Health

17 Things You Should Know About Stress!

Mush Health, Motivation, Relationships ,

We are all affected by stress at some level or another, though we don’t like to admit it. Stress can be positive when it helps you achieve your goals, or implement a change in your lifestyle. But it’s obviously negative when it results in anxiety, depression and illness. This article can help you identify, prevent and deal with stress.

CAUSES OF STRESS
Most common causes of stress are:

  1. Work-related: This includes deadlines, overload of work, conflicts with the boss or co-workers, job insecurity, lack of recognition etc.
  2. Money-related: Financial crisis, credit card debt, mortgage, loss of job or just lack of money to do the things you really want
  3. Relationship-related: Lack of communication, understanding and trust with your partner, parents, kids or close friends
  4. General lack of fulfillment: Unfulfilled dreams and ambitions; failure in job or relationships
  5. Attitudes that cause stress: Certain traits and ways of seeing the world can cause stress. E.g. Pessimism, perfectionism, addictions, poor communication, anger, obsessing and other such negative behavior.

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS
One or more of the following symptoms could mean that you are going through stress:

  1. Headaches: Certain types of headaches can be related to stress.
  2. More frequent colds or flu: There’s an inverse relationship between stress and immunity, so if you’re under too much stress, you may be getting sick more often.
  3. Sleep problems: There are many ways that stress affects sleep. Too much stress can rob you of sleep and make the sleep you get less restorative.
  4. General anxiety: Anxiety does serve an important function for survival, but if you’re feeling anxious much of the time, it could be because you have too many stressors in your life.
  5. Fuzzy thinking: Your body’s stress response pumps your body with hormones that make it possible for you to fight or flee quickly. But when triggered in excess, this stress response can actually cause you to think less quickly. Continue reading →

Fast Food or Slow Food?

Mush Happiness, Health , , ,

0910 anti-fast foodI just read this very interesting and useful article on Zen Habits, one of my favorite blogs:

It’s been awhile since I’ve written about the Slow Food movement, but I really believe it’s the answer to many of our problems: health and obesity, the hectic and stressful pace of modern life, and the lack of happiness in a complex and often burdensome world.

This is the Anti-Fast Food Diet — a way to not only lose weight and get healthier, but to change your life to one of simplicity, moderation, and joy.

Abandon fast food, and all the values it brings: mass consumption, mass production, the exploitation of workers, the destruction of the environment, the destruction of small local businesses, the corporatization of our culture.

Instead, embrace Slow Food. Here’s how. Continue reading →

How Much Sugar Are You Consuming?

Mush Health , ,

0910 sugarWe all know that most sugar is bad for us. Here are some of the harmful affects of sugar on our body:

  • Sugar can suppress the immune system.
  • Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness.
  • Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
  • Sugar can cause kidney damage.
  • Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
  • Sugar can promote tooth decay.
  • Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
  • Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
  • Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
  • Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
  • Sugar can cause hypertension.
  • Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.

Avoiding sugar is not easy because it is processed in so many foods we eat. These foods are not just sweets; sugar in large quantities can be found in “non-sweets” products. Here’s the approximate sugar content of popular foods Continue reading →

Start Swimming to be Healthy, Happy and Fit!

Mush Health , ,

0909 swimming

Swimming is a very unique activity that can be used for health, fitness or fun. It doesn’t require any special gear or  equipment. Swimming can be a regular exercise, a warm up or cooling down activity with other exercises, or a social activity that can be enjoyed with family or friends.

Here are ten health and fitness benefits to motivate you to take up regular swimming:

  1. Swimming involves the use of almost all the muscles required for movement, without the weight of your body pounding you with each move like when you are walking or running.
  2. Swimming builds muscle strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. The longer you swim, the more your endurance and speed improves.
  3. Swimming improves the body’s use of oxygen and increases lung function, without overworking the heart.
  4. Swimming stimulates circulation, and promotes proper breathing.
  5. Swimming helps you sleep better.
  6. Swimming burns calories at about 3 calories a mile per pound of body weight, so it helps maintain a healthy weight.
  7. Swimming helps tone the upper arms, shoulders and legs.
  8. Swimming doesn’t make you hot and sticky, as many other forms of exercise do.
  9. Swimming is a great stress-buster. It relaxes the body and soothes the mind.
  10. Swimming is a skill that can save your life, or help save someone else’s live.

