit an average of 8,000 -9,000 steps. On some days, I hit more than 16,000 steps and these are the days that I have the time to run for an hour at the park.

Walking 10,000 steps a day has become a popular fitness goal. But does taking 10,000 steps a day really have anything to do with good health? Of course it does!

The surprising truth is that the 10,000 number originally appeared in the 1960s when a Japanese company started selling pedometers called manpo-kei, which literally translates to “10,000-step meter.” Later, studies confirmed that people who take 10,000 steps have lower blood pressure, more stable glucose levels and better moods. The number quickly caught on. More recently, some researchers have suggested 15,000 steps might be even better.

Research has unanimously concluded that the more light activities you can do in a day, the better. Taking more steps means you’re spending less time being sedentary, which is better for your health.

Here are just a few of the health benefits you’ll experience once you start to clock in more steps in a day.

1. It will strengthen your lungs.
2. It will boost your heart health.
3. You could walk off your body fat.
4. It boosts your mood and battles the effects of depression.
5. Slows mental decline.
6. Gives you time to think and do some soul searching. You could also pray when you walk. Daily walking can act as a form of meditation. It gives you time to mull over ideas and find solutions to problems.
7. It improves your concentration.
8. It strengthens your bones.
9. Walking 10,000 steps a day builds muscle.
10. It helps stabilize your blood sugar.
11. Once you form the habit, it is easy to turn it into a lifestyle change.
12. It helps you sleep faster and better.

The broader point

For many, 10,000 steps is a reasonable target because it’s ambitious but attainable. However, depending on your lifestyle, 10,000 may seem impossible to achieve. If you struggle to reach even 3,000, set a lower goal to start and then work your way up. Track your steps for a week or two and see what you average. Then set a goal that is ambitious but that with a little additional effort, you can achieve. Once you start reaching your goal every day, you can work on setting it higher. If you can easily get in 10,000 steps a day, bump it to 11,000 or 12,000. Try 16,000 or 17,000 if you really want to.

As long as you’re pushing yourself to walk more every day, and at a brisk pace, you can be sure you’re doing your mind and body some good. If you’re intent on taking 10,000 a day, make sure at least some are the fast, heart-pumping kind that leave you sweaty and winded. No number of slow steps can replace the benefits of heart-pumping activity. Strength training is important for your muscles and bones, even if it doesn’t help you hit 10,000 steps.

There’s no doubt that walking leads to more calories burned throughout the day. However, without understanding your calorie net caloric balance, walking 10,000 steps, or even 20,000 steps a day might not be enough to cause any meaningful fat loss or improvements to body composition if you do not control food portions and calorie intake.

In order to achieve fat loss, you need to burn more calories than you get from your food. That’s called a caloric deficit. With a caloric deficit by walking 10,000 steps and eating less only can one burn fat and lose weight.

Setting yourself with a step challenge is an easy way for anyone, of any fitness level, to condition themselves to be more active. You may be surprised at how much or how little you actually get up and move during the day.

I have boundless of energy on most days, thus I can exceed my target number of steps each day. I’m thankful to my parents for this DNA as they are also very energetic and active folks. Speaking of DNA, you can get a DNA test Malaysia done that can tell you a lot of information about yourself that you don’t even know!

Benefits of Soaking In The Morning Sun

Posted on May 25, 2020 by admin

Most of us have heard about the harmful effects the sun rays have on our skin when we are overly exposed to it. In the past century, most public health messages have focused on the hazards of over exposure to the sun.

Did you know that not getting enough of natural sunlight can have negative impact on our health as well? The right balance of sun exposure can have lots of mood-lifting benefits and can promote sleep too. Exposure to the Sun’s warm rays at a specific time and in a consistent manner can be beneficial to us. It may heal numerous skin diseases and can also help to boost your mood. Exposure to sun rays also called sunbath therapy has been in use from ancient times due to its disease-fighting properties.

The most widely known benefit of sunlight is its ability to boost the body’s vitamin D supply; most cases of vitamin D deficiency are due to inadequate exposure to the sun. At least 1,000 different genes governing virtually every tissue in the body are now thought to be regulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25[OH]D), the active form of the vitamin, including several involved in calcium metabolism and neuromuscular and immune system functioning.

