Merry Way to Lose Extra Flab

Dance workouts are fast replacing mundane pumping iron routine of good old gyms. Maybe it is the growing monotony of treadmill, fitness aspirants are now looking at dance-exercise routines to stay in shape. Salsa, Jive, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Aerobics & exotic Belly Dancing are in tune with these changing trends.

Ballet is a Key

Ballet dancers practicing plies and arabesques aren’t just for theory of art. They tremendously increase flexibility thereby reducing stiffness in your body. What you can do is skip those ballet shoes & practice some simple stretches at home. Increasing your flexibility will help ease joint pain and post-exercise soreness.

Takes Two to Tango

Science has interestingly unveiled the fact that aerobic exercise helps us reverse the volume loss in the hippocampus - the memory controlling centre of the brain. This part of the brain shrinks naturally in late adulthood often leading to impaired memory & dementia. Dance is not just something helping people shed inhibitions while maintaining fitness it is also therapeutic in nature. Many dance classes nowadays range from a variety of aerobics to belly dancing, flamenco & tango. Special workouts consist of stretches & stylized jazz including hip-hop.

Zumba Works Best

Zumba has become our favorite dance style to burn those sinews. It is basically an amalgam of Latin dance styles keeping aerobics in mind. Zumba has a catchy soundtrack, plus you get the opportunity to try moves you've always admired on TV! Zumba works the entire body with lunges, squats & high-intensity interval training. An improved agility is the chief result of this dance workout. Besides being a great stress-buster, Zumba also helps tone muscles.

How to Choose a Dance Style?
These questions will help you figure out -

• Do I want to dance to improve my fitness?
• Will I enjoy competitions, or do I want to dance just for fun?
• Am I trying to improve my flexibility & coordination?
• Do I want to join a group, or have private lessons?
• Do I prefer fast dancing or slow dancing?
• Do I want to dance with a partner, or on my own?

Pep Up with Salsa

Were you aware of the fact how Salsa plays a mind blowing role in losing those bulks of fats in your body? Well, now you know. One of the forms of Salsa is crunch cardio salsa which is one of the best dance workout routines for cardiovascular fitness. Traditional cardio classes typically focus on salsa dancing. Salsa is a bit off-beat in this case. It is not regimented at all. It has more fun & feel that make your exercise sessions hard to miss.

These perky alternatives hardly allow you have any reason to miss a single day of workout.  

Benefits of Dance Workouts

Benefits however vary in every dance form. Dance itself is a great way to lose weight & tone up. High impact workouts like aerobics are great for losing calories while belly dancing ensures you develop well toned abs. Dancing also helps keep mind agile as it involves great amounts of body-mind coordination spurting self confidence like nothing else. Dance also works like a therapy killing blues & enabling forge new relationships. Tired of old gyms, the new crop of dance exercises are well honed & modified to suit fitness environments.

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Yoga & Health

Yoga is a mind-body type of complementary & alternative medicinal practice. It combines stretching exercises, controlled breathing & relaxation techniques. Thus it helps bring together physical & mental disciplines to achieve peacefulness of body & mind, helping you relax & manage stress & anxiety. Yoga can also help lower blood pressure & improve heart function.

Many Faces of Yoga

Yoga has many styles, forms & intensities. Yoga postures are a series of movements designed to increase strength & flexibility. These poses or postures range from lying on the floor while completely relaxed to difficult postures that may have you stretching your physical limits. Everyone's body is different & yoga postures should therefore be modified based on individual abilities. Selecting an instructor who is experienced & attentive to your needs is an important first step to a safe & effective yoga practice.

Controlling your breathing is an important part of yoga. In yoga, breath signifies your vital energy. Yoga teaches that controlling your breathing can help you control your body & quiet your mind in the process.

Health Benefits of yoga

Stress Reduction

A large number of studies have significantly shown that yoga can help reduce stress & anxiety. It can also enhance your mood & overall sense of well-being.

Improved Fitness

Practicing yoga can lead to improved balance, flexibility, range of motion, strength & stamina. This means you're less likely to injure yourself in other physical endeavors or in your daily activities. Yoga also helps boost immunity by improving overall health of the individual.

