Healthyeating

POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME - OVERVIEW By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), also referred to as hyperandrogenic anovulation (HA), or Stein–Leventhal syndrome is a reproductive endocrine disorder that affects approximately 5-10% of reproductive age women.  Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) happens when a woman's ovaries or adrenal glands produce more male hormones than normal. PCOS causes cysts (fluid-filled sacs) to grow on the ovaries. Symptoms include. • Irregular menstrual periods • Infertility • Pelvic pain • Excess hair growth on the face, chest, stomach or thighs • Weight gain • Acne or oily skin • Patches of thickened skin Women with PCOS are at higher risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and high blood pressure. PCOS is more common in women who have obesity or have a mother or sister with PCOS. To diagnose PCOS, your health care provider may do a physical exam, pelvic exam, blood tests, and an ultrasoun

TRANSFIXING TURMERIC FACTS By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Turmeric is also called as Indian saffron or the golden spice which goes in almost every curry and Savory dishes that is cooked in our kitchen, which adds nutritional value. Turmeric is a powerful medicinal herb with over 300 nutrients including beta-carotene, Vitamin C, calcium, flavonoids, fibre, iron, niacin, potassium, zinc among many other nutrients. Curcumin is the active compound which got attention of scientists, supplement industry and food technologists for its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and wound healing properties Turmeric is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Health benefits of turmeric in our daily life  • It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.  • Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.  • Is a natural liver detoxifier.  • May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.  • It is a p

AUGUST MONTH OF CHILDREN’S EYE HEALTH AND SAFETY By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR August is dedicated to preventing eye injuries and vision loss and saving children’s eyesight. One of 20 children ages 3 to 5 has a vision problem that could result in permanent vision if left untreated. Despite this unsettling statistics, 80 percent of preschoolers do not receive an eye screening. Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month encourages parents to learn how to protect their child’s eyesight and save their child’s eyesight from vision threatening conditions through regular eye exams, hence early detection and proper treatment.  Routine Eye exams: As a patent it’s important to remember to include an annual eye screening. Your children’s eyes should be regularly examined during pediatric well-child visits beginning around the age of three. These screenings may help detect refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism as well as the following diseases:

BENEFITS OF DARK CHOCOLATE By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Dark chocolates are made from the seeds of cocoa tree which is one of the best antioxidants in the word. As per studies, dark chocolates are beneficial for your heart and overall health. Chocolate and happiness have been coupled together as a “love food”. Benefits of dark chocolate are as follows: It helps crub craving: Food craving is typically defined as frequent, intense desire to consume a particular type of food, which leads to weight gain by 11 percent says studies. Dark chocolate contains more than 70% cocoa.   Smelling and eating the dark chocolate can reduce the ghrelin levels (a hormone which stimulates the appetite and sends signals to your brain when you are hungry.) in your body which thus can suppress your cravings and ultimately help you lose weight. Consuming dark chocolate on a regular basis can increase your satiety levels and help you control your cravings. Even though chocolate is loaded with calories and

HEALTHCARE PROVISIONS OF COCONUT By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm. It is used for its water, milk, oil and tasty meat. Thankfully, the misguided coconut era has come to an end. Coconuts have been grown in tropical regions for more than 4,500 years but recently increased in popularity for their flavor, culinary uses, and potential health benefits. Unlike many other fruits, that are high in carbs, coconut provides mostly fat. Coconut oil:  Nearly 90 percent of fat in coconut oil are saturated and they are healthy. Fifty-five to sixty-five percent of the saturated fat in coconut oil are medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which have been used as dietary supplements to improve nutrient absorption and sports performance. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which has been shown to help the body fight viruses. Coconut meat: Coconut meat is rich in phytosterols, cholesterol like compound found primarily in nuts and legumes, phytosterols have been

