Are Diabetics More At Risk of Coronavirus or Covid 19?

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In recent times or Covid 19 times, when a lot of things about coronavirus are still unknown, there is a widespread belief that other than obesity, diabetes makes one more prone to Covid 19. Lets try to dig deep into the topic and try to find out if diabetics are more at risk of Covid 19 than non-diabetics.

Diabetes and Obesity Weaken Your Immunity

I need not repeat that Covid 19 is caused when a person’s immunity is compromised. If your immunity is not strong enough to fight or kill this deadly virus, you get infected. So, it becomes clear that all health issues that weaken your immune system, make you vulnerable to Covid 19, and diabetes is one of them. We have already covered obesity and immunity in our previous posts, therefore for now, we’ll focus on how diabetes makes you at risk of Coronavirus.

Are diabetics more likely to get Covid 19?

Is it not about being more vulnerable to coronavirus, what makes diabetics more ‘at risk’ than non-diabetics is their inability to stop other complications, when infected by the disease. People with diabetes often have heart diseases as well. This further complicates their health condition if they are corona-infected, and handling multiple issues together becomes a challenge for attending doctors. The result! you guessed it right. Those with diabetes often lose the battle with Corona earlier than those with no diabetes. Read more.

Diabetes Type 1 or 2? which is more risky for Coronavirus?

We do not have enough data to comment of this at this point in time. Researchers are working on data from across the world, and soon we’ll have a clear answer to this. For now, we can assume that both diabetes type 1 and type 2 complicates the patient’s health condition in a similar manner. So, the best way is to manage your diabetes as carefully as possible.

Diabetes Prevention- 5 Tips

Prevention of diabetes type II is all about your ability to switch to a healthy lifestyle, which is not necessarily a challenge as most people assume even before giving it a try. In fact, those who are pre-diabetic often believe they will remain so for long. The reality is just the opposite. They are nearer than they assume to become full diabetic. You’ll find plenty of diabetes prevention food, diet and other tips on the internet, but the most important one is to prepare yourself for a change if you have been diagnosed pre-diabetic or are 40+ leading a sedentary lifestyle.

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5 Tips for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention

  • Workout or brisk walking: This is one of the easiest, risk-free and effective ways to prevent diabetes. Moderate intensity exercise helps you increase your insulin sensitivity by more than 50%. If you choose high intensity exercise, then insulin sensitivities can go up to 85% on those intense exercise days.
  • Lose Weight no matter what: If diabetes prevention is on your mind, then fat loss must be your priority. Obese people develop diabetes faster than others. Go for any weight loss program that suits you, try intermittent fasting, change your eating habits or whatever it takes. Without losing weight, preventing diabetes will be tough or even impossible in most cases.
  • Bitter is Better: Yes, bitter gourd or bitter melon, Giloy and many types of herbs that are bitter in taste, must be a part of your daily diet. These bitter herbs are an important ingredient of almost all Ayurvedic medicine that help you manage diabetes.
  • Say No to Alcohol and Smoking: These are 2 most common bad habits that put you at a higher risk of being diabetic. The sooner you quit them, the better. I know, sometimes it becomes difficult at social gatherings, but the least you can do is limit alcohol intake to only extremely unavoidable situations.
  • Tea and Coffee with limited sugar: Yes, tea or coffee help you prevent diabetes if you consume them with less sugar, and in limited quantities. Care should be taken that, these beverages do not reduce your water intake. You must drink plain water in ample quantities 7-8 glasses a day . Read about water hacks for health.

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Does Fatty Food or Sugary Food Make you Overweight?

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It has often been the topic of debate as to what causes real fat gain and make you overweight or obese? If fatty food consumption was the cause of obesity, then cutting down on fat would be the sure-shot formula for weight loss. So, the question is whether fatty food is the only or the biggest culprit behind your obesity or is it something else? Yes, you guessed it right. Sugar or sugary food is one of the most important factors behind weight gain or obesity.

How Sugar Makes You Fat

Before getting into how sugar makes your fat, lets try to understand what happens when we eat sugar more than our body’s requirement. While it is true that sugar or glucose is necessary for energy that our body needs, over- consumption of sugar on a daily basis has many adverse effects on health. Read more.

Sugar-Over consumption of it makes your fat or obese

Insulin Resistance

I assume that you must be aware that insulin is a hormone produced by pancreas. It plays an important role in moving sugar to different cells where energy in required. Insulin also helps in storing energy as fat or glycogen. The problem starts when your body receives more sugar than it can handle or process. It leads to insulin resistance, i.e. your cells stop responding to insulin and your sugar level goes up. High blood sugar level impairs many cell functions that cause inflammation and further aggravates insulin resistance and gives rise to many complication such as fatty liver and general fat gain. You start developing diabetes type 2 and the series of health issues start. Read about reversing diabetes naturally.