Proper Breathing

A part of Yoga involves paying attention to your breathing. Focusing on your breathing can also calm your nerves & help relax. It may on occasions also call for specific breathing techniques.

Managing Chronic Conditions

Yoga can help reduce risk factors for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Yoga might also help alleviate chronic conditions, such as depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia.

Some Precautions

Yoga is generally considered safe for most healthy people when practiced under guidance of a trained instructor. But there are some situations in which yoga might pose a risk. You may be able to practice yoga even in these situations if you take certain precautions such as avoiding certain poses or stretches. If you develop symptoms or concerns, see your doctor to make sure you benefit & not harm yourself performing Yoga.

Some of these medical conditions are listed below -

Herniated Disk

Risk of Blood Clots

Eye Conditions, Including Glaucoma

Pregnancy

Severe Balance Problems

Severe Osteoporosis

Uncontrolled Blood Pressure

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Outsmarting Depression

Normal peaks & valleys in life mean that everyone feels sad or has "blues" from time to time. But if emptiness and despair have taken hold of your life & won't budge, you may be having depression. But the question arises - How do you break through this phase without eve consulting a psychiatrist? Being depressed can in fact make you feel helpless.

Gets a Little Closer with Every Step

• Get in a routine. If you’re depressed, you need a routine.
• Start small. Make your goal something that you can succeed at, like doing the dishes every  other day.
• Set goals. When you're depressed, you may feel like you can't accomplish anything. But  trust me, set a goal to get diverted.
• Exercise regularly. It temporarily boosts feel-good chemicals called endorphins.

Depression Affects Almost Everyone

Depression affects nearly 16 million Americans annually, & a large portion of those people take antidepressant drugs. While antidepressants have been shown to help those with moderate to severe depression, they are usually less effective for those with mild depression. If you don't respond to antidepressants (or even if you do), you may want to explore nondrug remedies to lift your depression.

Depression is Curable With Naturopathy

A science-based tradition, Naturopathy promotes wellness by identifying unique aspects of each patient & then employing non-toxic natural therapies to restore his or her physiological, psychological, & structural balance. Two of the cardinal rules of naturopathy medicine – 1) treat the whole person, & 2) therapeutic order are sensible approaches.

Bio Therapeutic Drainage via UNDA Numbers 

This system of medicine from Germany, Holland, & France has been around since about the 1920’s. UNDA numbers have combinations of herbs & minerals that are system & organ specific; e.g., central nervous system, endocrine (hormones), cardiovascular, etc. The ingredients in combo essentially optimize & correct a particular system’s function. It becomes easy to correct physiology than pathology.

Thank Homeopathy

Deriving experience from several cases, doctors consider this to be the most corrective & permanent solution to mood disorder spectrum. Literally seen Homeopathy works as “miracle”, one important aspect of this treatment is that through extensive research it has been recorded what each remedy does to the mind of an individual. Besides drainage is essentially “Green Allopathy" which uses a natural substance in lieu of medication. This format of treatment can be helpful & effective as relief, but rarely permanent.

Life-Saving Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Usually recommended when symptoms are severe or other forms of treatment are ineffective. It is a great therapy for patients who do not respond even to the high stimulation actions of antidepressants. A carefully-controlled electrical current is passed through brain, affecting the brain’s electrical activity & producing an improvement in depressive & psychotic symptoms.

With ECT, an electric current is briefly applied through the scalp to the brain, inducing a seizure. ECT is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms in severely depressed or patients with suicidal tendencies. It's also very effective for patients who suffer from mania or other similar mental illnesses.

Summing Up Depression

• Depression is a readily treatable illness.
• There are many treatments available.
• Even people with most severe & difficult to treat depressive illnesses can normally be helped.

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Graceful Aging

Graceful aging isn't rocket science. It just requires energy, stamina & motivation. Aging well isn't just about counting the lines on one’s face; it's about feeling good in one’s own skin. Aging well is also about taking care of your spirit, nourishing your emotional body as much your physical body — with thoughts, experiences, people & activities that bring you joy & avoiding those which don't. Aging is inevitable & there is no reason to associate the advancing years with pain, disability or mental decline. But with the right attitude, you can pass through your sunset years with astonishing grace.  People who are aging gracefully are in fact, just aging smarter. Aging well is about taking care of your body so that you can enjoy the next 40 or so years of your life with energy, low stress, vitality, limber joints, strong muscles & organs that do their job to maintain good health.

