Top Health Tips on Eating Right

As one of the oldest tree foods to be cultivated by humans, walnuts have long since been known as a wonder fruit that can treat and manage many diseases, even as it ensures that one gets to enjoy many other health and cosmetic benefits. This is a nutrient-laden dry fruit that can be eaten in any season and can also be used as a healthy snack.

Read on to know how walnuts can help you in the health department!s

Weight Management: One can obtain weight loss by switching deep fried and other snacks with this fruit as the snack of choice. This will help in weight loss because it is known to be loaded with many ounces of protein as well as Omega-3 fatty acids, which can make your metabolism work overtime so that you end up burning all that useless fat. Regular consumption of walnuts will ensure that you get the right amount of calories in just a fistful of this dry fruit. You can also combine this with almonds and raisins for a healthy breakfast, if sprinkled in your oats or any other cereals.
Glowing Hair: If you have been facing problems like thinning hair, and hair loss as well as dandruff, then walnuts can easily come to your rescue. Eating lots of walnuts will help in restoring the oil and moisture balance of the scalp which will make your hair rich and bouncy again. You can also apply walnut oil to your scalp in order to boost the health of your hair to a great extent. This is due to the fact that walnuts contain Vitamin B7 which is known to prevent hair loss.
Heart Disease: You can prevent a majority of cardiovascular issues and heart disease with the help of walnuts. This is due to the fact that walnuts also contain a lot of antioxidants, which can help in regulating the cholesterol levels as well. One can actually remove the bad cholesterol and keep the good cholesterol so that lifestyle issues and conditions like diabetes and heart disease can be avoided. One should have at least 28 grams of walnuts in a single day so that these kinds of diseases can be successfully prevented.
Fertility: Walnuts are very important for male fertility. One of the main things in male fertility is the sperm, especially the quality of the same. So, if you have had a sperm test and it does not have very encouraging results, then eating walnuts can easily solve this problem along with whatever other medication you may be having for the condition. One should have at least 75 grams of walnuts every day in order to increase the vitality of the sperm for those men who fall in the age group of 21 years to 35 years of age.

For most of us, our smartphone is the first thing we look at in the morning and the last thing we check before going to bed. But, is it a right practise? Well, it is not. As per a recent study published by the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, using a smartphone right before bedtime actually reduces the overall quality of sleep.

Here's how:

Difficulty in falling asleep - We feel sleepy when our brain releases a hormone called melatonin, which is determined by the body's circadian rhythm. The blue light emitted by the screen of the smartphone interferes with this rhythm and the secretion of melatonin, which makes it difficult for us to fall asleep, even after we keep our phone aside.
Poor quality of sleep - Using a smartphone before going to bed also hampers the overall quality of sleep because, when we check an office email or a text message as the last thing before we sleep, it gets difficult for our brain to relax, due to which we are unable to sleep peacefully.
Decreased attention span - Our productivity suffers during the day, due to lack of proper sleep at night. Also, not getting enough sleep is known to hamper our decision-making skills, impair our long & short-term memory, which leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Increased risk of weight gain - Our body is more likely to feel hungry when we don't get our due share of sleep, as sleep deprivation slows down our metabolism. Thus, use of smartphone right before bedtime can induce cravings, which lead to snacking and weight gain.
Weak immune system - While we are asleep our immune system produces antibodies that help fight infections, it also releases a protein known as cytokines. This protein not only promotes sleep but also fights inflammation and other problems caused by stress. Lack of sound sleep decreases the production of cytokines and increases the risk of falling sick, it also slows down our recovery cycle. Further, long-term sleep deprivation can raise the risk of diseases, such as diabetes, heart problems and obesity.
Skin damage - Sleeping late at night and not getting enough sleep can lead to dark circles, puffy eyes and fine lines across our face. The blue light emitted by our smartphones triggers the secretion of cortisol, which can damage our skin's smoothness and elasticity.
Thus, even if we are spending only some time on our smartphone before going to bed, it affects our overall mental and physical well-being. Want to know more about the problems sleep deprivation can cause or solutions that can help, consult our expert & get answers to questions!

Most of the time people are not even aware of the bad habits which can harm their health in several ways. However, we do them persistently without realizing that these habits are actually harming our health and can lead to problems like heart diseases, sleep or eating disorders, stress, etc.

