Everyday habits that could be ruining your skin

There are some habits we indulge in unknowingly, and frequently, that can become extremely harmful for our skin health. Trying to treat your skin with information researched online, or taking cues from your friends could be detrimental and land you with some major skin problems.
Buying over-the-counter medicines: Using over-the-counter medicines, without having complete knowledge of them, can cause damage to your skin.
Going by the brand value of cosmetics: Another common mistake most women make is using wrong cosmetics, solely relying upon their brand value. Just because you watch an advertisement that promises to do away with wrinkles in a few weeks, you should not dab it all over face and wait for the miracle to happen.
Using hot water to wash your face: Using extremely hot water for bath and washing your face with it can be damaging.
Waxing your face: Excessive facial hair can be a big problem for some women and sometimes, local salons suggest waxing to get rid of it. Experts warn that this can be harmful. Waxing tugs at the delicate facial skin and could lead to early wrinkles.
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Healthy lifestyle can undo heart damage

The heart, it seems, is more forgiving than you may think -- especially to young adults who try to take charge of their health. Researcher have found that picking up healthy habits in the 30s and 40s can slash heart disease risk.

When people in their 30s and 40s decide to drop habits that are harmful to their heart and embrace healthy lifestyle changes, they can control and potentially even reverse the natural progression of coronary artery disease, the findings showed.

"It is not too late," said Bonnie Spring, professor of preventive medicine at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in the US.

"You are not doomed if you have hit young adulthood and acquired some bad habits. You can still make a change and it will have a benefit for your heart," Spring added.

The healthy lifestyle factors assessed were: not being overweight/obese, being a non-smoker and physically active and having low alcohol intake and a healthy diet.

Each increase in healthy lifestyle factors was associated with reduced odds of detectable coronary artery calcification and lower intima-media thickness -- two major markers of cardiovascular disease that can predict future cardiovascular events.

On the flip side, scientists also found that if people drop healthy habits or pick up more bad habits as they age, there is measurable, detrimental impact on their coronary arteries.
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Is Juicing Really Good For Digestive Health As Your Think?

The Juicing for Health Movement:
Juice from raw fruits and vegetables may be a good addition to a healthy diet. Get some advice on juicing from a nutrition expert.
Fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne was a big advocate of eating raw fruits and vegetables and juicing as part of a healthy life. For many Americans, Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer was their first exposure to the idea of putting raw produce in a blender and extracting the juice. But does juicing really provide a nutritional advantage?
The philosophy behind the juicing movement is that the juice from raw fruits and vegetables contains special enzymes that are good for digestive health. People who support juicing claim that raw juice can build up your immune system and help you fight off diseases like cancer. Other claims for juicing have included slowing the aging process and removing dangerous toxins from the body.
Digestive Health Claims of juicing:
- Nutrients from raw juices have the ability to correct imbalances in the body’s cells that come from eating foods considered less natural.
- Enzymes that are important for your digestion are contained in raw fruit and vegetable juices, and these enzymes are destroyed by cooking.
- Since fruit and vegetable juice is easy to digest, it leaves more energy for the body to fight off diseases and heal itself.
What the Experts Say About Juicing:
Juicing devalues the fruits and vegetables because it may eliminate some of the food’s fiber.
Debra J. Johnston, RD, director of nutrition services at Remuda Ranch, a program for eating disorders in Wickenburg, Ariz., says there is value in juicing. “Juicing may be a good way for individuals who do not consume enough fruits and vegetables to get important vitamins and minerals by creating tasty concoctions of fruit and vegetable juice,” she says.
But the very process also devalues the fruits and vegetables, she says, because it may eliminate some of the food’s fiber. “Fiber not only plays an important role in digestive health but it also helps us feel fuller for longer,” she says.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), a diet high in fruits and vegetables is good for digestive health and may even reduce cancer risk. But there is no evidence that drinking fruit or vegetable juice is better for you then eating whole fruits or vegetables. There is no evidence to support the idea that the enzymes found in raw fruits and vegetables have any special powers. These enzymes are broken down by your stomach juices during digestion.
Risks of Juicing
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Ways To Bring Fitness Into Your Life.

