All posts by HealthyLife

HealthyLife is a part of www.WeRIndia.com, an all India – centric website (https://healthylife.werindia.com) and is solely owned and operated by WeRIndia.com. It is a Indian nutritional portal providing educational articles.This nutritional port was launched on February 5th, 2015.
Six Stupidly Simple Ways To Shorten Your Lifespan

Six Stupidly Simple Ways To Shorten Your Lifespan

By: Amanda Froelich at  http://www.trueactivist.com/author/amandaf/

By now, you’re well aware that smoking will shorten your lifespan by about a minimum of 10 years. But did you also know that other unassuming habits, such as sitting too long and drinking too much alcohol, will also increase your odds of dying early?

According to scientists from the University of Sydney, there are six habits that are proven to shorten one’s lifespan, and they follow:

1. Alcohol consumption

2. Poor diet

3. Inactivity

4. Smoking

5. Sitting for more than 7 hours a day

6. Sleeping for more than 9 hours

Said Dr. Melody Ding, one of the researchers:

“To examine specific patterns of lifestyle risk behaviors, 96 variables – representing all possible mutually exclusive combinations of smoking, high alcohol intake, physical inactivity, poor diet, prolonged sitting, and short/long sleep duration – were created.”

Reportedly, one who is guilty of doing all of the “six deadly habits” is 5 times more likely to die an early death during a 6-year period compared to someone who lives a healthy lifestyle.

While it is common knowledge that not getting enough sleep strains the physical body, it might come as a shock to learn that too much sleep also increases one’s odds of dying young. Ding explains:

“Short and long sleep durations were separated as two different risk factors, as their associations with mortality may be explained by different mechanisms. This analysis investigated four established and two [new] risk factors, namely, prolonged sitting and unhealthy sleep duration, which may be added to behavioral indices or risk combinations to quantify health risk.”

One theory is that inactivity – which results from both sitting and sleeping too long – impedes blood flow, thereby resulting in reduced oxygenation. The finding is disturbing, and a study published earlier this year by the University of Cambridge doesn’t have anything more optimistic to report.

According to the scientists, sleeping more than nine hours doubles a person’s risk of having a stroke. Natural Society relays that women are especially susceptible. It was also determined that sleeping in when you normally don’t get enough sleep is unhealthy. Reportedly, the way to ensure that getting Zzz’s doesn’t shorten your lifespan is to get on a regular sleep schedule.

By engaging in exercise, taking breaks from work every 30 minutes or hour to go on a brisk walk, quitting smoking, sleeping 7-9 hours per night, eating healthfully and minimizing alcohol consumption, you can nearly guarantee that you’ll live longer than your peers who don’t make their health a priority. The choice is yours!

Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/6-stupidly-simple-ways-to-shorten-your-lifespan

Image credit: Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay  (Free by CC0)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: July 20, 2022
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Awkward Pose Chair pose Utkatasana

Awkward Pose Chair pose Utkatasana

One yoga pose that helps in firming and strengthening entire body is Awkward pose  – also known as chair pose. It strengthens triceps, deltoids, abdominal muscles, tones leg muscles and quadricpes.

Also, stretches feet, toes, pelvis and shins. Helps in strengthening ankles too. While getting into and breath through the pose it stimulates liver, spleen, intestine and pancreas function.

The other benefits include – reducing lower back pain, strengthening and toning arms, aligning meniscus in the knee, reduces menstrual cramps, relieves sciatica and firms buttocks. With all these benefits it also reduces anxiety and helps in relaxation. Why not try this yoga pose – akward pose is a preferred intermediate pose of all yogis www.healthylife.werindia.com

LEVEL: Intermediate

Anatomy: Legs, Shoulders

Pose Type: Balance, Standing

Sanskrit: Utkatasana (oot-kah-TAHS-anna) utkata = powerful, fierce

 Benefits

  • Strengthens the legs, glutes, ankles, and spine
  • Opens the chest and shoulders
  • Gently massages the heart
  • Tones the abdominal organs
  • Helps relieve arthritis and rheumatism in the legs

Contraindications

  • Low blood pressure
  • Insomnia
  • Headache
  • Exercise caution with shoulder or neck injury

How To

  1. Stand in Mountain pose with your feet together. Draw your tailbone toward the floor and lengthen your spine.
  2. Inhale and reach your arms up, palms facing each other.
  3. Exhale and slowly bend your knees as you shift your hips down and back. Make sure that your toes are aligned behind your knees. Gaze straight ahead or diagonally downward.
  4. Stay here for several breaths. Then inhale and rise to standing.
  5. Slowly lift your heels off the ground and squeeze your inner thighs together. Exhale and repeat the third step, bending your knees and bringing your hips down.
  6. Stay in the pose for several breaths. Inhale and rise to Mountain pose.

