Genetic factors have a primary role in determining bone mass but our lifestyle factors like diet and physical activity are equally responsible.If I just say BONES… Which nutrient came to your mind first?It was Calcium, wasn't it? Yes, it is critically important for our bone health.Can you think of any other factor that can help us build a healthy bone and a strong skeleton?There are many other factors. Let's check out for more:Vitamin D levels: Vitamin D is crucial for good bone health because it aids in absorption and utilization of calcium.Get your Vitamin D tested.Physical activity: Is very important for bone health throughout life. It increases and preserves bone mass and reduces the risk of falling.Start physical activity today. Find a link of videos on physical activity in the description below.A healthy body weight: Maintaining a healthy body weight is important for bone health throughout life. If underweight, there is a risk of fractures and bone loss.Eat healthy and maintain your weight within BMI range.Reproductive issues: Though pregnancy and lactation generally do not harm the skeleton of healthy adult women. Amenorrhea (cessation of menstrual periods) before menopause is a very serious threat to bone health.Meet your healthcare provider as soon as you face this issue.Some medical conditions and medicines: These can affect bone health through various mechanisms.Ask your health care professionals if these conditions might affect your bone density and you need further assessment of bone health.Smoking and Alcohol: Reduces bone mass and increases risk of fractures.Say No to Smoking and Alcohol.Remember, a well balanced diet and physical activity are the key with a special focus on calcium and Vitamin D. Be aware, be conscious and be healthy.Source:- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK45503/

Makhana, also known as Phool Makhana, comes from the seeds of the Water Lily plant (Nilkamal).Makhana is also called Foxnut or Lotus seed. Like other nuts, Makhana is packed with nutrients and is often eaten as a snack.Eating Makhana offers some surprising health benefits. It’s used as a medicine in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.Let's learn about the surprising health benefits of eating Makhana:Glowing and youthful skin: Makhana contains antioxidants like gallic acid and chlorogenic acid. These protect your skin from damage and make it look young and glowing.Reduces discomfort during periods: Eating Makhana helps reduce acidity in the body, preventing gastric issues. It also eases the discomfort many women feel during their periods.Nourishes your hair: Makhana contains a compound called kaempferol, which acts like a conditioner for your hair. It makes your hair strong from the roots, adds shine, and reduces dryness.Helps with impotence in men: Makhana is rich in zinc, potassium, sodium, and fibers. These nutrients help treat sexual problems like impotence, especially if it’s caused by high blood pressure, high blood sugar, or stress.Detoxifies and purifies blood: Makhana helps detox your whole body. It recycles dead red blood cells and removes toxic substances from the body.Eating Makhana helps control diabetes, regulate blood pressure, improves mental health, giving you better sleep, and strengthens your bones and teeth, among many other benefits.So, get a packet of Makhana today! Roast it and enjoy it as a snack, or drink it with milk to get the full health benefits. But remember, only eat about 30 grams of Makhana daily. Eating too much of anything is not good for your health.source: https://www.thepharmajournal.com/archives/2023/vol12issue6/PartAY/12-6-480-945.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8269573/

Have you ever sat down to study, fully prepared, and within half an hour, you start feeling sleepy? Your eyelids feel heavy, and you just want to sleep, even though you need to study. Don’t worry, you’re not alone; many people experience this.But what can you do to stay awake while studying and finish your work? In today’s video, we’ll share 5 tips that will help you stay awake while studying. Let’s get started:Get Enough Sleep: You might be thinking, “We’re talking about staying awake, and now you’re telling me to sleep?” That’s because if you don’t get enough sleep, your focus, concentration, and memory start to weaken. So, create a regular sleep schedule and aim for at least 6 hours of sleep. Make sure you go to bed at the same time every day, like from 10 PM to 4 AM.Study in Good Lighting: If you study with the lights on and in a well-lit room, your brain stays active, and you won’t feel sleepy. But if you study in dim light, your body starts producing melatonin, which makes you sleepy.Don’t Study on the Bed: This is because your body starts getting too comfortable on the bed, making you lazy. Your focus shifts from studying to sleeping, and before you know it, you’re asleep.Drink Water and Eat Light: Drinking water regularly keeps the oxygen flowing to your brain, helping you stay awake and focused. Eating light foods like fruits and dry fruits keeps your brain and body energized, which keeps your brain active.Try Chewing Gums: Chewing gum keeps the part of your brain that stores memory, called the hippocampus, active. This keeps your brain alert, and you won’t feel sleepy.Also remember to have a small walk in between you studies for example: after every 1 hour of sitting take a 10-15 minutes walk. This improves the blood circulation in your body and brain and help you stay active and awake.Source:- 1.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339137655_How_To_Avoid_Sleep_While_Studying 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4075951/