Although most of the health-promoting benefits of sun exposure are thought to occur through vitamin D photosynthesis, there may be other health benefits that have gone largely overlooked in the debate over how much sun is needed for good health.

Benefits of soaking in the sun

A growing body of scientific research suggests that completely avoiding the sunlight isn’t such a bright idea. Here is why you should soak up some sunshine every day:

1. It elevates mood. Sunlight and darkness trigger the release of hormones in your brain. is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called Serotonin. Also known as ‘Happiness Hormone’, Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm, focused and happy.

2. Helps to improve sleep. The brighter your daylight exposure, the more melatonin you produce at night. Melatonin is a type of hormone that’s produced by the pineal gland in the brain during darkness at night. Also known as the sleep hormone, melatonin has a range of effects on the brain, from improving sleep to synchronizing your biological clocks, and lowering stress reactivity. In addition, the amount of daylight exposure you get is crucial in maintaining a normal circadian rhythm.

3. It promotes bone growth. Vitamin D is a hormone that promotes calcium absorption and is essential for bone growth and formation. Since sunlight is a primary source of Vitamin D, the hormone is also dubbed as ‘the sunshine vitamin’. The Vitamin D found in our body needs activation. The sun helps to convert inactive Vitamin D levels to active levels. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), getting anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes of sunlight on your arms, hands, and face twice or thrice a week is enough to reap the vitamin D-boosting benefits of the sun.

4. It boosts the immune system. Researchers now confirm that our immune cells have receptors for vitamin D, which means that it is needed at optimal levels for the immune system to function well. Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity and an increased susceptibility to infection. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to 18 types of cancer.

Japanese researchers reported that daily supplementation of vitamin D3 reduces the risk of getting influenza A by over 40%. Another study found that people who maintained normal or optimal levels of vitamin D levels developed fewer viral infections, including influenza, and were sick for fewer days than participants with lower levels of vitamin D.

5. It may reduce the risk of melanoma. Safe sun exposure may actually protect you from skin cancer! According to a study published in the Lancet Journal, the skin’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation of short wavelength (UVB) has been associated with a decreased risk of melanoma. The research found that outdoor workers who were exposed to regular sunlight had a lower risk of developing skin cancer compared to their indoor counterparts. Other than that, an adequate amount of sunlight has also been linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers (including colon, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer), suggests a study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal.

6. It promotes weight loss. Latest research reveals that basking in morning sunshine can reduce body fat and help you shed those extra pounds. Fat cells deep under your skin can sense light. And when bodies do not get enough exposure to the right kinds of light, fat cells behave differently. The blue-light spectrum of sunlight, a spectrum that can penetrate the skin, can cause subdermal fat tissue to decrease in size. In other words, it can cause fat loss. Thus, the action of sunlight may help one to stay slim or become slim! As little as 20 to 30 minutes of early morning sun exposure is sufficient for you to lower your Body Mass Index (BMI) and trim your waistline. But of course, one also needs to exercise and follow a healthy and sensible diet to lose weight.

Save Sun Exposure and How Much Sun Exposure Is Needed

As you can see, having healthy levels of vitamin D is crucial in living your healthiest life! However, do practise safe sun exposure protection measures.

Allow 10 to 15 minutes or so of unprotected sun exposure to your arms, legs, abdomen and back several times a week. After that, follow up with good sun protection topical application, like a 30-SPF or higher sunblock.

Choose the right time of day. If your shadow is longer than your body height, you can’t make any vitamin D. Between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. is the usual window for significant sun exposure.

We’ve lived so much of our days under artificial light, which does not provide the full spectrum of the all-natural light we get from the sun. For a start, kick start your morning with a little sunshine vitamin to help jump-start your day in a healthy and happy way with absolutely no cost to your bank account.

Sleep vs Exercise – Which is More Important?