Modify or Replace

  • Look toward the floor if any strain is felt in the neck.
  • Practice the pose with the feet hip-distance apart.
  • Widen the arms into a cactus position to lessen the stretch in the shoulders.

Sequencing Tips

Before:

  • Mountain pose (Tadasana)
  • Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

After:

  • Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
  • Eagle pose (Garudasana)

Teaching Cues

  • Root all four corners of the feet into the floor.
  • Draw the shoulders down the back.
  • Send the tailbone toward the floor.

Variations

  • Bring the palms to touch overhead.
  • Bend the knees until the thighs are parallel to the floor.

Watch Out For

  • Overarching in the low back
  • Knees beyond the toes

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This article and image is reproduced here with permission from www.beyogi.com

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: July 18, 2022
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Reduce fatigue with this herbal chai

Reduce fatigue with this herbal chai

To boost immune system and reduce fatigue try this homemade traditional herbal chai or tea.

This tea contains nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, Hemidesmus root (Indian sarsaparilla or sugandhi), dry ginger, dried dandelion root, cloves, black pepper,

  • Hemidesmus Indian Sarsaparilla roots are very fragrant. One can use fresh root or dried root. It is also called nannari root. It is a detoxifier, aphrodisiac, helps in digestion, reduces body inflammation and improves sleeping.
  • Nutmeg relieves body pain, soothes indigestion and improved cognitive function. It is slightly sweet spice. It is good for insomnia, regulates blood pressure and is an important ingredient of Ayurvedic medicine and home remedies.
  • We all know how clove is helpful – it relieves pain and good for digestion.
  • Dandelion root – commonly known as kahnpool, Dandelion helps in cleansing liver, reduces body fat and contains fiber that helps in clear bowel movement.
  • Cardamom seeds helps in calming the mind and increases nervous system strength. It has aphrodisiac property and helps in overcoming impotency. It reduces asthma and bronchitis by improving blood circulation.
  • Black pepper – improves immune system, reduces microbial invasion. It is good for reducing cold, cough and flu symptoms.
  • Ginger – Rich with antioxidant, ginger whether dry or raw is helpful is good for overall health – it reduces body inflammation and improves digestion.
  • Cinnamon – Reduces bladder infection, reduces cholesterol level, good for arthritis condition and is an immune booster.
  • Anise seeds – Improves metabolism and clears digestive system

 How to make immune booster herbal chai?

Boil 3 cups of water. Add 1.5 tsp cinnamon powder, 1.5 tsp grated ginger or ginger powder, 1 tsp nutmeg powder or crushed nutmeg, ¼ tsp cardamom, 1 tsp dandelion root, 1 or 2 cloves, ¼ crushed black pepper, 1 tsp anise seeds and few nannari (Hemidesmus) crushed roots (or 1.5 tsp powder) and 2 lemon size jaggery. Boil the content for few minutes and turn off the heat.

Add milk or almond milk and strain.  Drink this once or twice a day to get benefit.

Benefit of drinking this herbal tea is, it reduces body inflammation, it is immune system booster and fatigue goes away.

  • Avoid soda, caffeinated drinks if you take this herbal tea. Caffeinated drinks and soda can interfere with active ingredients of the above-mentioned herbs in the tea.

Remedy: Online grandma. Healthylife.werindia.com

Image references: www.werindia.com, Flora of India

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: July 14, 2022
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GLUTEN -FREE BESAN FLOUR PANCAKE (DOSA) RECIPE

Gluten- Free Besan Flour PanCake (Dosa) Recipe

Besan flour is nothing but chickpea flour. It is naturally higher in protein than wheat-based flours. It also stands above wheat flour in protein and folate content. One-half cup contains 10 grams of protein, compared to 8 grams in whole-grain wheat flour and just 6 grams in white flour. One-half cup of besan flour has 178 calories and 3 grams of total fat. also offer a good array of vitamins and minerals. Studies say that besan flour helps in reducing body inflammation and is also a good support for glowing skin – it is good facial mask. Besan flour does not contain gluten, so it makes a good substitute for wheat flour in gluten-free diets.

