10 daily habits that can make your lifestyle better

1. Drinking lukewarm water as soon as you wake up in the morning. While we are asleep the whole night our body gets dehydrated. This makes a big difference to the energy levels in the morning. Water at room temperature will also do.

2. Meditate for 2 mins. This reduces anxiety, enhances mental clarity and helps you remain calm. It’s a challenging thing. No jokes here but it sure is tough at the beginning since the first number of sessions of meditation will make you feel lost or even worse, overwhelmed. Most of the time you will have difficulty maintaining concentration, but if you clear these rounds with dedication you’re hooked in!

3. Brisk walk – everyday. Exposure to greenery is also good for health. It’s a mood booster plus an exercise. 150 mins of cardiovascular activities a week or 75 mins of cardiovascular activity. A walk can help if your heart rate is high enough. Test your heart rate using the Samsung app on your android phone.

4.15 minutes of other exercise –as we age, we tend to lose muscle mass and as well as bone density. We can slow that down and preserve our muscle mass and bone density by engaging in exercise. Don’t worry you don’t have to visit the gym for this, you can start with simple free weights and body weight exercises at home. Always take guidance from a professional person when doing this.

5. Eat something green every day. They offer a variety of vitamins and minerals. The easiest way to add greens to your diet is smoothies. One of the best methods to getting yourself to eat more greens.

6. Brightly colored fruits and vegetable. Eat the rainbow that is different colors which is equivalent to phytochemicals equivalent to different health benefits. Some can help with cancer prevention, some with liver and some with metabolism.

7. Listen to relaxing music every day - relaxing music helps the body reduce the stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that is released during stress to help the body deal with whatever it is that is causing the stress.

Here’s another interesting thing. There has been studies on an enzyme called alpha-amylase that is found in the saliva. Alpha-amylase is important to your body as it kills unwanted bacteria and it helps break down the food that you eat. Scientists have conducted test on people listening to nature sounds and classical music. The alpha-amylase levels of people who listened to classical music went back to normal more quickly compared to the people listening to nature sounds.

8. Try to read and learn something new every day. It’s all about keeping your brain stimulated and engaged. As we age there is a natural decline in our memory. Mental stimulation can slow that down. Read a book. Fictious or non-fictious books, they both have their benefits.

9. Spend quality time with your loved ones every day. We all spend too much time on our phone in this digital era. Though we are physically present with our loved ones we are not really engaged with them and rather scrolling through our phone. This sort of satisfaction is unreal. Even cuddling with your pet or even your loved ones can help you release allot of oxytocin which is a love hormone or a cuddle hormone.

10. Turn off your phone 1 hour before bedtime. They emit something such as blue light and that is something that makes your brain think that its daylight. So, you brain thinks it’s not really bedtime and due to this it won’t produce melatonin very well. Just so you know melatonin is a hormone within the body and if it is too weak you could have other side effects which are not noticeable. Some people even end up abusing the process by taking melatonin pills.

We hope that you find these 10 tips useful and are able to practice at least a few of them.

To Lose Weight Eat More

Yes this title sounds ridiculous but hear me out. Our MBA program or work schedule doesn't allow us sufficient time to enjoy our meals since we wake up super early in the morning just to avoid the crazy rush hour traffic and leave late evening as work just doesn't seem to end. 

Our tummy goes without food for hours which only gives rise to more problems like acidity and constipation. It's not fun to work on those conditions...trust me, I know. But there's a simple solution to this. Increase the number of meal in-takes you have in a day. From the conventional 2 - 3 tiny meals you manage to fit into your day, I'm suggesting you have 5. And when I say meals, I'm not talking about a fancy 3 course preparation. Besides breakfast, lunch and dinner why don't you include a mid-morning and early evening snack.  Just the right time to refill from your early breakfast and quick lunch. I suggest fruits, nuts, kakkra, a sandwich or simple chapati with jam. I've been eating fruits for over 2 years now and haven't had a major acidity problem. 
 
 Also, cut down on the numerous cups of tea or coffee you take to just get through the day. Calm down, tea lovers...I'm one of you. But I realized the more tea I had the more I felt uneasy. Too much tea or coffee on an empty stomach doesn't do anything to improve your productivity. 

So all you need is 10 - 15 mins to satisfy the hunger and keep your tummy happy and functional.

The last thing that should be on your mind

Starving yourself due to Stress?

Just the word brings on a rushing of my heartbeat, a tightening in my chest and upper back, and a strain in my neck and mouth ulcers. These are the signs of stress for me. When my stress level gets high, I might feel a pulse in my left temple that is alarmingly out of my control and a pit in my stomach.

Work life or preparing for an MBA degree is no cake walk. With countless deadlines and expectations, its easy to fall into the Stress Trap and ever so difficult to get out. We skip our meals or lose our appetite when we find the pressure closing on us causing us to break. None of this is healthy nor is it sane.

During stress, our level of cortisol and adrenaline, hormones prepare us for reacting under an imminent threat. This response is useful not just for escaping from a physical attack, but also for handling non-life-threatening challenges that come our way.

We propose a few tried and tested techniques to reduce your stress levels and allow you to be more productive without harming yourself.