Posted on April 4, 2020 by admin

For someone who is severely sleep deprived, I am often put in a tight spot where I have to ask myself this question “should I sleep in to get the 7 or 8 hours of sleep tomorrow or should I get up early to exercise?”

That’s a terrible decision for me to make. Both sleep and exercise are equally important to me. They are like food and water. Both are key components of a healthy lifestyle and shouldn’t be pitted against each other but I still have to make a tough choice. Most of the time, I have to bitterly choose sleep over exercise. There are times when I chose exercise over sleep and eventually felt lethargic and sickly throughout the day, especially on those days when I only had 5 hours of sleep.

Sleep is important for workouts reducing the risk of injury and allowing muscles to recover from exercise. When I don’t have sufficient sleep, I lack the stamina to run and feel crappy the entire day. Lack of sleep weakens the immune system, making people more likely to become sick — which means missing workouts.

Sacrificing sleep has also been tied to weight gain, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, among other health problems. Of course, regular exercise provides a lot of benefits, too, including sounder sleep.

Desiree Ahrens, a certified health and wellness coach at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said that for the time-starved, there are ways to sneak exercise into the day without heading to the gym or a formal exercise class. I can’t agree more on this. On days when I have to skip exercise, I try to walk and move more throughout the day. For instance, I park my car further away from where I am headed to so that I can hit more steps in a day and at the same time, soak in some sunlight and Vitamin D. At home, I will engage myself in more chores like mopping, spring cleaning or simply walking up the stairs to my unit on the fifth floor.

Workouts can also be broken down into small chunks of activity throughout the day. We just have to be a little more creative with the workouts. Whenever I have an extra 10-15 minutes at home, I try to do some stretching and lower abdomen exercises.

Sleep is the base on which a healthy mind and body stand. From our immune function to our mood, energy, appetite and dozens of other health variables. If that base is wobbly, our health will suffer.

Making time for sleep and exercise can come down to cutting out activities that aren’t as important. Almost everyone could forgo 30 minutes a day of internet or TV time. Work can wait too.

At the end of the day, we have to use common sense when striking a balance between getting enough sleep and getting up for a morning workout. Do what makes you feel good and happy. The key is not to stress yourself out and to ultimately achieve good physical and emotional health.

Circadian Rhythm Intermittent Fasting

Posted on November 19, 2019 by admin

I’ve been practising intermittent fasting based on my circadian rhythm for almost a year now. On most days, I have a 12-hour fast. On some days, it’s only 10 hours of fast. At our home, the kids and I eat our dinner very early. On some days, we have our dinner at 4 p.m. when the two older girls are back from school. On other days, we have our dinner at 5ish p.m and other days latest by 7 p.m. With a circadian rhythm fast, I don’t need to torture myself with not eating during my waking hours. We stop eating by 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. and from that time until the next morning, we only drink plain water. This is safe for bigger kids with no health issues. My 3 daughters aged 11 years old, 14 years old and 16 years old are practising circadian rhythm intermittent fasting as well. And the most surprising thing is that they do not complain of feeling hungry anymore when they wake up in the morning. In view of their dinner time (between 4 – 7 p.m.) and recess time in school the next day (at 10 a.m.), my eldest and youngest daughters have more than 12 hours of fasting during school days.

During the building phase or the time when I’m allowed to eat, I eat what I want, in small portions, keeping to a low-carb low-sugar diet. When it comes to food, less is more. You don’t need to eat a lot even if you’re eating healthy food. Eating too much of anything, whether it’s fruits, nuts and seeds will still have negative consequences. If you’re not hungry, don’t eat. It’s pretty simple.

By aligning your food with your circadian rhythm, you can help maximize weight loss, energy, get better skin, get rejuvenated and see overall better health. And it’s proven. I now wake up at 4:30 a.m. on school days without the zombified feeling like I used to, though I only get 5 or 6 hours of sleep. And I have the energy to exercise an hour a day from 6:30 am till 7:30 am and then keep myself busy with house chores, chauffeuring, running errands, computer work and much more.

