How Prolonged Sitting Can be Detrimental to Your Health

By Dr. Mercola

Your body is designed for regular movement, but many Americans spend the bulk of their day sitting still instead. On average, a US adult spends nine to 10 hours each day sitting,1 which is so much inactivity that even a 30- or 60-minute workout can't counteract its effects.2

As Katy Bowman, a scientist Organ Damageand author of the book: Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement, told Reuters:3

"Actively sedentary is a new category of people who are fit for one hour but sitting around the rest of the day… You can't offset 10 hours of stillness with one hour of exercise."

Worse still, many Americans don't fit in a workout or a long walk either, which means their bodies are virtually always in a sedentary state. It's not that sitting is inherently dangerous… the danger is in the dose.

While a brief period of sitting here and there is natural, long periods of sitting day-in and day-out can seriously impact your health and shorten your life.

What Happens to Your Body When You Sit for Too Long?

Dr. James Levine, co-director of the Mayo Clinic and the Arizona State University Obesity Initiative, and author of the book Get Up! Why Your Chair Is Killing You and What You Can Do About It, has dedicated a good part of his career to investigating the health effects of sitting.

His investigations show that when you've been sitting for a long period of time and then get up, a number of molecular cascades occur. For example, within 90 seconds of standing up, the muscular and cellular systems that process blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol—which are mediated by insulin—are activated.

All of these molecular effects are activated simply by carrying your own bodyweight. These cellular mechanisms are also responsible for pushing fuel into your cells and, if done regularly, will radically decrease your risk of diabetes and obesity.

In short, at the molecular level, your body was designed to be active and on the move all day long. When you stop moving for extended periods of time, it's like telling your body it's time to shut down and prepare for death. The Mind Unleashed featured a particularly noteworthy description of what happens in various areas of your body after prolonged sitting:4

Organ Damage

•Heart: When you sit, blood flows slower and muscles burn less fat, which makes it easier for fatty acids to clog your heart. Research published in theJournal of the American College of Cardiology, for instance, showed that women who sit for 10 or more hours a day may have a significantly greater risk of developing heart disease than those who sit for five hours or less.5

•Pancreas: Your body's ability to respond to insulin is affected by just one day of excess sitting, which leads your pancreas to produce increased amounts of insulin, and this may lead to diabetes.

Research published in Diabetologia found that those who sat for the longest periods of time were twice as likely to have diabetes or heart disease, compared to those who sat the least.6 Sitting for more than eight hours a day has also been associated with a 90 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes.7

•Colon Cancer: Excess sitting may increase your risk of colon, breast, and endometrial cancers. The mechanism isn't known for certain, but it could be due to excess insulin production, which encourages cell growth, or the fact that regular movement boosts antioxidants in your body that may eliminate potentially cancer-causing free radicals.

Findings presented at the 2015 Inaugural Active Working Summit also found that sitting increases:8

◦Lung cancer by 54 percent

◦Uterine cancer by 66 percent

◦Colon cancer by 30 percent

Another reason for this increased cancer risk is thought to be linked to weight gain and associated biochemical changes, such as alterations in hormones, metabolic dysfunction, leptin dysfunction, and inflammation—all of which promote cancer.

Digestion: Sitting down after you've eaten causes your abdominal contents to compress, slowing down digestion. Sluggish digestion, in turn, can lead to cramping, bloating, heartburn, and constipation, as well as dysbiosis in your gastrointestinal tract, a condition caused by microbial imbalances in your body. According to Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease:9

"There is growing evidence that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is associated with the pathogenesis of both intestinal and extra-intestinal disorders. Intestinal disorders include inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and celiac disease, while extra-intestinal disorders include allergy, asthma, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and obesity."

Brain Damage

•Your brain function slows when your body is sedentary for too long. Your brain will get less fresh blood and oxygen, which are needed to trigger the release of brain- and mood-enhancing chemicals.

Posture Problems

•Strained Neck and Shoulders: It's common to hold your neck and head forward while working at a computer or cradling a phone to your ear. This can lead to strains to your cervical vertebrae along with permanent imbalances, which can lead to neck strain, sore shoulders and back.

•Back Problems: Sitting puts more pressure on your spine than standing, and the toll on your back health is even worse if you're sitting hunched in front of a computer. It's estimated that 40 percent of people with back pain have spent long hours at their computer each day.

