स्वस्थ मस्तिष्क और शरीर के लिए वरदान – ब्राह्मी
आयुर्वेद में हर तरह की बीमारी का संपूर्ण ईलाज मौजूद है। प्राकृतिक औषधियों के प्रयोग से कई तरह के असाध्य रोगों को पूरी तरह ठीक करने में आयुर्वेदिक औषधीय पद्धति ने अच्छी सफलता पाई है।
इन्हीं प्राकृतिक औषधियों में से एक औषधि है ब्राह्मी जिसे ‘ब्रेन बूस्टर’ के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। फूलों सहित यह पौधा गुणकारी औषधि के रूप में प्रयोग में लाया जाता है। याद्दाश्त बढ़ाने बढ़ने के लिए सबसे बेहतरीन प्राकृतिक औषधि, ब्राह्मी, मस्तिष्क के शॉर्ट टर्म मेमोरी और लांग टर्म मेमोरी को बेहतर बनाने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाती है।
आइये जानते हैं कुदरत का वरदान माने जाने वाली इस जड़ी-बूटी के कई अन्य फायदों के बारे में:
ब्राह्मी के फायदे
स्मरणशक्ति बढ़ाने में मददगार – ब्राह्मी के सबसे बेशकीमती लाभ स्मृति, एकाग्रता और दिमाग को उत्तेजित करने की क्षमता है।
अल्जाइमर के मरीज़ों के लिए फायदेमंद – ब्राह्मी में एमिलॉइड नाम का कंपाउंड पाया जाता है जो अल्जाइमर्स की बीमारी में काफी फायदेमंद होता है। साथ ही यह अल्जाइमर की वजह से दिमाग को होने वाले नुकसान से बचाने में भी मदद करता है।
तनाव को काम करे – ब्राह्मी कोर्टिसोल के स्तर को कम करने में मदद करता है, जो कि एक स्ट्रेस हार्मोन है। इसका प्रयोग तनाव और चिंता को कम करने के लिए किया जाता है। यह तनाव के प्रभावों को खत्म करने का काम करता है।
शरीर को बनाए स्वस्थ – ब्राह्मी में भरपूर मात्रा में एंटी ऑक्सीडेंट पाया जाता है जो कि एक स्वस्थ जीवन के लिए जरूरी होता है। यह शरीर के उन तत्वों को जड़ से खत्म करने का काम करता है जो कैंसर सेल्स को बढ़ने में मदद करते हैं।
पाचन तंत्र को बनाए स्वस्थ – ब्राह्मी के नियमित सेवन से पाचन संबंधी दिक्कतें भी दूर होती हैं, और पाचन तंत्र भी मजबूत होता है।
ब्लड शुगर लेवल को रेगुलेट करे – शरीर में ब्लड शुगर लेवल को सही तरीके से रेगुलेट करने में भी ब्राह्मी अहम योगदान देता है। इसके साथ ही साथ यह हाइपोग्लिसीमिया के लक्षणों से भी आराम दिलाने में सहायक है।
त्वचा और बालों के लिए फायदेमंद – बालों में डैंड्रफ या फिर खुजली की समस्या भी ब्राह्मी के प्रयोग से ठीक हो सकती है। तमाम तरह की सौंदर्य समस्याओं में ब्राह्मी का प्रयोग औषधि के रूप में किया जाता है। इसमें मौजूद एंटी ऑक्सीडेंट्स शरीर से टॉक्सिंस को बाहर निकालने का काम करते हैं।
ब्राह्मी का प्रयोग करने के तरीके
ब्राह्मी के उपयोग का असली कारण मानव स्वास्थ्य पर हो रहे इसका अच्छा प्रभाव है। ब्राह्मी सामान्यतः एक ताजा सलाद के रूप में प्रयोग की जाती है। लेकिन इस जड़ी बूटी को सुखाकर, पीसकर और किसी भी अन्य रूप में इस्तेमाल किया जा सकता है। इसकी पत्तियों को चबाना एक विटामिन सप्लीमेंट की तरह टॉनिक का काम करता है।
- ब्राह्मी का तेल त्वचा पर लगाने से त्वचा स्वस्थ बनती है। इस तेल की सिर में भी मसाज की जाती है जिससे दिमाग तेज़ होता है।
- ब्राह्मी का पेस्ट बनाकर उसे त्वचा पर लगाया जा सकता है। इससे त्वचा स्वस्थ रहेगी।
- ब्राह्मी टैबलेट के रूप में भी खाई जाती है।
- ब्राह्मी का पाउडर कई स्वास्थ लाभ प्रदान करता है।
Self-care i.e. taking care of yourself is important for better physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. It promotes positive health outcomes and a better ability to manage stress.
