Nutrients & more...

Being a mother, I've experienced the negative impacts of sleep deprivation firsthand. The constant nighttime waking to feed and change the baby took a toll. All sleeping was interrupted. Even with my family's complete support, I was mentally cloudy for a long time.  Turns out that the 'mommy brain' is just a sleep-deprived brain.  We sleep for one-third of our lifetime.  Although it may seem like a waste of time, researchers are now learning why getting enough sleep is so crucial. Rest and repair - The repair of most tissues happens at night, in our sleep. When the body has enough time to repair itself, it improves immunity resulting in less overall sickness. Maintaining a healthy weight - Having a good night's sleep curbs late-night snacking and helps to maintain a healthy weight.  Decreases stress - An adult with sufficient sleep of 7-9 hours usually has lower stress levels. This results in better interpersonal relations. A bonus if you are a salesperson trying t

We ate dal and stir-fried cabbage yesterday. My kids continued to eat while complaining that the dal today wasn't to their liking. When I tasted to check, I found that the salt is missing in action. I rectified the problem and the taste improved significantly.  Why didn't they let me know that just a bit of salt was needed?  They were watching TV during lunch, so couldn't be bothered to actually  taste   the food.  It's the same story with adults. We just munch up a tub of popcorn while watching a movie, down 2-3 cups of masala tea/coffee while writing a report, or eat a cookie just because the jar was on the table! It's like the whole process has been automated.  We can't even decide if we are hungry or not. We just look at the clock to help us decide, instead of listening to our tummy.  We should know when we are hungry and when we are full, it should come naturally to us.  But many of us struggle with that.  There are essentially two types of hunger Physical

Mr.R. is a jolly guy with a love of all things delicious and sweet. Of medium build, he considers his health as generally good. He drinks moderately, except on special occasions like weddings. He has been feeling tired and low for some time (maybe due to work stress). He has had dry and itchy skin lately (probably because of all the pollution in the city). He feels hungrier and thirstier (maybe because he is working so hard). He sometimes feels numbness in his leg (maybe because of sitting at a desk for too long...or maybe a bout of outdoor work). Recently, his eye has been giving him trouble. He vowed to reduce his screen exposure.  He visits the doctor and after some tests, is diagnosed with diabetes aka high blood sugar.  Very unsettling.  Regrettably, this narrative involves active people in their 30s and 40s rather than elderly, retired people. Young adults are increasingly falling prey to a host of metabolic disorders. The risk factors include not only stress and changing lifesty

image Do you know that if we flip the word "desserts" it reads as "stressed"?!  While we may reach out to sweet foods in need of comfort, it has detrimental effects on our bodies. New studies have found that sugar affects not only our body, but also our minds.  Sugar is more addictive than drugs. And just like drug consumption a person may not have much control over it. But why is it so? The reward response In humans, sweet foods activate regions of the brain associated with the reward response and provoke more intense feelings of hunger than other foods. Foods that cause a higher elevation in blood glucose (aka sweets, fizzy drinks, energy bars, etc.) produce a larger addictive drive in the brain. A typical sweet eater's anxiety, despair, and irritability may increase if they abruptly cut out sweets from their diet. The symptoms of sugar and sweets withdrawal can be similar to those of withdrawal from other stimulants. Mood regulation Sugar makes dopamine(happy