Benefits Of Exercises For Diabetics

Physical exercises are highly recommended for people suffering from diabetes. Apart from monitoring your diet and undertaking prescribed medicines, as a diabetic, you are supposed to involve in some exercises. These assist you to reduce blood sugar level in your body.  Indulging in day to day activities like walking climbing stairs and sweeping the floor makes you fit and agile. It is advised to track your fitness routine. You can write down your fitness goals on your calendar or a diary. Initially, a diabetic can start off with small achievable goals. It helps to build up your confidence. Then you can look forward to your secondary goals. Let us go through in brief some of the physical exercises for diabetics.

 
Swimming is considered to be a highly beneficial exercise for diabetics. Apart from controlling your blood sugar level, it also burns your calories. It strengthens all the important muscles of your body. However this statement is true for all kinds of physical exercises. The usual fluctuations in the blood sugar level of a diabetic will decrease if swimming is done regularly. Use of insulin will be minimised and the diabetic will also become free of other diabetes medicines. A major diabetic populace of the world are obese. These individuals find other forms of exercises to be difficult. Swimming for them, is easy and time saving as well. Swimming is also absolutely painless and is advised for weight loss.  

Bicycling is also an ideal exercise for a better functioning of your heart and lungs. You can ride a stationary cycle which is preferred because a lot of aerobics can be done without moving out of your place. It enhances blood flow to your leg muscles. Cycling also helps in losing your weight and balancing it at a healthy level.

Brisk Walking 

Diabetics are advised by doctors and other medical professionals to walk for at least 30 minutes twice a day. It enhances physical activity, thereby improving the blood functioning of the body. You can take brisk walks during occasional breaks at workplace. You may also climb up the stairs and walk up to the marketplace or get involved in any other physical activity. People suffering from diabetes must always be active and avoid small cuts and bruises since it is difficult to heal.

Weight Training Exercises 

Moderate strengthening exercises at the gym are advised if you are diabetic. You must consult your doctor before you start a training programme. Usually, a training schedule twice a week is advised for diabetics. A fitness expert at the gym might help you with your movements during the training routine. Stringent training routine should be avoided since you may feel tired after a certain period of time. Hence be flexible while going for a weight training regime. Exercising with dumbbells also helps you to stay agile. Stand straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand. As you start lifting the weights, squeeze your biceps. Other exercises as suggested by fitness consultants may be practiced after studying the state of complications of the diabetic in detail.

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5 Yogic Poses To Get Rid Of Insomnia

A tired urban soul needs adequate rest and sound sleep to get back to the normal schedule of a fast paced life. However, sleep deprivation has been found to be very common among people of all ages. Insomnia has a deep impact on a person's mental and physical health. His productivity gets hampered and he tends to fall asleep at workplace or during any activity throughout the day. Hence, Medical professionals advise to lead a healthy lifestyle and practice some amount of physical exercises. But nowadays it is hard to devote even a certain period of time towards workout sessions. So, many physicians have suggested people suffering from insomnia to practice yoga.

Now how do Yogic postures facilitate a sound sleep?

Yoga helps to reduce a person's mental distractions as the asanas makes you to forget all your anxiety and frustrations. They repair your mental thoughts and help you to calm your senses. Once you find peace with yourself, you tend to maximize your productivity and also help to change your thought process. Some of the asanas also reduces the soreness and extreme muscle pain of different parts of the body.  Now let us learn some benefits of some specific asanas to get rid of insomnia.

Balasana or the child's pose is considered to be a resting pose. This yogic pose helps to relieve tension in the body. One is required to fold his body over the legs with the arms stretched by the sides. He has to place his forehead on the floor. Yoga instructors suggest that you will have to take long breaths during the exercise. Massaging the forehead from left to right while in this pose is also beneficial for your tired body.

Halasana or the plow pose is an ideal therapeutic exercise for people suffering from insomnia. If you stay in this pose for a few minutes before going to bed, then you will fall asleep easily. Lie down with your back on the floor. Then raise your legs above your head. Place them on the floor behind you. Keep your hands on the floor for support.

Viparita Karani

This pose relaxes your body and helps you to ward off anxiety. It also reduces depression and facilitates sound sleep. You will have to be in a sitting posture and then lift your legs up against the wall. The arms should be stretched on your sides with both your palms facing upwards. Place your head and shoulders in a resting position on the ground. You should shut your eyes closed and inhale a deep breath. Stay in this position for 10 minutes.

