Tags: eating habit, Food And Fitness, Food Journal, healthy diet, regular habit

What is a food journal? 

A food journal is a log of all that you consume on a daily basis. You need to note down the dishes you ate, the number of helpings you took and the time of the meal. In addition to noting down details of the three major meals of the day, you also have to note down all the snacks and small meals that you consumed in between the major meals. You have to make note of all the food consumed on a daily basis in order to have an accurate record. 

Healthcare Essential

Benefits of keeping a food journal
Keeping a food journal is one good way to maintain healthy diet and eating habits. They are also helpful for people who are on a weight loss regime. If you have suddenly started having food allergies, then maintaining a food journal will allow you to review your diet and zero in on the foods that are common to the times you had allergies.

Usually, people do not have a count of how much they are eating. They assume that they are less than they actually are. When you maintain a food journal, you can go through the list all the foods that you have consumed and bring alterations in your weight loss regime.

Health and Medical

What should a food journal contain?
Some of the important things that a weight loss journal or a food journal will tell you are the amount of sugary and fatty things you unconsciously consume and the time at which you consume these meals. You can also know how much nutrients you are eating so that you can increase the amount of nutrient that you have eaten in lesser amounts. You also get to know if you are following precise meal timings.
Develop the habit on a regular basis 
It is important that you make maintaining a food journal a regular habit. It is better that you start the habit early in life so that you can always keep track of your diet. People often forget what they eat and end up repeating the same nutrients. By keeping a food journal, you can decide the menu of the day in a more efficient manner and take care about eating balanced foods. The sooner you start the habit, the better for you. You can also encourage your children to develop the habit from an early age and the best way to do this is to lead by example.

Women’s Health – Useful Tips For Pregnant Women

Food guide for pregnant women 

Pregnancy is one of the happiest periods in a woman’s life despite an armload of problems such as morning sickness and aches. Pregnancy is also the time when a woman gets to eat delicious foods that is rich in nutritive value because the baby in the womb needs nutrition as well. The food that pregnant women eat should be rich in certain nutrients, especially folic acid. Eating foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals is also of prime importance.

Furthermore, you should take care to eat organic food that is fresh. Fruits and vegetables of different kinds, along with nuts and dairy products should form an essential part of a pregnant woman’s diet.

Foods that a pregnant woman should avoid 

There are certain kinds of foods that a pregnant woman has to completely avoid. Foods that are rich in fats, sugars and calories are to be strictly avoided. Consumption of such foods can make the baby in the womb obese before birth and can lead to a number of problems in the future. Also, overweight babies cannot travel through the birth canal easily and in most cases, a C-section is necessary. Alcohol and tobacco are also strictly prohibited during pregnancy. You should also avoid processed foods that contain artificial color, preservatives and chemicals. Forget about your diet plan for a while. You can get back in shape after the baby is born when it is much easier to lose weight. Eat well and eat nutritious foods.

Rest 

Being pregnant is a cause of loss of a lot of energy because the same energy has to feed both mother and child. So, it is common that a pregnant woman take adequate rest so that she can overcome the constant fatigue that tends to overcome her. Resting will also help the mother overcome mood swings, which are common during pregnancy due to overactive hormones. When you rest, the baby rests with you. It needs rest to be healthy and grow well.

Exercise 

Exercise is as necessary for a pregnant woman as is rest. When you exercise, the metabolism rate in the body increases and nutrients reach the baby better. You can also burn off the excess calories that you accumulate due to the rich diet. While you are pregnant, you are required to consume an additional three hundred calories which have to come in the form of nutritious foods. Exercising will keep excessive calories away. Walking is the most recommended forms of exercise for a pregnant woman.

Health Guides

There are a number of different ways in which a person can suffer injury to the neck area, from injuries affecting the muscles, such as strains; those affecting the ligaments, such as sprains; and those which affect the nerves, which can lead to spinal damage. Equally there can be a number of different causes of medical injuries relating to the neck, including car accidents, falls and even medical negligence, in some cases. Neck injuries can range from those that are minor, if uncomfortable for the sufferer, to those that can cause serious long-term damage. In some cases, a person falling victim to a neck injury may be entitled to make a claim for compensation, if the liability of another party can be established.

Healthcare Essential

The most common types of neck injuries are the relatively minor ones affecting the neck muscles, which include conditions such as muscle strains and whiplash. Strains to the neck muscles are particularly common, although less so than those which affect the muscles in the back. Whiplash is another fairly common injury, directly related to neck muscle strain, affecting the neck and occurring when the head and neck are thrust into hyperextension, before being thrown quickly forward. Whiplash is usually caused by sudden, jolting impact – usually car crashes – and can result in symptoms including stiffness, pain, tingling and numbness affecting the arms and problems sleeping.
Another form of neck injury is nerve damage. This can be particularly serious leading, as it sometimes does, to long-term spinal cord damage – in more serious cases – or a pinched nerve in less serious ones. These types of neck injury can most often lead to medical negligence claims, of the kind dealt with by companies such as Patient Lawyers, as they are amongst the hardest to diagnose and treat. These types of injuries can also arise from errors in medical treatment, and the results can be permanent paralysis, disability, or death.

Foods And Fitness – Different Diets That Help In Wholesome and Healthy Development

You are what you eat 

It has been mentioned in the Holy Scriptures and have been proven scientifically that you become what you eat. In other words, the food that you consume influences every decision you make and every step you take in life. A good diet that provides balanced nutrition to the body is the best type of diet.