Leptin Resistance

I have covered Leptin resistance in one of my previous posts and also reviewed Leptitox, which promises to manage leptin resistance effectively. Quickly recapping, I’d say that Leptin is a hormone that manages calorie intake and fat burning or energy regulation as a whole. High sugar diets trigger trigger Leptin resistance, which essentially means you don’t realise how much you must eat and when to stop. As a result, you always feel hungry and tend to overeat. The end result, fat gain or obesity. So, reducing sugar intake will help you prevent this condition as well.

High-Sugar Food-Usually Low on Protein

For energy, your body should use more protein than sugar. However, this does not happen when you eat high-sugar food, which often lacks in protein. You feel less satisfied even after eating large quantities of sugary food, which is often the case, as you tend to eat more and more. Its opposite happens when you eat high-protein diet. You eat less and feel fuller than when you eat same quantity sugary food.

Sugary Food-Low in Fiber

Usually sugar-loaded food items are low in fiber, which is required for proper digestion and overall health. As you continue eating more sugar and less fiber, the end result is overall bad health, poor digestion, sluggish metabolism and obesity, which itself is the root cause of many health issues such as heart health.

Is Low Fat Diet Effective in Weight Loss?

By now, I think I have made it clear that sugar is a major contributing factor in making you fat. However, it doesn’t mean that you can go on eating fatty food. Though I must agree that low-fat foods are considered and marketed as weight loss products, they are often loaded with sugar, which simply prove to be counter-productive. The key is to maintain a balance by choosing your food wisely. It often involves changing eating habits. Why not take the help of Noom App that will give you hundreds of healthy food options?

5 Tips to cut down on sugar

Start Reading Food Labels: Beware of hidden sugar aliases such as corn syrup, malt syrup, fructose, lactose, sucrose and more. If these ingredients are there, that means you are buying sugary food. Avoid them.

Start drinking more water: Replace sugary beverages and carbonated beverages with plain water or lemon water. This is practical, easy and achievable.

Go for full-fat instead of low-fat food: As explained above low-fat is often high-sugar and full fat has low sugar. However, maintain a balance.

High-Protein better than High-Sugar: This is one of the reasons that make eggs a super food. Loaded with high-protein, eggs give you energy and keep you full for long duration without adding sugar to your diet.

Sound sleep-8 hours a day: Studies have confirmed that those who don’t sleep properly often tend to eat more junk food and sugar than those who sleep 8 hours a day.

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Incredible Benefits of Giloy or Guruchi-Immunity and Digestion Booster

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Immunity has been one of the most talked about topics during Covid-19 lockdown or simply since the time Coronavirus started spreading in 2020. Boosting immunity can often be as simple as eating some natural herbs or leaves such as Giloy ( Tinospora Cordifolia ) or Guruchi, which often go unnoticed in your backyard. Today we are going to talk about Giloy which is so abundantly and easily available in and around Delhi and various parts of North India, that we fail to notice its medicinal properties.

Ayurvedic Root of Immortality

Giloy or Guduchi Leaves

This seemingly useless plant is full of medicinal properties. A majority of Ayurvedic medicines contain some amount of Giloy essence as an important ingredient. You just pick up any ayurvedic medicine and read its ingredient label, you will find Giloy in it. In fact, it is called the Ayurvedic root of immortality just because of its powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties all rolled into one. Also, it will not be out of context to mention that Giloy in Sankrit means Amrit, which can be translated as something that makes you immortal. Amrit, as mentioned in old text, was available only in liquid form, but Giloy can be consumed in many forms such as liquid, powder, paste or even its root can be chewed.

Giloy Boosts immunity amazingly

I personally know a few people, who I don’t remember ever saying that they fell ill in the last 25-30 years. One of them is none other than my own uncle ( now approx. 80 ). The last time I saw him falling ill was some 25 years ago, when I was a teenager. As kids, we used to avoid him whenever we fell ill because he would quickly advise us to eat Giloy stem or drink its bitter juice instead of eating tablets or capsules. We didn’t know at that time that Giloy plants growing naturally in our backyard was the secret of his agility, sharp eyes, glowing face and overall health. Till date, he eats Giloy stems regularly either directly (raw form directly cut from the plant), boiled stems or sometimes its juice. Giloy boosts your immunity and helps you fight many common health issues.

Giloy-Available in Many Forms

Giloy Guice- Natural and Ayurvedic Immunity Booster

Though I must say that everyone cannot have access to fresh Giloy, it is not so difficult to get high quality Giloy from any Ayurvedic store especially Patanjali stores in various cities and towns in India. Baba Ramadev has recommended and talked about immense benefits of Giloy or Guruchi in many of his yoga programs, videos and live events. In fact, I also used Patanjali Giloy tablets in combination of a few other tablets to get relief from my knee pain caused by Chickengunia last year. I am so impressed by the health benefits of Giloy that I always keep a bottle of Giloy juice available in my house. I make it a point to drink 10-15 ml with equal amount of water every day to keep my immunity in good shape. It is also available in powder form, if you prefer that.

