15-Minute Walks After Meals Dramatically Reduces Diabetes Risk - Tips for Health

15-Minute Walks After Meals Dramatically Reduces Diabetes Risk - Tips for Health

Michael Harper for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

A new study from the George Washington University claims that one of the quickest ways to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is simply walking after every meal. A short, 15-minute walk is said to be all it takes to regulate blood sugar in adults with pre-diabetes and keep blood sugar levels down for three hours after meals. And these three short walks after meals were found to be just as effective as a longer, 45-minute walk at the end of the day. Lead author Loretta DiPietro says these walks are a good option for those who cannot exert anything more than moderate energy and want to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

“These findings are good news for people in their 70s and 80s who may feel more capable of engaging in intermittent physical activity on a daily basis, especially if the short walks can be combined with running errands or walking the dog,” said DiPietro in a statement.

“The muscle contractions connected with short walks were immediately effective in blunting the potentially damaging elevations in post-meal blood sugar commonly observed in older people.”

She also draws a distinctive line between walking for heart health and walking to reduce the risk of diabetes.

“You eat a meal. You wait a half-hour and then you go for a 15-minute walk, and it has proven effective in controlling blood sugar levels, but you have to do it every day after every meal. This amount of walking is not a prescription for weight loss or cardiovascular fitness — it’s a prescription for controlling blood sugar,” said DiPietro.

For their study, DiPietro and her team recruited ten overweight and sedentary volunteers with an average age of 71. Each of these volunteers was diagnosed with pre-diabetes and had higher than normal blood sugar. Participants were observed on three separate occasions for 48 hours inside a metabolic chamber called a calorimeter, a room which measures how many calories are burned. The first 24 hours of each 48-hour stay acted as a control with the volunteers eating a standardized meal without performing any exercise. During the last 24 hours, the researchers randomly asked some participants to walk on a treadmill for 15 minutes and some to walk for 45 minutes, each at a regulated pace.

After studying the results, the researchers found the most effective time to go for a walk is after the evening meal. As dinner is often the largest meal of the day, this means blood sugar levels tend to spike the most afterwards.

Without regulation, a person´s blood sugar levels could remain elevated throughout the night and into the morning, but this new study found that even a quick 15-minute walk on a treadmill can bring these levels down and regulate blood sugar.

After a large meal, it´s only natural to want to take a nap or spend a few hours in front of the television. However, DiPietro says this is one of the worst things a pre-diabetic person can do, and suggests that they let their food digest for about 30 minutes before heading out for a short, brisk walk.

Though a simple stroll could prove a cheap and effective way to lower and regulate blood suger, DiPietro and her colleagues say more research needs to be done to confirm their results. Weight loss and exercise have both been seen to reduce the risk of diabetes, however, and walking (when combined with a good diet) could be a logical and simple step towards reducing these risks.

Source: Michael Harper for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Topics: Health Medical Pharma, Endocrine system, Health, Hospitality Recreation, Diabetes, Loretta DiPietro,Diabetic diet, Prevention of diabetes mellitus type 2, Blood sugar, Walking, Prediabetes, diabetes mellitus,Medicine

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Tips to handle emotional eating - Tips for Health

Tips to handle emotional eating - Tips for Health

Too much stress can trigger emotional eating. Here's how you can handle this

- Eat healthy
- Determine if you are hungry or not, and eat accordingly. Know the difference between feeling hungry and emotional eating.
- Distract yourself while you feel the need to indulge in comfort food, watch TV, read a book or do anything that you like.
- Work out to stay fit
- Eat in the kitchen, and not in a place you are comfortable in (on your bed, couch, etc.) This way, not only would you treat it as just another meal and stop, you could also be lazy to sit in the kitchen and sulk for long.

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Top 12 foods for brain and nervous system - Tips for Health

Top 12 foods for brain and nervous system - Tips for Health

Your brain ages with time, it is important to improve the functioning and health of the brain along with the nervous system. These top 12 foods can prevent brain deterioration, blood pressure, mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease, and prevents nerve damage. 

Spinach: 

Spinach is a magical vegetable, that has innumerable health benefits. No matter the disease or health problem, spinach is a power house of nutrients. Besides, the antioxidants present in spinach gives slows down the aging of the brain and nervous system, hence improves cognitive functioning. Cognition simply means mental functioning - concentration, decision making, problem solving abilities, reasoning and learning. 

