health-fitness
Kick-start your day with a healthy breakfast
Many people often make the mistake of skipping the most important meal of the day. While some do manage a quick bite to eat at the work desk later in the morning, many others skip breakfast completely. And some do avoid it to lose weight.
But as the name suggests, eating breakfast is a way to break our overnight fast. In fact, it's known as the most important meal of the day because of its magical powers to recharge the body. But skipping breakfast could have a serious impact on your health.
So, eat a healthy breakfast daily.
The Unhealthiest Foods to Avoid for Breakfast
Let's explore what not to eat for breakfast
Paratha & Puri
Never keep paratha or puri on your breakfast menu. There is a possibility of fat accumulation in the body as a result of regular eating of the same. Generally, clarified butter or oil is used to make these foods. Moreover, refined flour bought from the market contains a high glycemic index. Eating paratha or puri can cause metabolic disorder and increase the amount of sugar and insulin in the blood. As a result, the body weight could increase, and with it, the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Read Mango desserts: Some mouthwatering recipes for trying at home
Fruit Juice
Eating fruits directly is better than drinking fruit juice. This is because when you juice a fruit, some of the healthy fiber is lost in the process. Read-to-drink juices are actually harmful as they contain artificial flavours and are also low in nutrients, fiber, enzymes, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Junk Food
And if you gorge on chocolates, pancakes, burgers, donuts or sandwiches in the mornings, be ready to pile on weight. All these tasty foods contain high calories.
A donut contains six grams of fat and 250 grams of calories. On the other hand, the sugar syrup on the pancake is not good for you as it contains a lot of fat and fructose, both harmful to your heart health.
Women often give their children junk food for breakfast. Potato chips, fried foods, soft drinks, sweets, chocolates are all unhealthy and can do more harm than good.
Read Intermittent Fasting: Health Benefits and Risks
Noodles
You are probably fond of noodles because they can be prepared in five to 10 minutes. But noodles contain BHA and TBHQ, which are very harmful to your health. Eating noodles not only increases the risk of heart disease but also aids weight gain.
Tea-Coffee
Should you kickstart your day with a cup of tea or coffee? Well, always avoid tea and coffee on an empty stomach. These beverages stimulate the acids in the stomach, which can cause heartburn or nausea. At least, have a biscuit before sipping on a delicious cuppa.
Cold and Energy Drinks
Never drink cold or energy drinks as standalone beverages in the mornings. When you wake up in the morning, your body temperature stays a little low. So at this time, you need to eat in harmony with your body temperature. And cold drinks contain high levels of sugar.
Moreover, energy drinks are also high in sugar. They can cause long-term side effects such as headaches and migraines, nausea, vomiting, increased anxiety, and hormonal imbalance.
Read Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea
The Healthiest Foods to Eat for Breakfast
Now, let's check out what to eat for breakfast
Wheat Bread
It is better to eat wheat flour bread for breakfast. Glycogen made from bread melts faster than rice. As a result, your stomach will remain full and the nutritional value will also increase. Two tablespoons of wheat contain 15 percent Vitamin E and 10 percent folic acid. It also simplifies the digestion process.
Fried Eggs
Eating eggs in the morning is better than eating sugary foods. There is a special compound called tryptophan in fried eggs, which makes the brain feel better. Bananas and nuts also contain this compound. So if you have these foods for breakfast, you can expect a good day.
Read Muscle Building Diet: Best Foods for Muscle Gains, Definition and Fat Reduction
Nuts
Having nuts for breakfast improves your digestion. It also controls the pH level of your digestive system.
Honey
Honey helps to refresh your mind and body. It also strengthens your digestive process and accelerates your brain function. The process of food digestion removes toxins from the body. It also gives you a feeling of satisfaction after a meal.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal raises a protective wall around the stomach. Internally secreted hydrochloric acid cannot do any damage to the stomach wall accordingly. It also lowers cholesterol levels due to its soluble fiber. It is better to eat oats with milk.
Read What is Protein Powder? Benefits of Taking Protein Supplements
Fruit or Vegetable Salad
Cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots for breakfast, nothing could be more healthy. If possible, add boiled eggs or meat to your salad. It can protect you against Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. You can also eat fruit salad. These types of salads also aid weight loss and keep your heart healthy.
Sour Yogurt
It is better to eat sour yogurt for breakfast. It helps in weight loss. Moreover, eating sour yogurt in the morning meets the body's need for protein. As a result, it reduces your hunger throughout the day.
Takeaways
Never skip your breakfast as it can throw off your body's rhythm of overnight fasting. Eating a healthy meal in the morning will no control your blood pressure levels, diabetes, and cholesterol. But eat healthy.
Read Apple Cider Vinegar: Benefits and Risk of Regular Consumption
How Effective Are Machines At The Gym?
For a newcomer, the gym is a rather intimidating place that puts aesthetics above all else at times. Dumbbells and barbells are crowded with muscular men and women, which can be demoralising at first. Machines are often a safe haven for newcomers as there is no reason for others to be around your space if you have already occupied the machine. While that is well and good, machines also have a lot of benefits to novices that can set them up for success. But how does the machine fare against the more renowned dumbbell and barbell workouts and how effective are machines overall at the gym?
