Sleep well to keep your heart healthy

We all know how important good sleep is for your general health in day to day life. A good sleep replenishes your lost energy and makes you ready to go all guns blazing to work next day. However, if you’re having trouble getting right amounts of sleep at night, it may also reflect on your health and day-to-day work. A good night sleep is quintessential for your body and now researchers have found that sleep and heart disorders may be related.


Research

A research done by University of Chicago claims that sleep deprivation can lead to calcium build up in heart arteries which in turn develops plaques inside. There is a high risk of these plaques breaking inside and thereby triggering a heart attack. According to the research, lack of sleep can shoot up the levels of coronary calcium to as high as 16 percent. 27 percent of people sleeping less than five hours on an average were detected with development of plaque in the heart.
In a similar study done at the Harvard University 70,000 women aged between 45 and 65 were put under observation to understand the link between sleep and a healthy heart. It was found that women who slept less than five hours on an average were 40 percent more susceptible to heart diseases.



Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is a sleeping disorder that has been found to be inter-related with heart attacks. Apnoea refers to pauses in breathing while sleeping something which can happen hundreds of times in a night. People suffering from OSA are more susceptible to coronary artery disease. OSA can be a cause to hypertension, which can limit the flow of blood to the heart and thereby also limiting the flow of oxygen to it.



Power naps are good for your heart

We have seen in recent times that doctors are stressing on the importance of power naps. A power nap for about half an hour replenishes your energy and reduces stress. We all now that stress and hypertension are inter-related and power naps can be the best way to rid you of stress.

Sleep and blood pressure

In case you’re suffering from sleep deprivation and extra hour of sleep will help in reducing yoursystolic blood pressure by 16.5mm Hg. It is important to have periods of low blood pressure throughout the day and especially at night when you’re asleep. This means that you’re more relaxed, which is good for your heart.
The above evidence shows that sleep and heart are intertwined and the relationship between the two cannot be ignored. Try to take initiative and sort out your sleeping problems, in case you have any.

Honey-Lime Fruit Cup & Moroccan Pomegranate Mint Yogurt

Honey-Lime Fruit Cup
1 cup fresh fruit (such as pineapple, kiwi, and assorted berries
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 small lime

Place fruit in a medium serving bowl. Zest and juice the lime. In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 teaspoon lime zest and 1/2 tablespoon lime juice into honey until well blended; drizzle over fruit salad and toss gently to mix.

Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: 109 cal, 1 g fat (0 g sat), 3 mg sodium, 28 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein

Moroccan Pomegranate Mint Yogurt

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (such as Fage)
1/3 cup pomegranate arils (the pulpy seeds)
2 tsp thinly sliced fresh mint (about 5 leaves)

Fold mint into yogurt. Layer yogurt mixture and pomegranate arils in a clear dessert dish.

Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: 145 cal, 0 g fat (0 g sat), 69 mg sodium, 19 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 16 g protein

How to do a homebody wrap for weight loss

Body wrap is a popular spa therapy for weight reduction. If properly combined with your weight loss diet and exercise routine, it can offer added results by reducing a few inches from different body parts. The squeezing action of the body wrap is usually responsible for weight loss, as your body would be wrapped to compress your tissues. To prevent weight gain, a body wrap also extracts excess water and toxins from your body by opening your skin pores. The extracted water is absorbed by the wrap itself. If you get body wraps from a spa, it can cost you a lot. Thus, doing your own body wrap can save you money. It is also quite easy to make a body wrap at home. Check out how you may do so.

Step 1: Using clay and various herbal ingredients, you may easily make your own body wrap. You can use your favorite essential oil to mix in the clay and sea salt. You should first boil one-fourth cup of sea salt in two cups of water. Turn off the heat when the sea salt fully dissolves in water. Then, you should add a cup of green clay and two tablespoons of olive oil to this mixture. When the mixture is cooled off, rub it all over your body.

Step 2: Use some thin sheets or towels to wrap around your whole body. As you need to do this task neatly and tightly, you may take help of a friend. However, you can do it once you have enough practice. Start rolling the sheets around your body as if you are applying a bandage to it. Begin this task from your legs going way up to you shoulders.

Step 3: You should then lie down in your bathtub for about 45 minutes. Line up the bathtub with some towels before you enter. You may also lie down on a sheet of blanket rolled open on the floor.

Step 4: When the mentioned time is over, rinse off the wrap using warm water. It will be easier to clean yourself up if you are standing in your bathtub. While rinsing your body, gently give a rub and massage to it.