Although self-care alone cannot cure or treat any disease or illness, it can help prepare your body to deal with it in a better way and prevent future lifestyle challenges. Besides, practising self-care may help patients manage symptoms and improve emotional well-being.
Examples of self-care include:
- Maintaining a regular sleeping routine
- Eating a healthy diet
- Spending time in nature
- Doing a hobby you enjoy
Self-Care Practices for Different Areas of Your Life
Self-care is not just confined to eating healthy food and working out. There are various aspects of self-care. Let’s understand the different areas where you can practice self-care.
Physical Self-Care
Your diet, eating habits, sleeping pattern, physical activity are all part of physical self-care practices. Eating a balanced nutritious diet, indulging in some physical activity and giving your body the rest it requires for better physical health are all part of self-care techniques.
Social Self-Care
Humans beings are social animals who need to maintain their social well-being. Make sure to create enough time in your schedule to have an optimal social life. Put your time and energy into building your relationships with others. Nurture your relationship with your family. Take out some time and get face-to-face friends. These are all part of self-care practices.
Mental Self-Care
Having a healthy mind is as important as having a healthy body. Get involved in things that keep your mind sharp, like solving puzzles, learning about a subject of your choice. Read books, watch movies and do things that help you stay mentally healthy. Practice self-compassion and acceptance and make time for activities that stimulate you mentally.
Spiritual Self-Care
Develop a deeper sense of understanding and connection with the world around you. Spiritual self-care can involve meditation, attending a religious service, or praying.
Emotional Self-Care
Indulge in activities where you can acknowledge and express your feelings regularly. Talk to a partner or close friend about how you feel or get involved in something that helps you process your emotions.
It is important to understand that the same self-care plan does not work for everyone. Self-care practice has to be customized according to an individual’s choice and lifestyle. Find out which aspects of your life need attention and create a change plan accordingly.
Start small, choose one practice each week to weave self-care into your daily routine. Note the positive changes and add in more practices when you feel ready.
Nutrition and exercise are two of the most important factors that define your overall health and lifestyle struggles. Besides, there is a strong connection between these two factors. Right food consisting of proper nutrients can fuel your exercise and help the body to recover and adapt to the muscle changes.
However, before you plan your diet and exercise regime, it would be good if you learn about what to eat when – before and after your workout sessions.
What to eat before Workout?
The right balance of all the required macronutrients is important while planning your pre-workout meal. Optimal nutrient intake before you begin your workout session will maximize your performance and minimize the damage caused to the muscles.
Protein, carbohydrates and fat are the three major macronutrients that should be consumed before a workout session. All three of these are the key sources of energy but contribute differently to a pre-workout meal.
Protein
The building block is essential for maintaining and repairing muscle fibres during the workout.
Carbohydrates
Consuming the optimum amount of carbohydrates before a workout gives the body the energy to perform well.
Fats
For long-duration and moderate-to-low-intensity exercises, fat acts as a source of fuel. Besides, the nutrient also helps in maintaining blood glucose and insulin levels during a workout session.
If you have had a full meal, wait for 2–3 hours before your workout. Else, choose simpler carbohydrates or proteins as a quick meal before your workout.
What to eat after a workout?
It is important to refill your body with the right nutrients within 15 to 30 minutes of your workout sessions for the muscles to recover faster. Eat a small healthy snack shortly after exercising to restore energy levels.
Given below are the nutrients which you should consume after your workout session.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates recharge the body, restore its fuel supply and help to promote glycogen storage.
Protein
Protein helps the muscles to heal and prevents the loss of lean mass which contributes to a muscular and toned appearance.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids boost the synthesis of muscle proteins and increase the size of muscle cells.
Water
Drinking a good amount of water during and after a workout promotes performance and recovery.