When it comes to eating healthy, most people talk about what’s on their plate, but not what’s on the clock. The latest science is showing that when we eat is as important as what we eat. That’s because our metabolism actually changes throughout the day because of our circadian rhythm (your body’s clock, which tells your body to do the right thing at the right time).

Eating out of sync with your circadian rhythm can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, being overweight and even cancer. But by aligning your food with your circadian rhythm, you can help maximize weight loss, energy and overall health.

How do you do it?

It all starts with the sun, which is what sets our circadian rhythm. That rhythm expects us to eat during the day when the sun is shining (because for long periods in past history we also didn’t have electricity and light bulbs) and fast during the night. In fact, some fascinating research has found that calories eaten in the morning might not actually count as much as those eaten at night. Human studies have shown that in dieters, people who eat most of their calories before 3 p.m. tend to lose more weight than people who eat most of their calories later.

Eat with the sun

Most of us typically eat over a 15-hour window. Instead, eat only when the sun is up, since this is when your body wants you to eat. Ideally, that’s 12 hours between your last meal of the day and the first of the next day. This is a form of intermittent fasting, which appears to have important health benefits for longevity. If you can stretch this “fasting” window out to 14 or 16 hours, that’s even better. Since you’re asleep for most of it, it’s actually not that hard.

Daylight Savings food craft on kixcereal.com

How can simply changing the times when you eat have such dramatic health benefits? According to new research, the secret lies in the effects of Intermittent Fasting (IF) and Time Restricted Feeding (TRF) on the body’s internal clocks.

Recently, IF as well as TRF have emerged as potential strategies for avoiding major dietary changes while achieving strong effects not just for one diseases risk factor but for an array of factors that constitutes the foundation for metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and possibly neurodegenerative diseases.

To see results in IF and TRF, there must be consistency in the time that it’s being carried out. Do not keep changing the frequency and time of the IF and TRF. If you start at 6 p.m., stick to 6 p.m. and not have different times each day. Our biological clock aligns with nature – sunset and sunrise. Try to practise this for 5 days a week. You can have a break during the weekend, if you wish.

Jump start your health by embracing this simple 12-hour fast based on your circadian rhythm. The number of fasting hours can be gradually increased to 13, 14, 15 and 16 hours based on how well your body copes. If you are not hungry, extend the fast. You don’t have to follow what other people are doing and stress yourself out. Every body is different. Stick to a number that your body feels comfortable with. On days that you use more brain power and energy, you can shorten the fast. On days that you are more sedentary, increase the fasting hours. Keep it simple. It’s not a game or a competition. Listen to your body and follow an IF and TRF based on your own lifestyle. Do not compare with what other people are doing and make yourself miserable.

IF and TRF help tremendously with your digestive system and repair your cells more effectively. Our human body is not designed to break down food after 7 p.m.

IF and TRF are not an excuse to practise an unhealthy lifestyle. It does not mean that if you fast, you can binge, drink alcohol excessively and eat junk food. IF and TRF won’t work if you have an unhealthy lifestyle. Fasting for longer hours of time to make up for your bad lifestyle does not work. You may stress your body even more.

Fasting is essential for everyone for better health. If you’re new to IF and TRF, start with 10 hours based on your circadian rhythm and gradually increase the numbers. Listen to your body. Have your dinner by sunset and break your fast at sun rise. Break your fast with water, fruits or dates followed by a simple breakfast.

Give this a try for a week and see how you feel — the results may surprise you!

Why You Should Have Early Dinners

Posted on October 23, 2019 by admin

I’m a firm believer of having early dinners and hardly ever indulge in suppers. Our current dinner time is very early as two of my children are back from school at 4 p.m. Instead of giving them the opportunity to have snacks and then only have dinner at 7-ish p.m., I make sure that by the time they are home at 4 p.m., home-cooked dinner is ready on the dining table. Thus, I have my dinner at 4 p.m. as well, on most days. On other days, we have our dinner before 7 p.m. By bedtime around 10:30 p.m., my tummy would already feel empty but I am fine with it and only have my first meal of apple cider vinegar with raw honey and psyllium husk at around 5 or 6 a.m. the next day. That’s a 12-hour fast I have here.