Maintaining Health

Regular exercise is a preventive measure that enhances quality of life. Moreover, screening programs can lead to preventive measures & timely treatment interventions can substantially reduce impact of illnesses among older people. Diet is just as important & also supplements. When it comes to aging well, most of us already know what we need do: Exercise, eat right, get a good night’s sleep. Don't smoke or drink heavily. But the biggest difference as to how you are aging comes from one thing - How You Handle Stress.

Age-Related Depression

Depression can happen at the same time as other chronic diseases. It can be hard for a doctor to diagnose depression, but the good news is that people who are depressed can get better & live a life in balance with right treatment.

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a gradual loss of memory, decline in the ability to perform routine tasks, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills, impaired judgment & ability to plan, & personality changes. Early & careful evaluation is important because many conditions, including some that are treatable or reversible, may cause dementia-like symptoms.

Older & Wiser

It's true that aging brings hardships, but the old are survivors & their old age is also associated with wisdom, resilience & a mature perspective, the hard-won prizes of aging. Growing old in itself is an accomplishment. But if you sit around mulling over the meaning of existence & how time is running out, you're building in a scenario where you're not going to age as successfully.

Accepting Changes

Aging changes everyone & to age gracefully one needs to anticipate the changes that are inevitable. People who think rigidly do not do that. Rigid thinkers tend to get overwhelmed. They view the natural changes & health status negatively & add a lot of stress as strain to their lives.

Finding Meaningful Activities

Part of the challenge of aging gracefully is that you have to continue to find meaning later in life, continue to find things that are important to you. That can include travel, spiritual pursuits, hobbies, new social groups, lifelong learning, or recapturing time with family if one lacked chance during the career years.

Financial Issues

Adequate income & assets are of critical importance to virtually all dimensions of well-being in later life. How well you understand your options for managing money & how well you have planned will be the most critical factors in determining financial well-being as you grow older. The better the planning, more relaxed & carefree your later life can be. 

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Heart Burn Or GERD

Heart Burn is a very misleading description because it is a medical condition of gastro-intestinal system & has nothing to do with heart, though some of the symptoms are similar to those of heart disease. Heartburn typically involves a "hot or burning feeling rising up from the centre of the abdomen area into the chest under breastbone or sternum. The pain often intensifies as you bend over or lie down.

Foods We Consume

When you eat, food goes from mouth down the esophagus into your stomach. In between the esophagus & the stomach is an opening called lower esophageal sphincter. When a meal is eaten, this muscular valve normally closes quickly to prevent stomach acids from backing up into the esophagus. Heartburn arises when this valve relaxes abnormally & highly acidic contents of stomach re-enter esophagus & cause burning & inflammation of sensitive esophageal tissues.

Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease - GERD

The exact cause of Gastro Esophageal Re-flux Disease (GERD) is not known but there are certain pointers which exacerbate heart burn. The dietary triggers prompting symptoms of acid re-flux include tomato products, alcohol, citrus, chocolate, peppermint, black pepper, soda, coffee & caffeinated products & fatty or spicy foods which are more likely to irritate lower esophageal sphincter & make heartburn worse. Being overweight, eating big meals, wearing clothes that are tight around waist, also raise your risk for heartburn as do certain medications. Stress and lack of sleep can increase acid production & cause heartburn. And smoking, which relaxes lower esophageal sphincter & stimulates stomach acid, is a major contributor for acid re-flux.

Associate GERD Triggers

Hiatal hernia increases chances of GERD due to mechanical & motility factors. High blood calcium levels which increase acidity can also trigger re-flux. Gallstones which can obstruct flow of bile into duodenum may affect neutralization of gastric acids & may subsequently lead to acid re-flux.

