Nutrients & more...

I recall that the morning after a late-night New Year's Eve celebration, I woke up very, very late and felt dizzy (i dont drink, so it was not a hangover). Unfortunately, I had to fly the following day, and the entire time, I was stumbling and mumbling. As I generally get up early, this was a significant disruption. The effect dissipated soon as my mum ensured that I was in bed on time and took good rest.  If you don't get enough sleep, you appear worn out. Sleep is not something to be tampered with frequently, as it creates a kind of sleep debt. Chronic insomnia will make you ill.  Yes, physically ill. I have spoken about the benefits of sleep in the previous post . On an average, an adult needs 7-9 hrs of sleep. Kids need 9-13 hours and infants need 12-15 hours of sleep everyday. Here are a few tips and tricks to make your slumber truly magical. 1.    Have a regular sleep time every day - It helps your body to set according to your circadian cycle (aka body clo...

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...

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 ch...