Like any other sport or exercise, you can also use swimming to build discipline, enhance will power, increase competitiveness and improve your goal-setting skills.

[Photo taken by Salma when I jumped off the boat in Goa]

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Negative Emotions Can Cause Heart Diseases!

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0909 depressionThere’s huge amounts of research into the effects of our emotions on our health. It seems to have been established that negative emotions like anger, anxiety, bitterness, un-forgiveness and depression release chemicals into our system that weaken our immune system and reduce its ability to fight disease. And positive emotions like happiness, gratefulness, pleasure, love and kindness produce chemicals that strengthen the immune system. Following quotes by experts suggest a direct link between stress and heart diseases, especially in women:

“Because men’s hearts aren’t as responsive to emotional stimuli, emotion is a more important predictor of heart problems in women. Hurtful emotions can cause a woman’s arteries to spasm and close down like a boa constrictor squeezing around its prey.” (Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD, Cardio Surgeon at NY-Presbyterian/Colombia University.)

“Stressful emotions account for roughly 30 percent of all heart attacks. They rank at par with high blood pressure and abdominal fat, straining the heart by increasing your rate and flooding your body with high levels of potentially toxic hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.” (Landmark Interheart Study – a survey of heart disease in 24,000 people in 53 countries)

“Stress from negative emotions also makes the blood clot faster, adding to heart disease risk. Stress can also play an indirect role in heart disease by interfering with exercise, a healthy diet and adequate sleep.” (Karina Davidson, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Colombia University Medical Center)

“Anger, anxiety and depression are the main ways women channel stress, and each emotion has a profound effect on the heart.” (Redford Williams, MD, Director of Behavioral Research at Duke University and author of In Control.)

How to Sleep Well and Wake up Recharged!

Mush Happiness, Health, Life, Productivity , , ,

0908 sleepWe all know that waking up early is good for us. We can exercise, study, work… simply have more life! But most people find it difficult to sleep well and wake up early and fresh. I think a lot of people feel crappy in the morning. Here are some tips and tricks I have learned over the years that help me sleep better and wake up fully recharged – most of the time:

  1. Dinner time and type. If your digestion process goes on during sleep you will wake up tired. So what you eat for dinner and how much time you allow between dinner and bedtime is critical. If your dinner is light and simple, a couple of hours may be enough for digestion. But if you eat a heavy and complex meal, you shouldn’t go to bed for at least four hours after dinner.
  2. Avoid caffeine and chocolate. These have been shown to have the worst affect on the quality of sleep. Depending on your level of tolerance, stay away from these two 4 to 8 hours before bedtime.
  3. Exercise. A tiring workout or a swim is sure to result in a good sleep. But even moderate exercise like a brisk walk can significantly improve the quality of sleep.
  4. Take a bath. A warm bath can often do wonders if you are having a problems with your sleep. Use a moisturizer to avoid dehydrated skin. Continue reading →

Exercise Alone Won’t Make You Thin!

Mush Health , ,

0908 muffinTIME magazine article “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin” reports interesting statistics showing that most people who exercise end up eating more, and eating worse. Not only these people don’t lose any weight, they often end up gaining weight.

After we exercise, we often crave sugary calories like those in muffins or ‘sports’ drinks. A bottle of Gatorade contains 130 calories. So if you drink one of those after a 20-minute run it neutralizes the calories burned. A blueberry muffin contains about 360 calories, and the illustration below shows what it takes to burn that many calories: over an hour of cycling, over half hour of jogging, and hour and a half of vacuuming are a few.