The disks in your back are meant to expand and contract as you move, which allows them to absorb blood and nutrients. When you sit, the disks are compressed and can lose flexibility over time. Sitting excessively can also increase your risk of herniated disks.

Personally, after I reduced my normal 12 to 14 hours of daily sitting to under one hour, the back pain I'd struggled with for decades disappeared.

Muscle Degeneration

•Standing requires you to tense your abdominal muscles, which go unused when you sit, ultimately leading to weak abdominals.

•Hip Problems: Your hips also suffer from prolonged sitting, becoming tight and limited in range of motion because they are rarely extended. In the elderly, decreased hip mobility is a leading cause of falls.

Sitting also does nothing for your glutes, which may become weakened, affecting your stability and the power of your stride when walking and jumping.

Leg Disorders

•Varicose Veins: Sitting leads to poor circulation in your legs, which can cause swelling in your ankles, varicose veins, and blood clots known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

•Weak Bones: Walking, running, and engaging in other weight-bearing activities lead to stronger, denser bones. Lack of activity may cause weak bones and even osteoporosis.

Too Much Sitting Can Take Years Off Your Life

The more hours you spend sitting in a day, the shorter your lifespan may be. One study found, for instance, that reducing the average time you spend sitting down to less than three hours a day could increase your life expectancy by two years.10

Another study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, concluded that each hour spent watching television after the age of 25 reduces your life expectancy by nearly 22 minutes.11 To put this into perspective, the authors compared it to smoking – each cigarette reduces your life expectancy by about 11 minutes. All in all, the researchers found that adults who spend an average of six hours in front of the TV will reduce their life expectancy by just under 5 years, compared to someone who does not watch TV. Obesity Panacea made a good point in its report on this study:12

"These sorts of theoretical studies obviously need to be taken with a large dollop of salt (just like the recent Australian study which estimated that every hour of TV viewing shortens your life by 25 minutes). The point is simply that there is a non-negligible impact of sitting/TV viewing on mortality, and given the extremely high prevalence of these behaviors at the population level, they can have noticeable impact on the lifespan of the population as a whole."

How to Get Up and Get Moving

I believe high-intensity exercises are an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but considering the fact that more than half of American men, and 60 percent of American women, never engage in any vigorous physical activity lasting more than 10 minutes per week,13 while at the same time sitting for hours on end, it's clear that most people need to begin by simply getting more non-exercise movement into their daily routine.

It sounds simple, doesn't it? Simply get up and move. The reality can be harder to get used to, since most people are so used to sitting while they work, eat, and watch TV. I recommend using a pedometer, or better yet, one of the newer wearable fitness trackers that can also give you feedback on your sleeping patterns, which is another important aspect of good health. At first, you may be surprised to realize just how little you move each day.

Setting a goal of say 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day (which is just over three to five miles, or 6-9 kilometers) can go a long way toward getting more movement and less sitting into your life. This should be over and above any exercise regimen you may have. I personally am doing about 14,000-15,000 steps a day. The only way I can get this many steps in is to walk for 90 minutes. Tracking your steps can also show you how simple and seemingly minor changes to the way you move around at work can add up. For example, you can:

• Walk across the hall to talk to a coworker instead of sending an email
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park your car further away from the entrance
• Take a longer, roundabout way to your desk

Other simple ways to increase your physical movement and avoid sitting down at work include:

• Organize the layout of your office space in such a way that you have to stand up to reach oft-used files, the telephone, or your printer, rather than having everything within easy reach.
• Use an exercise ball for a chair. Unlike sitting in a chair, sitting on an exercise ball engages your core muscles and helps improve balance and flexibility. Occasional bouncing can also help your body interact with gravity to a greater degree than sitting on a stationary chair. But this is a concession and it is still sitting, so standing would be a better option.
• Alternatively, use an upright wooden chair with no armrest, which will force you to sit up straight, and encourage shifting your body more frequently than a cushy office chair.
• Set a timer to remind you to stand up and move about for at least 10 minutes each hour. You can either walk, stand, or take the opportunity to do a few simple exercises by your desk. For an extensive list of videos demonstrating such exercises, please see my previous article, "Intermittent Movement Benefits Your Health. Here's How to Get More of It into Your Work Day."
• Use a standing workstation. For a demonstration on proper posture, whether you're sitting or using a standing workstation, check out Kelly Starrett's video. We are in the process of providing all our employees at mercola.com standing desk options. If you have a sit-down job, I would strongly encourage you to present this information to your employer and get a stand-up desk.

