Habits to boost your immunity!

 Habits to boost your immunity!

Frequent episodes of cold/cough, recurrent mild fever or usually feeling tired are a few signs of having a poor immune system. All in all, immune system is that protects your body from infections and toxins. Let’s be real, we’re surrounded by infectious microorganisms and building our immunity should be on our priority list!

We’ve put together a few easy habits that you can include in your daily life to boost your immune system!

Yo-Gut!

Yogurt being a fermented milk product has live culture and is rich in lactic acid a bacterium which fights off detrimental pathogens. It can be consumed in the form of smoothie bowl, topped on favorite fruits, plain Greek yogurt and buttermilk. A thumb-rule of having a glass of the Indian beer (buttermilk) everyday can ward off illnesses.

 Raise the rays!

Staying in a hot country like India, the sun rays are always shining bright at us. A daily exposure of sunlight for 10-15 minutes is helpful as the bright yellow rays have immune boosting properties and also promotes the synthesis of Vitamin D in the body.

Get Moving!

Exercising 5 times a week at moderate intensity has shown to protect people against diseases.It helps in reducing stress hormones like epinephrine,nor epinephrine,Hence reducing oxidative stress in the body. Also blood flow in blood vessels increases by which it, nourishes each  and every cells of the body.

Food Food!

Don’t be a miser in putting plenty of veggies, fruits, seeds and nuts in your system. They are rich in all those micronutrients, antioxidants, fiber you need to boost the system. Include a variety of immunity-enriching foods like garlic, broccoli, sunflower seeds, spinach, ginger, citrus fruits and bell peppers.

 Eliminate substance abuse!

Do a favor on your body by reducing or removing poor habits such as chewing tobacco, smoking or alcohol as they have been known to impair the immunity and put you on vulnerable site for lung infections.

Sleep like a baby!

It’s a known fact that we love our beds more than the office desks but ironically we’re spending lesser time actually sleeping. Getting a sound sleep of 8 hours is a MUST as sleep deprivation can lead to released Cortisol and increased levels of the same can lead to decreased immunity.

Smile and you’ll go along mile!

Last but not the least- Be happy! As we all swear by the quote ‘laughter is the best medicine’ it actually is true in improving your immunity as it decreases the stress hormones and increases the white blood cells which fight infection.

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

The exploding nightmare

It’s true when they say that obesity kills three times more than undernutrition. 2.6 million individuals die every year due to obesity and the sad part is it is not only restricted to adults. Approximately, 15% of the urban school children come under the obese category.

Childhood obesity is considered as a major public crisis because obese children turn to be obese adults and thus it is not something you can just grow out from; the fat cells which build as the body turns obese can alter in size but they NEVER reduce in number.

From bribing our children into greasy burgers to tuition time beating play time, there are various reasons to the rise of this epidemic.

REDUCED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Indulging in outdoor play has reduced considerably because of lack of space, various gadgets and also excessive academic pressure. Also, levels of convenience have intensified with technology which is also a reason for sedentary lifestyle. The environment around the child plays a large role in making lifestyle changes; playing with your child, enrolling them into a weekly sports class, encouraging the choice of taking steps over lift etc. are ways to reverse this issue.

INCREASE IN CONSUMPTION OF PROCESSED FOOD

The ingestion of convenience foods like packed, processed, refined foods has escalated. An outing now means eating high and empty calorie foods in food courts or restaurants. A large share of blame also goes to the influence of media on children which lure them towards making unhealthy food choices. This can be reversed by making healthy food appealing, making wise choices, etc.

HIGH TSH LEVELS:

High thyroid stimulating hormones have been related to obesity. The interaction between leptin, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), TSH and thyroid hormones creates a vicious circle that can be broken only by a reduction in adipose tissue.

PEER PRESSURE:

As the child grows, the influence of parents reduces and that of peer increases. Just to conform with the peer group a lot of unhealthy alterations are made like not carrying tiffin or carrying junk treats to school.

EATING WHILE ON THE SCREEN

Eating meals while watching TV or playing on the iPad is a new trend not only enjoyed by child but also many a times encouraged by parents. This leads to affecting the Leptin and Ghrelin hormone production which controls the hunger and satiety; this can lead to the child consuming more food without realizing.

Above listed were some prime causes of Childhood obesity. Obesity is a vicious cycle which leads to other diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, heart ailments, etc; we certainly don’t want our children to be taking the same medicines as us. The only solution to this is making wise, small and gradual changes to our diet and lifestyle.