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Talk to the fitness and health experts at 8 Fitness Tips to plan a nutritional strategy that fits your health goal.
The relationship between nutrition, health and learning is undeniably strong. Nutrition is one of the three significant factors that impact a child’s development. Convenient and takeout food can harm your child’s health. These negative effects of unhealthy eating in childhood can develop into lifelong diseases.
Nutrition for children is based on the same core principles as nutrition for adults. Children need the same nutrients as adults but in different amounts. The key is a healthy and appropriate balance of diet and physical activity.
The major nutrient requirements for kids include protein, carbohydrates, fats, calcium, iron, folate, fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C etc. The portions of each respective food group will depend heavily on age, genetic makeup, and physical activity. It is important to understand each food group to develop a well-balanced and nutritious diet for your child.
Let us understand the importance of nutrients in kids’ development:
Protein
Protein is a source of essential amino acids that contribute to the mental and physical health of children. Insufficient protein in kids’ diet can cause fatigue, lack of concentration, slowed growth, lowered immunity and more.
Iron
Iron is a mineral that forms haemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the body. If your child’s diet lacks iron, he or she might develop iron deficiency. Kids tend to look pale, experience poor appetite, slowed growth and development, feel tired, weak and irritable.
Calcium & Vitamin D
Children who get enough calcium start their adult lives with strong bones. That protects them against bone-related problems later in life. Similarly, deficiency of vitamin D causes delayed motor development, muscle weakness, aches and pains, and fractures.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps for the growth, development and repair of all body tissues. A child’s growing body can’t produce vitamin C on its own. Insufficient vitamin C may cause fatigue, inflammation of the gums, spots on the skin, joint pain and poor wound healing.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A serves a variety of purposes in both kids and adults. It helps growth, assists the eyes in adjusting to dim and bright lights, keeps skin healthy, and works to prevent infection.
Fats
Fats play an important role in the development of a child’s brain and helps them reach their maximum growth potential. They are important to the brain and play a role in the formation of hormones. Limiting a child’s fat intake deprives him or her of essential nutrients. Many low-fat diets are low in zinc and vitamin E.
Healthy eating habits are more likely to stay with the kids if they acquire them as a child. That’s why it’s important to inculcate healthy eating habits in childhood. It will help them stick with these eating patterns and avoid developing chronic diseases as a child or as an adult.
Healthy, shiny and strong hair not only contributes to good looks, but it is a sign of healthy and nourished you. Although it is easy to get carried away with the “so-called” best and natural products marketed to make your locks look healthy and shiny, one thing which you cannot ignore when it comes to healthy hair is the importance of proper nutrition. Nutrition is one of the most important things to keep your hair at their best.
A healthy diet is beneficial not just for your internal body but your external body (hair and skin) as well. A right diet which includes the key nutrients ensures hair growth, prevents breakage and moisturizes your hair.
It has also been observed that the texture and speed of hair growth are based on genetics, gender, age, hormones. Besides, nutrient deficiency like anorexia, anaemia, zinc deficiency and hormonal fluctuations like menopause, polycystic ovaries, thyroid disease also affects hair health.
Here are a few of the nutrients that can make your mane healthy:
Protein
Hair’s structure is made of hardened proteins called keratin. Insufficient protein can lower down the generation of this important building block thereby slowing down the hair growth and making your hair weak. Include a high-protein for better hair health.
Biotin
Biotin is a nutrient that has been responsible to promote hair growth. Biotin interacts with cell enzymes to produce amino acids. These are the compounds that form the most important proteins Deficiency of biotin can lead to hair loss. Carrots, almonds, walnuts and cauliflower are some of the natural sources of biotin. If you are considering taking supplements, you can talk to the expert nutritionists at 8 Fitness Tips for a recommendation.
Iron
Iron found in red blood cells is responsible for providing nourishing oxygen to the hair follicles. Even when the iron level in the blood looks normal, there can still be a chance of deficiency of ferritin. Ferritin stores iron and supplies it to the body when it needs it. Deficiency of ferritin can slow or even stop the hair growth and can also cause hair to fall. Eat iron-rich foods to keep the supply of the nutrient sufficient in the body.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The cell membranes of your scalp’s skin contain Omega-3 Fatty Acids. It is also found in the natural oils that the scalp and hair produce, to stay hydrated. Sufficient supply of these essential fatty acids can prevent dryness of the scalp and help in hair growth. Incorporate flax seeds, walnuts, soybeans or fatty fish in your diet to ensure a healthy dose of omega-3s.