Having your last meal of the day early (at least 4-5 hours before bedtime) and only eating your first meal of the day at least 12 hours apart is a form of intermittent fasting, aka time-restricted feeding.

Intermittent fasting involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time, before eating regularly again. Some studies suggest that this way of eating may offer benefits such as fat loss, better overall health, and increased longevity. Proponents claim that an intermittent fasting program is easier to maintain than traditional, calorie-controlled diets.

The easiest way to do the 12-hour fast is to include the period of sleep in the fasting window. It works pretty well for me.

Align your eating routine with your circadian rhythm, eating during the day and fasting at night. This will be different for each person, but generally it just means that you stop eating after dinner around 5 to 7 p.m. and you begin eating again at breakfast between 5 to 7 a.m. Simple as that!

If you sleep just after having dinner or don’t eat it early, you risk having health issues in the long run. Heartburn, acidity, gas, weight gain and other digestive problems could be a consequence as the digestive track fails to work its best. Most problems can be fixed with an early and light dinner.

Studies typically have shown that when calories get consumed later at night, the body tends to store them as fat rather than burn them as energy. Some studies done with animals found that food is processed by the body in different ways depending on what time of day it’s consumed. This might be because of physical activity, hormone levels, changes in body temperature, biochemical reactions and absorption and digestion of food

If you’re trying to lose weight, you may want to consider eating dinner very early or making a late lunch your last meal of the day.

In a 2018 study, researchers found that meal timing has an impact on human metabolism. They studied a small group of people carrying extra weight and found that those who ate their last meal by mid-afternoon had reduced daily hunger swings and increased fat burning at night.

In another research, eating dinner earlier in the day could help lower your risk of developing cancer.

Benefits of eating dinner early:
1. Better weight control
2. Better digestion
3. Ensures better sleep
4. May reduce risk of cancer
5. Good for heart health
6. Better overall health

Having my dinner early and having only a light one make me feel better and healthier. I used to have an uncomfortable feeling in my tummy after having a heavy dinner in the evening. I’ve never felt better with a better digestive system ever since I started making dinner the lightest meal of the day and eating at least 4 hours before bedtime.

It’s all about taking the effort to make a change in your lifestyle. If you work late, you can have light snacks like sandwiches at your desk or grab a quick bite after an evening meeting. My staple in the office pantry used to be sprouted wheat bread, peanut butter or cheese, which will be my go-to quick dinner whenever I needed to work late.

Start eating a healthy and light dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime for a week and see for yourself the positive changes it would bring to your health, physically and mentally!

Tips To Stay Fit and Trim During The Festive and Holidays Season

Posted on December 20, 2018 by admin

There’s something about the Christmas season that has the unique ability to scupper your best-laid fitness and diet plans. We all have gone through it.

It is a busy time of the year for us. Many of us will be on a holiday and celebrating the festivities. During this time of the year, it seems that the only thing we do is binging from breakfast to lunch, dinner and supper with friends and loved ones. And our exercise regimen is thrown out of the window. This does, however, affect our health.

keeping-fit-festive-Measureing waistline

With all the mince pies, chunks of meat, boxes of chocolate, desserts and pigs-in-blankets about, Christmas isn’t always so kind on our waistlines and hips. So I have pulled together some tried and tested tips for keeping fit and trim over the festive season.

Watch out on portion size
It isn’t always what you eat, but how much of it that can keep you from staying healthy over the holidays. It really just comes down to being sensible about your portions. An easy way to reduce your portion sizes is to use a smaller plate. If there is less room on the plate, you’ll be eating less food overall.

Eat slowly
Eat slowly and enjoy the company of others while dining, which will give you something else to focus on besides food.

Avoid second helpings
Never go back for seconds no matter how sumptuous the buffet is! Chances are you’ll be stuffed to your neck if you do second helpings.

Do not stock up on unhealthy foods
In order to keep yourself from overindulging in unhealthy foods at home, avoid buying unhealthy snacks and foods that you know you can’t avoid like chips and candies.