Since my youth fitness has been a part of my life. There were the times when I belonged to several gyms and fitness centers. Those days are pretty much gone . Today, most of my training is via my bodyweight and outdoors. To me, getting fit can be done just about anywhere. I don’t look at fitness as needing some special equipment.

Ways to bring Fitness into your Life:

Once you have the mindset of what fitness really is, then it becomes simple as to finding ways to bring fitness into your life. I’m going to introduce to you some ways to do just that.

1. Go for a walk in your neighborhood.

This is probably the beginning of most fitness programs. Walking is fundamental for just about everybody except babies. You can join a walking group. I remember when the local indoor malls would have such groups.

2. Go for a hike.

Like walking, moving your body in nature via a hike is another fundamental movement activity. And the most important aspect of doing this is that you get to enter into nature.

3. Play with your kids, indoors or outdoors.

Have you ever tried to do that consistently? Children can wear you out if you were to keep up with them. The key here is that when you engage in play with them, you’re also showing that movement is important for you. They learn from what you do, not what you say.

4. Take 5 minutes every hour

Do a combination of non-stop squats and push-ups. I usually do 150 squats and 150 push-ups in this amount of time. Each of us has our level of fitness in the amount we can do. Important here is to do them.

5. Take the stairs and not the elevator or escalator.

Shun the people mover at airports too. We’re designed to move, not letting this type of technology move us.

6. Walk to your grocery store

If you live within a mile of the grocery store, walk there to shop. You can use a wheeled shopping cart/bag if you need to.

7. Park at the furthest parking space from the entrance.

This extra length will give you extra fitness time. I tend to park in the parking lot of one shopping center and walk to the stores in other nearby centers.

8. Play a pickup game of basketball at your local park.

If you’re sports-minded, then this may be just up your alley and it’s fun.

9. Go for a swim in a local city pool or if you’re close to the beach, go there.

Wherever you can find a pool, use it. Take lessons if you don’t know how to swim. I used to be a competitive swimmer and it’s natural for me to do. I also used to be a lifeguard and lifesaving/swim instructor.

10. Speaking of beaches, take a run in the sand.

The softness of the sand may be a challenge to your legs. It’s a great workout to run, jump and play in it.

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Reasons to avoid fast food

Fast food is addictive, and having a quick bite in between those crazy deadlines seems to be getting more and more popular by the day. A mere glance at even the roadside eateries in cities shows how people just can't have enough of those burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and vada pavs. However, while it makes you happy, it is equally true that it makes you put on weight, is the leading reason behind the rise in cases of obesity and you get so addicted after a while that you become really anxious when you don't have it. To enhance the flavour, a lot of extra cheese/butter is used in fast food, which means accumulation of unnecessary vegetable fat. This is really injurious to health. Besides, such foods hardly have any nutrition value.

So what alternatives do people have when it comes to grabbing a quick bite in between the main meals? Well, you can always have low calorie foods in between. For instance, idli and roasted chana are fine. Besides, one can always have apples and bananas. While today's lifestyle does make it difficult to always maintain such discipline, it can certainly be done in a gradual manner if one is determined. And as far as health is concerned, there can't be anything better than having fruits and salads whenever you can.
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Hibiscus

According to International Diabetes Federation, diabetes affects more than 62 million Indians. Moreover, the World Health Organization claims that it will be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030. Dubbed as a silent killer by experts worldwide, diabetes mellitus (Type 2 diabetes), or simply diabetes, is one of the four major non-communicable diseases in India, the other three being cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Diabetes exists in two forms. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone responsible for breaking down glucose in the body for its utilization. In case of Type 2 diabetes, the body stops responding to insulin or produces less of it.