The Machine’s Purpose
Machines normally serve a singular purpose which is to work for a specific muscle group. There are pros and cons to this. Because the range of movement is so limited, newcomers are conditioned to use the correct range of motion, as there’s little to no room for errors in your technique. The cons are that when novices start getting the proper form down for free weight exercises, the machine CAN start feeling restrictive.
Read: TRX vs. Other Gym Equipments: A Detailed Comparison
Machines are predominantly meant for isolated exercises and tackle many muscle groups and exercises those free weights fall short of. Leg curls, leg press. Weighted crunches and many more exercises are used by the machine because it is impossible to find an optimised replacement in the free weight category. The military press, bench press, and curls are examples of exercises that can be done with free weights, but are still viable if you choose to continue using the machine.
Interestingly, because techniques aren’t your biggest concern when using the machine, it grants the opportunity to focus on building strength and is an easier way to track your weight progression without getting confused. Weight progression is a lot more minor per peg and it allows newer gymgoers a chance to take things slow. Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword as many machines will start becoming incredibly light after a few good years of training.
Read: Running vs. Swimming vs. Cycling: Which Is Best for Burning Fat?
Even though machines offer both options of compound and isolated exercises, many have turned towards them for the latter as they progress up the fitness ladder. With deadlifts, squats and multi-grip bench press being options that machines cannot offer, it would make sense that barbells reign supreme in compound exercises. This is because the technique needed to master said compound exercises with the bar requires a lot of attention to smaller muscle groups on top of focusing on the primary, bigger, larger muscles.
In terms of isolation, dumbbells may pose quite a threat to machines as both cater around higher repetitions with lower weights - where both workout platforms excel. Exercises like front raises, side raises, flies and skull crushers are not available for machines, but it goes the other way too. So, which one is better for the purpose of isolation? Before answering that, we need to talk about cables.
Read Barbells vs. Dumbbells: Which is better for Workout, Strength, and Muscle Growth?
The Role Of Cables
Cables are a strange one! Although they technically fall under the category of “machines”, they are extremely adjustable in terms of height, handles, resistance, and of course, weights. The range of movement cables offered is impressive, given that they have a fixed pivot system that should not allow for much mobility.
Because of cables, options like front raises, side raises, lat pulldowns, tricep extensions are made available. Although cables are an impressive compromise between machines and dumbbells, it is important to note that technique begins to play a part when using them, but not to the same extent as dumbbells. Utilising the wrong technique can present risks of injuries like free weights would.
Read: Effectiveness of Compound Exercises for Muscle Definition
When compared to other types of static machines, cables offer a very similar role. Both pay close attention to isolation exercises and complement low weight and high repetitions. If you are thinking of body building, both cables and machines will be your best friend as strength training doesn't benefit nearly as much from machines and cables. Since cables offer more flexibility in body posture and a fluid range of motion, there is a higher chance to sustain injuries as compared to the more linear machines.
Are Machines Better?
The short answer is not necessarily. While machines are phenomenal in providing a safe range of motion without exposing you to too much risk, it usually is not regarded as a staple or the core to many body parts. Arms and shoulders require more isolated exercises due to how many smaller muscles are in that category, but shoulders, back, chest and legs will undoubtedly require free weights to succeed on a fundamental level.
After the compound exercises are done and your body has expelled most of its energy, isolation exercises are usually the ones to round up the workout. It is definitely possible to switch things around and engage isolated body parts exclusively, but it will take up much more of your time and will not be the best for muscle growth.
Read: Best Health Clubs and Gyms in Dhaka in 2021
Isolation exercises to consider on machines and cables include preacher curls, flies, tricep extensions, leg curls, and rows. Although all of these exercises are doable on dumbbells, the nature of machines will make it so that your range of motion has a better chance of being correct and that you can minimise safety risks. Exercises to avoid include bench press, shoulder press, and bend over rows.
While these exercises can work on machines, they are best suited for free weights as controlling your body properly as it executes the technique will work on far more muscle groups than one would notice. Overall, machines are great complementary exercises that excel in isolation routines, but should not ever be at the centre of your workouts if you are thinking of pumping iron for the long term.
Read Muscle Building Diet: Best Foods for Muscle Gains, Definition and Fat Reduction
Why do some people get side effects after COVID-19 vaccines?
Why do some people get side effects after COVID-19 vaccines?
Temporary side effects including headache, fatigue and fever are signs the immune system is revving up -- a normal response to vaccines. And they’re common.
“The day after getting these vaccines, I wouldn’t plan anything that was strenuous physical activity,” said Dr. Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine chief, who experienced fatigue after his first dose.
Also read: Covid-19: Why ‘world’s pharmacy’ India is short on shots
Here’s what’s happening: The immune system has two main arms, and the first kicks in as soon as the body detects a foreign intruder. White blood cells swarm to the site, prompting inflammation that’s responsible for chills, soreness, fatigue and other side effects.