CONSEQUENCES OF KIDS YOGA By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Kids these days are likely to be experiencing worry, anxiety and fear, and this can include the types of fears that are very similar to those experienced by adults, such as a fear of dying, a fear of their relatives dying. And as mode of teaching has become online, they have less opportunity to be with their friends and get that social support that is essential for good mental well-being.   Practicing yoga is important for kids for many of the same reasons it is important for adults. Yoga helps kids to relax, relieve stress and anxiety, sleep better, improve emotional regulation, increase empathy, and improve mood and affect. Practicing yoga with kids also teaches them how to be more mindful, which happens to be just one of the many ways in which we can teach mindfulness to kids. For kids, however, stress is something they are only just learning about, and they often don’t know what it is or how to handle it. It’s up to us to

DRINK PURE TO STAY HEALTHY By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Keeping hydrated is crucial for health and well-being, but many people do not consume enough fluids each day. Around 60 percent of the body is made up of water, and around 71 percent of the planet’s surface is covered by water. Benefits of drinking water: Water keeps every system in the body functioning properly. Here are few important jobs carried out by water, they are  • carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells • flushing bacteria from your bladder • aiding digestion • preventing constipation • normalizing blood pressure • stabilizing the heartbeat • cushioning joints • protecting organs and tissues • regulating body temperature • maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance. Giving your body enough fluids to carry out those tasks means that you're staying hydrated. If you don't drink enough water each day, you risk becoming dehydrated. Warning signs of dehydration include weakness, low blood pressure, d

CREATE HEALTHY HABITS, NOT RESTRICTIONS By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Body weight control is much more successful if you can combine a well balanced diet with a healthy lifestyle. Crash diets may have positive short term results, but they tend to have poor long term success rates. As a Dietitian, it’s hard for me to counsel on weight loss. This may sound odd, but it’s the truth. I may be able to educate you on how to eat healthy, apart from diet the person may also be facing many other issues, that contribute to their struggle with weight loss – work pressure, financial issues, relationship struggles etc., And until one is able to find a way to deal with these life stressors, struggles with weight will continue to persist.  So while counseling, each person it taken into consideration and would see where the changes can be made in their lifestyle. I believe that, these small changes will add up to big results. I might suggest a lot of ideas to them of where the changes might need to

MAIDA - THE SILENT KILLER By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Plain flour is also known as refined flour because it is processed wheat flour or Maida. Maida is finely refined flour which is made from wheat grains. The regular wheat grain has three different elements namely the germ, the bran, and the endosperm. The major nutrients and protein in wheat reside in the germ and the bran parts of the grains. But, maida is prepared from the endosperm part of wheat grain. Maida flour is made by finely milling this endosperm which does not offer any nutrients including protein. Maida is prepared by the extracts after separating 97% of the rich fiber for Wheat flour. Refined flour (Maida) and its harmful effects: Lack of nutrients: The process of making refined flour makes it lose all the nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Also, the bleaching process that makes the colour white makes it harmful for the human gut. Leads to weight gain: It has been proven that maida cannot keep you full for lon

NATURE OF NATURAL SUGARS By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Natural sugars are found in foods like yogurt, milk, and fruits, and they don’t lead to the same health problems that added sugars do. All fruits contain some natural sugar. Very sweet fruits including mangos and watermelons have relatively high sugar content. Generally, however, fruits tend to contain less sugar than sweetened foods. Fruits contain two types of sugar: fructose and glucose. The proportions of each vary, but most fruits are about half glucose and half fructose. Glucose raises blood sugar, so the body must use insulin to metabolise it. Fructose does not raise blood sugar, instead the liver breaks it down. These natural sugars are complex carbohydrates that provide nutrition (namely fiber in case of fructose and protein in case of lactose) and help regulate blood sugar. Healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to give up sweets completely; it just means you have to ditch harmful sweeteners for these natural sweetener

