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Feeling sluggish when at work? Here are ways to keep your energy levels going. WATER THERAPY In office, most of us get so comfortable in the cool air-conditioned room; we don’t realize when we are thirsty. Dehydration can make you feel tired and doesn’t only occur when you are out on the field. Taking sufficient amounts of water throughout the day is a must. Replace your soda and canned juice with water. SNACK ON Instead of munching on unhealthy biscuits and chips, opt for apples, bananas, low-fat curd, cucumbers or even carrots. Granola bars are also a healthy option as they are packed with dry fruits and whole-wheat cereal. Dry fruits like raisins, dried cranberries or apricots, almonds and even pistas make for ideal snacks. SAY NO TO HEAVY FOODS A heavy packed lunch could be doing you more harm than you realize. Meals that include rice can make you sleepy and tired. If eating out, stick to a light, wholesome salad and a quick sandwich or starter. Your sugary coffee could also make y...

To improve eyesight, have amla juice mixed with honey. Amla juice also helps people who have cataract. Amla or gooseberry, as it’s also known, is rich in chromium, which makes it very beneficial for diabetics. It is known to stimulate the isolated group of cells that secrete the hormone insulin. Amla decreases blood sugar. Want to have a healthy heart? Have plenty of gooseberries. They’re known to strengthen heart muscles, which in turn pump more blood in your body and make you healthy. Since amla is rich in antibacterial qualities, it helps the body fight infection. It builds up immunity, which makes people more resistant to diseases. Studies say that having amla powder mixed with honey and butter before a meal will improve appetite. Suffering from an upset stomach? Opt for the amla. With its powerful laxative qualities, amla is great for curing diarrhea and dysentery. It is a commonly used ingredient in several hair tonics because it is known to curb hair loss, stimulate growth and s...

Are you bored of looking at the same things in your home over the years? Is that fun element missing? Experts give you some exciting tips that will give your home a perfect makeover! Clean and clear is the key! You can never go wrong with this. Get the old stuff out and make way for some stylish new entrants in your home. Little things can make a big difference, so if you are not willing to give up your age-old furniture, try giving your home a personal touch by changing hardware like curtain rods and cabinet knobs. This will incur less cost and at the same time provide a classy feel. Play with colours and give your walls a different touch, opt for textures, prints and stylish colours instead of the standard walls. This will surely add cheer to your home. You could also test your imagination and opt for different kinds of fabrics to bring out the walls. A good rug will complete the makeover. Make sure to use rugs that are in contrast to the colours of the walls as that will compliment ...

Experts tell you how some of your daily habits could be causing those nagging ache and pains... It is one of the most annoying and common problems. Backaches can give you sleepless nights and disrupt your normal life. Here are some common habits that could be causing pain. SITTING FOR TOO LONG Did you know that sitting for hours on end could be harmful? Experts say that sitting puts 40 per cent more pressure on your spine than standing. When working for hours on end, most of us tend to forget to adopt the right posture. Plus, when there are deadlines to be met, most of us skip meals and coffee breaks and keep working. These habits may cause your back to ache as the muscles weaken when not in use for long periods. Try sitting at a 135-degree angle and make sure your office chair supports the curve of your spine. AVOIDING YOUR EXERCISES It’s important to workout on a regular basis. Some form of movement is necessary, whether it is in the form of a work out at the gym or a dance class or...

Mango the king of fruits has several benefits. Here are few of them... Not only do they taste great, but mangoes are also loaded with several qualities that can benefit you. They are rich in powerful antioxidants that are known to neutralise free radicals that cause damage to cells and lead to health problems like heart diseases, premature ageing and cancer among other things. Here’s why you should consume mangoes... With its high iron content, mangoes are excellent for pregnant women and those who suffer from anaemia. Constantly complaining about clogged pores? Place mango slices on your skin and then wash off after 10 minutes. If you suffer from indigestion problems, nothing will help you as much as a mango. They’re known to give relief from acidity and aid proper digestion since they contain digestive enzymes that help break down proteins. Rich in potassium, mangoes reduce high blood pressure. They also contain pectin, a soluble dietary fibre, that is known to lower blood cholestero...

Sex is not just about physical intimacy and enjoyment. It also gives you a wide range of health benefits. Here are some... If you thought that the only benefit of sex was, well, pleasure, here’s some news for you. Making love is good for adults. And making love regularly is even better. Not only does it help you sleep well, relieve stress and burn calories, there are also several other reasons why you need to have sex more often. IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH A recent study says that men who have sex more than twice a week, have a lesser risk of getting a heart attack, than men who had sex less than once a month. INCREASES IMMUNITY Regular lovemaking increases the level of the immune-boosting antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA), which in turn makes your body stronger against illnesses like the common cold and fever. REDUCES STRESS Stressed out with work or family problems? Don’t let it affect your performance in the bedroom. Not only will having sex improve your mood, but a study has also...