Dark green leafy vegetables: 

Homocysteines is a chemical responsible for dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and break down of arterial walls, when present in high amounts. But dark leafy vegetables break down homocysteines with the help of folate and vitamin B and B6. 

Whole grains: 

Whole grains and brown rice contains vitamin B6 which can break down high levels of homocysteines that is responsible for mental deterioration. Whole grains also contain magnesium that enhances cognitive functioning. 

Cocoa: 

Cocoa is a powerful antioxidant that prevents the brain from oxidative stress that can cause Parkinson's Disease, atherosclerosis, heart failure, Alzheimer's Disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. 

Nuts: 

Nuts like almond and walnuts are a great ingredient for maintaining blood vessels. The Omega 3 fatty acids present in walnut also enhance the mind and the antioxidants present in nuts lowers cholesterol. 

Garlic: 

Garlic can prevent aging of the mind and improves the cardio vascular system too. Garlic too contains antioxidants that fight infections. 

Olive oil: 

Olive oil contains antioxidant polyphenols that lowers high blood pressure and reduces cholesterol. This oil is perfect for maintaining the health of the nervous sytem. 

Red wine: 

Red wine is a potent source of antioxidants that improves the brain and clears the cholesterol too. Red wine can increase longevity but drink red wine in moderation to reap the health benefits. 

Tea: 

Tea not only increases metabolism but also spikes your mind and cognitive abilities. Tea contains antioxidant, catechines that enhances blood flow. 

Sardines and herrings: 

Omega 3 fatty acids is the key component in the fish that improves the functioning on the brain and nervous system. These fishes are known to prevent mental disorders and beneficial for heart health. 

Blueberries: 

If you get your hand on blueberries that's great! It is loaded with antioxidants that fight free radicals. It is the ingredient to enhance your cognitive skills. 

Pomegranate juice: 

Pomegranate is available all year round and we should reap the benefits to keep our minds active. Antioxidants present in pomegranate fights free radicals. 

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Eye care: Top 8 tips to improve eye vision - Tips for Health

Eye care: Top 8 tips to improve eye vision - Tips for Health

Nearly half of our days are spent in reading text, working on the computer or staring at lavish LCDs. 

All these leads to eye fatigue and eye relatedproblems, which further causes diminished vision. Follow these simple tips by Ophthalmologist Dr. Vijay Bhatt, to sharpen your vision so you can see your way to a future of longevity. 

Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 1: Practice relaxation exercise
One of the simplest relaxation exercise you can do to your eyes is - place your hands together palm to palm and rub them together briskly creating heat. Place them over your eyes and allow your eyes to relax. Do not let light in. Do this whenever you have time during the day.
Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 2: Blink your eyes regularly
Constantly blinking your eyes is a very simple way to keep your eyes fresh and avoid eyestrain. Computer users tend to blink their eyes very less, thus it is recommended that they should follow the exercise of blinking their eyes every three-four seconds.
Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 3: Stare at a distance
Most of the computer victims are a victim of far-sightedness (have trouble seeing things, which are at a distance). To correct this or avoid this problem, make an effort to stare something at a distance every 30-45 minutes, for 5 seconds. This technique will help to improve your focus of distant objects.
Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 4: Splash water
If you feel that your eyes are strained, go to the washroom and wash your eyes thoroughly. Make this a daily habit. Splashing your eyes with water will help to relieve your eyes from excessivestress and make them fresh.
Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 5: Do '8' exercise
Practicing '8'exercise will help to increase your eye flexibility. Start it by imagining a giant figure of eight in front of you about 10 feet in front of you. Now trace the figure of eight with your eyes, slowly. Practicing tracing it on either side.
Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 6: Practice zooming exercise
Start this muscle straitening exercise by sitting in a comfortable position. Stretch out your arm with your thumb in the hitchhike position Focus on your thumb as your arm is outstretched. Now bring your thumb closer to you, focussing all the time, until your thumb is about 3 inches in front of your face. Now move your thumb away again until your arm is fully outstretched. Keep practicing this exercise for few seconds.
Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 7: Take an early walk
Get up early and go for a walk. This technique will make your eyes fresh and relaxed. Besides, it will also get sufficient sunlight. 
Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 8: Don't make your eyes depended on glasses
Spectacles are just a great fix for your deteriorating vision power. It does not improve or fixes your eyesight. Thus, don't depend on your glasses too much.