5 Health Benefits of Giloy

A lot has been said and written about health benefits of Giloy. However, the most important and perhaps the most useful point in current Covid-19 times is its ability to boost your immunity. Start taking Giloy in any form every day and see the difference. I’d once again repeat that if you are already under some medication, then take medical advice first before giving it a try. What I have mentioned above is based on my personal experience, and should not be considered as medical advice. Here are some other health benefits of Giloy.

Immunity Booster Giloy

It is one of the most powerful natural herbs that can boost your immunity amazingly. It purifies blood and keeps your cells healthy. Also, read about immunity yoga.

Bowel movement regulator

If you suffer from constipation, which itself gives rise to many health issues, then you must consider taking Giloy regularly. It helps your digestion and brings relief in many bowel related issues in addition to constipation.

Giloy for joint pain and arthritis relief

If you have joint pain or arthritis, then Giloy will bring you immense relief. However, dosages and duration will depend on your exact condition for which you must get in touch with an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Common cough and cold relief by Giloy

If you suffer from cold and cough quite frequently, then Giloy’s anti-inflammatory properties will bring you relief.

Giloy for Fat Loss and Stress Management

As Giloy helps digestion and detoxification by improving liver functions, the overall impact of this is visible in fat loss or weight reduction. As your digestion improves, your metabolism gets a boost and you start burning fat naturally. As toxins are flushed out of your body, your memory improves and overall stress and anxiety also disappear gradually. Worth giving a try, isn’t it?

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Fatty Liver

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Can Hand Sanitizer Catch Fire or Explode in Car?

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In recent Covid-19 lockdown times, many types of real and fake news circulated across different media. And of course, WhatsApp and FB messages and videos were widely used to spread various types of messages because of their accessibility, popularity and ease-of-use. However, the real problem starts when people start forwarding unverified messages and videos that add to the confusion instead of clearing doubts about any issue. One such message that created confusion was about hand sanitizer bursting in car. So, the question is ” Can hand sanitizer explode, burst or catch fire if left in a car?” We’ll do a reality check.

Sanitizer contains alcohol which is inflammable

Yes, that’s right. Alcohol is inflammable and can catch fire if there is some spark or ignition or something is already burning nearby within a touching distance. Also, carrying large quantities of it in a car can be a fire hazard. However, for any alcohol-based sanitizer to catch fire on its own, the temperature around it should be 700 degrees Fahrenheit, which is next to impossible unless something is burning nearby. As per Earth Observatory , even the hottest place on earth has a temperature of approximately 175 degrees Fahrenheit, which is far less than what is required to cause a fire on its own. Makes sense?

What if we leave hand sanitizer in car?

The next question is what if we leave a hand-sanitizer bottle in the car? See, as long as its cap is tightly closed, there is no harm in keeping it in your car, but why’d you leave it in the car? Why not carry it with you so that you can use it when required? In the worst scenario, the liquid can leak if its cap is open. It can spoil the floor or dashboard of your car. If you park your car in scorching sun for long duration, some of the liquid can evaporate, but that is also highly unlikely, but possible. If it evaporates, then its efficacy or ability to kill bacteria and virus can get slightly impacted.

What if hand-sanitizer in left in cold temperature?

Well, that is really interesting. Will it freeze? At what temperature will hand sanitizer freeze? Usually all hand sanitizers contain Ethyl alcohol or Isopropyl alcohol which has a freezing point of -114 to -128 degree F. The temperature at the coldest inhabited place on earth, Oymyakon is around -72 F. So it is out of question that your hand sanitizer will freeze unless you are planning a trip to Antarctica, which is obviously not the case. I think that answers the question as to what will happen if hand-sanitizer in left in cold temperature.

Hand Sanitizer -Best Practice to Stay Safe During Covid-19 time

It goes without saying that the best use of hand-sanitiser is to sanitize your hands after touching any surface, which is advised during Covid-19 times. Though it is provided at almost all public places where lockdown restrictions have been eased, I’d suggest carry your own and use it if washing your hand with soap and water is not possible. Excess use of hand-sanitizer can also cause skin related issues in some people. However, safety from Coronavirus is our first priority in current times, therefore using it wisely is the key.

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Fatty Liver-Can it Be Reversed by Liver Cleansing

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Do you feel tired or weak for no apparent reason? If abdominal cramps, feeling nauseous or loss of appetite are also some of the common symptoms you face quite often, then chances are that you have fatty liver. Once your liver becomes fatty, all of its 800 plus functions get impaired. The result is you feel unhealthy, which is quite natural if one of your vital organs is not functioning properly. Let’s try to understand whether it can be reversed by liver cleansing or any other method.

What is fatty liver?

As the name suggests, fatty liver is when fat deposits on the liver and is more than 5%. This condition is also called steatosis. Usually some amount of fat is quite normal, but when fat accumulation on the liver is more than 5%, you are said to be suffering from fatty liver. This is called ALD or Alcohol Related Liver Disease. Though alcohol consumption is the most common cause of this fatty liver, there are almost equal number of patients suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD). However, non-alcoholic cases often go unreported unless the situation becomes very severe.

