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...

A few days back I was talking to my cousin and it turned out that both of us were on a cooking spree. On the top of it we were gorging on desserts. Why would we do that? As newly married women, things like new people, new job, relocation, rearrangement of priorities and new responsibilities were our main concerns. As it has been said “Stressed spelled backwards is desserts.” So there we were, eating and sharing our concerns. Mental stress and depression are by far the major reason when many of us reach out for comfort foods. As Peter De Vries stated “Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign something is eating us.” Comfort foods are generally foods which trigger our memories e.g. some broth which your mother cooked when you were ill. Or, they can just be your favourite foods. Most of the time, these are loaded with calories. A number of hormones and neurotransmitters are involved in regulating our mood. Serotonin is the one which has been extensively researched upon. It is one...