This rapid-response step of your immune system tends to wane with age, one reason younger people report side effects more often than older adults. Also, some vaccines simply elicit more reactions than others.
That said, everyone reacts differently. If you didn’t feel anything a day or two after either dose, that doesn’t mean the vaccine isn’t working.
Also read: Indian COVID variant: Why is it more deadly? How is it affecting the neighboring countries?
Behind the scenes, the shots also set in motion the second part of your immune system, which will provide the real protection from the virus by producing antibodies.
Another nuisance side effect: As the immune system activates, it also sometimes causes temporary swelling in lymph nodes, such as those under the arm. Women are encouraged to schedule routine mammograms ahead of COVID-19 vaccination to avoid a swollen node being mistaken for cancer.
Not all side effects are routine. But after hundreds of millions of vaccine doses administered around the world — and intense safety monitoring — few serious risks have been identified. A tiny percentage of people who got vaccines made by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson reported an unusual type of blood clot. Some countries reserved those shots for older adults but regulatory authorities say the benefits of offering them still outweigh the risks.
Also read: Why it’s hard to make vaccines and boost supplies
People also occasionally have serious allergic reactions. That’s why you’re asked to stick around for about 15 minutes after getting any type of COVID-19 vaccine — to ensure any reaction can be promptly treated.
Finally, authorities are trying to determine whether temporary heart inflammation that can occur with many types of infections also might be a rare side effect after the mRNA vaccines, the kind made by Pfizer and Moderna. U.S. health officials can’t yet tell if there’s a link but say they’re monitoring a small number of reports, mostly male teens or young adults.
How to protect yourself and your family from Dengue fever
Due to the hot and rainy weather, Dengue fever is spreading with the corona epidemic. Earlier this week, six Dengue patients were admitted to the hospital in 24 hours. As per the Government report, 97 people have been infected with Dengue so far in the new year. In such an extreme crisis, it is important to be alert for the well-being of yourself and your family.
How to identify Dengue fever
From day one there is a severe headache with high fever, pain in the back of the eyes, body aches, and reddening of the skin. Some people also vomit.
In Dengue fever, the level of blood molecules decreases at an alarming rate. This increases the risk of bleeding in the teeth, under the skin, nose, etc. The fever usually lasts for 5-6 days. Once again after a relatively short period of time the fever suddenly takes on a complex shape.
Sometimes fresh blood comes out with coughing, vomiting, thin stools instead of skin rashes or body aches. Various organs are damaged such as kidneys, liver, myocarditis. Complications such as water retention in the chest and abdomen occur. In girls, premature menstruation or bleeding, chest, and abdominal watering, etc. are the symptoms.
The most frightening condition of Dengue fever is Dengue shock syndrome. In this condition, there is difficulty in breathing. In addition to the normal complications of Dengue fever, there is also bleeding in the brain.
READ: Running vs. Swimming vs. Cycling: Which Is Best for Burning Fat?
How to prevent Dengue
Since the Dengue virus is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, the Aedes mosquito population needs to be eradicated to prevent this infection. Aedes mosquitoes lay eggs in accumulated and clear water. So after 3-5 days in a row, discard stagnant water anywhere including in a home-arranged vase, roof-garden tub, unused container, kitchen sink, bathroom, aquarium, fridge or air conditioner, and an open water tank. This will destroy the Aedes’ larvae. Since mosquito eggs may be attached to the pot, clean the pot by rubbing it well.
Although Aedes mosquitoes bite during the day, they can also bite in bright night light. So to avoid mosquito bites, hang a mosquito net and if possible, put a net on the door and window of the house.
Close the doors and windows and keep the camphor burning inside the house. After 20 minutes you will see no mosquitoes at all. If necessary, use mosquito repellent spray, lotion, cream, coil mat.
Basil plays an important role in repelling mosquitoes. In addition, Guppies are used to kill mosquitoes in different countries because they eat mosquito larvae.
Not only the inside but also the bushes around the house, water bodies, flower tubs planted for beautification in the street island, plants, etc. need to be kept clean and tidy. Make sure that water does not accumulate in them due to rain. Spray mosquito repellent around the house at least three days a week.
Read Dengue Vs. COVID-19: Which is more lethal?
Treatment of Dengue fever
Drink enough water, wipe the body, rest, and give water to the head rather than being upset. There is no need for any medicine other than Paracetamol to reduce fever. Since dehydration occurs in fever, drink water and liquid foods, such as fruit juice, soft drinks, etc. If the fever takes on a complex shape from day one, seek medical attention immediately.
Many people have misconceptions about some things.
- The patient needs to donate blood only when he has Dengue fever.
- As soon as Dengue occurs, you have to take it to the hospital and give intravenous saline.
In fact, if the platelets in the blood are low, then platelets have to be given on an emergency basis. And if a patient is not able to drink the water due to repeated vomiting, then saline should be given intravenously.