We often hear vegetarians saying “We don't eat eggs, fish, meat or chicken, how can we fulfill our protein requirements?”We are often worried about “How much protein do I need in a day”?Do You Know?Our daily diet already provides 60-70 gms of protein, which is more than what we require. However, the quality of protein and meeting requirements of all essential amino acids might be a challenge.So, what is the solution for vegetarians:Appropriate combination of cereals and pulsesIncluding nuts and seeds in the dietIncluding milk in daily dietThis is the total mantra of appropriate protein intake for fulfilling your requirement. Infact, Vegetarian foods have a protein digestibility range of 75 to 85%.How much protein do you need?For a healthy adult (Men and Women): 0.83 grams/kg/day protein is recommended.Isn’t it easy to calculate now “How much protein do you need?”Include in your diet these protein rich sources:-Pulses: Lentils, green gram, horse gram, black gram, chickpeas, kidney beans, cowpeas, soybean and green peas.-Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, Pistachios, Cashew, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and sesame seeds.-Milk: Milk productsIs only protein enough to build muscle mass?No, it is a myth and we see people consuming extra protein, even protein powders for building muscle mass. Actually, consuming high levels of protein, especially in the form of protein supplements is not recommended.You must know:Without adequate carbohydrates and fats in the diet, dietary protein is not utilized efficiently.Without adequate physical activity, proteins are not used for bodybuilding.So vegetarians, stop worrying about the protein intake now, your diet is complete in itself.Bust your more such myths with us.Source:- 1.https://main.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/upload_documents/DGI_07th_May_2024_fin.pdf

Rest, everyone needs it to maintain both physical and mental health. But is rest just about closing your eyes or getting 6-8 hours of sleep? If sleep alone provided complete rest, why do we still feel tired in the morning, lack the motivation to work, or feel like taking a break?This happens because sleep only gives you physical rest. But to relieve daily life stress and maintain mental, physical, and spiritual balance.There are 7 types of rest that everyone needs. Let’s explore these 7 types of rest:Physical Rest: You need physical rest when your body is in pain, you feel exhausted, or after doing some physical activity. Physical rest includes sleeping, taking naps, exercising, stretching, or getting a massage. Doing these activities helps repair body tissues, reduces stress, and restores your energy levels.Mental Rest: Mental rest is needed when you have trouble thinking clearly, your mind is racing at night, or you’re struggling to remember things. To get mental rest, take short breaks during work and practice meditation. This gives your mind a break and provides mental clarity.Emotional Rest: You need emotional rest when you feel sad, angry, irritated, or when you can't express your feelings to anyone. In such cases, talk to a trusted friend or loved one and practice self-care.Sensory Rest: Sensory rest is required when you feel overwhelmed by the lights, sounds, and all the digital devices around you. To achieve sensory rest, spend time away from electronic devices in a natural setting, which helps calm your mind and makes you feel relaxed.Creative Rest: Creative rest is necessary when you feel like you’ve been doing the same thing for a long time, feel stuck, or lack the desire to start something new. In such situations, visit a museum or art gallery, explore places with handicrafts, listen to music, or read a new book to find inspiration.Social Rest: Social rest is needed when you’re tired of interacting with people or attending social gatherings, and you just want to be alone. Spend time with a supportive friend and avoid social gatherings so you can think positively and build meaningful relationships, staying away from fake people.Spiritual Rest: Spiritual rest is required when you feel like there’s nothing worthwhile in life, or when you can't find a purpose. In such cases, practice meditation, prayer, or engage in acts of service. This helps you understand the purpose of your existence and realize how important you are.So, if you’re feeling exhausted, check what type of rest you need and take it generously. Because "Self-care can get your power back!"Source:-1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5342845/ 2. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-06/Rethinking-Rest-guide-from-the-Mental-Health-Foundation.pdf

