Friday, 2 June 2017

Dealing With Stress: 5 Ways To Relieve Stress





Feelings of stress can arise when we are in a position that puts pressure on us and we find it difficult to cope with these situations. Leading causes of stress include workplace stress, personal issues like divorce, bereavement, or becoming a caregiver for a relative, unemployment, debt, poverty e.t.c. Stress, if not properly managed can cause a lot of health issues like hypertension, stroke, diabetes, depression, anxiety, autoimmune diseases, aging skin, hair loss, and some types of cancers.

Signs and Symptoms of stress

People react differently to stress. One person may lose appetite and another overeat in response to some type of stress. Some common signs and symptoms are:
  • Frequent headaches
  • Insomnia, nightmares
  • Neck pain, back pain, muscle spasms
  • Grinding teeth
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Frequent crying spells
  • Increased frustration and irritability
  • Chest pain and palpitations
  • Constant tiredness, weakness, and fatigue
  • Increased or decreased appetite


Stress Management

There will always be potentially stressful situations. That's part of life. So, learning to manage stress is a vital skill we all have to learn. These are 5 simple techniques you can learn to help you deal with stress.

  1. Deep Breathing: Deep breathing is a powerful and simple way to combat the stress response. Taking deep breaths from the abdomen instead of shallow breaths causes you to inhale more oxygen making you less anxious. This brings you into a state of relaxation and can help you control your emotions in times of stress and anxiety.                                                                                                                                                                
  2. Exercise: Research suggests that even 5 minutes of exercise can help reduce anxiety. Exercise makes our body release endorphins which help keep levels of the stress hormone cortisol down.                                                                                                                                                                
  3. Meditation: This is a very flexible therapy for stress. It restores the body to a state of calm and has been shown to help the body repair some damage from physical stress. The idea is to sit for as long as you need, focusing on your breathing or a sound depending on the style of meditation and clearing your mind.                                                                                                              
  4. Visualization: This is often used with other relaxation techniques to help reduce symptoms of stress. With this technique, you create a detailed mental image of yourself in a peaceful and serene environment. This helps you to detach yourself from the moment and relax.                                                                                                                                                                                 
  5. Spend Time With Friends and Family: Spending quality time with supportive friends and family can help you get through stressful periods. Being part of a social network you can share your feelings with gives you a sense of belonging which can help you deal with stress.



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Monday, 15 May 2017

Why Mangoes Are Good For You : 5 Powerful Health Benefits



Mangoes are one of my favourite fruits. Succulent and delicious, it can be used in a wide variety of dishes. My favourite way is to put in my smoothies.

 It contains more than 20 different vitamins and minerals. This makes it one of the most nutrient-dense fruits. Packed full of nutrients, it has many powerful benefits. Here is my list of the top 5 health benefits:



1. Protects Against Cancer: Mangoes contain ascorbic acid, carotenoids, polyphenols, and terpenoids, which protect the body against breast, colon, leukaemia, and prostate cancers. A report published by the Texas A&M University claims the polyphenolic compounds in mangoes decrease oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can lead to chronic diseases like cancer.

2. Helps lower Cholesterol: Mangoes contain pectin, fibre and vitamin C that is found to decrease serum cholesterol levels.

3. Improves Digestion: Mangoes are good for digestion because of the presence of fibre that prevents constipation.  Also, mangoes contain certain digestive enzymes like mangiferin, catechol oxidase, and lactase that break down proteins and aid digestion.

4. Improves eye health: One cup of sliced mango contains 25% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A improves eye health and vision. It is essential for the optimal functioning of the retina. It also helps maintain the health of the mucous membranes in the eye, and thus helps protect the cornea and eye surface, and prevents dry eye.
5. Improves Immunity: Mangoes contain over 25 types of carotenoids, vitamin C and vitamin A. This boosts the immune system to help prevent all kinds of ailments.

Do you love mangoes? What is your favourite way of eating them?



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Friday, 12 May 2017

5 Diseases That Can Cause Chronic Constipation






Constipation

This is a condition of the digestive system in which there is difficulty in emptying the bowels. The stool is often hard, difficult to pass and infrequent. The normal frequency of bowel movements in adults is between three per day and three per week. When there is constipation, bowel movements may be less than 3 stools a week.