Fatty Liver Remedy

I don’t drink, can I have fatty liver?

As mentioned above that usually non-alcoholic people assume that they cannot develop fatty liver, which is not correct. A lot of people who never had a drop of alcohol also develop fatty liver. However, the reasons vary from person to person in these cases. It will not be out context to mention that extreme weight loss measures can sometimes lead to this condition. Keeping that in mind, I’d suggest that go for fat loss programs, but within your limitation. If you are cutting down on protein beyond a certain limit, then it may cause protein deficiency, and could be the reason for fatty liver. Sometimes, those who undergo intestinal bypass surgery, may also develop steatosis under certain conditions.

What causes fatty liver

  • Alcohol is the number 1 cause. If you quit alcohol, the disease will also disappear. It is good for heart health as well.
  • Insulin Resistance: In other words if you are diabetic with Diabetes type 2, you are prone to obesity. Insulin resistance and obesity together often cause fatty liver.
  • Obesity or being fat is an obvious reason.
  • High fat level in blood. When fat level is high, it gets deposited on liver as well as the visible body parts such as thighs, belly and buttocks.
  • Though rare, sometimes fatty liver develops during pregnancy and it is considered very serious .
  • Excess medication can sometimes lead to fatty liver conditions. Especially, drugs used for Malaria treatment are reported to cause this condition in many cases. Similarly TB drug isoniazid  can sometimes also cause fatty liver.

Can fatty liver cause pain?

There are many symptoms of fatty liver and mild abdominal pain is one of them. When fat deposits on the liver, it becomes enlarged and extra pressure on the receptors of pain in that area causes the pain.

Fatty liver symptoms

  • Loss of appetite
  • Loss of energy and general tiredness
  • Jaundice or jaundice-like symptom such as yellowish eye, skin and mouth
  • Low or diminishing sex drive
  • Dark or yellowish urine
  • Itchy skin

Is Fatty liver curable? Can it be reversed?

Fatty Liver Remedy

Yes, it is curable but is slightly difficult because treatment of fatty liver is all about changing eating habits, which is easier said than done. As the symptoms are usually not life threatening, people tend to take it lightly and carry on with their existing lifestyle. More or less, the treatment approach is similar to any effective weight loss program. Many people ask if this condition can be reversed. It depends a lot on your exact health condition. After proper lab tests, your physician can tell you if it can be reversed. However, I must say that in initial phases, you can reverse it by choosing healthy eating habits and quitting alcohol.

Fatty liver cure

  • Cut down on saturated fat
  • Manage or control cholesterol level
  • Diabetes control
  • Quit Alcohol if you drink
  • Exercise regularly so that you burn calories and lose weight

Liver Cleansing or Detoxification

Liver is one of the many detoxifying organs in human. Other organs are kidney, gall bladder, colon and also your skin. These organs work in tandem to detoxify your body. If any of these organs fail to function properly, extra pressure is handled by other organs, which often result in other ailments or symptoms of other diseases. For example, if your colon is not working properly, then digested food is not eliminated due to constipation. Your liver will not get the right place to dump toxins. This may slow down the function of other organs. It is therefore highly recommended to ensure that our digestion works properly.

Benefits of liver cleansing

One of the best and most effective way to ensure that your liver functions at its optimal level, is to incorporate liver cleansing food in your daily diet. Also, you need to cut down on alcohol or items that cause fatty liver. Before discussing food for liver cleansing, lets take a quick look at its health benefits.

  • Liver cleansing helps you lose weight
  • Boosts your immunity
  • Increases your mental focus
  • Better sleep cycles and quality of sleep also improves
  • Improves vision
  • Clearer skin and relief from allergies
  • Balances your mood

Liver Cleaning Food

Fatty Liver Yoga

Apana Mudra- Yoga for Fatty liver

This brings me to my favorite and probably the most natural way to good health. Yes, yoga can help you manage, detoxify or completely cure fatty liver. What’s more is that you yoga of fatty liver is not a set of difficult asanas. Simple hand gesture or Apaan Mudra can provide your relief from liver related disease. This gesture is simple. All you have to do is press your middle and index fingers with thumb (See the pic above). Place your hands on your thighs and sit in a comfortable position. This simple yogic method offers many health benefits, and liver detoxification or cleansing is just one of them. As a result, your digestion improves and your gain many other health benefits.

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Comfort Food In Quarantine-Unwanted Weight Gain

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Whether you have been in quarantine due to suspected Covid-19 infection or y0u decided to self-quarantine at your home, the chances of gaining weight is very high. It is due to inactivity, which is obvious as you have to remain within a defined area. Another major reason of gaining weight during lockdown and quarantine period is eating comfort food as and when you feel like.

What is Comfort food?

As the name clearly suggests, comfort food it a kind of food that you get easily or comfortably and is full of high calorie, high fat, high salt or sugar content to give you a kind of pleasure, relaxation and emotional elevation. As per Wiki, adults eat comfort food when they are under emotional stress. This type of food gives them instant gratification and reminds them of the security of childhood, provided by their parents.