Read: Dengue: Bangladesh sees significant improvement
In a nutshell
Proper knowledge and awareness are needed first for different types of infections including Dengue fever. Follow the doctor's advice calmly without making any hasty decisions. Moreover, prevention on a large scale will keep you and your family free from any emergency.
Running vs. Swimming vs. Cycling: Which Is Best for Burning Fat?
The trinity of cycling, running and swimming is one that represents one of the purest ways of fitness throughout history. Triathlons are often celebrated as events that can appreciate the endurance and will of each contestant that are dedicated enough to attend. Many people may argue placing these three sports against each other, wondering which one is the most effective for losing weight, building stamina and is overall worth the commitment. Today, we will be determining which of the three (running, cycling, and swimming) is best for burning fat and improving daily living.
How to Burn Fat by Running
Let’s start with running: the best sport out of the three that requires the least amount of spending and preparation type. Running is by far the most approachable for those newer to exercising. It can be done outdoors and indoors, it can be done with friends and it can be done without any setup.
Many people may find running to be the simplest of the three exercises, but does its job by providing massive amounts of fat loss and even helps with leaning out your muscles. Despite being the most popular out of the three, surveys have indicated that running loses out to strength training and walking in terms of long-term fitness habits people tend to commit to.
Read Effectiveness of Compound Exercises for Muscle Definition
In terms of its capacity to burn fat, it solely depends on your distances against the speed at which you are running. A light 10-minute job will probably not do the trick for you, but passing the 45-minute threshold will be when your body starts tapping into its fat reserves to burn as you begin to metabolise.
Running is a constant exercise that needs to be done and is the prime representation of fitness and endurance. It is a common exercise for a good reason and is incredibly dependable when you’re short of time or need to commit to a weight-loss programme for that summer body in the near future. Naturally, dieting takes priority, but committing beyond half an hour at a steady pace during each run will make a world of difference to your body.
Read Intermittent Fasting: Health Benefits and Risks
How to Lose Weight by Cycling or Bike Riding
Unlike running, cycling is seen more as a hobby than a fitness routine to many. Off-road and on-road biking can have either united or separated communities and the range of bicycles is in abundance. Ever since the pandemic surfaced, many more are riding due to the sheer convenience a bicycle can offer, even without being part of the cycling community.
Although it leans towards being specialised, the passion for riding comes from its versatility as a sport, the plethora of equipment, and the skills required to master riding.
Read Bicycle Price in Bangladesh with Buyers' Guide
Hand-eye coordination is key to knowing how to ride a bicycle, and knowing how to handle your vehicle on different terrain, and in different climate conditions does help riders to cultivate skills that transcend a mere cardio workout plan. In terms of accessing this sport as a viable fat-burning activity, cycling can be a mix of low impact and high impact, which is phenomenal for those who suffer from stressed joints.
As cycling burns fewer calories than running at the same distance, you’ll have to cycle further to get the same amount of calories burnt. Which means that you’ll have to take out a larger portion of your time to burn the number of calories of your choosing? This doesn’t necessarily mean that cycling is worse than running, but you will require going the distance to get the same results. With resistance in the pedals and terrain to consider, there are variables that prove to be exceptions.
Read Cycling Benefits: How Indoor and Outdoor Cycling Strengthens Your Immune System
How to Maximize Fat Burning while Swimming?
Unlike running and cycling, swimming is a full-body workout that does a lot more for the body than just burning fat. The natural resistance of water allows each stroke to give the body some sort of muscle training. With your core holding you in place, it is your legs and arms that will be doing all the moving, making this exercise possibly the most well-balanced out of the three, but does it burn fat just as effectively?
Swimming has multiple strokes and some of them are low intensity that does not put mobility as a priority; while other strokes are far more intense and will require proper breathing, detailed movement, and practice in order to get the hang of it.
Read Barbells vs. Dumbbells: Which is better for Workout, Strength, and Muscle Growth?
Like cycling, swimming can be both low intensity and high intensity, but you will want to stick to the latter for proper fat loss. Fast lap-free strokes and breaststrokes are the best for burning fat, documented to burn 590 calories per hour if under 60kg.
One factor that could deter many from committing to swimming as a hobby is having access to a proper swimming pool for this kind of training. Apartments and some single houses are completely out of the question, and condominiums may not have the right kind of Swimming pool for training.
Weather also plays a big part: unlike the other two exercises, swimming is unrealistic (outdoors) if it’s too hot or cold outside. Granted, there are indoor complexes, but they aren’t necessarily common. If these drawbacks are not a determent, picking up this hobby will get you far.
Read Muscle Building Diet: Best Foods for Muscle Gains, Definition and Fat Reduction
Cycling vs. Running vs. Swimming: Which One Is the Best for Weight Loss?
Before coming to a conclusion, it is important to distinguish the terms that fall under the “best” when assessing the criteria.
If we are talking about versatility, running loses to both cycling and swimming due to how versatile the other two are. Swimming gives you a full-body workout, natural resistance, better breathing skills and can be done to relax too. Cycling is also versatile; being a solid solution for those with joint problems, effective at burning calories, and requires very little equipment.