However, eating the same variety of foods day after day can be boring and uninteresting. In order to provide variety to diet, there are different kinds of diet plans that you can choose from. Furthermore, it is important to understand the essence of different food products so that you can partake each of them in moderation and stay fit. However, a good diet can work in an optimum manner only when clubbed with physical activities. Below given are three types of diets that have been elucidated in ayurveda. In addition to these, there is a fourth kind of diet that is mostly followed all over the world and is a combination or the three basic types of diets.

Satvik diets 

Satvik diet is the kind of diet that is completely detoxifying. It enhances peace in the body and keeps different energies in balance. This diet is a vegetarian diet and involves consumption of a lot of raw foods. Precisely, only 20% of a satvik diet is cooked and the other 80% comprises of raw salads, fruits, soaked nuts, seeds, raw milk and different herbs. Honey is also an important part of satvik.

Tamasic diet 

Tamasic diet is a very unhealthy diet and something that has to be kept away from. Foods included in this category are stale and left over food, dead meat that is not fresh but processed, foods that have been grown by making use of pesticides and foods that contain too high calories such as sugars and artificial sweetners. Consuming this kind of food leads to a number of ailments. Energies in the body are disrupted and people fall prey to different chronic diseases. This kind of diet also accelerates the process of aging. It increases negative energy in the body.

Rajasic diet 

The third kind of food is Rajasic food and is a kind of diet that includes foods that stimulate the nervous system. Some examples of this kind of diet are tobacco, fresh meat, black tea, spices, onion, pepper and garlic. Coffee also comes under this diet. Although not as harmful as Tamasic diet, the Rajasic diet does cause an imbalance in energy and the person feels moody and irritable. Restlessness and agitation are common side effects of this kind of diet.

Health Care for The Seniors and Aged

Health Guides

Good foods

Food is one of the most important aspects of care for the aged. People get weaker as they grow older. Alongside, there is a marked reduction in their immunity and resistance power. They lose their muscular strength and are prone to a number of musculoskeletal injuries. Bones get brittle due to the loss of calcium.

In order to avoid such problems, a proper diet is very important. Nutrients have to be served everyday and proper care has to be taken to include micro-nutrients in the diet. It has to be kept in mind that several elderly have week teeth that do not allow them to eat hard things. Care has to be taken to ensure that the right way of cooking is followed so that the food does not lose nutrients. Some of the best foods for the elderly are fish and white poultry, low fat skim milk, high fiber foods such as whole grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables and eggs without the yolk.

What should not be given? 

Deep fries have to be avoided. High calorie and high sugar foods cannot be digested and leads to a number of problems. Also, avoid foods that are very spicy or salty. Some of the chemicals that have to be avoided are sodium nitrates, sodium phosphate, sodium benzoate sodium bicarbonate and monosodium glutarnate (MSG). MSG is present in all packed foods and chips. Always ensure that only fresh food is served and stale, processed, packed, frozen and pickled foods are avoided. Chilled food and water is not good since it hampers the digestion process and creates a sludge in the intestines that in turn, hampers bowel movement. Red meats, especially beef, have to be avoided.

Exercise 

Exercise is important for all ages and as long as the elderly have the strength and ability, even a short walk everyday is useful. If they are not in a position to walk, you can take them out in their wheelchairs. Fresh outdoor air is therapeutic for the mind and body rather than spending all their time indoors. Physiotherapy sessions and body messages are very useful in rejuvenating the body. Exercise also provides a boost to the metabolism and improves general health condition.

Love 

If there is one thing that can bring maximum benefits to the elderly, it is love. Elderly are like kids. They need love, affection and attention. Spend a couple of hours talking to them. Deal with them with patience and tolerance. Old age leads to hundreds of insecurities and love can bust such negative feelings.

Tears Can Be Used To Test Blood Sugar In Diabetics

Health News

Tears for diabetes test 

Until now, blood was used in diabetes testing machines to evaluate the blood sugar level of patients. Latest studies have now shown that tears can also used effectively to evaluate blood sugar levels. The study was conducted by University of Michigan researchers and the study was published in Analytical Chemistry journal. When studies were conducted on animals in laboratory, tears were found to give an accurate measure of blood sugar level. The device used for testing was an electrochemical sensor.

Increase in the number of diabetes cases all over the world 

According to the researchers, there is a drastic increase in the number of people suffering with diabetes all over the world. As per statistics, 5% of the world’s population is diabetic. In addition, the lead researcher of the study Mark Meyerhoff said that the frequency of diabetics is also increasing. Obesity was said to be the major culprit behind this alarming scenario. Given the demand for devices that test diabetes, Meyerhoff and his team decided to develop a new method that did not involve drawing blood to test glucose levels. Tears were the next best choice. The level of blood sugar in tears was found to give an accurate evaluation.

Blood test is not necessary 

People who suffer from very high level of diabetes may have to test their blood sugar level by drawing blood more than eight times a day. Piercing finger with a needle to extract blood is a painful and uncomfortable process. This leads to a dangerous ramification. People who need to test their blood sugar do not do it often enough due to the pain caused. This hampers testing the glycemic index and leads to inefficient control of glycemic levels. This might lead to further complications. Testing using tears is more comfortable and less painful.

What does the study say? 

According to the study, tears are accurate in providing results as is blood. Further, those who need to measure blood sugar several times a day do not have to be intimidated by the task because tears do not cause pain at all. The device that has been developed is sensitive enough to measure very small amounts of blood sugar as well. It can detect 1.5µM add or subtract 0.4 µM of glucose. This provides an accurate enough solution to testing of glucose in the blood. It is also a non invasive and painless way of testing blood glucose.

my pic