Common causes of constipation include dehydration, not eating enough fibre, and decreased physical activity.


Chronic constipation can also be a symptom of a secondary disease like those below or medications. So, it’s worth checking out your symptoms with a doctor especially if there are other symptoms associated with it.
  
1. Hypothyroidism:  Hypothyroidism means that you have under-active thyroid hormone. It is sometimes also referred to as "slow" thyroid. Hypothyroidism slows down many of the body's systems, including digestion and elimination.  This could lead to chronic constipation. Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include puffiness in the face, especially around the eyes, hair loss, brittle nails, lower-than-normal body temperature, weight gain and fatigue.

 2. Diabetes:  Diabetes can cause several health problems like chronic constipation. According to Mayo Clinic, high blood sugar levels seen in type 1 and 2 diabetes can lead to diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. The nerves of the digestive tract can get damaged and lead to chronic constipation. Other symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst, weight loss, and frequent urination.

 3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome:  Constipation is one of the symptoms of this disease.  A key symptom of this disease is abdominal pain caused by changes in bowel movement. Other symptoms are bloating and discomfort.

 4. Parkinson’s Disease:  Constipation is a common problem in Parkinson's disease and may occur even before the motor symptoms appear. Other symptoms of this chronic and progress movement disorder include tremor, rigidity, and difficulty with balance.
      5.  Colo-rectal cancer:  This is a tumour from the inner wall of the colon or rectum. The symptoms are non-specific depending on where the tumour is situated. Symptoms include blood in the stool, dark coloured stool, diarrhoea, and constipation.



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How To Know If You Are Drinking Enough Water: 7 Common Symptoms of Dehydration


how toknow if you are drinking enough water 7 common symptoms of dehydration



Did you know that roughly 70% of your body is made up of water? Water is essential for human survival and not drinking enough water can have some serious consequences. A person can live without food for about a month but only one week without water. We lose water every day through breathing, urine, stool, and evaporation from the skin. These losses must be replaced every day for the body to function normally.

Recommended daily water intake according to The Institute of  Medicine for men is roughly about 13 cups (3 litres) of total beverages a day. The recommended daily intake for women is about 9 cups (2.2 litres) of total beverages a day.


These are some of the symptoms you may notice If you are not consuming enough water:

1.   Thirst: Thirst is a way of your body telling you to drink water however, it is not always a reliable early indicator of the body's need for water. You will usually feel thirsty because you're not drinking the amount of fluid your body needs. This may be because you've been sweating heavily or you've lost fluid.


2.      Fatigue: Fatigue is one of the first symptoms of dehydration. A study from Tuft’s University found that mild dehydration of about 1 to 2 per cent loss of body weight as water can impair thinking. 

Y  Your body cells need adequate water to balance the fluids and electrolytes in the body. When you are not adequately hydrated, the blood volume decreases and your heart works harder to push oxygen and nutrients around the body making you feel tired.


     Headaches: Dehydration as explained above decreases blood volume which lowers blood and oxygen flow to the brain. The blood vessels in the brain dilate leading to swelling which causes a headache.

     In addition, when you are dehydrated, your brain tissue loses water causing your brain to shrink away from the skull. This triggers the pain receptors and gives you a headache.


4.     Dry mouth: Dry mouth is also an early but unreliable sign of dehydration.


5.     Dark urine and decreased urination: Urine naturally has some yellow pigments called urobilin or urochrome which gives it the characteristic yellow colour. This colour can change in intensity from light yellow to very dark because of what we ingest, the chief of which is water. Dark coloured urine in addition to reduced frequency of urination could mean you need to drink more water.


6.     Dry skin and wrinkles: Drinking enough water keeps it moisturised and looking supple. When you are dehydrated, the skin begins to look dry and you may notice wrinkles. So, before you run to spend a fortune on skin treatments, try drinking more water.


7.     Constipation: Not drinking enough water can lead to constipation. The colon draws water from body waste to make it solid. When there is too little water available, the stool becomes dry, hard, and difficult to move through the colon.


If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to drink more water every day.






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