Sit sideways opposite to the wall and gently raise your legs up against the wall.  Rest your head as well as shoulders on the floor comfortably. Keep your eyes closed and take a deep breath. Focus on breathing. Hold this position for 5 to 10 minutes.

Uttanasana

Stand with your feet about a few inches apart. Bow down towards the ground. You may also bend your arms and hold hands to opposite elbow. This asana reduces stress levels and is a highly beneficial exercise for adequate amount of sleep.

Savasana or the Corpse Pose helps you to focus your mind and to get rid of your daily worries. It prepares you for a good sleep. As you start focusing, your mind becomes independent of all the stress causing elements.

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Skin cancer - The surprising symptom that your doctor shouldn’t ignore

Different forms of Cancer have become prevalent in the recent times to a great extent. In order to avoid or prevent skin cancer, it will be better to know the symptoms and take immediate action. Depending upon the intensity of the symptoms, your doctor will suggest you required medications.

Recently, an analysis has been done by medical researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Centre found a suprising symptom related to skin cancer – itchy skin. In the research, it was found that amongst the patients on which the research was conducted, 37% of them had the urge to scratch the skin and were later on diagnosed with skin cancer. This symptom was even more common than pain, which was considered to be a common symptom for skin cancer. Pain affected only 28% of the research participants.

However, this does not mean that all itchy moles are a breeding ground for cancer cells. Studies conducted by research experts have stressed on two major implications through which skin cancer is diagnosed as well as treated. It should also be noted here that different symptoms found in different individuals can be a indication of the type of skin cancer one might be suffering from. Different types of skin cancer include melanoma, basal cell or squamous cell. This will also help the doctors know whether a particular mole requires to be biopsied or not. Many a times, a simple bedside assessment in order to test the intensity of the pain or itch is an easy tool for the doctors to judge the skin lesions.

Apart from itching and pain, there are various other symptoms of skin cancer. There might be various suspicious spots on your back which might need the attention of a dermatologist. Apart from this, you should check out if there has been a noticeable change in size, shape or colour of the moles. These can be symptoms of skin cancer. Also, if the moles start to bleed, then it can also be cancerous and might be a cause for your concern. In some cases, you might find skin lesions which can have an irregular shape as well as crusty exterior. This can be a cause for concern to you and your doctor.

It will be better if you could go for complete body check up every month if you are concerned with your blemishes. While examining the skin, be thorough. You should be careful about often overlooked areas. This might include checking spaces between your toes. You should also try to check inside your mouth. Apart from this, you should also keep an eye for symptoms of melanoma like asymmetry, colour variability, border irregularity, change in shape, size and colour, etc. If you find any of these symptoms, you should immediately consult a physician.

Cancer has always been perceived as an incurable disease. However, cancer medicines have come up in the market and further research is going on in order to improve these cancer medicines so that they can be of better help to the patients.

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Type 2 Diabetes - 5 Steps To Reverse It And Manage Insulin Resistance

Recent research and studies have found that there are certain compounds which can help you turn off all the genes that cause diabetes. The best part is that for this you will not have to take any diabetes medicine. Rather, these compounds can be found in food items like rye bread and pasta. Rye contains special phytonutrients which can help you in turning off all the genes which can be responsible for diabetes. There are various other ways which can also help you to either prevent or reverse diabetes. If you wish to reverse Type 2 Diabetes and manage insulin resistance, then you should balance your eating habits, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress as well as improve liver detoxification.

Steps to reverse Type 2 Diabetes

Here are some of the way outs which can help you in reversing type 2 diabetes:

Timing of the meal: At breakfast, make sure that you eat some kind of protein. This may include a soy protein shake, omega-3 eggs or nut butters. Also, you should eat something every 4 hours so that you can keep your insulin and glucose levels under control. You should also eat some kind of protein snacks during morning and afternoon (such as almonds). You should eat your dinner at least 2-3 hours prior to sleep. This will help you digest the food better.

Eat while you travel: Always keep two handfuls of almonds in your bag as an emergency snack. While you are traveling, you can eat them to keep yourself full rather than keeping yourself hungry for a long period of time. Also keep a whole fruit handy with you. Rather than eating oily and spicy fast food, fruits and nuts can be a better food option for you!

