Exercise tips for diabetic persons

Dr. Surbhi Agrawal

Diploma in Diabetology, Master of Hospital Administration, MBBS · General Physician 

EXERCISE TIPS FOR DIABETICS

Regular exercise can lower blood glucose and possibly reduce the amount of medication you need to treat diabetes, or even eliminate the need for medication. Here are a few useful exercise tips:

Get your doctor’s approval before starting an exercise program

Start slowly with a low-impact exercise such as walking, swimming or jogging

Warm up for 5 minutes before starting to exercise and cool down for 5 minutes after

Avoid doing activity in extremely hot or cold temperatures. Choose indoor options when the weather is extreme

Drink plenty of water before, during, and after activity to stay hydrated

Always carry a source of carbohydratewith you so you’ll be ready to treat low blood glucose

Activities should be energizing but not overly difficult

Wear athletic shoes that are in good shape and are the right type for your activity

Try to exercise at the same time every day for the same duration. This will help control your blood sugar
Exercise at least three times a week for about 30 to 45 minutes

If you plan to exercise more than an hour after eating, it’s a good idea to have a snack.

If you use insulin, exercise after eating, not before
Test your blood sugar before, during and after exercising

Do not exercise when your blood sugar is more than 240

Carefully inspect your feet before and after activity for blisters, redness or other signs of irritation

Stop doing an activity if you feel any pain, shortness of breath or light-headedness.

Talk to your doctor about any unusual symptoms that you experience.

Avoid these foods before sleeping

Dt. Vinita Jaiswal

M.Sc - Dietitics / Nutrition, B.Sc. - Dietitics / Nutrition · Dietitian/Nutritionist · 

8 Foods To Never Eat Before Bedtime

Hunger before bedtime is common esp. when you are used to staying up late. The craving to eat something before going to bed makes a person consume anything that is available. Bedtime hunger is not wrong, but there certainly are foods that shouldn't be consumed before going to sleep as they can create health issues.

Avoid these 8 foods before going to bed.

1. Dairy fat - Having calorie rich cheese or butter for dinner or even before bedtime ensures that your digestive system is going to have a hard time at the night, thus disrupting your sleep.

2. Caffeine - Caffeine from the coffee doesn't let you sleep. It is used to kick our sleepiness so it should never be consumed before bedtime.

3. Spiced/Oily foods- Spices cause flatulence and oils lead to indigestion, ensuring incomplete and disturbed sleep.

4. Red meat - Dinner should always be the lightest meal of the day. If you make your digestive system work heavily overnight, it’s difficult for you to get sound sleep! Red meat being a very heavy, must be avoided to ensure a good night’s sleep.

5. Beans- Beans before bed simply fastens the process of flatulence! Avoid it to have a trouble free night.

6. Sugars- Sugars give you instant energy. That’s exactly what you don’t need before a good night’s sleep so avoid it before bedtime.

7. Aerated drinks- These drinks have acidic content with a lot of sugar and caffeine. Drinking them can destroy you sleep for the whole night so keeping it for the day is wiser!

8. Alcohol- Alcohol makes you drowsy and in a way bogs you down. But that’s really not the kind of sleep you’d like to have. Avoid alcohol to invite the perfect sleep!