Tip 1: Pause. Breathe. Repeat. Stop for a second from the madness that stress brings you and just breathe. Shut out all the white noise and take a moment for yourself. Calm down.

Tip 2: Be focused on the now. Spend less time on “what ifs” and “how come” and just live in the moment.

Tip 3:  Question your thoughts. Your thoughts aren’t always right. In fact, they are rarely right, especially if they make you feel bad. Whenever a negative thought arises, take a step back, and look at if the thought is true.

Tip 4:  Make time for hobbies. The beauty of hobbies is that it is something we enjoy doing. Keeping aside just 30 mins a day for our hobby is enough to keep the stress at bay. It may be dancing, singing, painting or reading. Whatever it is, it is something to look forward to.

Tip 5: Talk. Just talk. It could be a colleague, a friend, a family member or even your manager. But nothing works better then just talking it out and having that weight just lifted from your shoulders. As funny as this sounds, talking to yourself also helps. As long as you play good cop, bad cop. Hehe.

Try these simple yet effective tips and get back control in your life. Don’t fall victim to stress when the power to control it lies in your hands.

Gotta love those green leaves !!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF GREEN LEAVE VEGETABLES

Green leave vegetables are very nutritious and easily available throughout the year, most of us neglect this particular food group but it sure does have a lot in store for us when it comes to health. For instance it is rich in lot of vitamins and minerals. It is very low in calorie, it gives good amounts of fiber and it also has small amount of Omega 3 fatty acids. Especially when we talk about dark green leafy vegetables these are a super rich source of beta carotenes.

Beta carotene is very good anti oxidant; it helps us to fight against the disease, increases our immunity and also helps in proper eye vision. Apart from this, beta carotene also helps to improve skin tone and gives us beautiful looking skin. Beta Carotene has good amounts of folate in the form of folic acids, so folates correct the anemia persons suffering from folic acid deficiency tend to have anemia so that can be corrected. For pregnant ladies this will be supplemented with good amounts of folic acids. Usually we require 150 micro grams of folic acids but a pregnant lady would require at around 500 micro grams. This particular physiology group of pregnancy is in high demands of green leafy vegetables so try to give them more leafy vegetables.

Apart from Beta carotene and folic acids green leafy vegetables have good amount of vitamin C especially when you consume them as raw form. All we need to do is wash them clean and chop them into small pieces and add it to raita or whipped curd. You can even add it into any salad or soup so as to get a good amount of vitamin C while it is still  fresh.

Green leafy vegetables are very rich source of soluble and insoluble fibers. We try to discard the stems and stalks of green leafy vegetables and tend to use only the leaves but there are good amount of calcium in stalk of spinach and iron content in the mint stems rather than mint leaves. We need understand stalks or tender stems are more nutritious then the leaves, so before consuming we need to wash them thoroughly in running water.

It releases you from constipation, it keeps your sugar under control also binds with the body fats and these fats will be removed in the stools of the body. 

Too busy in your life ? Lets make some time to live better

If there’s one thing that keeps a doctor away – besides apples, of course – it’s exercise

When it comes to exercise, for most people the question isn’t whether you should do it, but how much basic activity you need to perform in order to improve your health.

Before we get into the basics, it’s important to stress that exercise goes well beyond six-pack abs and better fitting jeans. Regular workouts can improve health, happiness, productivity, boost energy during and outside of work hours. Regular exercise has also been shown to reduce sickness, lower stress, and boost brainpower (Before you know it, regular visits to the gym may translate to a raise). Now you can better incorporate fitness into your busy work life.

Whether you are are student or an employee of a company or even a CEO, does not mean you cant perform a few exercises. Time can be made for everything through the right determination. Starting off your day with a few light exercises can help you come a long way when it comes to concentration level and attentiveness at work or college. 

In the meantime your body gets other benefits. Example one of the major benefits of doing squats on a daily basis is balance. Squats helps in improving balance of your body posture when in motion and also strengthens your calf muscles.. Lets have a look at some of the basic exercises that will promote a better lifestyle for you!

The fruit that does the trick

Prunes Aren't Just for Your Grandparents

Many of the problems that young working professionals face are constipation, indigestion and acid reflux. This is because our working hours are so rigid and our work load is never ending, giving us less time to eat our meals as we should. Ever so often, people forego their meals just to catch up with work. In the long term, this isn't doing us any favors.

Besides taking a full hour to properly digest our food we could also help the process by having 2 prunes a day. Prunes are a good source of energy, and they don’t cause a rapid hike in blood sugar levels.Prunes have a high sugar content, which allows them to be dried without fermenting.They’re also high in fibre which can help you regulate your bowels and your bladder. They not only benefit your digestive system but also your muscles, nervous system and blood pressure. A plus point for anyone trying to lose weight, prunes help you manage your weight by keeping you full.

So get over the old notion that prunes are for the elderly and start taking a conscious step towards a better digestive system and comfortable work life!

Shedding Pounds, the Healthy Way

Thinking of losing weight or want to start with a healthier lifestyle? 
You've come to the right place.... 

Do you know there are so many interesting ways of losing weight, you can have a healthy lifestyle while having fun! 