However, if you are considering the “best” to be one that can burn the most amount of calories under a specific time - running and swimming beat cycling.
Read What Does Yoga Do For Weight Loss?
Cycling naturally requires more distance to get the same kind of impact as a run under half an hour for example. The rules for this may not apply to swimming as variables like strokes and pool sizes can change up the ability to determine how many calories burnt at that point in time. Overall, running is the safest choice for reliable fat burning, if you are tight for time, but all three require hard work and dedication to see proper results.
How to identify adulterated milk at home
Milk is an ideal food because it has all kinds of nutrients, but adulterated milk can cause serious damage to your body. Not only excessive water but also washing powder, carbohydrates, formalin, urea, and various chemicals are being mixed with milk. Such toxic substances cause watery eyes, irritated nose, and throat, cough, dizziness, severe skin irritation, etc. Finally, heart attack, breast and intestine cancer can occur. Even women are at risk of miscarriage due to adulterated milk. So let's get to know how to check adulterated milk to avoid this horrible loss.
Testing adulterated milk at home
Monitoring milky stain
To find out if there is water mixed in the milk, drop a drop of milk in a bright-clean sloping place. If the milk droplet forms a white line on the back while rolling, then there is no water mixed in the milk. On the other hand, if the drop of milk starts rolling fast on the sloping place without any line ensures the water in the milk.
Read: Quit Smoking: How to prevent Nicotine addiction
Verifying the viscosity
Take a drop of water on the finger or palm of your hand. Then rub it with a drop of milk like cream. If you find it a little sticky, then the milk is pure. Rubbing adulterated milk on your hands will make a feel slippery like soap.
Verifying Odor and taste
If you get the smell of soap or soda, while smelling the raw milk well, then that milk is never free from adulteration. This way you can easily recognize synthetic milk. Synthetic milk containing a variety of chemicals causes a different smell from pure milk. Moreover, pure milk is also quite sweet to eat. Contrarily, if you have adulterated milk without boiling it, you will get a slightly bitter taste.
Read:IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Long Healthy life
Testing Carbohydrate’s presence
When pure milk is boiled, there is not much color difference. If the milk turns yellow as soon as it is heated, then you will understand that it has been mixed with carbohydrates.
Also, take 5 ml milk and mix 2 teaspoons of salt in it. If the milk turns bluish, then the milk must contain carbohydrates.
Read: Intermittent Fasting: Health Benefits and Risks
Solidified milk observation
Boil slowly in a bowl with some milk on low heat for at least 2-3 hours. After a certain period, the milk will lose its liquidity and turn into solidified milk at its residue. If this milk becomes rock solid, then the milk is adulterated.
Testing Urea’s presence
It is hard to detect the presence of urea in milk as the differences between pure milk and urea mixed milk are hardly visible. Here is what you can do:
Make a mixture by mixing one teaspoon of milk with one teaspoon of soybean pulse powder. Then keep stirring the mixture well for 5 minutes. Then dip a litmus paper in it. If the mixture turns from red to blue after 30 seconds, you will understand that the milk contains urea.
Read: Can I take COVID vaccines from two different brands?
Inspecting the washing powder’s presence
Nowadays you will often see the news of mixing detergent, soap powder, and shampoo in milk on TV and newspapers. To see if there is such washing powder in the milk, take 5-10 ml of milk and the same amount of water in a bottle and shake it well. If it results in long-lasting foam, then you can be sure that washing powder is mixed with milk.
Summing Up
Both creating public awareness about adulterated milk and ensuring legal action are important as well as the importance of milk in the daily diet to be included in the theme of World Dairy Day. You must be careful when buying milk for the health of you and your family.
Read Top Bangladeshi Milk and Dairy Companies, Brands
Quit Smoking: How to prevent Nicotine addiction
Everyone knows that smoking is harmful to health that increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, and other diseases. Knowing this, many of those who once smoked a cigarette out of curiosity later became complete smokers. Those who have been smoking for a long time, fail to quit smoking. Most chain smokers think of quitting smoking again and again but are not able to quit even after trying. However, if you are a smoker, you may follow some rules that can help you quit smoking easily. Let's take a look at some tips given by smoking cessation experts.
There are many products that can be used to recover from nicotine addiction. However, most of the products might not be available locally. Hence, it would be great if we can make a habit to leave smoking without using any products.
How to Quit Smoking Tobacco Products
Find a strong reason to stop smoking
If you want to inspire yourself or move away from something, you always need some solid reason. To get rid of the habit of smoking, you need to have a goal of your own. For example, quitting smoking greatly reduces your risk of heart disease or lung cancer, and keeps your body young even as you get older. Also, there are many more reasons you can add to your list to quit smoking. Finally, a person who is addicted to smoking can easily restrain himself if he can understand the identified issues properly.
