SUMMER VEGETABLES………………………………………………..FITNESS MANTRA

SUMMER VEGETABLES………………………………………………..FITNESS MANTRA

After enjoying vegetables like sarson da saag, spinach, fenugreek leaves, peas, carrots etc in winters, summer comes with its own bounty of vegetables and fruits. The nature basket of winter gives us ample micro nutrients like iron, folic acid, potassium, calcium. Vitamin A from green leafy vegetables carrots, peas etc.

 A winter fruit like apple has a good amount of pectin; citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C and beta carotene. Overall, all winter vegetables and fruits are fiber rich and full of antioxidants. So how can these nutrients be bad in summer, which is almost devoid of all greens and colorful vegetables? There is no need to panic as summer has its own army of vegetables.

Pumpkins are rich repositories of beta carotene, calcium, potassium and fiber. In traditional medicine pumpkin is said to have cooling properties, is a diuretic and good for stomach upset.  Yellow pumpkin also has soluble fiber which helps fight constipation.

Bottle gourd (ghiya) and squash (tinda) contain iron and some calcium. Bitter gourd (karela) possesses food quantity of iron and Vitamin C. but do not boil it and throw the water away, have it steamed.

Lady’s finger has good amount of calcium, folic, acid and Vitamin C. It has soluble fiber, and is very good for controlling blood sugar levels. Summer vegetables, though low in the micro nutrients are compared to their winter counterparts, have better bio-availability of these nutrients. Winter green vegetables may be rich in calcium and iron. But these are not easily digestible as these vegetables have inhibitors called phytates and oxalates which hinder the absorption of these nutrients.

Luckily, summer vegetables do not have these inhibitors. Moreover, summer vegetables and fruits can be consumed in larger quantities as compared to winter ones, since there are light on the stomach and have a cooling effect. So God has created a perfect balance of nature’s bounty according to seasons.

TIPS FOR QUITTING SMOKING

                                                 TIPS FOR QUITTING SMOKING

FIND YOUR MOTIVATION:->

Find yourself a very good reason to quit and engrave it in your mind. Repeat it to yourself every morning, the first thing you get up. Everyday remind yourself. When you do this consciously for a couple of days, your mind will automatically to start reminding you for your motivation as the urge comes.

YOU SHOULD JOIN ONLINE COMMUNITY:- These are tones of people around to quit. Motivate them to quit and drive motivation from them at the time. It will help you and it’s bound to help anybody. Post about your urges, read about other urges embrace members of community and their suggestions. Let them help to quit. If you find the urge intorable, let people in the community know of your moment of weakness. Make this a habit. The repeated embarrassment will help to you reduce  to  the very least, if you end up quitting, stick to the community for about 30 or 50 days and empower people with your success story.

APPLY DELAY TATICS:-> If you have an urge, apply some delay tactics.

1.EXERCISE:->  first of all you should go for a walk only for 30 minutes daily. You would be surprise how out of shape you really are. Go for a ruin in the morning. With your ruined stamina, you will realize how soon you need to quit.

2. SNAKE& DRINK WATER:-> Another way to kill the urge is to snack when the urge comes, treat yourself with the urge comes, treat yourself with any snack of your choice. You may switch to healthier food after the first two weeks.

MOMENTS OF WEAKNESS:-> Your mind will play games. When the urge strikes remind yourself of your motivation, mediate for 2 minutes and take 10 to 15 deep breaths. It is good for all of us.

 IMPORTANT TIP->  If you will drink a glass of water before or after smoke.  After some time you will quit smoke.

HOW TO BRING EXERCISE IN YOUR LIFE

                                        

Exercise is good for health. You do not have invest in expensive equipment or join a  gym to make

exercise a part of life. There are plenty of different forms of activity that can easily be built into

your routine. Some forms of  exercise are:-Dancing for example it is as sociable and as fun as they

are energy boosting. Others are such as walking may already be part of your lifestyle.

WALKING:->  It is gentle and easy to fit into your lifestyle. Studies show that even very gentle

 walking may prolong your life by keeping you mobile and burning calories.  You should walk 15

minutes a day to start with and build up to at least 30 minutes. Swing your arms and walk fast

enough to work up a slight sweat. You should be slightly out of breath. Always wear comfortable

sturdy shoes.

JOGGING:->  It helps to prevent heart disease and high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and wide varity of other health problems. If you are overweight then consult your doctor before taking up jogging.

CYCLING:->Medical  experts maintain that cycling is one of the best types of exercise . Suitable for people of most ages and level of fitness. Choose a bicycle that suits the kind of cycling you will be doing and one that is the right size.

SWIMMING:_>It  works most of the major muscle groups and gives an excellent arobic work

Out. Improve strength , stamina and suppleness with little risk of any damage to the joints.

 Suitable for pregnant women as well as people who are unfit as overweight. Never swim until

At least 1 hour after eating. Do not struggle to keep your head out of the water it puts a consid

-erable strain on your neck and back.