கசப்பான இனிப்பின் உண்மைகள்  எழுதியவர் நேத்ரா விஜயகுமார்  சர்க்கரை என்பது ஒரு வகை எளிய கார்போஹைட்ரேட் ஆகும், அவை சில உணவுகள் மற்றும் பானங்களில் இயற்கையாகவே உள்ளது.  அதிக சர்க்கரையை உட்கொள்வதால் உடல் எடையை அதிகரிப்பது, நீரிழிவு நோய், பல் துவாரங்கள், மனச்சோர்வு, சில புற்றுநோய்கள் மற்றும் பல போன்ற உடல்நலப் பிரச்சினைகளுக்கு வழிவகுக்கும்.  அதிகப்படியான சர்க்கரை உங்கள் உடலை பல வழிகளில் எதிர்மறையாக பாதிக்கும்.  சர்க்கரை உங்கள் இயல்பான வளர்சிதை மாற்றத்தை தலை முதல் கால் வரை எவ்வாறு பாதிக்கிறது என்பதை பின்வருமாறு பார்க்கலாம். உங்கள் மூளையில் சர்க்கரையின் தாக்கம்:  சர்க்கரையை சாப்பிடுவதால் மூளையில் 'டோபமைன்' வெளியீட்டைத் தூண்டுகிறது, மேலும் அதற்காக நம்மை அதிகம் ஏங்க வைக்கிறது (டோபமைன் என்பது ஒரு நரம்பியக்கடத்தி ஆகும், இது நம் அன்றாட நடத்தைகளில் பலவற்றிற்கு முக்கியமானது, மேலும் டோபமைன் அதிகமாவதால் மனநிலை மாற்றங்கள், நினைவாற்றல் மற்றும் பலவகையான பாதிப்புகளை ஏற்படுத்தும்).   அதிக சர்க்கரை உட்கொள்வதால் பெரியவர்களுக்கு மனச்சோர்வு ஏற்பட அதிக வாய்ப்புள்ளது என்று ஆய்வுகள் தெரிவிக்கின்ற

BITTERSWEET OF SUGAR By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Sugars are a type of simple carbohydrate that occur naturally in some foods and drinks. They are also an additive in certain foods and drinks. Consuming too much sugar can lead to health problems, such as increasing the risk of weight gain, diabetes, tooth cavities, depression, some cancers and more. Excess sugar can negatively affect your body in many ways. Here’s a closer look at how sugar disturb your normal metabolism from head to toe. Impact of sugar on your brain: Eating sugar triggers the release of ‘dopamine’ in brain and makes us crave more for it(Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is important for many of our daily behaviors, but in excess affect mood, memory and more). Studies have shown that high sugar may lead to a greater risk of depression in adults. Impact of sugar on your teeth: After eating sugar, bacteria in the mouth form a thin layer of plaque over the teeth. These bacteria react with the sugars p

தூக்கத்தின் அவசியம் எழுதியவர் நேத்ரா விஜயகுமார் தூக்கம் என்பது வாழ்க்கை மற்றும் உகந்த ஆரோக்கியத்திற்கு அவசியமான ஒன்றாகும். வளர்சிதை மாற்றம், பசியின்மை கட்டுப்பாடு மற்றும் நோயெதிர்ப்பு மண்டலத்தின் செயல்பாடு, ஹார்மோன் சமநிலை மற்றும் இருதய அமைப்புகள் உள்ளிட்ட மூளையின் செயல்பாடு மற்றும் முறையான உடலியல் ஆகியவற்றில் தூக்கம் முக்கிய பங்கு வகிக்கிறது.   தூக்க பரிந்துரை :  தூக்கத் தேவைகள் வயதுக்கு ஏற்ப நபருக்கு நபர் மாறுபடும்.  ஒரு நபர் வயதாகும்போது, ஒழுங்காக செயல்பட அவர்களுக்கு குறைந்த தூக்கம் தேவைப்படுகிறது.  C.D.C படி, தூக்க பரிந்துரை பின்வருமாறு:  • புதிதாகப் பிறந்தவர்கள் (0–3 மாதங்கள்): 14–17 மணிநேரம்  • கைக்குழந்தைகள் (4–12 மாதங்கள்): 12–16 மணி நேரம்  • குறுநடை போடும் குழந்தை (1-2 ஆண்டுகள்): 11-14 மணிநேரம்  • பாலர் பள்ளி (3–5 ஆண்டுகள்): 10–13 மணி நேரம்  Age பள்ளி வயது (6–12 வயது): 9–12 மணி  • டீன் (13–18 ஆண்டுகள்): 8-10 மணி நேரம்  • வயது வந்தோர் (18-60 ஆண்டுகள்): 7-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட மணிநேரம்  • வயது வந்தோர் (61–64 ஆண்டுகள்): 7–9 மணி  • வயது வந்தோர் (65+ ஆண்டுகள்): 7–8 மணி நேரம்