Try this simple and easy to make dosa (pancake) recipe at home for evening snack.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
  • Chopped ginger: 1 inch
  • Water 1/2 to 1 cup
  • Asafetida – a pinch
  • Turmeric powder – one tsp
  • Baking soda: 2 pinches
  • Green chilli (chopped) 2
  • Onion medium size – 1
  • Tomato medium size -1
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped
  • Curry leaves chopped
  • Coconut milk – 1/4 cup (optional)
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil for drizzling

Preparation:

  1. To make the batter, remove the lumps from  chickpea flour.
  2. To flour add asafetida, turmeric powder, baking soda, onion, tomato, green chilies, coriander leaves, curry leaves and salt. Mix well.
  3. If you are using coconut milk then, add coconut milk and water then mix well again. Do not make very thin batter.
  4. When the dosa tava is hot enough, pour a half cup of batter on tava and using a ladle spread evenly into a round pancake shape.
  5. Drizzle oil along the edges of the pancake and cook for 2-3 minutes, on medium heat till the bottom is golden brown. Tilt and cook other side of the pancake and cook for another 2 minutes.
  6. Serve hot along with coconut or green chutney.
Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: July 13, 2022
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Natarajasana Dance pose

Lord Of The Dance Pose Natarajasana

Natarajsana is known as Lord of the Dance Pose and is originated by Lord Shiva who is Yoga Guru himself. The pose depicts Lord Shiva’s fondness for dance, expression, and music.  It is also a classical dance form of Indian dance called bharathanatyam. This yoga pose is advanced yoga pose and requires balancing act on one leg. Benefits of practicing this pose are : Strenghtens legs, arms, shoulder and spine. It boosts metabolism, helps to focus, and improves memory. It is a pose that helps to strengthen the abdomen area, core strength and boosts confidence. The pose involves entire body – Healthy Life

LEVEL : Advanced

Anatomy :Ankles, Hamstrings, Hips, Knees, Spine, Thighs

Pose Type :Backbend, Balance, Heart Opener, Standing

Sanskrit: Natarajasana (not-ah-raj-AHS-anah) nata = dancer / raja = king

BENEFITS:

  • Lengthens the hamstring of the standing leg
  • Stretches the hip flexors of the non-standing leg
  • Opens the chest
  • Improves balance and stability
  • Strengthens the entire spine; ankle, knee, and hip joints; and supportive structures of the joints in the standing leg

CONTRAINDICATIONS

  • Hip pathologies
  • Balance deficits
  • Low back pathologies
  • Ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder injury

HOW TO

  1. Start in Tadasana (Mountain pose), with feet hip-distance apart, and slowly begin to shift your weight over to your right foot. Engage your right thigh to support the knee of the standing leg.
  2. Set your gaze in front of you. Inhale and lift your right arm with palm facing forward.
  3. Exhale and flex the left knee. Reach your left hand behind you, with thumb facing upward, and grasp the inner left foot.
  4. Inhale and lengthen the spine, lifting out of your torso and tucking the chin.
  5. Exhale and draw the abdominals while keeping the chest lifted. Begin to bend forward at the right hip, letting your gaze travel downward. Feel free to take a micro bend at the right knee.
  6. Hold this pose for up to 5-10 slow breaths.
  7. To exit Lord of the Dance pose: Inhale, press through your grounded foot, and rise to an upright position. Exhale, and release your arms and knee. Repeat on the opposite side.

MODIFY OR REPLACE

Alternatives:

  • Stay standing and reach back for the non-standing leg for a quad stretch.
  • Hinge slightly forward to challenge balance; then return to standing.

Modifications:

  • Keep a slight bend in the knee to avoid hyperextension.
  • Place hands at the thighs or hips for support.

SEQUENCING TIPS

Before:

After:

  • Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III)
  • Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

TEACHING CUES

  • Keep the upper and lower spine extended, and draw the chest forward.
  • Keep the hips stacked equally, side-by-side. Keep the knees parallel by engaging the inner thighs slightly.
  • Hinge first at the hips and press the free foot into the hand, keeping the abdominals drawn up and in toward the spine.
  • On each inhale, feel your chest expand and spine lengthen. On each exhale, feel your hips sink deeper.