Researchers found that a phytochemical (plant-derived compound) from the leaves of Sthalpadma or land-lotus (scientifically known as Hibiscus mutabilis and commonly called Confederate rose) restored insulin sensitivity of cells and thereby helped in lowering blood sugar levels in diabetic rats.

"We found that ferulic acid (FRL), belonging to the polyphenols, extracted from leaves of the plant, has the potential to be a better therapeutic agent for diabetes," said Samir Bhattacharya, Emeritus Professor, School of Life Sciences (Zoology Department) at Visva-Bharati in Shanti Niketan.

The findings were published in the Journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications which states that ferulic acid (FRL) helped in the improvement of glucose (sugar) levels in diabetic rats within 15 days when administered orally.

Hibiscus is a flowering plant found across India and is known for its cottony colour-changing blossoms and medicinal properties. In Ayurveda, the leaves and flowers of the shrubby Hibiscus mutabilis are used to treat swellings, skin infections, hair loss and hair greying.

"The hibiscus flower is known as the prayer flower in Bengal and offered to Durga. It is great for hair loss and its leaves and flowers have thereuptic properties. It has been used in ayurvedic preparations for years. We use it in our Basil Hair tonic that helps promote hair growth and prevents scalp infections and alopecia."

For the study, samples of hibiscus leaves were collected from the scenic northeast region. Alak Kumar Buragohain, a Professor at Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in Tezpur University, explains that a type of polyphenol found in the plant removes blockages and enables insulin to perform its normal function of clearing glucose (blood sugar) from the bloodstream.

"In diabetes, insulin sensitivity is retarded. The isolated compound can restore sensitivity and, therefore, cells can sense the presence of insulin," says Buragohain, Vice Chancellor at Dibrugarh University in Assam.
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Signs You Are Not Eating Enough Fiber

No time to read food labels and assess how much fiber you are getting? Well, at some point, your body is sure to send you warning signals that it needs more. Look out for them, and let them alert you to the need for upping your fiber intake:

Your cholesterol is high: one of the reasons this happens is lack of adequate soluble fiber in your diet. Found in foods such as oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium, soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel like material that binds up harmful substances such as bile, cholesterol and other toxins. An oft-quoted meta study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that high intakes of soluble fiber were associated with significant decreases in total and LDL cholesterol in 60–70% of the trials that they put to test.

You’re gaining weight. Why does one slice of whole wheat bread feel more “satisfying” than two slices of white bread? The reason is fiber, which is removed with the outer coating of the grain during the milling process of white bread. Whole wheat bread, on the other hand, contains fiber-dense bran and wheat germ, which provide a more constant source of energy. As a result, you feel full faster and longer. Other fiber-rich foods such as brown rice and legumes have the same satiating effect, making it less likely that you would indulge in impulsive snacking. The happy result: you don’t gain weight! A review of several studies linking high fiber intake with weight loss, published in the Nutrition Review, concluded that an increase in either soluble or insoluble fiber intake increases postmeal satiety and decreases subsequent hunger. So, if lately, the scales have been moving up, it might be time to up your fiber intake.

You feel hungry. A lot.: For the same reason that fiber makes you feel full, lack of it makes you feel hungry. This does not help if you are trying to control your weight. The most common culprits here are foods made with plain white flour, which has been stripped of most of its fiber. So, white rice, pancakes, pasta—notice how you tend to eat more of these as compared to whole wheat versions. If those hunger pangs have been hitting too soon after a “meal,” it is time to turn to fiber-rich foods!

You’re moving slow: Perhaps one of the surest signs that you need more fiber is trouble with bowel movement. If chronic constipation is an issue, more fiber is in order, particularly insoluble fiber which holds on to water and helps form softer, bulkier stools to regulate bowel movement. According to experts at The Harvard School of Medical Health, “the fiber from wheat bran and oat bran seems to be more effective in relief from constipation than similar amounts of fiber from fruits and vegetables.” They add a cautionary note—don’t up your fiber intake suddenly. Gradual increase is best.
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