B Vitamins
Vitamin B6, B12 and folate produce red blood cells which carry oxygen and nutrients to the cells in the scalp and hair follicles. Deficiency of B vitamins can make your hair prone to breakage and loss while slowing down the growth. Beans, chicken, oatmeal and low-fat dairy foods are good sources of B vitamins.
Vitamins C
This essential nutrient does a couple of things to help promote healthy hair: Vitamin C helps absorb iron. It’s also used to form collagen, a structural fibre that makes up the connective tissue in the body, which hair follicles require for optimal growth.
Zinc
Zinc helps strengthen your hair follicles and prevent hair loss, by binding its proteins. It also plays a role in your oil glands functioning properly, which protects your locks from dryness and dandruff. Shellfish, like oysters, crab, lobster, clams and mussels all have high zinc content. Sunflower seeds, peanuts, pine nuts, beef, lamb, pork and cereals with whole grains and bran are some other zinc-rich foods to choose from.
These minerals assist the body in repairing damaged hair and strengthening hair follicles. You need every strand you have, so eat foods rich in these minerals to keep your stylist in the business.
The next time you admire your mane in the mirror, give these healthy hair nutrition essentials a big thank you. And if you’re looking to improve your hair, evaluate your eating habits to see what might be lacking; the advice of an expert nutritionist can also help.
Call 8 Fitness Tips for all your nutrition related queries!
When it comes to fitness, healthy body or weight loss, we give due importance to diet and exercise. However, we often tend to overlook the importance of good quality sleep.
Sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining both – healthy body and healthy mind. The quality of your sleep affects how you feel physically and mentally. The way you feel while you’re awake depends on what happens while you’re sleeping.
During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain functioning and maintains your physical well-being. When you are sleep-deprived, it becomes difficult for the brain to function efficiently. This affects your ability to concentrate, think, and process.
Different age groups require a different amount of sleep. Like most adults require between 7 to 9 hours of nightly sleep. Whereas children and teenagers need more sleep and so do the kids below 5 years of age.
How much sleep should you take in a day?
According to the National Sleep Foundation guidelines, the recommended amount of sleep that must be practised by people of different age group is:
Category Hours of Sleep
New Borns 14-17 hours
Infant 12-15 hours
Preschool Kids 10-13 hours
School-Age Kids 9-11 hours
Teens 8-10 hours
Adults 7-9 hours
Senior Adults 7-8 hours
Why is sleep important for the human body?
Sound sleeping has many benefits on both physical and mental well-being. Here are a few reasons why good sleep is important.
Insufficient sleep can cause weight gain
Insufficient sleep is one of the significant risk factors for obesity. This school of thought is said to be backed by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise. So, if you are trying to lose weight, it is crucial to get good quality sleep.
Sleep deprivation tends to increase calories intake
Lack of sleep is believed to affect the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones and cause poor appetite regulation. It increases levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone called ghrelin and reduces the levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone known as leptin.
Therefore, people who take a good amount of sleep, as required by their body, tend to consume fewer calories as compared to those who don’t.
Sleep can enhance athletic performance
In various studies, players taking adequate sleep have shown to improve many aspects of athletic and physical performance like better speed, concentration, accuracy, reaction time and alertness.
Sleep keeps heart health in check
A healthy heart should get sufficient amount of sleep each night. Insufficient sleep can worsen blood pressure and cholesterol which are the major risk factors affecting the health of your heart.
The duration and quality of sleep are believed to drive chronic diseases, including heart disease and strokes.
Poor sleep affects metabolism
Poor sleeping habits are linked to causing adverse effects on metabolism in the general population. Sleep deprivation can alter the glucose metabolism and hormones involved in regulating the process.
The metabolic system will be out of balance in sleep-deprived people, which will eventually affect the dietary choices they make.
Body repairs itself during sleep
Sleep is a time when the body is hard at work repairing damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposure. The body produces more protein molecules, (the building blocks of the human body) during sleep allowing itself to repair the damage.