Here are 10 of those bad habits.

Smoking cigarettes and nicotine addiction: Everybody knows that cigarettes cause cancer, especially when smoked excessively. Very few people know that nicotine also can lead to shrinking of brain and diseases like Alzheimer's. Therefore, one must quit this bad habit right away.
Skipping the most important meal of the day: These days, all of us lead a busy lifestyle which involves skipping breakfast or lunch on a daily basis. Incidentally, many people are not aware of the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one should not skip it at any cost.
Eating without being hungry and overeating: Just as you should not skip the important meals in a day, overeating is bad as well. There are many of us who love food and are habituated with eating while watching or reading something. Very soon, this habit of overeating can make them obese or popularly known as couch potato.
Extremely bad food habits: Quite often, we prefer to include only those kinds of food items which we love. On the contrary, one should follow a healthy and balanced diet including carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin, minerals and water, as per individual body demands.
Skipping exercise and leading an inactive life: Having a balanced diet is not enough, if you want a healthy body and mind. There is no alternative to physical fitness and exercises. Being physically inactive can lead to heart diseases, cholesterol problems, arthritis, obesity, etc.
Sleeping disorders: A person must have seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep to maintain the proper sleep cycle. The sleeping disorder can cause severe health problems.
Watching television or using mobile before going to bed: To get a relaxed sleep, you need to quit the habit of watching any video, television series, movies, playing with mobile phones. Our minds tend to reminiscent of those videos, and that can disrupt our sleep. Instead, you can read a bit.
Excessive consumption of alcohol: An inordinate amount of alcohol in our body might make us excited, and that is not good when you are going to drive or sleep. Always keep a check on your alcohol consumption.
Stress and fatigue: Taking stress can cause us fatigue, sleeping and eating disorders, etc. Therefore, you need to learn how to manage stress o maintain a balance between your private and work life.
Not relaxing or enjoying your leisure: Since we live in a stressful environment, we need to value recreation. Overworking can cause severe stress and psychological problems. Avoid that by doing whatever you like, such as, reading, traveling, etc.
Get rid of these bad habits which can cause harm to your health and start enjoying a healthy and happy life.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess accumulation of body fat creates an adverse effect on health. Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing rates in adults and children. In 2015, 600 million adults and 100 million children were obese. Obesity is more common in women than men.It is defined by body mass index (BMI) and further evaluated in terms of fat distribution via the waist-hip ratio (WHR) and total cardiovascular risk factors. Body mass index is closely related to both percentage body fat and total body fat.

It is defined as the subject's weight divided by the square of their height and is calculated as follows:

BMI = m/h2(Where m and h are the subject's weight and height, respectively)Waist-hip ratio is the dimensionless ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. This ratio is calculated as waist measurement divided by hip measurement (W H)The WHR has been used as an indicator or measure of health and the risk of developing serious health conditions.

The BMR of the body is classified into the following types:

BMI (kg/m2)
Classification up to 18.5
Underweight18.5 25.0
Normal weight25.0 30.0
Overweight 30.0 35.0
Class I obesity 35.0 40.0
Class II obesity

40.0 and above

Class III obesity
Causes-

Diet: Excessive food energy intake
Sedentary lifestyle
Genetics
Other illnesses: Hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, growth hormone deficiency, and eating disorders
Certain medications: Insulin, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, atypical antipsychotics, antidepressants, steroids, certain anticonvulsants, pizotifen, and some forms of hormonal contraception
Gut bacteria Health risks associated with obesity
Bone and cartilage degeneration (osteoarthritis)
Coronary heart disease
Gallbladder disease (gall stone)
High blood pressure (hypertension)
High total cholesterol and high levels of triglycerides (dyslipidemia)
Respiratory problems
Several cancers
Sleep apnea
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Management of obesity
Conservative management

Diet: Limit energy intake from total fats and sugars and increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts.
Eat consistently: Resist the urge to overeat. Your food intake should follow a regular routine. Overeating not only upsets your routine but also impacts your metabolism.
Breakfast: Never miss your breakfast. Breakfast is a crucial meal; it also helps stave off hunger later on in the day, which often leads to overeating and snacking.
Monitor yourself: Keep a close check on what you eat and regularly weigh yourself.
Physical activity: Perform at least 200 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. This schedule should be spread out over at least 3 days.
Watching TV: Limit watching TV to no more than 10 hours each week.
Surgical management