A Key Contributor to Obesity In the US

As a major chunk of US population lives under various types of stress throughout the day, consumption of comfort food is very high. This is one of the major reasons of obesity, which is almost like an epidemic in the US. Similarly, during quarantine, people feel stressed due to fear of Coronavirus, whether they are infected or not. This triggers the temptation of eating comfort food for some gratification, which is achieved, but makes the person put on weight.

Quarantine 15

As per a Washington Post report, during quarantine, 37% of people gained more than a pound, while the average weight gain during quarantine month remained 0.21 pound. The report further confirms that similar trends were seen in other parts of the world as well. For example, the average weight gain in the United Kingdom was reported as 0.35 pounds, in China 0.55 pounds and in France, it was reported as 0.19 pounds.

Stress Eating?-Stop Now

Definition of stress-eating is self-explanatory. When you start eating due to any kind of stress, you are stress eating, as simple as that. However, its impact is not that simple. If the stress is persistent, then a hormone, Cortisol is released by your body. Cortisol increases your appetite, and you start overeating every now and then. The result; weight gain. Read details here . The sooner you stop overeating due to stress triggered by quarantine or any other reason, the better. Want to lower your stress during lockdown? Read what to do during lockdown.

How to stop stress eating during qurantine

Well, there are various triggers of emotional eating. However, during lockdowns, the most power trigger for stress eating is boredom. As those under quarantine have nothing to do, they start eating or overeating for some sense of gratification. The most effective way to overcome stress eating is to get busy with something you enjoy such as pursuing a hobby. Of course, there are limitation during quarantine, but you can explore many possibilities to do something creative or worthwhile during Covid-19 times.

Healthy Comfort Food

The least and probably the most important thing you can do during quarantine or lockdown is eat healthy comfort food. If you feel that comfort food cannot be healthy, then think again and take a look at 29 healthy comfort food recipes. You an also try Paleo Comfort food recipe given below.

Comfort Food-Dairy Free Recipes

Eating Habit Changer App

Making good use of apps for health or for changing eating habits, is highly recommended during lockdowns. Why not try Noom App that gives you a variety of healthy eating options. By using this app recommended food items you can change your eating habits for good.

Noom- The Last Weight Loss Program You’ll Ever Need

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Easy Yoga Poses for Belly Fat Reduction

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Those who are new to yoga may find it unbelievable that originally there were 8,4oo,000 yoga poses practised and taught by Lord Shiva. It was possible for Him, but not for humans, therefore 84 of them were chosen to be practical for humans. Out of those 84, many yogic practitioner believe that only 32 are good enough for overall health. This is a matter of debate, and we have no intention of getting into how many are good or enough. We’ll focus on practical and easy yoga poses that can be practised by anyone looking for belly fat reduction. Sounds good?

Easy yoga postures

Well, things are difficult before they become easy. The same goes for yoga postures. There are many yoga poses that can be practised by anyone, but you either don’t know them or simply ignore them as they seem to be easy or ineffective. Why not make them part of your daily activities so that you get the benefits without even realising or putting any extra effort? Frankly speaking, that is what used to happen with me inadvertently when I was in high school. Later I came to know that those postures that I tried for fun or just to relax were actually some of the most easy yoga postures for belly fat loss. As a result, I was relatively thin and more active than most of my classmates who were obese.

Natural Yoga

Without getting into the official or ancient definition of natural yoga, lets try to understand it literally. For example, breathing is almost a natural activity that happens without any effort from us. However, when the same breathing is done consciously following a tried and tested pattern, it becomes Pranayama. Similarly, some of the most natural postures, if practised regularly as part of our daily activities, help us burn belly fat naturally. They are actually yogic postures, but can be incorporated in our daily lives. And the best part is, you need not make extra time for them. All you need is just be mentally ready to make those slight changes in your routine while ensuring that you go about your regular activities.

Sitting Cross-legged

Sitting Cross-legged helps in melting fat from belly area

If you are not aware, then let me tell you that sitting on the floor is the most natural and relaxing posture. You’ll find it difficult only if you are obese beyond a certain level. In that case, obviously you cannot make it your routine to sit cross-legged every day. Others who can sit cross-legged can try watching TV in this posture. Just sit on the floor every day for at least half an hour while watching TV or doing any other activity. You will notice the difference in a few days. In fact, during traditional festivals in India, people even eat meals sitting on the floor, and it is quite acceptable and also considered auspicious.

Variation of Sitting on Floor for Belly Fat Reduction

Benefits of sitting on the floor

You can even buy a small low-height table to work on, so that you can sit in this posture for longer duration. Sometimes I don’t mind placing my laptop on the small table and work for hours sitting cross-legged on the floor. Believe me, this will not only improve your digestion, help you burn belly fat but also relieve knee joint pain and keep your spine healthy. There are a few variations or methods of sitting on floor, which are equally effective if you are looking to flatten your stomach easily. You can choose whichever postures suits you the best or change your positions as per your comfort level.