As an MBA student, it is very hard to follow proper diet in-between working on assignments, projects, presentations, looking for a job and the list can go on and on… 

Being a marketing student, it is very important to be presentable all the time!

After constant search for solution, I have found my perfect solution to begin with a healthy lifestyle and that is Lawn Tennis, it helped me lose weight and also improved concentration. 

For you it can be any sports or power yoga or zumba or anything of your choice and will.

Never start with anything just for the sake of beginning, start with the motive of actually following it only then you would be able to see the change you have been trying to get in your life…

Having a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about having a healthy diet it is much more than that and it is important to have some kind of physical activity, even if it's just 15 mins but see to that those 15 mins are completely dedicated to whatever you are doing.

Give it a thought and keep following us for more such posts!

Happy Healthy Living!! 

What's the missing piece of the puzzle

The secret medicine  - Sleep 

For years you have been going to the gym multiple times in a week and following all the correct eating habits regularly, keeping up with the newest trends when it comes to exercise and diet. Those television advertisements don’t quite really bore but gets you engaged since your mind is determined to get there every day with your consistent efforts. 

As a result, these new fads and diet plans have made your lifestyle pretty different now and sure you have cut back on your fat and sweets intake and participate vigorously in doing some cardiovascular exercise. Despite all of this you still feel burned out and a little disappointed sometimes. What's missing?

Well this piece of the puzzle may surprise you but its SLEEP!! It’s hard to believe yet it’s one of the things which rejuvenates your body and mind. Not only will better sleep help you in achieving better test results, but it will also help you stay committed towards all you daily routine tasks. Your mood matters and everything around you can change significantly depending on your mood and this is related to the amount time your body has had to relax for that big reset button. Of course, it’s not easy getting peaceful sleep but there are ways in which we can improve it before you go to bed.

For instance, even having a little bit of beverages such as alcohol can cause a slight change in your sleeping patterns. Your eyes are getting too tired due to constant stressing on a digital screen. Doing this for a long number of hours may get you all drained out, enough to fall asleep faster during bed time. But don't worry about it, we will be share an insight on some quick tips to ensure your body gets the sleep it deserves. First off is the time you go to sleep. Many of us thinks it is fine to sleep late once in a while. But that once in a while can sort of lead into a habit. Those Netflix shows are fun to watch during late evening hours but do be sure your dinner is had right on time. Usually a late dinner can be at the most had by 9pm. The ideal time for food intake at such times is 7pm. Once you’ve eaten at this time your body will have enough of time to digest and you can continue with your favourite Netflix shows in the meantime or whatever work you need to finish. Now here’s the interesting part. Tucking yourself into bed is the most “taken for granted attitude” many of us have developed over the years in our life. Once you’re in bed and asleep by 10pm at the max you are going to be happy and refreshed next morning and surely enough you will be ready for the day ahead of you.

Detox - The new wallet slimming craze

Detox has now become a part of our everyday lingo. You even hear high school kids talking about.

Its a cleansing ritual, gut cleaner, a fancy slimming technique. And everyone is making money of it.

Gone are the days when simple lime water after a tummy upset would suffice. All you hear about now is Kale juice and detox foot pads and nicely packaged liquid diet plans.

We're constantly told that our bodies are polluted by the junk we eat and the chemicals in the air. The only solution we hear is DETOX!

Its so commercialized these days that people would spend limitless amounts of money to get fit fast.

We had to see if there was any truth to these money making schemes. So we tried 2 New age detox plans and one natural method to compare the effectiveness of these products.

The first was Nikatomi Detox Foot pads.

The instruction says to place these foot pads before you go to sleep and when you wake up you will seem all the toxic chemicals in your body in the form of black residue.

Well the jokes on us as what we received as a sachet of black salt, ginger powder and charcoal.

We stuck it on our foots and the next morning, through the process of oxidation, lo and behold, there was black residue.

What a shocker! Thankfully we only lost a small sum of 500/- on this scam.

The 2nd product was Zoes Detox Kit.

The kit costs around 4000/- and it comes with a whole bunch of juices no one has ever heard of before and a diet plan with ingredients that aren't readily available ohh and Museli.

The kit comes with 4 packs to be taken once a week.

Its heavily advertised on social media with claims from people who have lost 10 kgs.

Well lets just say we lost 1/5th of that and felt absolutely no different.

The last is our natural remedy of raisins soaked in water.

We took 10 raisins and soaked them in warm water overnight. First thing in the morning, we drank this water and after a period of 1 hour, we had our usual breakfast.

This was continued for a week and by the end of it we lost 1 kg.

Thats 4 kgs a month!

So people, don't be fooled by this quick and expensive detox plans. Go the natural way. There is nothing like it and you don't lose out either

Healthy living for people on the move.

In our fast paced life we often forget to take care of ourselves. Our eating habits have changed and we barely have any time for exercise.

But its never too late to start!

Our posts will feature dietary plans that won't make you starve to death and show you how small changes can make a great impact in your life.

No more of those tummy slimming scams and unnecessary gym memberships.

So, follow us as we take you through some simple steps to a happier and healthier you!