How to Sit Smarter

The evidence is overwhelming at this point—10,000 studies and growing—that prolonged sitting will reduce your lifespan by promoting dozens of chronic diseases, even if you exercise regularly. I've previously recommended standing up and doingexercises at your desk every 10-15 minutes to counteract the ill effects of sitting, but after reading Dr. Levine's book, I'm convinced even that may be insufficient if you're seeking optimal health. I really think the answer is to stand up as much as possible.

That said, sitting is sometimes necessary, so when you do sit following the recommendations by "posture guru" Esther Gokhale can go a long way toward improving posture-related pain associated with prolonged sitting, and will likely help ameliorate the worst risks of sitting. The basics of healthy sitting include the following points:

•Stack sitting: In order to allow the bones in your spine to stack well and permit the muscles alongside them to relax, sit with your behind sticking out behind you, but not exaggeratedly so. Now, when you breathe, each in-and-out breath will automatically lengthen and settle your spine.

This gentle movement stimulates circulation and allows natural healing to go on even while you sit. While conventional advice tells you to tuck in your pelvis to maintain an S-shaped spine, Esther has found that a J-spine is far more natural. A J-spine refers to a posture where your back is straight, your lumbar relatively flat, and your buttocks are protruding slightly. By tucking your pelvis, you lose about a third of the volume in your pelvic cavity, which squishes your internal organs. This can compromise any number of them in a variety of ways.

This is further compounded if you're both "tucked" and "hunched" while sitting. This biomechanically correct posture allows you to move freely, discourages pain, and allows your digestive organs to function without restrictions or blockages.

•Stretch sitting. Another way to elongate your spine is by using your backrest as a traction device. You can see her demonstrate this move in the video below. You will need either a towel or a specially designed traction cushion for this purpose. This simple maneuver brings your back away from the backrest, lengthens your spine, and then roots you higher up against the backrest. 

This position helps you maintain an elongated spine, and by getting traction on your discs, you allow them to rehydrate and prevent the nerves from being impinged between your vertebrae. It will also help flatten out your lumbar area, and this alone can sometimes provide immediate pain relief if you have sciatic nerve root pain.

Remember, however, that for optimal health sitting should be your last resort when you have no alternative. It is far better for you to stand than sit. It might take a bit to adjust but once you do it will be every bit as comfortable as sitting. As noted by Dr. Levine, while we clearly need to rest from time to time, that rest is supposed to break up activity—not the other way around. Inactivity—sitting—is not supposed to be a way of life.

Source:http://fitness.mercola.com/

9 Things You Should Avoid to Protect Your Liver

Liver is the second largest organ in the human body. In Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic (黃帝内經), liver is described as the Army General in-charge of strategy planning in the body. This is because liver is the main regulator of human internal environment. It produces bile to carry away waste products and break down fats. It also in charge of breaking down and neutralizing toxins in the body. It acts as storage for blood, minerals, nutrients, and glucose and release them as at when our body need extra energy. it regulates immune response and blood clotting. In order to protect your liver, there are several things you may want to avoid:

1. Excessive Sugar

Liver uses fructose to make fat. Excessive refined sugar could lead to fatty liver, which is as harmful to the liver as consuming too much alcohol. Be mindful of what you eat, try to eat natural complex carbohydrates like peas and vegetables. rather than refined sugar such as candy, soda, and pastries. little bit to pamper ourselves is alright, the keyword here is "be subtle".

2. Herbs

Natural does not mean harmless. Always consult a physician before you taking any herbs. Certain herbs may inhibit proper function for your liver. All herbs has to be prescribed after proper diagnosis by physician. One example is kava kava herb used for stress relieving, may cause liver problems after prolonged use.

3. Obesity

Growing too much fat in your liver can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Your liver will swell and harden over time, leaving your liver scarred. Scarred tissue may no longer be able to function like normal issue. High risk group for fatty liver disease are those with obesity, diabetes or middle-aged people. Proper diet and regular exercise can prevent fatty liver disease.

4. Too Much of Vitamin A (& derivatives)

It is good to consume fruits and vegetables that contain natural vitamin A. Red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables normally contain plenty of them. However, excessive Vitamin A from supplements may cause liver damage. Our body only need traces of Vitamin A every day, being a fat soluble vitamin, it cannot be excreted through urination. Vitamin A derivatives such as isotretinoin, a drug used to treat acne, may disrupt liver function too.