Read Intermittent Fasting: Health Benefits and Risks
Take help from nearest and dearest ones
Tell your friends, family, and colleagues that you want to quit smoking. Tell them to encourage you. Maybe if you go to a party and grab a cigarette, it will be useful if the people around you refrain from smoking. The study says that the combined behavioral therapy is very useful in eliminating our various bad habits.
Control your stress
Many people think that smoking is especially effective in relieving their stress. In fact, it is more a matter of thought than of consumption. When a person settles his mind that smoking helps him with anxiety or emotional issues, it becomes very difficult to get rid of cigarettes very naturally. In this case, if you are stressed, all you have to do is take a break and go to a natural shelter.
For example, staying in a circle of friends to overcome depression, listening to some beautiful songs, entertaining yourself in the natural scene, etc. As a result of implementing these, you will be able to realize for a while that it is not smoking, but natural or physiological activities that will alleviate anxiety and demand balanced energy.
Read Types of Meditation: Which One is Right for You
Changes in eating habits
Having a cup of tea, with a cigarette; or smoking a little after eating a meal is like someone's daily routine. Some people hold a soft drink in their right hand and hold a cigarette in their other hand. Note that since you want to refrain from smoking, it is very important to change your eating habits for a while. For example, one can keep away from tea or soft drinks for a few days, brush one's teeth after eating rice. After a meal, chat with a friend or have a little conversation with a loved one.
Nicotine gum and Lozenges
Since regular smoking is a strong bad habit, when someone suddenly tries to refrain from smoking, the person's mental behavior or body changes in various ways. So, think of some alternatives to cigarettes. Studies show that using nicotine gum, lozenges, or chewing gum as an alternative to cigarettes can be somewhat helpful in avoiding bad habits. There are some chewing gums available in the market for quitting cigarettes that are quite effective. You can try them.
Read Muscle Building Diet: Best Foods for Muscle Gains, Definition and Fat Reduction
Seek help from a doctor
Sometimes a brain addicted to nicotine needs to consult a doctor to get rid of smoking. According to the advice, certain rules can be used to keep track of the harms of smoking, such as meditation. Alternatively, if you use cigarettes to relieve stress, think differently. With the advice of a doctor, you can take mental illness medicine instead of cigarettes.
Stop drinking alcohol
Alcohol is overly connected with smoking and it is as harmful as smoking. So drinking alcohol should be avoided. If you are an alcoholic or casual drinker, you should refrain from alcohol too.
Do physical work
Physical activity will help you quit smoking. You can start walking or jogging when you desire to smoke. Physical activity can take away your craving to smoke. Moreover, this will eliminate extra calories from your body.
Read Barbells vs. Dumbbells: Which is better for Workout, Strength, and Muscle Growth?
Some traditional methods
After smoking for a long time, nicotine goes deep into the body. There is no substitute for water to wash away the nicotine that accumulates in the body as a toxin. Drink plenty of water to quit smoking. Besides, you may eat ginger. Some of the ingredients present in it suppress the desire to smoke in various ways. You can eat ginger tea or raw ginger.
You can eat grape juice. It increases the performance of the lungs by removing toxins that accumulate in the body due to nicotine. In addition, the desire to smoke began to decrease. You can eat oats to quit smoking. Mix 1 teaspoon of oats with 2 cups of boiling water and leave it overnight. The next morning, boil again for 10 minutes and continue to eat a little after each meal. This will get nicotine out of the body. With that, the desire to smoke will also decrease.
Read Health benefits of Chamomile Tea
Eat fruits and vegetables
Under no circumstances should you refrain from healthy eating while quitting smoking. Instead, one should eat plenty of vegetables and fruits at this time. According to a study by Duke University, cigarettes start to taste bad when you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. So keep fruits and vegetables on the food list regularly.
Try again and again
If you are highly addicted to smoking, you may not stop it on the first try. Hence, there is no substitute for trying again and again to quit smoking. Set a time for yourself on how quickly you want to quit smoking. Proceed that way gradually step by step.
Also read: IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Long Healthy life
IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Long Healthy life
The Japanese have greatly impacted the world with their distinctive culture for many years. Their entertainment, food, history have gotten the attention of many neighbouring countries and even regions in the west. Despite having so many unique attributes to their heritage, few can compete with Ikigai in terms of depth and meaning. More of a concept than a discipline, Ikigai has been regarded by many as an ideology that has resulted in the nation’s long life expectancy. Let us see if Ikigai, the Japanese secret to a long healthy life, is truly a solution that the world has overlooked.
What Is Ikigai?
Ikigai is an ideology of sorts that prioritizes finding your purpose and value in life. It’s pretty existential but holds moral integrity in high regard.
There are four main “pillars” that everything in the Ikigai is based on:
- what are you good at;
- what the world needs;
- what you love; and
- what you can be paid for.
In Japanese culture, work and putting in long hours are some of the most important things one can do with his or her life. Therefore, Ikigai is a mental framework that gives the average person motivation to continue every day with an objective in mind. This could either mean applying the Ikigai in the context of work, or even as a wholesome frame of mind to centre one’s self outside of the working environment.