Experts say that heat, humidity and air pollution are the perfect ingredients to trigger allergies. If the scorching summer heat wasn’t enough to take a toll on your body, you have something else to deal with. Summer allergies! Allergies are very common this time of the year. The drastic change in temperature, from cool winters to burning hot summers brings with it allergies ! Summers are generally high in humidity levels due to which the mould fungi that grow on dead grass and leaves, increase in number, which in turn results in various allergies, say experts. We ask cosmetologist Dr Jamuna Pai about the most common summer allergies and she says,” The seasonal woes of summer translate into common allergy annoyances like watery/itchy eyes, profuse sneezing; the allergens of summer generally manifest themselves in nasal stuffiness and excess mucus in the nose and throat.” “Another common seasonal woe is the summer cold , which is the reaction to airborne particles, stinging insects suc...

If only there was a miracle cure to ageing. Here are 10 quick fixes to fool Mother Nature... PROTEIN The basic component of the skin is protein. But be selective about the source of nourishment. Choosing from pulses, soya milk, tofu, etc is a good option. Low-fat milk also provides you with proteins. You can also include lean meats like fish, chicken besides egg whites in your diet. Fish is amongst the best sources of protein as it also provides you with essential fatty acids. VITAMIN A This fat-soluble vitamin is essential for maintaining and healing epithelial tissues, which make up most of the skin. The best sources for this are egg yolks and non-fat milk. You can also get vitamin A from foods rich in beta carotene, which the body can convert into vitamins. Eating fruits rich in Vitamin A can also give your skin that inner glow and radiance. BETA CAROTENE German researchers have found that as little as 30 milligrams a day (the equivalent of 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked carrots) can help...

Laughter is infectious, irresistible and unstoppable. An adage says, “Laughter is the best medicine.” And sure enough an increasing number of doctors are prescribing laughter therapy for patients who live a stressful life. LAUGHTER AS THERAPY “Laughter rejuvenates mind, body and soul and it helps maintain a healthy relationship,” says, S Sampath, founder secretary of Humour Club, Ambattur. People the world over are turning to the concept of laughter and think that it might be one of the best medicines to heal and remain healthy. BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER So what are the benefits of laughing? How does it help ease stress and make life more enjoyable? “The health benefits of laughter are many and even cardiac and diabetic patients are able to benefit by practicing it,” says S Bala Koti, founder and teacher at the Laughter Club, Anna Nagar Tower Park. INCREASES BLOOD CIRCULATION Laughter is very good for the heart. It increases blood circulation. “Humour is known to lower blood pressure. A lau...

Available for consumption throughout the year, papayas are known to have several health benefits. Read on to know what they are... Rich in content with digestive enzymes, papayas are excellent as they help in digesting food and preventing constipation. It also helps in healing burns and reducing inflammation. Papaya juice relieves infections of the colon and can break down mucus that is reached by the juice. Since papayas are rich in fibre, they’re known to lower high cholesterol levels. Folic acid found in papayas converts a substance called homocysteine into benign amino acids. When it remains unconverted, homocysteine can directly damage the blood vessel walls and when levels get too high, it can cause a stroke or even a heart attack. Papayas also help prevent diabetic heart disease. Rich in three essential antioxidants like vitamins C, E and A, it prevents the oxidation of cholesterol. We require vitamins A and C for the proper functioning of a healthy immune system. Papaya is an a...

Heart diseases can be quite a problem to handle. Millions of people around the world suffer from heart diseases. Therefore, it is one issue that you cannot afford to ignore. The good news is that with a few simple lifestyle changes, one can easily reduce the risk of heart diseases and keep the heart healthy. Small steps such as reducing one’s intake of alcohol, eating better, exercising regularly and throwing away cigarettes, can make a world of a difference to one’s health. Including green tea in your diet can also help. The drink is rich in antioxidants that reduce cholesterol and may help lower blood pressure. If you do not have the habit of drinking hot tea, then add some ice to the tea and drink it as a cooling beverage during the hot summer months. Green tea also contains properties that kill cancer growing cells without damaging the healthy tissue. Since it prevents the formation of abnormal blood clots, it is ideal for preventing strokes. Take inspiration from the Italians. Usi...

To keep dehydration at bay, it’s best to include loads of fruits in your daily diet. Citrus fruits like oranges and sweet lime are juicy and high in water content. Apricots can be cut and eaten or baked, cooked and pureed. A blackcurrant with their intense flavor is best mixed with other fruits like strawberries, raspberries or apples. Opt for sweet cherries, which can be added to fruit salads. Plums are sweet enough to eat raw, or you can make them into crumbles, pies or tarts. Raspberries can be eaten raw and pureed too. Strawberries are the fresh produce of the summer season. Serve chilled. Watermelons have high water content and taste sweet and juicy to eat. Make a tall glass of fresh juice and enjoy.