However, the article also lists many benefits of exercising including enhanced health and prevention of disease. And then goes on to suggest that exercise doesn’t have to be ‘sweaty, exhausting, hunger-producing bursts of activities’. Continue reading →

11 Health Benefits of Fasting

Mush Health , , ,

I found enormous amounts of material when I started looking for the health benefits of fasting. It seemed that every expert in medicine, health and fitness had something to say about the benefits of fasting. But the following piece from Dr. Cinque summarizes it all very well:

  1. Fasting promotes detoxification. As the body breaks down its fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins.
  2. Fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest. After fasting, both digestion and elimination are invigorated.
  3. Fasting promotes the resolution of inflammatory processes, such as in rheumatoid arthritis.
  4. Fasting quiets allergic reactions, including asthma and hay fever.
  5. Fasting promotes the drying up of abnormal fluid accumulations, such as edema in the ankles and legs and swelling in the abdomen.
  6. Fasting corrects high blood pressure without drugs. Fasting will normalize blood pressure in the vast majority of cases, the blood pressure will remain low after the fast, if the person follows a health-supporting diet and lifestyle. Continue reading →

Say ‘No’ to Diet Coke!

Mush Health , , ,

0908 diet cokeIt’s surprising to see so many people, even health conscious ones, drinking sodas – including the diet varieties which use toxic, artificial sweeteners. Here are  few reasons why you should avoid sodas – especially diet ones:

  • pH of 2.5: Sodas are 50,000 times more acidic than neutral. It would require 30 glasses of clean water to balance out just ONE can of soda. Why is this important? All diseases thrive in an acidic environment.
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup: This highly processed sweetener significantly raises insulin levels and has been linked to diabetes and obesity.
  • Aspartame, Splenda: All artificial sweeteners are the result of a chemical process that produces dangerous neurotoxic compounds. Aspartame has been linked to brain tumors, migraines/headaches, epilepsy/seizures, depression and autoimmune diseases. Sucrolose (Splenda) falls into the same category.
  • Caffeine: Caffeine stays in your body for 12 hours before the effect wears off. Even if you think caffeine doesn’t affect you, it will still alter your sleep cycles and the quality of your sleep. Caffeine is also a diuretic – dehydrating you even though you believe you are ingesting liquids.

If you care about your health, replace your sodas with healthy drinks like water, fresh juice and green tea. Not tomorrow, not next week… do it now!

The Power of Breathing

Mush Happiness, Health, Life, Motivation, Productivity, Relationships ,

0909 breathe

Breathe. Breathing can transform your life.

If you feel stressed out and overwhelmed, breathe. It will calm you and release the tensions.

If you are worried about something coming up, or caught up in something that already happened, breathe. It will bring you back to the present.

If you are discouraged and have forgotten your purpose in life, breathe. It will remind you about how precious life is, and that each breath in this life is a gift you need to appreciate. Make the most of this gift.

If you have too many tasks to do, or are scattered during your workday, breathe. It will help bring you into focus, to concentrate on the most important task you need to be focusing on right now. Continue reading →

Personal Capital, Importance of Sleep and Yoda’s Wisdom!

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sleepNote from Mush: Hamza continues to read huge amounts of stuff and has been recommending some really useful stuff. The article on sleep is a must-read. Thanks, Hamza!

For the week ending Sunday, 05/07:

Enjoy.

Weekly Recommendations

balanceiskey Happiness, Health, Life, Productivity , , , , ,

For the week ending Sunday, 28/06:

Happy reading.

20 Healthy Habits

Mush Health , , ,

0906 exerciseWe all know that everything makes a difference when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. If you find it difficult to make major changes to your diet and exercise routine, start with small changes. See how many of the following you can commit to:

  1. Add a fruit or two to your breakfast. Or make fresh juice with 2-3 of your favorite fruits.
  2. Have a small portion of uncooked vegetables (salad) with your lunch.
  3. Replace unhealthy snacks like cookies and crisps with your favorite dried fruit.
  4. Try fruit yogurt instead of ice cream.
  5. Replace regular coffee with decaf, or better still, herbal teas.
  6. Use olive oil if you must have deep fried stuff.
  7. Have fresh lime instead of carbonated drinks.
  8. Stop eating three hours before your bedtime.
  9. Replace white sugar with brown sugar.
  10. Replace white bread with brown bread.
  11. Replace white rice with brown rice.
  12. Replace regular milk with skimmed milk.
  13. If you must have cheese, have cottage cheese or feta cheese.
  14. Do at least 10 minutes of simple exercise, like stretching or jumping, before breakfast.
  15. Take the stairs instead of elevators.
  16. Park your car a little farther so you have to walk to it.
  17. Take a 10-minute walk during your lunch time – slowly increase to 20 minutes.
  18. Take a 20-minute walk a couple of hours after dinner – with your spouse, kids or dog.
  19. Do some form of intense exercise at least once a week – swimming, cycling, hiking, other sports.
  20. Eat 5-6 small meals instead of 3 big meals a day.