Composition of meal: As you wish to reverse Type 2 Diabetes, it is very essential to control the glycemic load of your meals. In order to do so, you will have to combine fats, proteins as well as whole food carbohydrates, nuts, fruits, seeds, legumes, etc. at every meal. Also, you should avoid eating quickly absorbed carbohydrates alone. They might raise your sugar as well as insulin levels.

Choose the right kind of food to eat: You will have to choose the right kind of food from a range of real or whole food. Ensure that your meal includes high quality protein including fishes like sable, salmon, herring, sardines, etc. Apart from this, you should also eat up to 8 omega-3 eggs a week.

Reduce excess weight and increase physical activity: If you wish to control Type 2 diabetes or prevent it, then you should increase your physical activity and reduce the excess weight gained, if any. You can indulge in regular exercise for at least 30 minutes. Apart from this, you should indulge in walking from time to time.

Apart from the above mentioned lifestyle changes, various diabetes medicines are also available in the market which will help you in reducing Type 2 diabetes. However, before you intake any diabetes medicine, consult your doctor and take his/her opinion in this regard.

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Transformation from fat to fit – A know how

In the present times, we have become extremely tech-savvy. Our professional lives are completely dependent on computers, laptops and other technical devices. As a result, we hardly move from one place to another. This leads to accumulation of fat in different parts of our body. Here, it should be remembered that a fat body can lead to various health issues and complications. Thus, it is essential to transform yourself from fat to fit. There are some secrets which can help you in transforming yourself and achieve a great figure.

Secrets to transform yourself from fat to fit

Let's take a look at the secrets which can help you transform yourself from fat to fit:

Clean your house: It is true that you might face time constraint and cannot exercise regularly. In such a situation, you can work out by simply cleaning your house. Do the dusting on your own and clean the rooms. If you have a big house, then dusting and cleaning the whole house will ensure that you have enough physical activity to reduce the accumulated fat.

Go for structured workouts designed by a professional: If you are planning to follow a workout program, then consult a health professional and get a workout plan designed by him or her. Normally, you should indulge in short and vigorous exercise for 45 minutes three times per week. On the other 4 days, you should indulge in at least a 30 minutes walk. 

Choose like-minded people to exercise with: Once you find like-minded people exercising with you, you will be encouraged to continue your exercise routine. You can get inspired from them and they can get inspired by you. With the support of others, you can walk that extra mile in regards to your exercise routine and achieve better results.

Avoid junk and oily food: If you wish to transform yourself from fat to fit, then you should avoid junk and oily food as much as possible. Too much of oily and junk food will lead to more accumulation of fat in your body. If you are planning to lose weight, then you should go for less oily food. Rather than going for a oily and spicy burger, go for a veggie sandwich! Choose multi-grain breads rather than white breads.

Plan and shop for food items: Avoiding junk and oily food outside is not the only solution. While you shop for your daily food items, plan and prepare a list. Visit the market when your stomach is full. This will automatically encourage you to choose healthy food items. Thus, you will be able to choose food items which are healthy and contains low fat levels.

Go out with like minded people: If you go out with like-minded people who are equally serious about maintaining good health, then they will help you in maintaining your healthy food habits. If you go out with people who are not health conscious, then you will also end up buying unhealthy and junk food. This will in-turn affect your healthy food habit.

Hopefully, the above mentioned tips will help you transform yourself from fat to fit!

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Cluster Headaches – A major health issue during season change

Cluster headaches are quite common during season changes. Recent studies have found that millions of people all over the world face the problem of cluster headaches. One of the major reason for this is that our biological rhythm is associated with the rotation of earth. As the name suggests, cluster headaches will occur close together and that too on the same day. Normally, every bout of headache will last for around 30 minutes to 3 hours! Most people, who suffer from cluster headaches, will experience them for around 12 weeks in a year. These headache attacks are also known as 'suicide headache'. Considering the bout of attacks, it is essential to take help of generic medicines to reduce them.

Cluster headaches are considered to be a neurological disorder. It is mainly characterized by immense pain around or behind the eyes. The pain is so severe that it can be incapacitating than a migraine. Apart from deciding to take generic medicines to get rid of the pain of headache, you can consider the following advice:

• When suffering from cluster headaches, avoid drinking alcohol or smoking.
• Consult a doctor about prescription medicines that might help you relieve the headache.
• Talk to a headache specialist who can offer you alternate remedies.
• Take medicines that can help you regulate your sleep-wake cycle which will help correct the imbalances  in the body.
• You can get relief from cluster headaches by breathing 100% pure oxygen for around 10-15 minutes.