When it comes to chocolate, the world is divided in two types of people. Those who love it and those who adore it. And it doesn’t have to be fattening. A European eats five kilograms of chocolate a year, while an Indian consumes 300 grams. Here are the only five ways to eat the world’s most decadent, legal, pleasure, as listed by Lindt Master Chocolatier Adelbert Bucher: Eat 100% chocolate, rather than milk chocolate, which are fattening and not really the real thing Let the chocolate melt in your mouth for at least 10 minutes. It is only then that you will be able to experience its flavors. Remember you don’t eat chocolate, you experience it A big part of experiencing chocolate is its quality. If it is not smooth and can’t be rolled on the tongue, you’re not eating the right kind The best variety of chocolate in the world is single-origin chocolate. If the cocoa bean was grown in Cuba, you should “feel the flavors of Cuba” Never eat chocolate because you want to eat something sweet, e...

It is possible to feel full on fewer calories. Here’s how: GO LOW Lowering the energy density of your diet – the calories it contains per 100g – is an effective way to stay fuller for longer periods of time and thereby, lose the pounds. A study found that a low fat, low-energy density diet is more effective for weight loss over one year, than a low-fat, high energy density diet. DO THE MATHS Calculate the energy density of a food by dividing the number of calories by the weight of the food: a sandwich with 360 calories that weighs 180g would have an energy density of 360/180 = 2. We should try to eat foods that have an energy density less than 1.5, only moderate amounts of foods with an energy density of 1.5-4 and only small amounts of foods with a density of 4-9. HAVE A LIQUID LUNCH A low-energy density diet can be achieved by eating foods with high water content. INCREASE YOUR PROTEIN Protein curbs hunger better than carbs or fat. So, when you make a sandwich, go for thinner bread an...

There are many who suffer from depression and anxiety as a result of stress. People are increasingly worried about job security these days. Here are few tips to reduce your stress. BE STRESS-SAVVY Learn to realize when you’re suffering from too much stress by using the spot-the-symptoms checklist. Then do something about it before it’s too late. GET TO THE CAUSE Work stress can be caused by a number of things, including frequent deadlines, having too much to do, having a new boss or manager, not getting on with a colleague or even being bullied. Assess the cause so that you can devise ways to tackle it. TALK TO YOUR BOSS If a situation in your workplace is putting you under too much pressure, speak to your manager about it. Your employer is legally obliged to make sure you don’t suffer from work related stress. If you still feel your workload is unreasonable, complain to the company’s human resources department. Be realistic about how much you can take on. If you’re already pushed to...

All of us at some point of time crave for those creamy treats, crispy chips and starch laden pastas. Sometimes, even due to sheer boredom, we feel like indulging in them. Here are some tips to curb those hunger pangs. CHOCOLATE Why we crave it: The cocoa butter in chocolate melts just below body temperature, giving it a wonderfully sensuous feel in the mouth. And it symbolizes love and gratitude, making it a top fantasy food on a psychological level, too. Beating it: Some women find that by increasing their intake of the mineral magnesium — by eating nuts, whole grains like whole meal bread and porridge, and spinach — their hormonally driven chocolate cravings lessen. You could also try eating chocolate only when you’re already full. Researchers at University College London found that when test subjects were told to eat chocolate when not hungry, their cravings for it became weaker. Eating it on an empty stomach made their cravings stronger. SWEETS Why we crave them: When you’re cravi...

(Diptarup Chakraborti is principal research analyst for Gartner. He has over 12 years of experience in marketing, advertising and marketing intelligence, of which the last 8 years have been within the IT industry.) What if I told you today that in very near future you might stop using emails for official correspondence? Or that your employee records will not be saved securely in the company data centre but in micro site hosted by one Facebook ? Sounds too far off the mark, doesn’t it? Well it could be sooner than you think. A recent study pointed out that 20% of business users will switch to social networking as the primary platform for business emails in less than four years. Needless to say, the impact on personal emailing will be far more profound. If emails, some thing which has become a part of our professional work can be impacted, imagine what can happen to other processes that we today take for granted. So let’s just examine some of the changes that might happen in near fut...

H ere are some reasons that could be to blame Your diet: A common problem found in one out of five people today is high cholesterol. Cholesterol can be either genetic or caused due to unhealthy foods consumed in one’s daily diet. The most common factor leading to high cholesterol could be an unhealthy and unbalanced diet. Excessive consumption of saturated fats is the root cause of cholesterol that is generally found in meats like beef and pork as well as snacks such as butter cookies, fast foods and chips. Your weight: Obesity and fluctuation in weight reduces the good cholesterol in the body resulting in unhealthiness. A beer belly does nothing to the body but deteriorating it. Hence, being in shape is extremely essential. In today’s fast-paced times, it is essential for one to be on the move constantly as being a couch potato marks the beginning of high cholesterol in your body. Getting half an hour of exercise a couple of times a week can help. Your overall health: A human body en...