VARIATIONS

  • Reach over the shoulders to grab the raised foot. Press the toes upward as you begin to bend forward further.

WATCH OUT FOR

  • Hyperextension of the low spine
  • Shoulder pain or strain

Image and article published here with prior permission from https://beyogi.com/

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: July 8, 2022
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FSSAI food technology for safe food

Technology for food safety : FSSAI mulling using next-gen technology tools to ensure food safety, quality

During the pandemic, instead of visiting restaurants, people ordering food online with help of zomato, Swiggy, Uber App,  Doordash etc. These Apps and technologies making life more comfortable and safe to get hot and fresh food delivered at home easily.  Similarly, people are ordering online groceries and these items are delivered to door steps from grocery stores. Many such innovative services are available in India and other countries. One must assure that all the food that are delivered or received by customers are good both in quality quantity wise as well as safe to consume. FSSAI of India, is exploring the options to introduce blockchain and machine learning to ensure food that are going to be available to customers are safe and healthy. This also involves not just testing food ingredients, quality, also the materials that are used for packing purposes -Healthy Life. 

Food safety regulator FSSAI on Tuesday said it is exploring the possibility of using next generation technological tools like blockchain and machine learning to ensure food safety and quality.

Such tools assume importance as the current pandemic situation has negatively affected many aspects of routine regulatory inspections, monitoring, and surveillance at both the domestic level and border points, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Arun Singhal said.

These regulatory inspections are essential for ensuring food safety and quality for people, he added. 

Addressing a virtual event organised by industry chamber CII, Singhal urged the industry and researchers to come up with simple tools or interventions which regulators can use.

For instance, a technique to detect the ratio of materials in a blend, a tool to prevent food fraud, real-time safety monitoring through affordable and rapid testing, among others, he said. “FSSAI is exploring the possibilities of using technological tools like blockchain, machine learning, etc in obtaining traceability information,” Singhal said.

Next generation tools like genome sequencing and innovations in chemical and molecular analysis can be very useful in the area of food authenticity and integrity, he pointed out. Also, Internet of Things (IoT) has taken a big leap forward and can be used for mounting production and processing operations, he added.

With regard to recycled-PET and recycled plastics for food products, Singhal said FSSAI has promulgated regulations to allow alternate packaging materials. “However, the authority is also aware of the limitations. These materials are not available in volumes that are desired by the industry,” he said, and urged the industry, academia and research bodies to explore ways of making these materials available in sufficient volumes at reasonable prices.

For FSSAI, Singhal said the major thrust areas are simplification of the regulatory regime, IT platforms, and registering as many food businesses as possible. Currently in India, close to 5 million food businesses are registered and this outreach must continue, he said.

“Many are small businesses, where some intervention is required in terms of capacity building. So that is a major thrust area. And in this direction we”re already ensured the food safety training and certification program,” he said.

FSSAI has already trained about 500,000 food safety supervisors in various food businesses. In addition, during the pandemic, about 2.6 lakh persons were trained on safe food and hygiene practices required for COVID-19, he added.

That apart, the FSSAI is gradually moving towards periodic risk-based inspections, third-party audits, focus checks and interventions to ensure safety and quality of products.

The second major thrust area of FSSAI, Singhal said, is to strengthen the food safety ecosystem at the state level.

FSSAI has started providing technical and financial assistance to states and union territories by creation of infrastructure and testing equipment for mobilising resources to carry out manual special camps inspections, awareness drives etc, he said.

FSSAI has signed memorandums of understanding with states. Last year, MoUs were signed with 23 states, and a substantial amount of funds were released to states. That process is continuing this year as well, he added.

The third major trust area is to strengthen the food testing capabilities in the country. As of now, there are about 252 food testing laboratories notified by FSSAI and all of them are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), he said.

In the past three years, FSSAI has released about Rs 300 crore to various state food testing laboratories for strengthening, purchasing equipment, and setting up microbiological testing facilities.

“Microbiological infections are very important. So we are planning to strengthen the microbiological testing facilities in labs,” he added.

For more information: https://www.fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Mulling_Outlook_28_07_2021.pdf

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: July 4, 2022
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Bread Samosa recipe

Bread Samosa recipe

If you are fed up of eating bread, don’t throw bread instead prepare delicious bread samosa. All you need is few vegetables and masala powders that available in Indian grocery stores. It is easy to prepare and will be a yummy snack that kids love to have.