People who mainly suffer from cluster headaches

It should be noted here that males are 2-4 times more likely to develop cluster headaches compared to females. Although most of the patients suffering from this problem are adults, cluster headaches have also been reported in children who are as young as 6-7 years of age!

Major symptoms of cluster headaches

There are various symptoms associated with cluster headaches. Let's take a look at some of the major symptoms associated with it:

1. One sided pain
2. Redness in eye
3. Restlessness
4. Excruciating pain around or behind the eye
5. Stuffy or runny nasal passage
6. Sweaty face and pale skin
7. Drooping eye-lid

Chronic cluster headaches might occur for a certain period of time. The chronic cluster periods can go on for a year or more. While a cluster period, headaches will occur every day and many a times you will face the pain several times a day. Majority of attacks normally take place during night after you go to bed. However, you should note here that the pain normally ends as suddenly as it starts. Moreover, you will feel a rapid decreasing density of pain. After the attacks you can be completely pain-free but you will feel exhausted.

When you suffer from cluster headache, it will be better to get in touch with a doctor and take the prescribed medicines which can be branded or generic. Proper intake of medicines will help you save yourself from the pain and suffering.

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Skin care – 10 myths that you should be aware of

If you wish to look good, then the most important thing that you need to be concerned about is your skin. We find a lot of information about skin care in various beauty magazines as well as on the Internet. However, not all the information is factual. There are various myths associated with skin care. Unless you know about the myths, you will never be able to take proper care of your skin and choose the right skin care products.

10 skin care myths uncovered

Here are some of the major skin myths uncovered only for you! Let's take a look at them:

1. Cleansing, toning and moisturizing: It is a common myth that cleansing-toning-moisturizing is the best routine for skin care. This myth has been busted. The skin care routine should change as per the changes in weather, climate and skin type. If you apply moisturizer on an oily skin, it will lead to breakouts. On the other hand, too much of toner on a dry skin will make it further dry and itchy. Use the products as per the needs and requirements of your skin.

2. No sunscreen on cloudy days: Its a common misconception that there is no need to use sunscreens on cloudy days. However, the fact is that sunscreens are necessary on every single day as the ill-effects of UV rays of the sun can be harmful for your skin even on cloudy days.

3. No sunscreen required because products have in-built sunscreen: Various make-up products are available in the market which have in-built sunscreen in it. But this does not mean that you will not apply sunscreen. The in-built sunscreen in your make-up products do not have high SPF levels. Given this situation, it will be better if you could apply sunscreen separately along with your make-up products.

4. Higher SPF gives better protection: It is a common misconception that higher SPF will provide better protection against the sun. Sun protection factor (SPF) ranges from 2-50. The SPF rating is decided comparing the time required to produce sunburn on sunscreen-protected skin to the time required to cause sunburn on unprotected skin. Thus, there is no reason to think that a SPF 45 sunscreen will provide 3 times more protection than SPF 15.

5. Get an acne free skin with soap: You cannot get an acne free skin by washing/scrubbing your face regularly with soap. Rather, it will be better if you could use a good soap-free cleanser or a cleanser which is especially made for acne.

6. Pop the pimple and get rid of acne: Many people believe that popping the pimple will flatten it and help them get rid of acne. On the contrary, this can lead to infection. It is better to use natural products like sandlewood powder or turmeric to get rid of pimples and acne.

7. Regular facials for glowing skin: Most women consider that regular facials are a great way to get a glowing skin. However, that is not always the case. It may reduce the natural oils present in your skin. Also, you might develop rashes or infection on your skin. It is better to go for mild exfoliating cleansers.

8. Expensive skin care products work best: This is a common misconception. Many a times, products which cost below Rs.500 can be quite effective for your skin. Rather than checking the price, check out the ingredients present on your make-up products. This will help you choose better skin care products.

9. Erase wrinkles with anti-ageing skin care products:  Many anti-ageing skin care products claim to reduce wrinkles and people use them as well. But it is not true. These creams smoothen the skin and erases the wrinkles temporarily. No creams can actually erase the wrinkles irrespective of its price.

10. Use separate creams for day and night: Many women consider using day and night skin care products very effectively for their skin. But one single effective cream can be better. However, you will have to choose this effective cream for your skin depending upon the ingredients.

Stay away from these myths and enjoy a healthy skin!

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