Treating GERD

Treatments for GERD include some life-style changes, medications & in very severe cases, surgery. The control of heart burn varies from individual to individual, but some common recommendations would include –

·         Avoid coffee of any type (including decaffeinated), tomatoes & tomato products, citrus fruits & juices, chocolate, mints, caffeinated beverages, alcoholic drinks & fatty foods

·         Do not lie down for at least 3 hours after eating a meal

·         Stop smoking

·         Lose weight if you are overweight & avoid wearing tight fitting garments

·         Use brick blocks to elevate the head of bed between 4 & 6 inches or use of a firm wedge to elevate your trunk & head can be substituted to prevent the acid re-flux

Over the counter medicines like antacids relieve mild or occasional heart burn. More frequent episodes need to be taken care of by seeing a gastroenterologist. When drugs & lifestyle changes aren't enough, surgery for GERD may be needed as treatment.

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder

The term Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) describes a disabling preoccupation with perceived defects or flaws in appearance. It is an anxiety disorder related to body image. It is an under-recognized yet relatively common, severe mental disorder. It can affect both men & women & make sufferers excessively self-conscious. They tend to check their appearance repeatedly & try to camouflage or alter the imaginary physical flaws they see, often undergoing needless cosmetic treatments. Onlookers are frequently perplexed because they can see nothing out of the ordinary, but BDD causes devastating distress & interferes substantially with the ability to function socially.

Causes for BDD

This condition can affect all age groups, but usually starts when a person is teenager or young adult, at a time when people are generally most sensitive about their appearance. Abuse or bullying may cause a person to develop negative self-image, which can eventually lead to obsessions about his or her appearance. Persons having low self-esteem may become fixated on aspects of appearance & which he wants to improve. Fear of being alone or isolated, about not fitting into a group of friends or being unable to have romantic relationships, may develop thought patterns that can lead to BDD. Perfectionists or people competing with others & striving for a perfect appearance or a job that is focused on body, like modeling, bodybuilding or gymnastics may also face a risk of developing BDD.

BDD Symptoms

Being preoccupied with minor or imaginary physical flaws, usually of the skin, hair & nose, such as acne, scarring, facial lines, marks, pale skin, thinning hair, excessive body hair, large nose, or a crooked nose & constantly comparing looks to other people are some of the basic symptoms of BDD. Having lots of anxiety & stress about perceived flaws & spending plenty of time focusing on it, such as frequently picking at skin, excessively checking appearance in mirror, hiding imperfections, excessive grooming, seeking reassurance from others about how they look & going for cosmetic surgery which is unlikely to relieve distress are other pointers to BDD. On the contrary, getting cosmetic surgery can make BDD worse. A person with BDD is often not happy with surgical outcome. Even if satisfied with surgery this person may start to focus attention on another body area & become preoccupied trying to fix the new "flaw." In this case, a person with BDD may become angry at surgeons for making his or her appearance worse & may even become violent. They may also resort to excessive diet & exercise to acquire that imaginary perfect look.

Treating BDD

People with BDD are often reluctant to seek help because they feel ashamed or embarrassed. It is a long-term health condition & if left untreated, may get worse. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is thought to be an effective treatment for BDD. Advanced treatment requires medication in addition to Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Joining self-help groups & support of family & friends is also very important extension for treating BDD.

You can get more details in this concern by visiting: Travcure Medical Tourism Pvt. Ltd. You can send your queries at: info@travcure.com . You can also make a phone call to us at:  +91-8600044116 .

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Taking Care of Eye Sight

Eyes are an important part of our health. We rely on our sight more than any other senses to enjoy life to the fullest. Our vision changes naturally as we age & with new needs & challenges, it is very important how we can still maintain our eye health. With age, our eyes need more light to see. It becomes difficult to focus on things close by. Distinguishing between colors becomes harder & adjusting to glare & darkness proves extremely troublesome. Decline in visual abilities can hamper complex tasks like driving, thus restraining your independence. Hence we have to take great care to preserve our precious sense of sight. By following a few simple steps we can maintain a healthy eye sight well into the golden years.

Regular Comprehensive Eye Check-Up

Visiting your eye care professional for comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to ensure the health status of eyes. When it comes to common vision problems, some people don’t realize they could see better with glasses or contact lenses. In addition, many common eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease & age-related macular degeneration often have no warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these diseases in early stages.