Half-Cobra Pose for Flat Belly

Half-Cobra Pose for Belly Fat Reduction

This is a simple posture which can be done by any one. However, what really matters is how long you can stay in this posture. If you cannot lift your head backward while placing your palm on the floor, then start with getting support from elbows or doing Half-Cobra Pose. Stretch your head backwards the way you normally do in full Bhujanganasa. Gradually, when your spine becomes slightly flexible in 15-20 days of performing this pose on elbows, you can place your palm and attain the actual Bhujangasana. Just perform the posture on elbows and try to stay in this pose for 2 minutes, 3 minutes or 5 minutes depending on your stamina. In fact, you can even read your phone messages or attend phone calls in this posture. This will make the activity more natural and effortless.

In half cobra pose, following activities can be done

  • Watching TV for up to half an hour every day
  • Light reading such as reading a small book, magazine or even newspaper
  • Phone messaging or even browsing on a laptop
  • Obese students can even make notes or do small writing assignments

To avoid any side-effect, ensure that You

  • Straighten your spine by lying flat for a few minutes before getting up if you have been in half-cobra pose for 10 minutes of more. You can even try savasan for better effect. However, that may take time.
  • Do not put extra pressure on your back. The moment it starts hurting, change your posture so that you feel relaxed.
  • Change your position smoothly without any jerky movement.
  • Do not try this posture immediately after meals.

Cat Cow Pose and Rabbit Pose in a Sequence

Cat-cow posture can be done immediately after waking up. Similarly you can perform rabbit posture for 30 seconds to 2 minutes every day immediately after waking up. These two minutes every day can work wonders for your health in general. The rabbit pose is effective for obtaining flat belly. All you need to do is develop the habit of doing these quick yoga postures every day. The results will be visible soon.

Rabbit Pose for Belly Fat Reduction

Sun Salutation-Surya Namaskar

Sun salutation is a set of 12 postures in a sequence. These postures work on every muscle of our body and help in weight loss, better digestion, mental peace and clarity. These postures essentially stretch all parts of our body, which is highly recommended for flexibility and overall fitness. As the name suggest, you have to salute the sun, therefore the best time to do this is early in the morning during sunrise.

Surya Namaskar-for Overall Health and Belly Fat Loss

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Belly Fat Burning-Food, Diet and Yoga

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Bulging belly or obesity in general is often the primary cause of many health style diseases that appear later in life. Why not start working proactively at the first sign of belly fat that usually starts appearing in late twenties or early thirties. Fortunately, we get many belly fat burning food, diet plans and yoga techniques easily available across the net. However, the catch is all burning stomach fat requires some discipline and determination. Whether you join a gym, like intermittent fasting or want to change your eating habits, you must be determined and ready for a change in your lifestyle.

Can Bulging Belly Be Reduced Naturally?

Yes, you can burn belly fat rather easily, if you are mentally ready to do what it takes. Don’t worry, I am not asking you to do calorie counting, follow strict diet restriction or something impractical. Essentially, stomach fat starts depositing due to least movement of muscles around your stomach. If you make sure that you move, stretch or shake your abdominal area at least twice a day, then belly fat will not start depositing. If you already have fat around your belly, then it may take some time, but reducing fat naturally involves incorporating some activities in your lifestyle so that your abdominal muscles get exercise without you realising it. How about using water to lose belly fat?

Stomach fat burning food

Noom- The Last Weight Loss Program You’ll Ever Need

I cannot stress the fact more that food plays an important role in making your obese, if you do not melt extra fat by physical activities. Also, there are many belly fat burning fat food, super food and even tailored diet plans to suit individual needs. As a general rule, green and leafy vegetables, fresh fruits and fiber rich food help you melt fat not just from your belly but from all over your body. Why not try some metabolic cooking for speedy effect?

Food for fat loss from belly area

Belly fat loss food
  • Beans: All types of beans are a great source of fiber, which are highly recommended as they help digestion, reduce inflammation and burn belly fat naturally.
  • Chiles: They must be included in your daily diet if you want to reduce the risk of obesity. Chilies require more calories, therefore layers of fat get oxidised, resulting in overall fat loss.
  • Fruit infused water: I have mentioned in my previous posts that water can be highly effective in melting fat and detoxification, if used correctly. Make sure that you drink enough water or use fruit infused water for added advantage. Also make sure that you add tomatoes in your diet.
  • Leafy and green vegetables: This is self-explanatory, and I need not repeat the benefits of fresh, leafy and fibrous food, which work wonders for fat loss. Broccoli, spinach, cucumber,cauliflower, peas, bottle-gourd, bitter gourd, okra and the list goes on.
  • Banana, avocado, citrus fruits and all types of berries must be included in your diet.
  • Seeds and Nuts: If you don’t eat pumpkin or sunflower seeds, then start now. They help a lot in burning belly fat. Also, eat all types of nuts (except cashew) if weight loss is on your mind.
  • Eggs: Not only do eggs boost your metabolism and help you remain full for longer duration, they also keep many health issues at bay such as diabetes. Those who eat eggs (1-2 every day, not more than that) have delayed diabetes or are less likely to have sugar problems than those who don’t eat eggs at all.