The bottom line
Along with nutrition and exercise, good sleep is one of the pillars of health. Many factors prevent us from receiving enough sleep viz work schedules, day-to-day stress, a disruptive bedroom environment or medical conditions. A healthy diet and positive lifestyle habits can help ensure an adequate amount of sleep.
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began, strong immunity and good health have been on top of everyone’s list. Since there was no cure for the disease, maintaining a proper healthy and fit lifestyle was the only way to fight against it.
This was the time when centuries-old wisdom of Ayurveda was reintroduced in everyone’s life for strengthening the immunity and avoiding getting sick. And, with clinical trials and research, Ayurveda got a global level recognition in the fight against COVID-19.
What is Ayurveda?
Developed more than 5000 years ago, Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest holistic healing methods. In our country, it has been one of the methods of treating various diseases since ancient times.
The literal meaning of Ayurveda is “knowledge of life”. The concept of this healing method is based on the balance between mind, body, and soul. Although the treatment is intended towards curing specific health issues, the main objective of Ayurveda is to maintain good overall health and well-being.
History of Ayurveda
The historical roots of this alternative medicine system come from the Indian subcontinent which has been recorded to be more than 5,000 years old. If we dig deep into the origin of this holistic healing methodology, Ayurved is believed to come from Dhanvantari, the physician to the gods in Hindu mythology.
Ayurved has its mention in Sanskrit, in the four sacred Vedas: the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sam Veda, and Atharva Veda. The earliest concepts were set out in the portion of the Atharvaveda.
The Vedas are rich in magical practices for the treatment of diseases. It recommends numerous herbs for the treatment of fever (takman), cough, constipation, diarrhoea, dropsy (generalized oedema), seizures, tumours, and skin diseases (including leprosy).
Dhanvantari, who introduced Ayurveda to the world, is today worshipped as the patron God of all branches of medical science. Ayurved was further popularised, taught and handed down generations by his disciples. Among those, Sushruta, the ancient Indian surgeon famous for his pioneering operations and techniques, was foremost.
The rishis were given this knowledge of Ayurveda to make them learn to stay physically and emotionally healthy to pursue their deeper spiritual goals.
Future of Ayurveda
The world’s oldest recorded system of healthcare has influenced many other systems of medicine within and outside India. These include Traditional Chinese Medicine, Siddha, Unani along with various types of massage therapy.
Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic has also reminded the world of the importance of good health and strong and resilient immune systems. While effective and curative medicines are indispensable in fighting such aggressive viruses, the best defence lies within our bodies. And therefore, the world is witnessing a rebirth of this ancient system of health promotion, disease prevention and treatment.
Besides, people outside of India are also showing interest in the resurgence of indigenous knowledge that has transformative potential to heal mental and physical ailments.
Overall, Ayurveda has great potential to be revived for modern applications all over the world, particularly if more research is done on it.
Benefits of Ayurveda
Ayurveda offers extensive therapies and remedies for the young, old, sick, healthy, and everyone in between. Some of the primary benefits that the consistent use of Ayurveda offer are:
Preventive Care – The best way to combat disease is to stay well in the first place. By adapting the diets and lifestyles according to the body’s unique constitutions, helps in maintaining good health and staying disease-free.
Improved Quality of Life – Ayurveda is a choice of lifestyle, which when adopted in its entirety, brings a wave of general well-being to your daily life. Exercising, having an active lifestyle, adequate sun exposure, appropriate treatments and emotional well-being helps to cleanse the mind and spirit.
Stress-Free Life – With the right diet and lifestyle, Ayurveda alleviates stress. Waking up early before the sun rises is said to provide peace of mind. Meditation helps you stay relaxed and reduces stress hormones. Having herbal beverages that have stress-reducing properties will keep the mind calm and reduce anxiety.
Balanced Hormones – Ayurveda helps in keeping the hormones balanced leaving a powerful effect on many of our bodies’ basic processes. From regulating hunger to influencing our reproductive systems, balanced hormones help in keeping the mood, weight and sleeping patterns in check.
Success of Ayurved in dealing with Lifestyle Challenges
While the conventional treatment methods treat specific symptoms with quick results, Ayurveda works on the theory that all disorders, whether physical or mental, result from an imbalance of physical and psychological elements in the body. Therefore, according to ayurvedic practitioners, effective treatment lies only in a holistic approach.