Please share your own health and exercise tips too.

Weekly Recommendations

balanceiskey Happiness, Health, Motivation, Productivity , , , ,

First off, my apologies for missing out on the weekly posts past couple of weeks. Exams/work/partying got the best of me.

Here are my top picks for the week ending Sunday, 21/06:

Enjoy.

A Better Runner

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0906 runnerThe single most important piece of advice I’ve ever gotten on running came from my high school sports/fitness instructor. By running I don’t mean sprints, I’m referring to slightly longer distance runs – anything that takes you over half an hour. This is what he told me:

“Run the first part with your legs, the middle with your mind, and the final with your heart”.

So next time you go on a challenging run, split it into three parts. For the first part just use your legs, focus on the physical movement, the muscles, the blood flow, your feet hitting the floor. For the second part shift the hard work to the mind; affirmations, positive thoughts, visualizing the outcome, self talk. For the final part, run from the bottom of your heart. Pure, unadulterated passion and belief. Completely detaching yourself from the physical movement and complete ignorance of any pain or tiredness you may be feeling, with the awareness that the pain is only temporary and that there is not a force in the world that’s going to stand in your way of completing the run.

Before you know it you’ll be running distances you never thought you were ever capable of. The three part method. Works like a charm.

The Power of Belief!

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The placebo effect has an evil twin: the nocebo effect, in which dummy pills and negative expectations can produce harmful effects. The term ‘nocebo’ was coined in 60’s and means ‘I will harm’ in Latin. Nocebo effect has been studied far less than the placebo effect but the results are as far-reaching.

Robert Hahn of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who has studied the nocebo effect extensively, says: “Beliefs and expectations are not only conscious, logical phenomena, they also have physical consequences.” In clinical trials, about a quarter of patients in control groups experience negative side effects, often matching in severity to those associated with real drugs. Patients undergoing chemotherapy often start feeling sick days before the treatment.

According to Hahn, surgeons are often wary of operating on people who think they will die – because such patients often do. The mere belief that one is susceptible to a heart attack is itself a risk factor. One study found that women who believed they are particularly prone to heart attack are nearly four times as likely to die from coronary conditions than other women with the same risk factors. The ultimate cause of the nocebo effect, however, is not neuro-chemistry but belief!

Sam Shoeman was diagnosed with end stage liver cancer in 1970s and given just months to live. Continue reading →

5 Most Popular Posts

Mush Happiness, Health, Life, Motivation, Productivity , , , ,

Following are links to the five most popular/favorite posts on this blog so far – considering the number of views, forwards and comments:

  1. How to improve the quality of life, one day at a time: Have a great day!
  2. The top three excuses for not exercising, and how to handle these: What’s your excuse?
  3. Lesson in patience, persistence and positive attitude from a uni student: Must read if you are in sales!
  4. A book recommendation with an excerpt: Make Today Count!
  5. Too much to do and too little time? Then this one’s for you: Do less, get more done!

I’ll look forward to your comments.

Why You Should Unclutter, Play, and Keep Lists

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Here it is, your weekly fix of useful posts on everything from uncluttering (is that a word?) to the swine flu.

For the week ending Sunday, 03/05:

Enjoy.

Swine Flu – expert advice

Mush Health ,

Here’s some advice from an expert I trust:

“All this media attention to swine flu is a little bit confusing. True it is a new strain and appears to have a higher mortality rate than existing strains, but annual deaths from existing influenza worldwide are estimated to be around 500,000. In the US alone about 36,000 people die every year from influenza; mostly the young, the sick and the elderly.

The best advice to prevent infection is common sense. Have a flu shot, eat a balanced diet, get plenty of sleep, avoid extremes of weather and temperature and, as much as possible, avoid places where there are crowds of people in confined spaces (airplanes!!!). Frequent washing of hands is always a good idea to minimize the risk of contamination.

It is also expected that a swine flu vaccine will be available in a few months, and when it does become available be early in the line.”