Belly Fat Exercise

Some of the best and most effective stomach fat reduction exercises are leg raise, side bends, curls and twists. Basically all types of exercise that put extra pressure or stretch on your stomach will burn your belly fat. Now, the question is which one suits you the best. For some, simple cat and cow postures immediately after waking up can work wonders. For others, slightly tough bends and twists may work fine.

Cycling for stomach fat reduction

What I find the most natural and easy exercise is cycling. I mean real cycling and not the exercise/stationary bike. Make sure that you choose a route that has all types of complexities such as uphill riding, downward tracks, tricky trails where you need strength as well and speed to maintain a balance. Simply riding 4-5 kilometres everyday will burn your belly fat. I understand that this type of route is not possible everywhere, but try your best to find one. If not possible, then even plain cycling is also much better and enjoyable than most stomach curls and twists.

Yoga-Melting Belly Fat Without any Equipment

No matter what your obesity or stomach fat level is, yoga or yogic postures will work for you. That is what makes yoga a favourite of all health conscious people. However, just like anything worth achieving requires some effort, yoga also demands some commitment from you. In fact, mental preparedness and positive attitude while performing yoga are more effective than the physical effort. You can perform yoga anywhere without any equipment. All you need is some open space and a mat, and you are good to go. For flattening stomach, you must start with deep breathing and various other asanas as demonstrated by Baba Ramdev.

Pashchimottanasana

My favourite yoga posture for belly fat reduction is paschimottanasana. Of course, I must admit that I can do is effortlessly because I have practised it a lot and now it is easy for me. As a beginner, it will be difficult for you, but do not be in a hurry, start and progress gradually. You’ll see results not just in the form of flat stomach but also in your overall health. All types of streching exercises are highly effective for overall health, and belly fat loss is just one of many benefits they offer.

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Are Obese and Asthmatic People Prone to Covid-19?

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By now if you are reading this post, then I can assume that you are aware of Covid-19 pandemic and its most common symptoms such as respiratory problems, dry cough, fever, loss of taste etc. The moment we talk about respiratory problems or dysfunction, we need not explain that obese people have higher resistance in airways, weak respiratory muscles and generally low lung volume, which weaken the first line of defense against Covid-19 or coronavirus.

Obesity and Coronavirus

In addition to dry cough and fever, people infected with Coronavirus usually develop pneumonia as well. Obese people often suffer from hypertension, high cholesterol level, diabetes, kidney and heart diseases. Obesity impedes diaphragm excursion and restricts ventilation, resulting in adverse effect on cardiovascular functions. All of these factors make one susceptible to all types of infections, coronavirus is an infection.

Fat Loss-Enhance Resistance to Infection

By losing weight, you can prepare to prevent yourself from the much-speculated second wave of Covid-19 sometime during the end of 2020. Though not a sure-shot formula for prevention of Covid-19, it will strengthen your ability to fight against the virus. Well, it has been noticed that overweight people understand the risks of being fat, but they cannot overcome food craving or change their eating habits. If you want to try something that make changing your diet less challenging or I’d say quite easy, then try Noom App.

Noom- The Last Weight Loss Program You’ll Ever Need

Diabetes and Covid-19

Though we do not have enough data to confirm it, initial studies indicate that high level of glucose in blood can be a kind of predictor of Covid-19. More research and reviews need to be done before it can be confirmed. However, I must say that diabetes in general weakens immune system and makes your body more susceptible to all types of infections. Therefore you might be in the high risk group if you are diabetic. It is often a general perception that reversing diabetes in not possible, but you can mange it well by making some simple change in your dieting habits and lifestyle in general.

How antibodies work?

Without getting into the details of the official definition of antibody, I’d like to explain it in layman’s terms. Antibody, as the name suggest, is something that works against any foreign body ( harmful viruses or bacteria). The structure of an antibody is such that it does not allow any foreign virus bacteria to bind together with the cells of human immune system. Simply speaking, they don’t allow the virus to multiply or spread in the body and get killed because they cannot survive without multiplying. As a result, the person does not get infected with that virus, because it is killed or neutralised a the entry-point itself.

Covid-19 Antibodies

Currently many research institutes are working on developing antibodies for coronavirus. Researchers at Utrecht University have identified fully human monoclonal antibody that prevents the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus from infecting cultured cells. Read full report here. Currently, plasma of treated or recovered Covid-19 patients is being considered for treatment of other patients. Sometimes it works, other times it fails. More research is required on this.

Asthma and Coronavirus

As some symptoms of coronavirus are similar to those any asthamatic patient often experiences, many people wonder if being asthmatic increases their risk of getting infected with coronavirus. There is no enough evidence to support this. As Covid-19 started from China, where asthma is relatively less common than in the west, we do not have enough published data about how asthma can make one more susceptible to Covid-19. However, experts suggest not to stop asthma medication unless advised by your medical practitioner.