The surgical management of obesity involves the following two procedures:

Restrictive procedures
Malabsorptive procedures

Lifestyle changes such as eating healthy and exercising are to be incorporated in everyone s life. The awareness to go organic is being spread wide, mostly because of social media. Analysis of the food we eat and questioning the components of our diet is very much necessary and this has created a lot of facts and myths. In the world that we live in today, we weigh multiple options for choosing the right one. One such comparison is between white eggs and brown eggs. The egg shell color influences consumers to a great extent.

Nutritional value: Eggs are filled with nutritional value. About 70 calories, 6 grams of protein and vitamin B are the components of eggs. Eggs are a very good source of protein. The egg yolk contains a lot of cholesterol. Those who would want to avoid cholesterol can take only the egg white. Carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are the other nutrients present in eggs. They lower the risk of macular degeneration. Choline, another element present in the eggs helps in memory development.

Types of eggs: The common labels one could see in the case of eggs are free-run, organic, free-roaming, vegetarian fed, Omega-3 enriched and graded eggs. These categories are based on the diet and lifestyle of the hens. Some hens are fed vegetarian food and are not given animal proteins. Some are not caged and are let in open spaces. These hens lay eggs in their nests and some are fed with flax seeds. Such eggs are labeled as Omega-3 enriched.

White vs brown eggs: Here are a few points to ponder about the difference between white eggs and brown eggs.

Shell: The color of the shell is the major difference between brown and white eggs. The egg shells of brown color are believed to be hard, which is nothing but a myth. Young chickens lay harder shelled eggs.
Nutritional value: The color does not really determine the egg quality. What really matters is the hen's diet. Two hens, given the same diet, lay eggs with the same nutritional value irrespective of the color of the shell.
Yolk: It is believed that brown eggs have richly colored yolks when compared to white eggs. This is determined by the amount of corn the hen eats rather than the eggshell color.
Cost: White chicken lays white eggs and brown chicken lays brown eggs. Brown eggs are costlier than white eggs. This is because the maintenance of brown chickens cost more. They are larger in size and they require more food. This costs the farmers more.
Taste: White eggs and brown eggs taste the same. There are not many differences when it comes to taste of the eggs. This again depends on the food to the hen.
Bleaching of white eggs: White eggs are not bleached to make them appear white. As mentioned earlier, the color of the hen influences the color of the eggs. Sometimes brown hens lay white eggs but the color of the resulting white egg is darker than a normal white egg. This has no connection with bleaching.
The nutritional value is the same for both the eggs. The major things that cause a difference between these two eggs are the shell color and cost.

"I don't have time" is one of the most common excuses heard for living an unhealthy lifestyle. When you're working at a full time job, it is often easier to order in from a restaurant and spend the evening watching television to 'cool off' instead of cooking a healthy meal and hitting the gym. However, a busy lifestyle does not necessarily need to be unhealthy. Here are a few simple tips to live a healthier life.

Cook one pot meals
Cooking doesn't have to be complicated. Experiment with your microwave settings and recipes to find quick meals that can be made in under a minute like quiche in a mug or steamed salmon. Making pasta can be as easy as putting all the ingredients in together into a pot and letting them cook. Find recipes that require minimal grocery shopping and preparation.

Take the stairs
Elevators are definitely a convenience and cannot be avoided if your office or home is on the 10th floor. To balance convenience and health, get off the elevator a floor or two below yours and climb up the remaining stairs. Obviously working up a sweat by climbing stairs at the beginning of your day at work isn't a good idea so time your stair climbs at the end of the day or when a shower is nearby.

Avoid snacking
Eat proper meals instead of mindlessly snacking through the day. Keeping a food diary can help you recognize your eating habits and rectify them. If three meals a day does not satiate your hunger, break your meals into smaller portions eaten at more frequent intervals. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should never be skipped.

Drink plenty of water
Often we snack not because we're hungry but because the body is dehydrated. Water can also boost your energy levels and aid digestion. However, avoid filling your stomach with water before a meal to make you eat less. This can hinder your digestion process and keep your body from receiving its necessary nutrients.