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Health benefits of different types of milk - Tips for Health

Health benefits of different types of milk - Tips for Health

In an age where nutrition is increasingly seen as an appendage to daily living, we tend to lose out on various vitamins and minerals. 

For instance, most of us believe that milk only provides calcium and is only meant for children. But did you know that, no matter the age, we can always benefit from skimmed or low-fat milk varieties. And when picking which milk to drink, there is lots of choice today. Today we're looking at the different types of milk available in grocery stores and their health benefits.

Coconut milk:
Coconut milk is a common ingredient in South Indian cooking that makes the curry rich and delicious.

What are the health benefits of coconut milk?
Coconuts provide vitamins, minerals and fibers that prevent diseases like gallbladder stones and liver diseases, inflammation and skin diseases, to name a few. If you want proteins, coconut milk is a good source. It also provides iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, vitamins: C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6. Surprisingly coconut milk is far richer in calcium than regular milk.

Rest assured that coconut milk also supports the immune system, helps in weight loss and is great for digestion.

Almond milk:
Almonds are a great snack if you are fasting or if you simply want a potent healthy snack to keep you full for longer. Some dishes also use almonds as garnish and it is an excellent medium in desserts.

What are the health benefits of almond milk?
Almond milk, just like coconut milk, is a great alternative for vegans. Almond milk is a good source for proteins; it is also low in calories unlike cow's milk. This milk contains vitamin E, magnesium, monounsaturated fats, manganese, copper and ribloflavin. Boost your energy and lower heart diseases with almond milk.

Cow's milk:
This is the most commonly used milk in India. Cow's milk is also used to make enticing Indian sweets or mithias.

What are the health benefits of cow's milk?
If you have calcium deficiency, you will be told to drink cow's milk. This milk contains fats, minerals and vitamins like vitamin D, proteins, vitamin B, potassium, iodine and it is a good substitute to Omega 3. Cow's milk is not fattening but it should be complimented with a healthy diet.

Besides strengthening the bones with calcium, cow's milk is known to control blood pressure as it contains potassium, iodine promote thyroid function and prevents gout.

Goat's milk:
Most Indians may not use goat's milk, but high up in the hilly regions of northern Indian, goat's milk is widely used. But the buck does not stop there, globalisation and India's love for Italian food has seen an increase in the import of goat cheese.

What are the health benefits of goat's milk?
Indian women are prone to iron deficiency and the answer could lie in goat's milk. According to researchers, goat's milk helps prevent softening of bone and anemia. It also aids digestion and 'metabolic utilization of minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.'

The secret lies in the high presence of iron, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Apparently goat's milk has less fat, builds your immune system, and reduces anti - inflammation of the bowel.

We maybe accustomed to cow's milk, but did you know goat's milk is better than cow's milk?

Raw milk:
Consuming raw milk is a trend that promotes the importance of organic food. But is it a wise choice?

What are the health benefits of raw milk?
The debate still continues on the health benefits of raw milk over pasteurised milk. Raw milk contains proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, but scientists do not believe the claims of health benefits of raw milk. There are healthy bacteria in raw milk; some say that pasteurised milk kills these microbes, but scientists believe it's all for a good cause.

You need to know:
- Pasteurization DOES NOT reduce milk's nutritional value.
- Pasteurization DOES kill harmful bacteria.
- Pasteurization DOES save lives.

Soy milk:
This is a common substitute for those who are lactose intolerant or vegetarian. Soy milk also comes under probiotic food choice.

What are the health benefits of soy milk?
Soy milk contains fatty acids, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for the smooth functioning of our body. You can count on soy milk to improve good cholesterol and help in weight loss; the omega 3 and 6 in soy milk strengthens the blood vessels, claims to prevent prostrate cancer, osteoporosis and postmenopausal syndrome.

Soy milk is easily available in large departmental stores.

Cardamom or eliachi milk:
May not be a common ingredient in milk, but flavoured milk is always refreshing on a hot day. Cardamom milk is healthier than having flavoured milk like chocolate and strawberry.

What are the health benefits of cardamom milk?
Cardamom contains potassium, calcium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-C and magnesium. It is also used as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and tonic. These are the traditional uses of cardamom.

How to prepare?
It is very easy. Just like turmeric milk, immerse two or three pods in your milk and heat.