An angel - Kalyansundram

Practising what he preaches "We cannot sustain ourselves, unless we contribute to the society in someway or the other. I strongly feel if even one person does his bit towards social good, there will be some change." A will to serve combined with a sense of social justice has been the guiding principle of P. Kalyanasundaram, who has spent over 45 years in social service. A gold medallist in library science, he is also an MA in literature and history. During his 35-year-career as a librarian at the Kumarkurupara Arts College at Srivaikuntam in Tuticorin district, he gave away all his salary for charity and did odd jobs to meet his daily needs. He has also come forward to donate his body and eyes to the Tirunelveli Medical College. The Union Government has acclaimed him as `The Best Librarian in India'. He has also been chosen as `one of the top ten librarians of the world'. The International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, has honoured him as `one of the noblest of the world', while the United Nations Organisation adjudged him as one of the Outstanding People of the 20th Century'. An American organisation has also selected him as the `Man of the Millennium.' Mr. Kalyanasundaram, who has founded a social welfare organisation, `Paalam', shares his experiences in a chat with Prathiba Parameswaran. SIMPLICITY IN life and exemplariness in practice has been the hallmark of Mr. Kalyanasundaram. Born in August 1953 at Melakarivelamkulam in Tirunelveli district, he lost his father at a very young age. It was his mother, who inspired him to serve the poor. When he was at college, the Indo-China war broke out, and he contributed his gold chain to the then Chief Minister, Kamaraj, for the war fund. At this time around, he went to meet Balasubramanian, Editor, Ananda Vikatan. "He sent me away, saying he would write about me the day I donated something I had earned myself. I did not speak a word to anyone about what I had done. I took it as a challenge," Mr. Kalyanasundaram recalls. Ever since he got a job as a librarian in Tuticorin, he has contributed all his salary, pension benefits and ancestral property to social welfare. It was not until 1990, when he received his pension arrears and contributed it to the Collector's Fund, that the then Tiruneveli Collector felicitated him, despite his protests. The `Paalam' serves as a bridge between donors and beneficiaries: it collects money and materials from those willing to donate and distribute them among the weaker sections. It has also contributed to the cyclone relief funds in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, and has helped the earthquake victims in Maharashtra and Gujarat. "We cannot sustain ourselves, unless we contribute towards the society in someway or the other. I strongly feel if even one person does his bit towards social good, there will be some change," he asserts. Mr. Kalyanasundaram feels that one must achieve something in his chosen field. His contribution to library science is immense. A thesis he submitted as part of his post-graduate course to the Madurai Kamaraj University fetched him distinction. He has also hit upon an easy way of tracing and accessing books in libraries. His ability to strike a rapport even with youngsters is remarkable. He cites the instance when he started wearing khadi. At college, he was required to take classes on Gandhianism. "I had to speak about simplicity and everything Gandhi stood for, but I was clad in expensive clothes. That was when I decided to switch over to khadi," he relates. Since then he had always practised what he stood for, making himself a role model for many youths. He was popular among college and school students, and many of them have joined his organisation. He has long-term plans for his organisation. One is the setting up of a nationalised digital library with modern equipment, which could be accessed by people from all walks of life. He also wants to set up an international children's university in Tamil Nadu, with foreign aid. However, he says, a mission has a meaning only when the right people are involved in it. The Directorate of Public Libraries should recruit people with a library science background to be librarians, he says. "And good librarians should have a broad knowledge of everything."

Evils of fast eating

 

Dt. Tamanna Narang

M.Sc - Dietitics / Nutrition (Delhi University) · Dietitian/Nutritionist ·

Why is eating fast bad for your health?

Are you a fast-eater? As a child most of us are told to slow down, chew the food well and only then gulp it down. Most of us have been told time and again to slow down and chew while eating. Yet, some people continue with the habit of eating fast. This might change if they knew what their speed of eating can do to their body.

Evils of eating food very fast -

1. Slows Digestion - Eating and swallowing fast means that the food has not been chewed properly. This delays and complicates the process of digestion. For proper digestion, the food needs to be broken down. Also, when we do not chew properly, the food that goes down the throat, is accompanied by lesser saliva, the enzymes of which are needed for the digestion to begin.

2. Can Make You Bloated - While eating in a hurry, chances are also there that we swallow air along without food. This makes are bloated and also gives us stomach gas.

3. Makes You Eat More - To feel full, the brain and the stomach need to be at the same page to emit the signal of fullness. However, if you don't chew and just swallow, the brain-stomach coordination will break and you will end up eating more than what you need to.