5. Soft Drinks

Research shows that people who likes to drink soft drinks has higher chance of developing fatty liver disease. If you drink more soft drinks than water, it's time to cut back your consumption.

6. Paracetamol Overdose

Paracetamol is a common drug for pain relief. It is fine to take paracetamol occasionally for headache and fever. Different people have different tolerance to the drug. Always keep your dosage in check as paracetamol overdose is harmful for our liver.

7. Trans Fat
Trans fat is very hard to digest and causes fatty liver. At the same time, it also causes bad cholesterol to rise and good cholesterol to drop. Check out the nutrition facts before buying your food products. Trans fat can make you really FAT.

8. Syringe Sharing

Ok. This is really bad for you. All blood transmitted disease can catch up with you this way. Hepatitis C is one of it. So, don't, ever share needle.

9. Alcohol

Almost everyone knows that alcohol is bad for liver. But people did not realize that even without being addicted to alcohol, you can consume more alcohol than you should. many glasses can contain more than standard serving size - 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of liquor. Always practice moderate drinking. In this case, less is better.

Wealth or Health?

Wealth or Health?

Some people says the answer is so straight forward - Health. But, remember, none of us want to come to this world to suffer. Living with a sick body is not pleasant, living a poor life where you are forced to work like a machine for the rest of your life, and not getting a chance to enjoy the abundant beauty of the world is not pleasant either.

Many young people striving for their own dreams are faced with this dilemma today. We work hard and get ourselves involved in so many things - work, networking, investment, society, clubs, relationships, part-time jobs, and worst of all, we only have 24 hours/ 7 days a week to do all those. It seems like time is never enough.

As young entrepreneurs today, there are so many competitions around us (this is especially true when you are not born with silver spoon), and the reality is shouting at us : " rest is a privilege, not an entitlement. If you want to be rich, you must offer something to the society. In this case, your have to give up your health." , "if you are born poor it is not your fault, but if you die poor, it is."

Now, you are being confronted by reality. "Yes, I know health is the most important, but i'm starving. I want to be successful. I want to make the most out of this world before I die. If i die mediocre, i might as well never born."

I believe many have come across this crossroad. Health vs Wealth.

Here is the idea, "why not both?"

Without health, you do not own wealth. Without wealth, you can't sustain health. Too much of wealth is bad for your health, and extremely health-concerned will discourage you from pursuing wealth too. There is a point called balancing both.

This, is why Bread and Butter is here today. We share ideas and tips to balance the both elements. We learn and we grow together. While you are learning about financial knowledge, we are sharing health related knowledge with you, reminding you remain healthy is the only way to create sustainable health. Your net worth is your score board, but don't forget your intangible assets as well. Your wisdom, health, goodwill etc counts too.

Subscribe now, and grow with us!

Combating Stress: Why Stay Peaceful is Important

Why Stay Peaceful is Important

When we are stressed,

1. Our body goes into fight or flight mode, adrenaline and cortisol rise, so as the glucose level, heart rate and the blood pressure. 
2. Our muscles tense up, over long term, muscle produces a load of lactic acid and this not only turns our body acidic, also adds burden to our liver. Muscle knots may be form depends on the muscle group that got tensed up. Range of motion could be limited. 
3. Uneven muscle tension in the muscles, especially the muscles around out spinal cord and shoulders, causing improper postures that may result in long term health effect when the flow of nerve is interrupted.
4. We hyperventilate, causing low CO2 content in the blood that result in vasoconstriction in the brain and extremities. In milder cases, restricted blood flows to the brain means less oxygen and less nutrients.In another word, it make the brain dumb. while in extreme case, hyperventilation could cause dizziness and black out. 
5. Cardiovascular damages - heart pumping at high beat rate and high pressure will add burden to the cardiac muscle. If stress persist without taking a rest, heart damage may occur.
6. We are overclocking our body system, we burn our energy sources and nutrients faster than normal unnecessarily, 
7. We may find it hard to control our temper, a malicious cycle that make us even more stressful.
8. Have low self esteem & confidence. We may overthink and be pessimistic. Under stressful situation, our brain triggers the survival instinct to focus on the worst scenario for the things happen around us. 
9. We feel thirsty and lethargic due to dehydration.