Irritable bowel syndrome is the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorder worldwide.Its signs and symptoms and chronic nature, varies from mild to severe and has many negative effects on one’s quality of life.Abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea and changes in appearance of stools are some characteristics of Irritable bowel syndrome.Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome:Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome include both GI and extra-intestinal complaints. Some common symptoms include:Chronic abdominal pain: A sensation of cramps of varying intensity in the abdomen that worsens with time. The pain is usually in the lower abdomen, often felt in the lower left quadrant.Altered bowel habits: An altered bowel habits like change in the volume, frequency and consistency in the stool.Diarrhea: Frequent loose motions, of small to moderate volume alogwith lower abdominal cramps. Patients also feel urgency to defecate and complain of mucosal discharge alongwith stools.Constipation: Patients often suffer from hard stools and have a feeling of an incomplete rectum is completely empty. evacuation, even if the rectum is completely empty, leading to long periods of time spent in the bathroom.Other GI symptoms: Some common symptoms include gastro-esophageal reflux, early feeling of fullness, nausea, abdominal bloating, too much gas production and non-cardiac chest pain. Patients also frequently complain of abdominal bloating and flatulence.Extra-intestinal symptoms: These include impaired sexual function and increase in the frequency and urgency to urinate. Patients may also suffer from hypertension and asthma.Are Stress and Anxiety a cause for Irritable Bowel Syndrome?Brain and gut are very closely connected. Stress and anxiety do not directly cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), but this can definitely increase the frequency and severity of symptoms.This has been proved that psychological therapy, and relaxation/ stress reduction techniques can help relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms in some people.Source:-1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4154827/

Do Athletes have any stress? Why not, after all they are playing for the nation and they do not want to disappoint the nation.It was surprising to learn that different athletes have their own ways of dealing with stress. Let’s have a look how they manage:P V Sindhu: P V Sindhu gives prime importance to “Meditation” in her life. She says there was an immense clarity about what was going in her mind and her heart after she started practicing meditation. She emphasized that she felt a real change in her life and hence, she recommends meditation to one and all on a daily basis.Manu Bhaker: Manu Bhaker too emphasized in one of her interviews about practicing “Meditation” before she goes off to sleep. This helps her get a sound sleep which helps improve her focus. She also practices “Yoga” as a stress management therapy.Surprisingly, she has a strong religious belief about the “Shlokas in Bhagavad Gita”. She reads 2 shlokas every night before sleeping which brings much more clarity in her mind.She also likes to “Paint” to reduce her stress.Virat Kohli: Virat Kohli mentioned once “I felt lonely in a room surrounded by 13 people”. We can understand the stress he must be going through at that time. So, what did he do? He says “It is important to rest and recover from the pressure of sport and reconnect with one’s core self because losing that connection might crumble many other things around. So “Rest to Recover” is his key to stress buster.Saina Nehwal: Saina Nehwal has a different approach. She says, in a situation where you do not win sometimes and you are stressed, take time to release your emotions and stress maybe by “crying”. But then, after some time go back to your practice because this is what other players are doing.Athletes like Muhammad Ali, Kobe Bryant and Floyd Mayweather choose dance as a form of stress-bustersSo, from meditation to yoga, from crying out to listening to Bhagavad Gita and from rest to dance are several therapies that work for our athletes for improving their mental health.What is your stress buster?You can try any of these methods and see what works for your body, mind and soul. You can always have your own ways of handling stress.Source:- 1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-may-ease-anxiety-mental-stress-201401086967 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4142584/

Today, everywhere people are asking the same question,What are the disadvantages of reusing cooking oil?Indians are very fond of cooking food using oil. And if there are any special occasions in India or even the Indian festivals are not complete without making pooris and pakodas that are definitely deep fried.But it has been seen that we often use the same oil again and again to prepare our food, in order to save the cost and also minimize the wastage of oil. Not only in our house, but in roadside food stalls, hotels and restaurants everywhere the oil is being reused. But, nobody ever talks about the adverse effects of repeatedly reusing the same cooking oil.Let us understand today what happens when the cooking oil is being reused again and againRepeated use and frying of edible oil forms Total Polar Compound (TPC) which makes it unfit for human consumption. The nutritional properties of cooking oils are also affected drastically because of reheating it again and again.How does reuse of cooking oil impact our health?A number of studies have proved that reheating cooking oil can:Release toxins that are harmfulIncrease the amount of trans- fats in itBe no longer fresh and hence can taste or smell badCreate some very harmful reactionsReheating oil can be very harmful for people's health. It can have very severe harmful effects.What precautions can we take in using oil for cooking?There are some measures to reduce the harmful effects while reheating the oil. They are:Do not overheat the oil for a lot of timeDo not add salt to foods before deep-fryingAvoid accumulation of food particles in the oil to minimize contamination.However, it is always better to strictly regulate the reuse of edible oil to help save us from the harmful effects of reheated cooking oil.Source:-1https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336800574_The_Effect_of_Repeatedly_Cooking_Oils_on_Health_and_Wealth_of_a_Country_A_Short_Communication2. https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_NEws_Oil_Insider_30_09_2019.pdf