Ikigai isn’t a framework that was created as far back as the feudal ages; in fact, the term was coined by Akihiro Hasegawa, a psychologist and professor at Toyo Eiwa University. “Iki” means life in Japanese and “Gai” means something that is deemed valuable. The ideology has seen a basic rendition of its framework in novels dating back to the 60s, but it is truly more relevant now than ever.
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Why Is Ikigai Popular?
Ikigai may have a relatively simple structure, but it’s simplicity makes it easier to navigate around life when one is overloaded with stress, anxiety or purposelessness.
Looking at what you love and what you are good at specifically, these two pillars are all about self-improvement and reflection in order to know which steps to take. It is a gateway to a more optimistic mindset that can take the form of exercise, being with nature, having gratitude, and being able to come to terms with the imperfections in life. Ikigai has been often correlated with the older generations in Japan and has often been correlated with the population’s long life span.
As the nation has recently been faced with underwhelming retirement pensions, more have opted to prolong their employment period, which is where Ikigai comes in. What you can do for the world and what you can be paid for are the more practical of the two pillars that are less prone to subjective interpretation, where any citizen can decide where they would like their career to go and how they can find meaning to it. Although working life may not be the most common way to apply Ikigai, it is still useful to consider as many Japanese spend the majority of their lives working.
Finding purpose within and without a career is where the true balance ultimately comes in as many who do eventually retire craft the will and even a sense of urgency to start a new chapter of their lives - whether that could be with a new profession or a hobby that involves loved ones.
Many are at the mercy of their worries when approaching the late stages of their career and even retirement as the future is open-ended and unknown. Ikigai helps to visualise the future as a canvas that can be painted by your dreams and goals, without an end in mind. This does explain why many Japanese in their 80s are still achieving impressive goals while preserving an optimistic mindset.
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Effectiveness of Compound Exercises for Muscle Definition
When it comes to getting the ideal summer body, it can be a little difficult to know where to start if you have only been lifting casually or are new to exercising. There’s dieting, weights, cardio and so much more that are thrown into the mix before time can do the rest. In the process of workouts specifically, many tend to be either lost or misinformed about the role of compound exercises in muscle definition. The basics of weight training for toning are to increase your reps and decrease the weight so that the muscle begins to show. How important are compound exercises for muscle definition? Are isolated exercises the only thing needed?
History Of Compound Exercises
Compound exercises are known for covering multiple muscle groups at once, making it at least the most time-efficient and versatile out of both weight lifting options. Additionally, the intensity does add other benefits such as burning more calories, improving muscular coordination, and gaining muscle mass and strength. Compound exercises are essential for bodybuilding, powerlifting, and numerous sports like basketball, rugby, wrestling, and many more.
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Compound exercises, in essence, is the first method of weight lifting due to how little is needed to execute, and straightforward technique. While compound exercises have a higher risk of injury, having proper form is easily trainable; starting with lower weights while getting the technique right is critical in order to successfully mark your progress every session.
Bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups and push-ups are some of the earliest concepts of compound exercises that can tackle the back, shoulders, arms, and chest all at the same time.
Why Are Isolation Exercises Important?
As the name suggests, isolation exercises target a particular muscle group and it usually is usually used to complement compound routines that usually take a lot more practice to get the form right. Bodybuilding is the niche that is built on understanding isolation exercises perfectly in order to sculpt the body - which equates to muscle definition.
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Certain specific muscle groups require more attention as compound exercises will not have a direct effect on them due to it only being a secondary source of strength. Front, rear deltoids, treps, lats and so many muscle groups are essential to sculpt in order to alter the silhouette of your body for the most obvious sign of definition.
Isolation exercises are also good to build overall muscle size and it is common for many gym practitioners to rotate between machines and dumbbells to ensure that every muscle group is paid attention to. Though it is not wrong to do so, it is definitely backed up by compound exercises so that the same muscle group can truly be used to the point of exhaustion, leading to muscle hypertrophy.
The reason why size is being mentioned is that definition is normally more pronounced when size is looked at first. Whether one is overweight or underweight, muscles need to be engaged first and experience hypertrophy before going through the definition phase. It is possible to go straight to definition if you have a low body fat count, but being too lean may not meet the universal standard of what is considered “cut”. There is nothing wrong with it if lean is the look you are going for.
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Can Compound Exercises Fit In?
Although isolation exercises are the key to attain muscle definition, they are commonly complemented by compound exercises. The latter’s ability to cover multiple groups at once makes it so that no muscle is left disengaged. Even though this does not correlate to definition immediately, having increased strength, an understanding of technique, and enhancing blood flow are all huge bonuses that are not to be overlooked.
For definition, isolation exercises should be the primary emphasis as it is more conducive to commit to high reps with lower weights. This is the basic makeup of most isolation exercises and is crucial for getting definitions. Because smaller muscle groups are primarily targeted, it takes a lot less weight to ensure that you properly exhaust your muscles as much as possible before hypertrophy.