What is Comorbidity?

It will not be out of context to talk about comorbidity when we are discussing obesity and coronavirus. When a person is suffering from more than one health issues, either interlinked or independent of the other, then the patient is called comorbid, and this situation is called comorbidity. For example, majority of obese people suffer from hypertension or cardiovascular diseases. In healthy people, body develops antibodies that fight against viral attack. People with comorbidity have compromised immune system, which means their antibodies are not strong enough to fight the virus. This complicates the whole situation and treatment becomes difficult and even impossible in many cases, such as Covid-19 cases in current scenario.

Anxiety and Stress

It goes without saying any type of health issue is a matter of concern, but when it a pandemic like Coronvirus, the anxiety level goes up causing stress and tension. The lockdown imposed in almost all corona-infected cities and countries, give rise to loneliness as we adopt the new normal lifestyle. This lifestyle will include social distancing as a norm to be continued until a vaccine or cure is found.

The New Normal after Covid-19 lockdown

Social distancing or wearing a mask is something humans are not made for. In fact, many renowned people including president Trump do not like wearing a mask. However, this is going to be the new normal lifestyle after Covid-19 lockdown is lifted. As experts believe that we’ll have to learn to live with Covoravirus until its cure or vaccine is found.

As a social animal, humans need to interact with each other at a much affectionate level than many other animals. Social distancing is against that norm, therefore can cause stress. It will not be out of context to mention that stress, tension and lack of sleep weaken your immune system, which can obviously make you more susceptible to coronavirus. The solution is simple, keep stress away as social distancing must be maintained in the current scenario. Do something that relieves your stress and helps you see the brighter side of life.

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Immunity Yoga to Fight Virus Naturally

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During the Covid-19 lockdown, immunity booster foods and general immune system booster products have become highly popular as they help you fight virus naturally. It is true that prevention is better than cure (not applicable for Coronavirus as there is no cure at present. So the only way to keep yourself safe is prevention. What better way of prevention than using something natural such as Yoga? In view of the uncertainties of what immune system booster is best for you, why not give immunity yoga a try?

Ancient Yoga-Boosting Immunity Naturally

Practicing yoga is soothing, relaxing and spiritually uplifting, if done correctly and regularly. In the current context, when Covid-19 has spread its tentacles across the globe infecting more than 6 million people, it is highly recommended to practice, use and adapt whatever works well for you. From including immunity booster foods to your diet to practising immunity yoga regularly, you can do it all during lockdown as there is no lack of time, right? It works well for most people and is the most natural way to give your immune system a much-needed boost.

Deep Breathing-Pranayama for Immunity

First and foremost, the most vital function of our body, breathing has immense power to boost your immunity. However, the catch is that you must know how to harness its power. Yes, I am talking about deep breathing or conscious breathing at least once day, preferably early in the morning. That is part of Pranayama, which itself is a vast subject covering various methods and techniques to help you get the best possible health benefits from deep breathing. Boosting immunity is just one of the many benefits of deep breathing.

Twisting-Enhancing Flexibility of Parts That Can be Twisted

Not many people are aware that spinal flexibility is an indicator of how healthy you are. I have written about how spinal flexibility can be enhanced. Spinal twist can work wonders for your overall health not just for immunity. When you twist your spine, your digestion system gets stimulated, which helps in flushing out toxins. The overall result is, better digestion and strong immunity. And the best thing about spinal twist is that you can do it the first thing every morning, immediately after waking up. While still in bed, as soon as you sit up, twist your spine left and right twice or thrice. Do it regularly and notice the difference. In fact, this helps in weight loss as well. Ardha-Matyendrasana is the yogic posture that twists your spine and gives you many health benefits.

Stretching for Boosting Immunity

Simply stretching your body twice or thrice every day can help you boost your immunity. Again, I’d like to mention that spinal stretch works wonders . Paschimottanasana or forward bending positions stretch your back and improves blood flow to sinuses. This eases congestion, and gives your immune system a boost. While my favourite is paschimottanasana, you can choose any other yoga position that stretches your back or spine.

Inverted Yoga Postures

Our heart pumps blood to different parts of the body. While gravitation helps in carrying the blood to lower parts of our body, our heart has to work harder to pump blood to our upper parts, especially the head. In inverted position, this flow gets reversed as your legs are upwards and head is lower than heart. This helps in improving overall blood circulation in all parts of the body. Your head gets ample supply of blood and often clears various blockages due to less flow of blood. Your nervous system gets relaxed and kind of resets itself every time you perform an inverted position. This works in favour of your overall health and immunity. Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) and Sirsasan (Head Stand) are highly effective but must be done under expert supervision as they seem to be simple, but are not. Wrong posture can be counter-productive or harmful.

Savasan-Corpse Posture

As the name suggests and even the picture of someone performing Savasan, gives an impression that it is an easy posture, but it is not. You need to learn the technique of doing Savasan correctly to get the maximum possible benefits. This posture relaxes you completely and boosts your immunity, if you know how to do it without falling asleep.

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