By having peace with ourselves, 

1. We will have lower blood pressure, lower heart beat, and lower breathing rate. This will give ample room for our cardiovascular and respiratory system to recover. 
2. Our muscles are relaxed, our skins become more sensitive and our senses are become sharper, as we are able to receive more stimulus from our surrounding. This is because when we are at fight or flight mode, we tend to focus our senses to that particular one thing that we perceive as threat. When we tell the brain that the threat is gone, the senses are released from such signal, so colors become more vibrant, you become more mindful to the sounds around you, and the food taste better.
3. We have proper posture that allow proper movement of diaphragm. With that, more air can be breathed into the lungs every inhalation and the exchange of gases become more effective. Muscles will be relaxed, less lactic acid is produced and less fuel are burn, meaning your organ do not have to work in excess to produce the energy that we don't need and then spend more energy to get rid of those metabolism by-product.
4. We are able to see the "big picture". We will have the patience and open mind to interpret information without prejudice. We can better control our emotions, and we are more self conscious. 
5. We become more energetic, because when our body is in harmony, we have enough energy reserve to be tapped into whenever needed, and all our hormones are functioning more effectively. We digest better and rejuvenate better.

How Running Can Benefit You

How Running Can Benefit You

We are all born with the ability to run. In fact this is the simplest form for cardiovascular exercise to start with. It affects our body and mind in different ways:

1. Stronger Muscle     Whether you are running short distance or long distance, you are engaging both your slow twitch muscle and fast twitch muscle fiber to some extend. Coupled with proper nutrition and workout-rest schedule, you will be able to handle more and more physical workload daily by incorporating consistent running in your weekly schedule.

2. Healthier Heart
     Researches showed that running will improve the strength of the heart. Short distance runner tend to have thicker left ventricle wall whereas marathon runner has larger heart chamber. More blood can be pumped per pulse, more nutrients and oxygen can be transported effectively. Therefore, runners usually have lower heart rate.

3. Stronger Bone
    Out bones take plenty of impact with each stride, when we rest and recover, the bone is stimulated to grow denser and stronger. Outdoor runners will get more Vitamin D from sunlight, which helps bone repair too.

4. Cleaner Lung
    Choose a track/community area with plenty of greenery to run, and you will realize that you may have phlegm coming from your throat during the run, and more booger after the first few runs. When we are panting, our diaphragm is massaging our lungs, and fast air movements helps to push the mucus out from the trachea and nasal cavity. However, remember to always run in areas with fresh air otherwise you will be breathing in dirt instead.

5. Control Blood Sugar Level
    Running stimulate insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a hormone that keep our blood sugar level in check. Poor insulin sensitivity often result in tiredness, poor recovery and if not taken care of, could lead to diabetes.

6. Keep Weight in Control
    Running is an effective method of burning calories. Our body continue to burn the fuel even after we stopped running to get rid of the metabolic waste such as lactic acid from out body. Not only that, with better insulin sensitivity, the using and storing of glucose is better regulated and chances is that glucose can be metabolized more effectively and less is stored as fat.

7. Healthier Skin
    We sweat during and after we run. Our skin is the largest organ in our body. Sweating flushes away toxins more effectively than our kidney do thanks to the larger surface area. If you wish your skin to glow, go get your shoes and start running!

8. Better Complexion
   People with stronger heart will have better complexion. Good blood circulation around the skin ensures proper nutrition to the skin, at the same time preventing pale and yellowish complexion. However, avoid running under the how sun in the afternoon as the UV ray can havoc our skin.

9. Stress Relieve
   Runners are generally more cheerful and energetic. Exercise stimulate the release of Endorphin which is a naturally occurred pain killer. So, you can actually "run away" all your stresses!

The Health Benefits of Consuming Almonds

The Health Benefits of Consuming Almonds

Heart

Probably almonds’ best-known quality is that they are good for your heart. “Nearly two decades of research shows that almonds can help maintain a healthy heart and healthy cholesterol levels,” said Heap. A 2009 article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) looked at the evidence on nut consumption and a variety of health issues. It noted that in four large-scale studies considered major in the field — the Iowa Women's Health Study (1996), the Adventist Health Study (1992), the Nurses’ Health Study (1998) and the Physicians' Health Study(2002) — nut consumption was linked to a lower risk for heart disease. Together, the studies showed an average reduction in the risk of death from heart disease by 37 percent, or “8.3 percent … for each weekly serving of nuts.”