Eat before heading out
Eat something healthy and light before heading out to visits, trips or family dinners. By doing so, you will no longer be tempted to eat a lot or overindulge yourself since you are already half full. I like to snack on some fruits, nuts or eat a bowl of oatmeal before heading out for a celebration lunch or dinner with friends.

Avoid skipping meals
Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast! Even though it can be tempting to skip on certain meals, believing that it will make up for the treats you consumed in the previous day, don’t do it because it will only lead to overeating in the next meal and counterproductive results.

Be active
Even though it’s the holidays, you should still stick to your regular fitness routine whenever possible and if you can’t do that, simply walk more, park your car some distance away from the store or just use the stairs.

Drink more water
This can satiate your appetite as well as keep you hydrated at all times. And it will also prevent a possible hangover if you overdo it with alcohol. Good choices of drinks are plain water, lemon juice, green tea and herbal teas without sugar.

Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet
During this season, most of the foods that we eat tend to be laden with fat, oil, carbs and calories. Do not forget to incorporate more fiber like fruits, vegetables and nuts to your diet.

We all go a little overboard this time of year, but I think a little indulgence shouldn’t be the end of your weight loss journey. Do not be too hard on yourself. No-one can fully enjoy their holidays if they have an inner voice pestering them, so take the time to relax a little and enjoy yourself. If you slip up, do not beat yourself to it. Just continue with healthy choices afterwards. Enjoy the treats and celebrate the holiday.

If you will just try following my tips, believe me, you can still stay fit and trim and not gain a pound after all the festivities and celebration.

Regular Physical Activity To Lose Weight

Posted on November 12, 2018 by admin

Regular physical activity is important for good health, and it’s especially important if you’re trying to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight.

In order to lose fat, some degree of aerobic and cardio work need to be done. However, the type of aerobic and cardio work needed for fat loss is a subject open to much debate. Aerobic activities (typically done at a moderate intensity, although higher intensity aerobics has been shown burn more calories) constitute any form of exercise that is repetitive, long, and hard enough to challenge the heart and lungs to use oxygen as a fuel source to sustain the body over a longer period (15 to 20 minutes or longer).

Aerobic exercise is any physical activity that makes you sweat, causes you to breathe harder, and gets your heart beating faster than at rest. It strengthens your heart and lungs and trains your cardiovascular system to manage and deliver oxygen more quickly and efficiently throughout your body. Aerobic exercise uses your large muscle groups, is rhythmic in nature, and can be maintained continuously for at least 10 minutes.

Aerobic exercise and cardio exercise are the same thing. Both terms refer to exercise that achieves the identical results: improved fitness by increasing both your oxygen intake and heart rate. When you increase your respiratory rate by moving the large muscles of the body, your heart pumps harder and faster. “Cardio” and “aerobic” are synonymous with the concept of endurance exercise.

Intensity is paramount. As intensity rises, more calories get burned. That’s why high-intensity interval workouts are a great choice for getting shredded while maintaining (or even gaining) muscle.

Running and jogging builds stamina.

Aerobic exercises get your heart rate up and large muscle groups working, make you sweat and help you burn more calories, leading to weight loss. Whether you want to shed a few kilos, burn belly fat, or reduce your risks of heart disease and many other health conditions like diabetes and cancer, including cardio workouts in your fitness regime can be beneficial in the long run.

There are plenty of choices for aerobic activity – indoors and outdoors. Moreover, aerobic workouts are easy to do and some are equipment-free. My personal favorite aerobic activities are jumping jacks, frog jumps, skipping, jumping (on trampoline) and running.

Getting your daily dose of exercise can be as easy as taking a walk around your neighbourhood or going for a jog with your loved ones. Research suggests that regular aerobic exercise is the best way to get rid of that unhealthy belly fat.

Here are five cardio exercises that can aid weight loss and help you stay in shape within a short time. Regular cardio workouts will help you lose weight and keep it off.