Cut back on packaged foods
Packaged food is never really all that good for you. In most cases, it is loaded with sugar, sodium, preservatives and artificial flavouring. If you cannot avoid packaged food, pick the one with minimal ingredients.

Interval training
Spending an hour at the gym is not the only way to exercise. If you cannot find time for a full workout, try interval training. Get off the couch during intervals while watching your favourite soap or take a quick five minute break from your desk to exercise. Regular exercise will also help you sleep better and make you wake up feeling refreshed.

It is often said that we are what we eat. So, when a person aims to stay healthy, maintaining a healthy rate of metabolism is important. So what about foods which can really help boost the metabolism?

While exercise is important to stay healthy, it is said that what a person eats accounts for about 70 to 75% of the entire challenge of being fit. So, it can be said that eating foods which help the metabolism stay at a high level is something which is really very important. But, what exactly are these foods?

It is known that excessive consumption of eggs leads to high levels of cholesterol, but that really does not mean that egg whites are bad for health. As a matter of fact, not only it has a lot of Vitamin D and protein, but there is also a great amount of branched chain amino acids, which can work wonders on the metabolism of a person.
Water is something that is really underrated in a variety of ways. It should not come as a surprise, in that case, to know that it can do its bit to help in keep a metabolism rate high. After all, something that gets the body to function more smoothly should also be part of the answer to getting a more effortless high metabolism rate! Another thing which is interesting to know when it comes to water is the fact that if it is drunk cold, more calories can be burnt as the body would spend some energy in warming the water up. Now, is this not a very simple way to go about making sure that one s metabolism does not slow?
There are some chemical compounds which can help when it comes to improving the metabolism. One of these happens to be capsaicin. Also, it does not mean that this compound needs to be bought or anything like that. As a matter of fact, it occurs absolutely naturally in chilli peppers. So, just incorporating some of them into the food one eats in a consistent manner will help a lot. Apart from just capsaicin, there is also quite a bit of vitamin C in chilli peppers, so it is truly a case of two birds, one stone!
A cup of coffee is said to be a daily need for a lot of people. While too much is not good, the fact that coffee drinkers tend to have a 16% higher metabolism than normal should provide sufficient reason to make a daily coffee a habit.

Depression is a very common phenomenon in contemporary times. It mostly affects those in their teenage and even those who are in their early thirties. Depression can be caused due to many reasons and must be treated quickly to prevent it from turning into a chronic illness with other side effects. Common symptoms of depression include less socialising, less talking with people and sitting at home or locked behind doors for long duration. At times, one even reduces the intake of food and remains in an agitated mood for a long period of time. When it becomes severe cases, medicines need to be administered to the patients to bring them out of their depression.

The interesting part of this condition is that the patient sometimes knows that he/she is suffering from depression and should try to get out of it.

Homeopathy for Depression and Anxiety

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat depression and anxiety but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several medicines are available for depression treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, condition, sensation and modalities of the complaints. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. Some of the commonly indicated homeopathic medicines are listed here:

Aurum Metallicum- This medicine helps recover from deep-seated depression. The patient requiring this medicine is likely to have lost interest in life. There is a sense of loathing for life, lack of joy, loss of smile, loss of hope. He may have seen a very hectic and even successful career; and due to some triggers, there would be a U-turn and the person falls into deep valley of depression.

Manganese- This metal medicine has ample of gloominess, depression and sadness.

Here are some of the tips and tricks of coping with depression:

Overcome your thoughts with positivity: When in depression, one feels lethargic, is overcome by negative thoughts and cannot focus on doing anything. This needs to be challenged and battled with. During this time, you need to repeatedly convince yourself that there will good and bad times and there is always a way to deal with it. The bad phase would disappear just as it had come, and there is no point sulking on it now. Don t let the negativity lead to more depression, as a healthy person still lives inside you.

Get fresh air daily: Going out for a walk or even sitting in the balcony to get some fresh air and morning sunlight can do wonders when you are suffering from depression. Light slowly eats away the darkness in you and helps you see the positive side of things.

Eat healthy food: There is a tendency to either give up on food or to eat a lot of junk food like pizza, chocolate and ice cream during this phase. This must be avoided. What is seen as depression eating is actually binge eating and can have serious consequences on your health and weight. Instead, healthy and regular meals should be eaten and meals should not be skipped at all.