Good Diet for Good Vision

Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, & vitamins C & E might help ward off age-related vision problems such as macular degeneration & cataracts. Regularly eating foods like green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, & collards salmon, tuna & other oily fish, eggs, nuts, beans & other non-meat protein sources & oranges & other citrus fruits or juices  can help lead to good eye health.

Healthy Weight for Healthy Vision

Eating a well-balanced diet also helps maintain healthy weight, which makes you less likely to get obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes which is the leading cause of blindness in adults.

Wearing Sunglasses

The right kind of sunglasses will help protect your eyes from the sun's UV degeneration. Choose sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA & UVB rays. Polarized lenses reduce glare when driving. Some contact lenses offer UV protection but it is still better to wear sunglasses for more protection.

Eye Safety Wear

Prevent injuries by wearing safety goggles or glasses when playing sports, or performing any other task that could potentially cause injury to eyes.

Rest Your Eyes

If you sit for long hours in front of computer, sometimes you forget to blink & your eyes may become tired. Some people may need glasses to help with contrast, glare, & eye strain when using a computer. Position your computer so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor. This allows you to look slightly down at screen. Try to avoid glare on your computer from windows & lights. Use anti-glare screen if needed. Try to use the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is bad for your eyes & for the rest of the body. Studies have linked smoking to an increased risk of developing macular degeneration associated with age, cataract & damage to the optic nerve. All these can invariably cause blindness.

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Technology Related Health Risks

This is an era of technology. Technology has invaded every aspect of our lives - from personal relationships to shopping to business to fitness workouts; technology is fundamentally changing the way we live. While it may be a blessing for making our lives easier, “There Is a Flip Side to This”. A number of medical problems related to long-term use of gadgets have been reported.

Medical Problems Associated With Gadgets

Studies suggest that eye-strain was the most common tech-related affliction. This was followed by back pain, neck pain & headaches. Also reported were complaints relating to wrist problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, insomnia & hearing problems related to excessive use of headphones.

Ways in Which Gadgets Affect Our Health

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Sitting in front of computers give rise to postural problems. These problems relate to musculoskeletal disorders caused by the need for users to be crouched & hunched towards monitors & computer components due to the design & positioning of particular computer peripherals. This hunching forward of users cause posture & back problems & it is also the cause for severe & acute pain in the upper back, particularly pain in the neck & or shoulders.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The medical problem associated with computer-related work is carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a stress-related injury caused by repetitive movement of joints, especially the wrist, & it can lead to numerous musculoskeletal problems. It is a serious nerve disorder which may start as a slight cramp, a muscle pull or a muscle spasm in the wrist. If not attended promptly it may further progress leading to pain, sensory changes & loss of function within hand. Numbness in the fingers (especially thumb, index & middle finger), burning, tingling sensation in palm, pain radiating in upward direction of hand, tightening of joints & fingers & poor grip while holding objects. 

Computer Vision Syndrome 

Eye problems from computer, smart-phone & tablet use are nothing new. Frequent computer users suffer from computer vision syndrome, which is a degenerative eye problem which can result in severely reduced eyesight (Myopia), blurred vision, overall eye tiredness & even Glaucoma. Computer use makes eyes not only sore, but also dry. People don't blink as much when they're staring at a computer screen. This causes the tear-film on eyes to dry up & dry eyes are unpleasant. You get blurry vision, your eyes narrow & you can lose you peripheral vision.

Insomnia

Too much of artificial light from TV & computer screen might affect melatonin production by throwing away circadian rhythms, preventing deep & restorative sleep. Studies reveal heavy cell phone use showed an increase in sleep disorders in men & an increase in depressive symptoms in both men & women. Regular, late night computer use, without any frequent breaks was associated with sleep disorders, stress & depressive symptoms in both men & women.

Other Health Issues

There is a major risk of developing deep vein thrombosis following sitting for long hours at computer. Hearing loss is also reported due to loud music from headphones, which may also be responsible for accidents. Cell phones may also be covered with numerous bacteria leading to a variety of infections.

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