Brisk walking
Running
Cycling
Swimming
Dancing

Dancing can help you lose weight and keep it off

Physical activity such as walking, jogging, indoor cycling, or aerobic dancing are all examples of aerobic exercise that strengthen the heart and lungs, therefore improving your body’s utilization of oxygen. For general health, aim for a 30-minute workout (or three 10-minute workouts per day) three to five days a week at moderate intensity. Moderate intensity refers to an activity that will increase your breathing and get your heart beating fast. You should be able to talk with ease during moderate intensity workouts, though trying to sing would be more challenging.

For weight loss, gradually work up to 45 minutes or longer at moderate to vigorous intensity five to six days a week, allowing for at least one day of rest a week. Vigorous intensity refers to an activity that will have your heart beating quite a bit more than moderate intensity workouts, and your breathing will be harder so saying more than a few words will be difficult.

This said, staying away from high carbs, processed and sugary foods is just as important as exercising if you are on a weight-loss plan.

Effects Of Swimming In Chlorine Water

Posted on September 19, 2018 by admin

Swimming is an excellent way to stay active and fit, but if your pool doesn’t have a saline, ozone, or a structured water filter, then you’re going to be stuck swimming in chlorine. Chlorine and bromine are added to swimming pools to kill bacteria and germs, oxidizes organic debris from perspiration and body oils, and fights algae. But chlorine also creates side effects, such as red eyes, dry skin and hair, and a strong odor.

Swimming without chlorine and bromine could be like swimming in a petri dish, exposing people to all sorts of potentially nasty microbes, experts say. The immediate benefits of disinfection far outweigh any potential long-term exposure risks, according to Lindsay Blackstock, a doctoral student in analytical and environmental toxicology at the University of Alberta in Canada via email. Ms. Blackstock co-authored a paper showing that 31 of the 31 swimming pools her team tested contained an artificial sweetener that could have gotten there only through people peeing it out in the pool! And that’s the real danger: not the pool chemicals themselves, but how they mix with other chemicals that people bring to the water. Urine, along with body care products like shampoos, lotions and conditioners, interacts with chlorine to form volatile organic compounds that can be unhealthy to breathe.

After the chlorine reacts, you create a whole spectrum of potentially dangerous molecules. The ones we know about are irritating to eyes and the respiratory system.

Cass who has a history of getting UTI attacks before her surgery had a UTI attack about 9 months after she started swimming lessons. That happened 3 years ago when she was 7 years old. It was her first UTI attack in 6 years. Each time she swam in the pool, she complained of pain on her private part. Besides, she also had red eyes, a phlegmy throat and bouts of sneezing. After the UTI attack 3 years ago, that was the last time she swam in a pool.

There is also a lady at our condo who used to swim everyday for over a year. After recurrent UTI attacks, she has since stopped swimming and is now keeping herself fit at the gym. My mil who swims almost daily has had several bouts of ear infections.

I have stopped swimming for a year as I kept getting irritation in my throat after swimming. I still love swimming and plan to go back to the pool to swim occasionally. I now do strength training, brisk walking and jogging every morning.

When chlorinated pools are indoors, toxic gases such as nitrogen trichloride are released, which can be very dangerous. When we breathe in this gas it can cause severe damage to the lining of the lungs which could lead to respiratory problems or asthma. This toxic gas can be harmful at any age yet it poses the most risk to elderly people and small children.

Chlorine is popular because it handles the three main jobs in keeping a swimming pool clean: It sanitizes (kills bacteria and germs), oxidizes (controls organic debris from perspiration and body oils), and deters algae. The chemical is unpopular, however, because it has a strong odor, reddens eyes, causes allergic reactions in some swimmers, and is a known carcinogen – meaning it has been linked to cancer!

Chlorine absorbs into your skin. Too much exposure to chlorine has been linked to major health problems including reproductive disorders and even birth defects. It can cause your skin and hair to dry out and over time too much exposure can even cause wrinkles.

More research is needed to work out whether there are lasting or more serious side effects in all areas caused by chlorine, one certainty is that chlorine can dry out the eyes and make them scratchy and red. You might have experienced it.

Although prolonged contact with chlorine is inadvisable, and we have to take steps to ensure our skin and hair don’t dry out too much, chlorinated water does help stop the spread of diseases and viruses.