Emulating this with compound exercises will pose a challenge if you choose to adopt this tactic as reducing the weight of your exercises will only allow primary and secondary muscle groups to disperse a miserable, non-impactful amount of force. Not only will this waste your time, but it defeats the purpose of compound exercises, to begin with.
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Compound Exercises for Definition
Bench Press
Out of all the major muscle groups, the chest has possibly the smallest selection of exercises out of the lot, but that just makes things easier for you. Incline press, decline press, and flies are basic isolation exercises that can be used to shape up the different parts of your chest, but the bench press activates most muscles in that area and is reliable for at least warming up before heading for the dumbbells and machines.
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Shoulder Press
The shoulder can be one of the most daunting major muscles to define as there are so many minor muscle groups that require different techniques for individual exercises. Shrugs bare very little similarities to front raises for example, and working on one does not translate to even remotely engaging the other. Shoulder or Military press is a good compromise that engages deltoids and traps simultaneously while forcing you to maintain the perfect technique required for the other exercises.
Squats
Legs literally occupy half of your body, which means that the very act of doing squats will save you a few exercises. Hamstrings, glutes, and calves are the big three that benefit from proper squats and are easy to follow up with after a few sets. Machines are more commonly used; leg press, calf raises, and leg curls are common follow-ups to squats and will certainly benefit from being engaged beforehand.
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Intermittent Fasting: Health Benefits and Risks
At first, it may seem strange that abstaining from food could lead to healthier living. Since young, many were taught that the key to a healthy life revolves around exercise and nutritional meals. Although that is completely true, the fitness industry has started to get more creative with diets catered towards different goals and intermittent fasting promotes fat loss and even muscle definition! Although it occupies a niche and does it relatively well, this form of dieting has its fair share of risks that are associated with it. Here are the health benefits of intermittent fasting and possible risks to watch out for.
What Is Intermittent Fasting
The word “fasting” is straightforward enough, but “intermittent” can be a little misleading, and if done wrong, can lead to massive health consequences. Rather than an actual diet, Intermittent Fasting moderates the time you eat instead and that throws your body off its regular routine into something that can optimise its metabolism. The traditional fasting method is to abstain from food 16 hours a day, or even fasting a full day twice a week. This can sound extreme, but the logic lies in humans having the capacity to survive off food for a relatively long period of time.
Alternatively there is a strict calorie deficit rule that encourages to only consuming 500-600 calories on two separated days in a week. This is a moderated form of fasting that allows an easier transition for those who are new to this diet. The most common method of fasting is to go by the 16/8 method, which promotes sacrificing breakfast and only opening an eating window between 1pm to 9pm. This is the simplest method by far and does not require calorie counting, leaving a significantly smaller margin for error.
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Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Alters Hormones and Genes
On a microscopic level, fasting makes a lot of alterations to the hormone and genetic components to the body, but not in a bad way. Insulin levels for example drop a fair bit which is good for the body to metabolise at a faster rate. Blood levels are also affected when fasting which does trigger natural growth hormones within the body to ensure muscle-building too.
Additionally, fasting doesn’t make any direct alterations to genetic material, but it does strengthen its protection from diseases and extend its longevity. These changes are rather detailed compared to other factors, but it is good to know how extensive the changes are just by conditioning your body.
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Burn Fat
Naturally, this would be the primary reason why anyone would choose to go on this rigorous journey, but its popularity is warranted. It isn’t any surprise that abstaining from food frequently would equate to fewer calories and that in turn, increases norepinephrine which is a compound used to break fat.
The intervals of intermittent fasting are relatively short compared to other types of fasts and are meant to kickstart the body to burn the fats reserved since no new sources are coming in. This style of dieting is the epitome of bodily conditioning; in order to get the most out of it, being careful with the type of food you eat and enforcing regular exercise is still critical to ensure that your body is burning fat from reserves.
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Reduces Risk of Diabetes
When the body is “starved” off its regular eating routine, you will start to lose insulin and that has large implications to building a tolerance for certain diseases. With a reduction of insulin, blood sugar is automatically lowered and this is the primary factor that determines whether type 2 diabetes surfaces or not. There are many foods that also reduce blood sugar and would go wonderfully with intermittent fasting to reduce the risks to almost zero.
Reduces Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
Oxidative stress is the cause of chronic diseases that stem from aging. When your systems get older, protein, DNA will start to age and see the damage. It was previously implied that fasting can help strengthen our genes and cell’s lifespan - which does inject a little more vitality into our immunity than many other ways of fasting. By separating yourself from a regular intake of food (especially unhealthy ones), other forms of inflammation will start to reduce, which is the cause for many common illnesses that strike the elderly.
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Good for the Heart
By improving blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers, it’s no surprise that the heart will see benefits from these results. A high intake of sugar and fat can damage your arteries, which is where avoiding food for more than half the day will do wonders to stabilize blood flow and improve circulation. Fasting alone will not lead to complete improvement; cardiovascular activities and static exercises are good ways to reduce these risks better.