Stay connected: You must stay connected with people, even if it means bringing a forced smile on your face. This can do wonders in helping you cope with your depression.

Mindless munching is usually caused by boredom as well as stress and fatigue in many cases. Also, not eating your meals on time is another reason why we suddenly feel hungry and end up eating all types of wrong food. This kind of mindless munching usually makes us ingest empty calories, which can make us put on weight and face other health issues in the long run as well.

Many of these snacks also contain lots of oil, fat and salt which can cause a range of diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions.

So, how can you cut down on mindless munching? Read on to know more!

Visual reminders: A great way to ensure that you do not succumb to sudden and unhealthy cravings is to place visual reminders on your desk and on the fridge. Get a print out of the things that motivate you like healthy eating options, daily calorie intake required, your goal weight, it can be anything! Place these around you so that you realise how much better off you are without the mindless eating.
Small plates and tall glasses: You can use tall glasses in order to ensure that you are ingesting plenty of water. Many times, mental hunger can be cured with a big glass of water. So, even when you are having a snack or a meal, keep a tall glass of water to fill yourself up instead of feeling hungry later and eating mindlessly. Also, use smaller crockery in order to eat less. As per psychologists, this tends to have a bearing on the eating patterns of the person by creating a visual reminder helps a lot.
Variety: Eat all colors of food in order to get more variety, but limit the variety to more healthy food. Keep the various kinds of chips and wafers away from your home and pantry so that you have no choice, but to snack on fruits and dry fruits as well as other healthy options when the munchies strike!
Be deliberate and present: When you eat slowly, you allow the satisfaction of a good meal to wash over you. This ensures that you have less scope to indulge in mindless eating later. Also, you will feel fuller when you have been more deliberate and present with your meal. This can be done by switching off all devices and the television or smartphone, in particular, and actually taking the time to enjoy your food. Many psychologists say that distractions tend to make us eat more, and more often. So, it is best to cut these out before you start eating.
The above discussed ways can be of great help in keeping you away from mindless munching and ensuring a healthy life ahead.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a blend of stomach discomfort or pain and issues with bowel routines: either constipation or diarrhea; or having a different kind of stool (slender, hard, or delicate and fluid). A healthy routine diet by and large comprises of eating a wide number of nutritious, low-fat nourishments with some restraint. Be that as it may, you may see an increase in your symptoms after you eat certain kinds of food when you have an irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Since side effects can fluctuate between patients, there is not just one list of off-limit foods, but with that said, there are a plenty of foods that are good for your health and do not irritate your bowel habits. By staying away from the most basic irritants of IBS, you may see more consistency and also less cramps and bloating. Some of the foods that you can consume during IBS are as follows:

Fiber adds bulk to your digestive system. It is broadly accessible in grains, vegetables and natural products. Eating a lot of insoluble fiber as grains can increase your trips to the bathroom. Concentrate on soluble fiber. This includes vegetables and natural products.
While the insoluble fiber content in whole grains might be an irritant in IBS indications, certain grains cause different issues. Items containing rye, wheat, and grain contain gluten. This is a sort of protein that can harm your digestion tracts and increase symptoms of IBS. While a hypersensitivity to gluten is known as celiac infection, in any case half the patients in IBS are gluten-intolerant. Fortunately, more gluten-free items are available in the market these days. In case you cannot manage without pizza, pasta, cakes, you can simply substitute them with gluten-free products of the same kind.
Consume plenty fruits and vegetables.
Take carbohydrates in required quantity like bread, rice, oats, pasta, potatoes, chapattis and plantain.
If you happen to be lactose intolerant, include substitutes like soya, rice or oat, milk and yogurts that are rich in calcium.
Some meat, fish, eggs and alternatives like beans.
Take a limited amount of foods high in fats and sugars. Decrease intake of saturated fat that is found in butter, ghee, cheddar, meat, cakes and baked goods. Substitute these with unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, for example, sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Drink a lot of liquid, no less than two liters every day, for example, water or natural teas.
Whenever you go out to eat, make sure you ask for gluten-free food. Sometimes, certain kinds of food might appeal to you but try not to get tempted too often by the menu and harm your health because of it. Stick to a healthy diet.