4. Leads To Weight Gain - Overeating will lead to problems like weight gain, indigestion, etc.

5. May Choke You - More than thirty different muscles are required to swallow and if eating in a hurry, you increase the chance of food going down the wrong pipe, which can choke you.

Emphasis on improving health and environment

Environment and Health

NRDC's Environment and Health Program has worked for over two decades to safeguard families and communities by reducing exposures to toxic chemicals that cause disease. And although we've seen substantial progress in public health over the past generation, certain environmentally linked diseases, such as asthma, autism, and some types of cancer have increased. To address these and other challenges, we are focused on these key areas:

Healthy, Sustainable Food

From promoting sustainable agricultural practices to eliminating pesticides and other harmful contaminants in food, NRDC is working to transition to healthier food systems. Our Growing Green Awards honor those who successfully advance these goals. We continue to step up the pressure on government agencies, such as theFDA and EPA, to protect the safety of our food supply and consumer products, including working to reducemercury in fish, stopping the unnecessary use ofantibiotics in livestock, and reducing the use of dangerous pesticides.
Key issue areas: sustainable food, Growing Green Awards,mercury, pesticides, Fix the FDA, antibiotics, eat local

Safe Drinking Water

Safe water is essential for health. NRDC is working to ensure that everyone has access to clean and affordable drinking water, from cleaning dangerous toxins like pesticides, hexavalent chromium, and rocket fuel out of our drinking water to replacing deteriorating pipes and mains that run underneath our roads. We are also working to address the impacts of global warming on drinking water and improve access to safe water supplies internationally.
Key issue areas: safe drinking water, bottled water, global sanitation and access to freshwater, impacts of global warming on safe drinking water, water filters, perchlorate,hexavalent chromium, atrazine, lead, home water filters

Chemicals in Your Home

Our Take Out Toxics and Fix FDAcampaigns are aimed at the most toxic chemicals that surround us every day, from bisphenol A in food containers and baby bottles and triclosan in hand soaps, to flame retardants in household furniture and hormone disrupting phthalates in toys. By working to reform outdated laws and update scientific assessments, we seek to restrict the use of toxic chemicals associated with cancer, learning disabilities, and reproductive problems. We are also working to reduce the use of toxic pesticides in homes to protect children and pets through Green Shield and Green Paws. NRDC is focused on protecting children's health as well as the most vulnerable among us.
Key issue areas: toxic chemicals, TSCA reform, Fix the FDA,BPA, phthalates, flame retardants, triclosan, Green Shield,Green Paws, chemical index

Global Pollution

Pollution from other countries contributes to our air quality problems and can enter our food chain. Our Clean by Design campaign works directly with manufacturers abroad to adopt environmentally sustainable business practices and green their supply chain. We are also working with the United Nations on a treaty to reduceglobal mercury use.
Key issue areas: Clean by Design, global mercury treaty,international issues

Climate and Health

Climate change is one of the most serious public health threats facing the nation, but few people are aware of how it can affect them. Check out ourclimate maps to discover your community's vulnerability to climate-related events. NRDC is working simultaneously to prepare for and help address the impacts of climate change, such as worsening air quality, extreme heat, and more frequent extreme weather events. As we work to stop climate change, we are also developing policies to minimize human suffering.
Key issue areas: climate health vulnerability maps, extreme weather, global warming

Air Pollution

Outdoor air pollution is associated with over one million deaths and countless illnesses each year across the globe. We are working to clean up toxic hotspots including major industrial polluters as well as dirty diesel transportation hubs. Our goal is for all children to be able to play outside without fear of asthma attacks or stunted lung growth -- and for all communities to enjoy safe and healthy air quality, eliminating the race and income gapsin access to clean air.
Key issue areas: diesel soot, port pollution, power plants,industrial pollution, environmental justice

Defending Scientific Integrity

Protecting health requires high-quality science that is free from conflicts of interest. NRDC scrutinizes the qualifications of scientists appointed to key government advisory boards to assure they are free from financial conflicts of interest and to uncover biases. We have persuaded major scientific journals to improve disclosure of funding sources when they publish studies. We defend independent scientists who are unjustly attacked by polluting industries because their study results threaten a lucrative chemical or product. We expose industry tactics to delay scientific assessments and regulation of chemicals of concern. NRDC scientists serve on numerous scientific advisory boards, have faculty appointments at universities, and publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals.