WHY IS SLEEP ESSENTIAL By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR Sleep is a biologic process that is essential for life and optimal health. Sleep plays a critical role in brain function and systemic physiology, including metabolism, appetite control, and the functioning of immune system, hormonal balance, and cardiovascular systems.  Sleep recommendation: Sleep needs vary from person to person, depending on their age. As a person ages, they typically require less sleep to function properly. According to the CDC, the sleep recommendation is as follows: • Newborns (0–3 months): 14–17 hours • Infants (4–12 months): 12–16 hours • Toddler (1–2 years): 11–14 hours • Preschool (3–5 years): 10–13 hours • School age (6–12 years): 9–12 hours • Teen (13–18 years): 8–10 hours • Adult (18–60 years): 7-plus hours • Adult (61–64 years): 7–9 hours • Adult (65+ years): 7–8 hours Besides the number of hours, the quality of sleep is also important.  Signs of poor sleep quality include: • Waking in the middle of

யோகம் தரும் யோகா  எழுதியவர் நேத்ரா விஜயகுமார் யோகாஸ் சித்தா விருத்தி நிரோதா ” (“யோகா என்பது உணர்வின் சுழல்களின் நடுநிலைப்படுத்தல்.”) யோகா கலை தோற்றம்: ‘யோகா’ என்ற சொல் சமஸ்கிருத மொழியில் ‘யூஜ்’ என்பதிலிருந்து உருவானது, இதன் பொருள் ‘சேர’ அல்லது ‘ஒன்றுபட’. யோகா வேதங்களின்படி, யோகாவின் பயிற்சி உலகலாவிய உணர்வுடன் தனிப்பட்ட கனவின் ஒன்றிணைவுக்கு வழிவகுக்கிறது, இது மனம் மற்றும் உடல், மனிதன் மற்றும் இயற்கை இடையே ஒரு இணக்கத்தை குறிக்கிறது. யோகா பயிற்சி நாகரிகத்தின் விடியலுடன் தொடங்கியதாக நம்பப்படுகிறது. யோகாவின் விஞ்ஞானம் அதன் தோற்றத்தை ஆயிரக்கணக்கான ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு, முதல் மதங்கள் அல்லது நம்பிக்கை முறைகள் பிறப்பதற்கு முன்பே கொண்டுள்ளது. மோகக் கதையில், சிவன் முதல் யோகி அல்லது ஆதியோகியாகவும்,  முதல் குரு அல்லது ஆதி குருவாகவும் காணப்படுகிறார். யோகாவின் அசாத்திய பலன்கள்: முறையாக யோகா ஆசனம் பயிற்சி செய்வதன் மூலம் பல நோய்களை குணப்படுத்த முடியும். நோய் வராமல் தடுக்க இயலும். வந்த நோய்களை கட்டுப்படுத்தவும் முடியும். முறையாக செய்வதன் மூலம் பல அற்புத பலன்களை பெற இயலும்.   யோகப் பயிற்சியின் மூலம் உடற்த

BE ALIVE IN THE FIRE OF YOGA. By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR “ Yogas chitta vritti nirodha ” (“Yoga is the neutralization of the vortices of feeling.”) The term "yoga" comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "union." Yoga combines physical exercises, mental meditation, and breathing techniques to strengthen the muscles and relieve stress. The five points of yoga The system of yoga is a simple and natural programme involving five main principles Proper Exercise – asanas Proper Breathing – pranayama Proper Relaxation – savasana Proper Diet – sattvic Proper Thinking and Meditation – vedanta and dhyana . Yoga is a life of self-discipline based on the tents of ‘simple living and high thinking' by Swami Vishnudevananda. Aim of yoga The aim of all yoga practice is to achieve truth. Beyond the ever changing consciousness of mind and intellect, there is a changeless, formless spirit which is unaffected by anything and which is veiled in the individual accordin