“A growing body of evidence suggests that regularly choosing almonds in place of snacks high in refined carbohydrates is a simple dietary strategy to help support heart health,” said Heap. In another evidence review, published in 1999 in Current Atherosclerosis Reports, researchers looked at the Nurses’ Health Study and estimated that eating nuts instead of an equivalent amount of carbohydrates reduced heart disease risk by 30 percent. Substituting nuts for saturated fats, such as those found in meat and dairy products, resulted in a 45 percent estimated reduced risk. 

Replacing almonds with saturated fats may also help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. A 1994 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at men with normal cholesterol levels and found that those who supplemented their diets with almonds for three weeks saw a 10 percent reduction in LDL levels. 

Additionally, a serving of almonds provides 5 percent of the recommended daily value of potassium, which is necessary for heart health, according to the American Heart Association. Many studies have linked potassium with lower blood pressure because it promotes vasodilation (widening of blood vessels), according to Today’s Dietitian. The magazine article cited a study of 12,000 adults, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, which showed that those who consumed 4,069 mg of potassium each day lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease by 37 percent and 49 percent, respectively, compared to those who took 1,793 mg per day. 

Magnesium is also essential for heart health. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, some doctors have seen positive results from giving patients who have suffered from heart failure doses of magnesium. There also may be a link between lower heart disease risk in men and intake of magnesium.

Heap noted that in 2003, the FDA approved “a qualified health claim recognizing that California almonds may help reduce the risk of heart disease." The official statement said:

"Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving of almonds (28g) has 13g of unsaturated fat and only 1g of saturated fat.”

Almonds may even be good for those suffering from hyperlipidemia (excess lipids or lipoproteins in the blood). These patients used to be instructed to stay away from nuts because of their fat content, but a study published in 2002 in the journal Circulation showed that hyperlipidemic patients who ate almonds as snacks actually saw significant reductions in heart disease risk factors. 

Weight loss and preventing weight gain

“With their combination of protein, fiber, good fats and satisfying crunch, almonds are a smart snack option to help keep hunger at bay while satisfying cravings,” said Heap. While she noted that “numerous studies have shown that choosing almonds as a daily snack does not lead to changes in body weight,” substituting them for other snacks may help dieters. A 2003 study published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders suggested that combining almonds with a low-calorie, high-monounsaturated fat diet led to more weight loss than did a low-calorie diet with lots of complex carbohydrates. Another recent study, published in 2015 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, looked at substituting almonds for a muffin of the same caloric value and found that though participants did not lose weight in either group, the almond-eating group saw a reduction in abdominal fat, waist circumference and fat on the legs, as well as improved LDL cholesterol levels. 

Almonds can also be a more satisfying snack than high-carb counterparts. “Their combination of protein, fiber, and good fats makes them a satisfying snack choice that can help keep you from reaching for empty calorie choices between meals,” said Heap. “In fact, a recent study showed that women who ate a mid-morning snack of 1-1.5 ounces of almonds felt more satisfied and ate fewer calories at subsequent meals.”

As if that weren’t good enough news, almonds may also help prevent weight gain. A Spanish study published in 2007 in the journal Obesity found that over the course of 28 months, participants who ate nuts twice a week were 31 percent less likely to gain wait than were participants who never or rarely ate nuts. 

Good for gluten-free dieters

“Almonds are naturally gluten-free, and are a versatile, nutrient-rich addition to gluten-free diets," said Heap. "Because gluten-free diets can be low in iron, fiber, B vitamins and protein, and high in saturated fat and sugar, it is important to help fill these gaps and optimize nutrition. All forms of almonds, including almond flour, almond milk and almond butter, are excellent additions for those choosing a gluten-free lifestyle.”

Diabetes

According to the AJCN review of nuts and health outcomes, the links between nut consumption and diabetes risk and symptoms are less clear than with heart disease. Nevertheless, the Nurses’ Health Study showed an inverse relationship between regular consumption of nuts and diabetes, as did the Shanghai Women’s Health Study (2008). 

Additionally, there is some evidence that almonds can be helpful in regulating blood sugar levels. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Nutrition looked at giving participants controlled meals based either around almonds, rice, potatoes or bread. Researchers found that participants’ blood sugar and insulin decreased after eating the almond meal but not the others. Also, antioxidants in the blood increased after the almond meal, while they decreased after the other meals. 