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Diet and fitness plan for women - Tips for Health

Diet and fitness plan for women - Tips for Health
Here's a diet and fitness plan to lead a healthier life. 

Exercise your way to good health Today's woman is hard-pressed for time, juggling between home and work. These three exercises will target all the major muscle groups, give you a fantastic calorie-burning boost, and will get you fitter and in an all-round shape in no time. 

Bent-knee push up Kneel on all fours with your arms straight and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Look downwards so that your neck, back and upper legs form a straight line. 

As you inhale, bend your arms to move your body towards the floor. Hold for a second, then exhale as you push yourself up to the starting position. 

Two-arm swing (Kettlebell) Begin in the squat position, gripping one kettlebell in between the feet with both hands. 

Inhale as you extend at the hips and knees to swing the kettlebell upward. Bring the kettlebell slightly above shoulder height. Let the kettlebell swing back to the original position back down between the legs. 

Squats Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. 

Keeping your chest up, a natural arch in your back, and your core tight, inhale as you squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Remember to keep your knees in with your toes. 

(Inputs from Jivesh Shetty, Fitness Advisor) 

Eat well Eating healthy is one of the best ways to take care of yourself and the family. A healthy diet gives energy to get through the busy day, supports mood, helps in weight maintenance and gives a fresh look. Here are some tips for today's multi tasking women: 

Dos: Diet should comprise whole grains like wheat, jowar, legumes and pulses — green gram, lentils, fesh fruits and vegetables, egg whites, chicken, fish — roasted, boiled or baked, healthy fats like nuts, flaxseeds, fishoils etc. 

Have a glass of skimmed milk everyday. Low fat paneer sandwich, Ragi porridge, broccoli salad also give calcium. 

Choose whole heat and jowar rotis, whole wheat pasta, oats, brown rice etc over maida products likes bread, pasta, roti etc. 

Never skip your breakfast: If you are falling short of time have oats porridge or grab a sandwich on your way or order idli in the office. 

Have small and frequent meals: Carry handy foods for mid-morning and afternoon snacks (nuts, fruits, butter milk). 

Cut down on outside foods: Avoid fried and extra sweet foods. While eating outside always order sensible. Order brown bread veg sandwich instead of fried pattice and mayonnaise. 

Don'ts: Avoid excess alcohol and caffeine 

Avoid excess intake of red meat and egg yolks 

Avoid transfats, refined sugar and excess salt 

Don't have late and heavy dinners 

Avoid cold drinks 

(Inputs from Namita Nanal, Nutritionist) 

Baby time! 

It would be futile to ask a busy woman with or without a job to focus only on the IVF treatment and give up everything else in her life. However, a busy woman may actually be able to take the IVF treatment better, mentally, as she has not focused all her energies on only this one thing and is otherwise occupied. 

Life should not revolve around treatment but the treatment should revolve around life. 

Healthy food habits like eating lots of fruits and vegetables, avoiding junk food as far as possible and eating on time are some things which could contribute to a feel good factor which is important for these treatments. Some dietary supplements like folic acid are also recommended. 

Certainly avoiding alcohol and not smoking or taking any form of narcotic is the most basic thing one can do for helping the treatment along and having a healthy baby. 

It is a good idea to perform some light exercises and for women who are already exercising, they are encouraged to continue exercising right up to embryo transfer. 

Healthy living for IVF treatment should also include trying to know as much as possible about the treatment and its consequences from authentic sources, the key word here being authentic. 

It is also a good idea for the partner to accompany the patient for treatment as far as possible. 

(Inputs from Dr Jaydeep Tank, Fertility Expert) 

(Compiled by Debarati S Sen) 

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One pint of beer improves heart health - Tips for Health

One pint of beer improves heart health - Tips for Health

Drinking just one pint of beer is enough to boost the condition of the blood vessels around the heart, a new study has revealed. 

Arteries become more flexible and blood flowimproves within hours, the report said. 

However vodka and alcohol-free beer did not have the same effect in a study of 17 men, theMirror reported. 

Greek Scientists concluded that the state of the arteries was improved by the combination of alcohol and antioxidants in beer. 

Harokopio University experts asserted in the study that function was significantly improved only after beer. 

Other studies have claimed that a pint a day can cut the risk of heart attack by 30 per cent. 

The study was published in the Nutrition journal.

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