Step 5: Pat dry your skin and wear some loose clothes after you have cleaned yourself up. This enhances ventilation to your skin pores. You may also drink a glass of water after some time so that excess wastes are drained out of your body.   

Shaved Melon Salad with Mint Sugar

This salad looks like tricolor pappardelle pasta, with vibrant ribbons of pink, green, and orange melon. If you don't want to bother making the melon shavings, just use a melon baller or cut the fruit into cubes—the salad will still be beautiful.

1/2 small seedless watermelon (about 1 lb)
1/2 honeydew melon, seeds removed (about 1 lb)
1/2 cantaloupe melon, seeds removed (about 1 lb)
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, plus mint sprigs, for garnish
1/2 cup turbinado or other coarse sugar

Skin Care During Monsoon

Monsoon is a refreshing season and weather changing from hot to cold will surely give you relief. No matter what pleasant changes monsoon brings along with it, it surely also invites a host of other changes that can cause harm to your delicate skin. Hence, taking special precaution during this period is necessary in order to ensure healthy and glowing skin all through the monsoon.

How to Make Veggie Desserts

The newest (and most unexpected) place to get one of your five servings of vegetables a day is the dessert tray. Although veggies aren't as high in natural sugars as fruits are, they add earthy flavor--as well as vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber--to all kinds of confections. And because they're not overpowering on their own, veggies tend to harmonize well with other dessert-y flavors (think lemon, ginger, and coconut). Check out these healthy dessert recipes:

Tips For Food Storage In Summer

When the summer season begins, it increases the temperature and food storage can become a concern. Proper food handling and storage methods need to be followed in order to prevent food poisoning. This will ensure better health promotion and help in disease prevention.
Some food storage tips can be of help especially in the summer

• Store fruits, vegetables, bread, milk and milk products under refrigeration.

• Cook fresh food using fresh material as far as possible. Keep leftover foods to the minimum and store them in the refrigerator. They should be consumed in the next two to three days or else it is better to freeze them.

Making A Homemade Moisturizer

In the present day scenario when you want to take control of your health, there are many skin health related things that you would want to do yourself. Whether it is having a facial, applying a lotion or taking a steam infused with essential oils, you can do it all at home.


Making a moisturizer for daily use can be made at home as per your choice and can be used as per your convenience. You can choose the essential oil that you need as carrier oil. This will form the base of the moisturizer and the selection of this base will mainly depend on your skin type. For example, if you have a dry skin you can choose olive oil, avocado or jojoba oil, almond oil suits for all skin types, grape seed oil goes well with oily skin type.

The Perfect Kiss

The first kiss of a relationship decides its course. For women, kissing is a preview of her man's moves in bed later. But, women tend to forget that if we are judging the man on his lip lock techniques, then he might be doing the same. Don’t freak out! We bring to you the dos and don’ts of the lip-lock for that perfect kiss, that will make him want to reach for you again and again.

Do stop talking: Good conversation is a must-have in a relationship, but it’s better to stop talking when kissing. Kissing should be continuous and effortless, so just keep the jibber-jabber to the minimum.

Don’t forget to use your hands: It’s just not your lips and tongue which complete the kiss, but your hands too. Gentle caress and soft strokes act as a catalyst in turning on your man.

5 Foods for a Healthy Heart

Isn’t it annoying how some people just glow from the inside out? And no, it’s not botox! But, don’t worry, you don’t need to be jealous anymore. We give you their secret. There are certain foods whose special properties help you keep your heart healthy in addition to making you look radiant! Here is a list of such foods that can be great for your heart. 

Olive oil
This contains monounsaturated fats which keep the arteries of your heart clear by breaking down any excess harmful cholesterol. “This allows the heart to pump oxygen without any obstruction,” says Dr Amir Khambatty, a nutritionist at Satdev Clinic, Mumbai. Virgin olive oil is even better because it contains polyphenols that are antioxidant in nature, further enhancing the circulation of oxygen.

Banana Chips Vs Potato Wafers

Banana chips
What's Good
Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, which stabilises the rhythm of your heart and plays a key role in musculoskeletal health.
Bananas also contain manganese, a mineral that aids the production of collagen, the protein that accelerates healing.
The vitamin B-6 in bananas helps with nerve and brain functions.

The Bitter Truth
These chips can be very oily because they are deep-fried in sunflower/coconut oil. Baked banana slices are a healthier alternative, but do not have the intense rich flavour.
Banana chips made from fully ripe bananas tend to be sweet, especially when also fried in coconut oil.
These chips have a high salt content and are not advised for those with high blood pressure.
Banana chips are high in saturated fats that could potentially raise your triglyceride levels.