The holistic approach of Ayurveda targeted toward complete physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being makes this science a wonderful option in lifestyle challenges.
Ayurveda for Mental Health
Ayurveda offers a holistic approach to mental health that integrates the mind, body and soul. It has proven to produce significant results as a complementary treatment method in disorders such as depression, anxiety and OCD.
This alternative medicine system recommends traditional dietary and lifestyle habits along with yogic exercises and herbal treatment. It offers a complex array of therapeutic techniques and natural medicines to restore balance and harmony.
Ayurveda for Immunity
There are various aspects which cause low immunity in the body including stress, poor mental health, overuse of antibiotics, metabolic disorders, lifestyle (lack of exercise) and poor diet.
According to the science of ayurveda, the body’s overall capacity can be strengthened through good nutrition, a healthy lifestyle, proper sleep, and adequate exercise.
Ayurveda advises consuming pure herbs as well as polyherbal compositions. These immunomodulatory preparations help in enhancing the body’s natural ability to overcome infections. Besides, these drugs are also said to have additional health benefits, such as rejuvenation, anti-stress, promotes intelligence, memory, and cognitive wellness, and promotes vigour, vitality, and positive health.
In nutshell
Ayurveda calls for complete harmony of the body with the elements of nature and the surrounding environment for a stress-free and healthy life. It does not merely deal with medical science but its scope goes much beyond the universe of conventional science.
Your progress toward balance and health is proportional to how well you stick to the guidelines of diet and lifestyle.
When trying to lose weight, you likely have some type of goal in mind. Figuring out how much weight you want to lose is the first step on a new weight loss journey.
There are many different ways to come up with a long-term goal that’s both realistic and aspirational. Setting your sights on the future can help fuel the motivation needed to make healthy changes.
Here’s how to get started.
Set realistic goals
Set specific short-term goals to maintain motivation. If you’ve got a nebulous goal, then your efforts seem like an endless mission.
Also, do not set a specific weight goal tied to the scale. That’s because your weight is affected by lots of variables, including how much muscle you have, how much fluid you’re retaining and how depleted your carbohydrate stores are.
Set a sensible timeline
Losing half to one kg per week is a realistic expectation. You can lose a lot of scale weight fast with a crash diet. But that’s not fat loss, and it’s not permanent.
It’s also important to consider you may gain muscle while losing fat. It’s important to look at weight trends over time, and focus on comparing average weights over several months rather than across days or weeks.
Measure your progress continuously
Aside from scale weight, it’s important to have other ways to see if you’re getting closer to your goals. Don’t go off-scale weight so much as body fat percentage. If you don’t have access to a body fat scanner, using the fit of your clothes and taking tape measurements can be good fat-loss indicators.
Think beyond weight loss
Setting non-weight loss goals may also help speed your progress. People who have health-related goals tend to succeed faster than those who have aesthetic-related goals.
There are always exceptions, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good, but it’s easier to maintain motivation long term when your health is on the line.
That’s one of the reasons there should be multiple goals when trying to lose fat. If you’re only focused on the number on the scale, you’ll miss out on all the other benefits of exercise and healthy eating.
Additional weight loss goals to consider
- Improving sleep
- Improving posture
- Increasing strength
- Reducing blood pressure
- Building better confidence and self-esteem
Considering what you can maintain long term is also an important part of setting a realistic weight-loss goal. For most people, the notion of losing weight is daunting. It’s also largely something many of us have considered but not been able to sustain, for a variety of reasons.
Approaching weight loss from a more comprehensive perspective enables you to get in tune with the aspects that have contributed to weight gain in the first place.
Changing your diet will always be a great step in the right direction but to truly optimize well-being, attention needs to be given to other areas, too.
The human body requires micronutrients like vitamins and minerals for its growth and fitness. Since the body cannot produce these nutrients on its own, they have to be consumed through the diet.
When we eat food containing these nutrients, our body absorbs it and supplies it to the entire body to help it grow. When our body does not get the nutrients it requires, it leads to nutritional deficiency. This deficiency leads to health problems like digestion, skin problems, and even dementia.