DANCING:-> It is good for all levels of fitness. Ballroom for genral mobility. Burn dancing for

aerobic exercise. Watch or take part in classes in your area until you find a dance style that

appeals to you and enjoy urself. All forms are sociable and fun. Some forms of dance such as

ballet, jazz and contemporary are physically demanding and may not suit people who have joint

problems.

HEALTHY HOME COOKING.

Anyone can become adopt at preparing, COOKING AND STRONG FOOD and deciding on menus. One of the advantages of cooking at home is that the home cook can be sure not of the quality of his or her ingredients but can also choose to cook them in the healthiest ways. Home cooking is usually loss expensive and tastier, and it allows you to have control over what you eat. Home made meals are also usually more nourishing than their ready made equivalents.

Pre prepared meals are useful when time is short or when people unused to cooking have to fend for themselves carefully charge convenience foods are also better a option that unhealthy home cooking. Often, however, shoppers choose ready to eat meals which are high in fat and sugar and do hot provide enough essential nutrients. In any case, lace of time need not be a problem. There are many cookbooks with simple recipes for dishes that can be made in half an hour or less

COOKING ON A BUDGET:

For anyone on a budget, home cooking is less expensive option than ready to eat meals. Some of the cheapest food such as pulses, rice, pasta, potatoes and other vegetables are also among the most nutritious and filling, allowing you to create substantial meals at little cost.

COOKING FOR SPECIAL NEEDS:

Anyone who is keen cook will be much more aware of what is in food, which is important when choosing a diet that is both satisfying and healthy.

THE PLEASURES OF COOKING:

Cooking at home allows you to have complete control over what you eat and it can also fun. Eating is one of life’s necessities and also one of the great pleasures. Cooking should be fun and relaxing and it is also a good creative outlet. Not only is a home made soup delicious and nutritious. It is also easy to prepare and cheap. If large amounts are made in one go. Some can be frozen as ten following day. Home baked cakes are often healthier than shop-bought ones. Soups made with carrots, apples and tomatoes are cheap to make but very nourishing. Home making food is healthy and delicious.

LOOK AFTER YOUR DIET

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. It can be simple too. Just follow these tips.

DIETARY TIPS:

1.   Do not skip breakfast: ---A healthy breakfast at the right time can jump start your metabolism and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (Rather than the standard three large meals) keep your energy up. Whole meal cereal, with fruit sliced over the top, is a tasty and nutritious breakfast e.g. stuffed parantha with curd/ Dalia/ nutriporridge/ cornflakes with milk.

2.   It’s not just what you eat, its how you eat---Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate. It is also eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just some thing to gulp down in between house work as on the way to pick up kids.

3.   Listen to your body—ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see id you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.

4.   Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables----fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet.

5.   Eat more healthy carbohydrates and whole grains----choose healthy carbohydrates and fibre sources, especially whole grains, for long lasting energy. Which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes.

6.   Enjoy healthy fats, avoid unhealthy fats----Good source of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart and cells, as well as your hair, skin and nails.

7.   Add calcium for strong bones---Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. Diary products, vegetables and greens are good source of calcium.

8.   Limit sugar and salt---Sugar present in candy, cakes, desserts and large amount of hidden sugars present in bakery products, soups, pasta, sauce and fast food. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health problems.

9.   Think of water and exercise as food groups in your diet—always staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.

10. Try to avoid stress----A well nourished and fit body can be more resilient to stressful conditions. Many illnesses induce stress, which in turn induces eating disorders, addiction to alcohol and sub stand abuse.

BLOOD PRESSURE

                           

This is widely known as the ‘silent killer’, because its outward symptoms are so difficult to detect. It often comes in middle age, and likely to effect more men then premenopausal women because of hormonal differences. High blood pressure affects between 15 and 30 percent of the adult population of most Western Countries As people age, their hearts have to work harder as pump blood around the body. Hypertension occurs as a result of increased resistance to blood flow of the small blood vessels, which have high blood pressure as caused by the arterioles losing their ability to relax normally.

Drugs can be used to dilate them; however these may have side effects and they can also interfere with the body’s effective use of nutrients. Aside from medication, a change to a healthy well balanced diet which in low in one should take regularly. Some heavy drinkers and overweight people suffering from high blood pressure

Adults should have their blood pressure checked at least every five years. Anyone over 40 should be checked out every two years, especially if there is a family history of high blood pressure if you do not have a blood pressure problem, follow your doctor’s advice’ adopts the general dietary advice and tries to reduce your stress level.

TO HELP REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE

v  Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

v  Oily fish

v  Eating at least five daily portions of fruit and vegetables (especially garlic and celery) also helps to lower blood pressure.

AVOID:

v  Salty foods and added salt.

v  Pickled foods

v  Excessive amount of alcohol

BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS

When measuring blood pressure expressed in millimeters o f mercury-two reading are taken

One, the systolic, is the pressure other, the heart relapses

Systolic pressure is given first; a reading of 120/80 (an average reading for a fit young person) means a systolic pressure of 120 mm and a diastolic pressure of 80mm. A fit middle age person might have a reading of 135/90 between 140/90 and 160/110 indicates mild hypertension. Depending on an individual’s medical history, a blood pressure reading as low as 95/60 can still seen as healthy.