Almonds may also help lower the glycemic index of a high-glycemic meal. A 2007 study, published in the journal Metabolism, looked at combining almonds and bread-based meals. The more almonds participants ate, the lower the meal’s glycemic index became and the less the participants’ blood sugar levels rose. Eating three ounces of almonds with the bread-based meal lowered the meal’s glycemic index to less than half of that of the bread-only meal. 

Energy 

These tasty tree nuts can help you get moving. They are a very good source of energy-encouragers riboflavin, manganese and copper. Riboflavin is also known as vitamin B2, and it helps produce red blood cells and release energy from the carbohydrates you eat, according to the National Institutes of Health. Manganese and copper are components in an enzyme that stops free radicals in mitochondria, where our cells produce energy, according to World’s Healthiest Foods. In this way, these trace minerals help maintain your body’s energy flow. 

Prevent gallstones

The fat and fiber content in almonds may help prevent gallstones by keeping your gallbladder and liver running smoothly. An analysis of the Nurses’ Health Study showed that frequent nut consumers were 25 percent less likely to need a cholecystectomy, a procedure to remove the gallbladder that is often done to treat gallstones. Another study, published in 2004 in the American Journal of Epidemiolgy found similar results in men, with frequent nut consumers seeing a 30 percent decreased risk in gallstone disease. 

Cancer

According to the AJCN nuts and health review, some studies suggest that there might be a relationship between nut consumption and reduced cancer risk in women, especially for colorectal and endometrial cancers, but these studies do not focus on almonds specifically. One animal study published in 2001 in Cancer Letters looked at whole-almond consumption in rats and found that those who ate almonds had fewer cancer cells in their colons. 

Additionally, the antioxidants and vitamin E in almonds may have cancer-fighting benefits, though the National Cancer Institute warns that results from studies examining antioxidants, vitamins and cancer are inconclusive. 

(Source: www.livescience.com)

How To Sleep and Wake Up Refreshed

How to Sleep and Wake Up Refreshed

1. Avoid mental intense activity 1 hour before going to bed, and avoid heavy exercise 2 hours before sleep. Your brain and body will need some time to cool down before getting to rest, just like a car engine.

2. Avoid consuming stimulating food and drinks like chocolate, coffee and tea after evening. Alcohol is a no-no. Many people think that alcohol make people sleep better, ironically alcohol consumption will disrupt the REM stage of the sleep and make you feel sluggish when you wake up next day.

3. Milk have calming effect, but be reminded not to drink too much. half a glass is good enough. Your stomach need to rest too during sleep. Do not consume any solid food an hour before sleep.

4. Get yourself 15 minutes of quiet moment. Lay on your bed, do not do anything during that time. Close your eyes and take a few deep breath slowly. Focus on your breath. Count to 4 when you breath in, count to 6 when you breath out.

5. Bed is only for sleep. Do not do your work or reply email on your bed. You need to condition your body and mind that your bed is a sleeping place. Otherwise, your subconscious mind will  remind you about your work when you lay down on your bed.

6. Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. A glass of warm water upon waking up will help you to wake up your organs. It is kinda like rebooting your system for the day.

7. If you could not finish your important task for the day, note down your to-do on a piece of paper and then forget about it. First thing you wake up next day is \check out the note, it will help you to set a target for the day and keep you awake.

8. Our body has a biological clock that needs "Tuning". Sleep and wake up at regular hour will help to improve sleep quality.

9. Switch off all unnecessary lights before you sleep. Light will disrupt melatonin production in our peneal gland, a specific hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.

Most Important Things To Remember During Difficult Times

Most Important Things To Remember During Difficult Times

1. Remember the greatest law of universe - Everything is Cyclical. The sun, the Earth, the Moon, the season, the weather, the market, and even our life. The creator is reminding us that nothing last forever. Even the best moment in you life has come to past, so what make the worst moment last forever? Thing will come to past one day and time is our best healer.

2. Remember to draw a line between Past, Present, and Future. We live in the present. Nobody can change the past, nobody can predict the future.

3. Remember not to focus on things that we cannot change, but on things within our circle of influence.

4. Remember what you do today will not change anything in the past, but will definitely decide what to happen in the future.

5. Denial is not going to make anything better. Remember to acknowledge your feelings, learn to accept yourself, accept the circumstances.

6. Remember that everyone is so poor at remembering, nobody is going to remember your mistake.

7. Remember life short, every moment is worth appreciating. Not all is lost as long as we are still alive at THIS MOMENT.