In this article, we have shared some of the symptoms of the most common nutritional deficiencies. Read on and find out if your body is showing any of these symptoms.
Hair, skin and nails problems
Dull and damaged hair, dry wrinkled skin or brittle nails can be all signs of nutrition deficiency. One major nutrient responsible for this is protein. Protein is the building block of our body. Our bones, muscles, skin, hair, and nails all contain protein and that is the reason the insufficient supply of protein can cause problems in many parts of the body.
Besides, deficiency of fatty acids like Omega-6 can also lead to dry, flakey, itchy, or cracked skin. Other symptoms of fatty acids include dandruff, hair loss, and dry eyes.
Weakness and fatigue
If you feel tired and exhausted even after taking rest, it is a sign of magnesium deficiency. If you are constantly feeling weak and drained out, you need to include some magnesium in your diet.
You can provide magnesium to your body by consuming seeds and nuts including almonds, peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds etc.
Pale skin
The paleness in the skin occurs when the blood losses its colour. This happens due to low levels of haemoglobin in your red blood cells which makes the skin, nails and gums lose their natural, healthy colour making it look pale. When the body does not get the required amount of iron, the level of haemoglobin in the body goes down. You need to consume an iron-rich diet or take iron supplements.
Unexpected weight gain
Unexpected weight gain is a sign of iodine deficiency. Iodine produces thyroid hormones which help in controlling metabolism. Insufficient amounts of iodine will make your body burn fewer calories and store fats.
Deteriorating vision
If you are experiencing vision or eyesight challenges, it can be due to deficiency of vitamin A in your body. Lack of the vitamins deteriorates your night vision and the sharpness of your sight over time.
A diet rich in vitamin A, including milk, eggs, mangos, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes and apricots can help in keeping your vision sharp. If you are not able to meet the requirement through your diet, you can also take supplements.
The treatment for these deficiencies is fairly simple if diagnosed on time. So it is important to keep identifying the changes that your body goes through.
Weight loss is not a very difficult process when you follow the dieting way. It’s a simple and straight formula – eat less and gain less. No food, no fat. However, during the process, you may achieve your desired weight but may not necessarily achieve fitness. Along with your desired weight, you also get dull skin, improper digestion, hair fall and weak body.
It is therefore very important to lose weight the right way. Besides giving you a slimmer body, the right way of weight loss gives you many other benefits.
But, what is the right way of losing weight?
The ideal way to lose weight is by eating the right food, burning the right amount of calorie. And that’s where the famous 80-20 weight loss rule comes into play.
What is the 80-20 rule for weight loss?
The 80-20 rule for weight loss gives 80% weightage to your diet and 20% to exercising and working out. However, this has mostly been mistaken the other way round giving 80% to exercise and 20% to food. But this is not true!
It is important to understand that without the right nutrition, your weight loss will do more loss to your body. And it is no big secret that nutrition plays a big role in your healthy weight loss journey.
According to the 80-20 rule for weight loss, nutritious diet and right exercise complement each other to give you the desired result. Eat right, burn right and let the both of it do the magic on your body. And of course, this is a scientifically proven method for a healthy and sustainable weight loss.
How to follow the 80-20 weight loss rule?
When we say 80% of weight loss depends upon what you eat, you need to understand what to eat in that 80%. This 80% should be the right combination of all the nutrients that your body needs including proteins, vitamins, fats, minerals, fibre and carbs.
How to ensure 80% nutrition in everyday meals?
Know what you feed your body with. Fill your plate each of the above nutrients in the right amount. Understand the importance of each of these and the role they play in your healthy weight loss journey.
- Proteins – Proteins are the building blocks of your body
- Minerals and Vitamins – Vitamins and minerals build immunity
- Carbohydrates – For a fully functional healthy body
- Fats – Healthy fats take care of your energy and functioning
- Fibre – Takes care of your gut and digestion process
To ensure you consume all of the above in the right amount, you can also take help of nutrition supplements that besides supplying the right amount of nourishment to your body, also aids in the weight loss process.
In nutshell
The 80-20 rule is important to achieve healthy body weight without compromising on fitness. On the contrary, this 80-20 weight loss formula manages your overall body fitness and with the right 80% of the food, you can lead a better active lifestyle.