Why not give it a try?

What you need?

  1. Peas & carrot – ½ cup
  2. Boiled potato -6-8
  3. Ginger paste – ½ tsp
  4. All purpose flour – 1 cup
  5. Coriander powder – ½ tsp
  6. Green chilly paste – ½ tsp
  7. Cumin – ½ tsp
  8. Chilli powder -1/2 tsp
  9. Amchur (mango powder) -1/2 tsp
  10. Garam masala – ½ tsp
  11. Ajwain – ½ tsp
  12. Cilantro chopped -1 Tbs
  13. Mint leaves chopped – 1 Tbs
  14. Bread pieces – 12
  15. Oil – for frying

 How to prepare?

  1. Boil potatoes and remove skin.
  2. Heat a pan on medium flame, add 1 Tbs oil. To heated oil add cumin, ginger and green chilli paste followed by peas and carrot. Fry all these ingredients and remove from the stove.
  3. Now, smash boiled potato and add it to peas -carrot masala along with – coriander powder, Amchur powder, garam masala powder.
  4. Add cilantro and mint chopped leaves, chilli powder, salt and mix well.
  5. Remove bread crest and cut the white portion to half. Sprinkle little ajwain on top of white pieces and using a chapatti roller flatten the white portion.
  6. Add little water to all-purpose flour and prepare paste. Apply this paste to rolled bread piece and prepare a cone by folding the bread piece. While folding the cone, apply little paste to the edge to keep folding intact*.
  7. Fill the potato-peas masala in the cone and close the cone.
  8. Heat oil in deep pan and fry bread cone containing masala to golden brown color.
  9. Serve hot samosa with green chutney or tomato ketchup.

*If you find it hard to make a cone, just place the vegetable masala in the center and fold it like a spring roll  and fry!!

** Chutneys are available in most Indian grocery stores. If you want to prepare healthy chutney recipe then, you can find one such recipe here.

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Reference: www.werindia.com 

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: June 21, 2022
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Jal Jeevan Mission India

In India Jal Jeevan Mission Achieves 50% Completion Milestone, 9.6 Crore (50%) Rural Households Now Have Access To Tap Water

Keeping in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to provide every rural home with safe drinking water, the country has achieved the milestone of 50% rural households having access to tap water connections. Goa, Telangana, A&N Islands, D&N Haveli and Daman & Diu, Puducherry and Haryana have already achieved 100% household connections. Punjab, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar have coverage of more than 90% and are progressing fast towards attaining the status of ‘Har Ghar Jal’.

In a move to attain “Gram Swarajya”, the dream of Mahatma Gandhi, Jal Jeevan Mission aims to empower the Panchayati Raj Institutions and communities by engaging them in water supply schemes from the very beginning. Over 9.59 Crore rural households spread across States/ UTs are getting water within their premises. Women and girls these households are now free from the century old drudgery of walking long distances in scorching heat, rain and snow in search of water. ‘Har Ghar Jal’ is a flagship programme of the Union Government, implemented by Jal Jeevan Mission under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, in partnership with States/ UTs to ensure tap water connection in every rural household by 2024.

At the time of launch Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019, only 3.23 Crore households i.e. 17% of the rural population had access to drinking water through taps. The burden of arrangement of water for daily household needs mostly fell on women and young girls. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that school attendance among girls was significantly lower in summers when due to increased requirements for water, multiple trips were needed. After the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission and improvement in access to tap water connection within their premises, considerable improvement in this regard has been noticed. As on 27.05.2022, 108 districts, 1,222 blocks, 71,667 Gram Panchayats and 1,51,171 villages have become “Har Ghar Jal”, wherein all rural households have been provided with drinking water through taps.

This year as the nation celebrates ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, special Gram Sabhas are being convened across the length and breadth of the country to discuss and deliberate on issues related to drinking water in a move to attain ‘WASH Prabudh Gaon’. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has addressed and interacted with Sarpanch and members of Pani Samitis on multiple occasions in the past, motivating them to take onus of the programme as they are the ultimate custodians of the water supply infrastructure created under ‘Har Ghar Jal’. Under JJM, support is provided to Panchayats by the State Government through Implementing Support Agencies (ISAs) in community engagement, building capacity of the Pani Samitis, and taking up O&M activities.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1828956

Image credit: https://www.ibef.org/

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: June 2, 2022
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