Today's fortune - 25th August 2015

IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY

Don’t worry too much if you are still unsure about what it is you want from life. Take each day as it comes and focus on getting the most in value and enjoyment between the hours of sun-up and sundown. The inner you is in control.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20):

A confident approach is a must today. If your rivals get the idea that you are having doubts they won’t hesitate to exploit them and that could lead to a serious setback later in the week. Pretend you don’t have a care in the world.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21):

Try not to take anything or anyone too seriously over the next 24 hours. If you find yourself thinking about one thing to the exclusion of everything else that is a sure sign you have become infatuated about something and that isn’t healthy.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21):

At some stage today you will start to wonder if maybe the powers that be have got it in for you, but common sense should tell you it is your state of mind that is making things seem tougher than they really are. Life will get easier very soon.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23):

Travel and social plans are likely to be disrupted today and for several days to come, although nothing too drastic will happen as long as you look ahead, make allowances and make sure you have not forgotten anything important.

LEO (July 24 - Aug. 23):

Think carefully before committing yourself to anything of a financial nature today. You may be eager to boost your earning power but the planets warn there is a real chance that someone is keeping from you facts you need to know.

VIRGO (Aug. 24 - Sept. 23):

You are strongly advised to be suspicious of everything you see and hear. Neptune, planet of confusion, is making things harder to understand than they need to be and if you are not careful you could be the one who loses as a result.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23):

A rethink of your aims may be a good idea but don’t change anything before getting advice from people you know you can trust. You are a little confused at the moment and it might be the case that you don’t have to change anything at all.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22):

What you have to say over the next 24 hours will not be what certain people want to hear, so don’t be surprised if they try to twist your words. The message you have to deliver is of major importance, so keep repeating it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21):

According to the planets you have been worrying for no good reason about something you thought mattered a lot but which in fact is of no importance at all. Which just goes to show that even a wise Sag can be fooled now and again.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20):

There will be plenty in the way of rumour today but precious little in the way of hard facts, so don’t jump to conclusions. When even those in positions of authority have no idea what is going on there is not much point making plans.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19):

Try to be a bit more laid back about money matters today – but not so laid back that it seems as if you no longer care. If you have any bright ideas about how to increase profits you must speak up and let partners and colleagues know.

PISCES (Feb. 20 - Mar. 20):

You know you can trust your own instincts but can you trust other people’s instincts? With Neptune, your ruler, undergoing one of its retrograde phases it might be wise not to take what others tell you at face value over the next 24 hours.

Tremendous uses of using coconut oil

Dr. Rajesh Choda

Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) · Ayurveda · 

Tremendous Benefits of usng Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is popularly used as cooking oil and also as a hair care and body oil. It is generally viewed as a substance in which nutritious food is cooked in. But the fact is that, coconut oil itself is a superfood that has tremendous health benefits. The oil itself is a source of nutrition to our body! It can be consumed as cooking oil or can also be directly applied onto the various parts of the body.

The Benefits-

1. Rich Source Of Vitamin E - Coconut oil is rich in Vitamin E which is ideal for both skin and hair. It can be used for repairing damaged hair and skin by direct application as well. 

2. Slows Ageing - This oil slows down the ageing process by defending various good body fats and several tissues from damage.

3. Aids Weight Loss - It promotes weight loss and is considered as ideal cooking oil to be used in food while reducing weight. 

4. Protects Your Body - It also is a great moisturizer of the skin and helps in battling oxidants inside the body.