How to lose weight?

You can lose weight by two things:
  1-food planing
  2-exercise

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How to grow Taller?

Height is an essential factor which determines the overall personality of an individual. Though being short does not in any way undermine an individual’s capabilities, it’s a fact that tall people often become the centre of attention. Short statured people not only suffer from lack of confidence, but also face certain difficulties in some aspects of their lives.

Factors Affecting Height:

Being tall isn’t in our control, is it? Only partly true!

Genetic and non-genetic factors have a major role in determining our height. Our body height is regulated by the hormone called “Human Growth Hormone [HGH)”. HGH is secreted in our body by the pituitary gland and is required for the growth of long bones and cartilages.

a. Genetic Factors:

Height is influenced by various genes in our body. As our height is determined by several genes, it is polygenic. If both our parents are short, it does not mean we won’t be tall. Tall parents can have short children and vice versa. However, if most of the members of our family from both sides are of short stature, then the next generations are most likely to have a short height. Genetic factors are entirely beyond our control.

To calculate your projected height, follow these steps:

• First add both your parents’ heights together, either counting in inches or centimetres
• If you are male, add 5 inches, that is, 13 cm to this. However, if you are a girl, take away 5 inches from the total of your parent’s height
• Now divide this number by 2
• What you get is your projected height. This can be plus or minus 4 inches. This is an approximate way to predict what your height will be.

b. Non Genetic Factors:

There are several non-genetic factors that influence our height to an extent. Being tall is associated with growth and therefore, a short height can be attributed to inadequate nutrition for proper growth, lack of physical activity, incorrect posture, etc.

Certain other non-genetic factors which may affect height include:

• Maternal smoking during pregnancy,
• Prenatal and Post natal care
• Ill health during childhood and adolescence
• Birth weight
• Mental conditions during childhood and adolescence
• Non-genetic factors can be controlled to an extent by following an overall healthy lifestyle from childhood.

How to Increase your Height Naturally?

About 20% or more of our body height depends upon our environment, activities and diet. Thus, we can increase our height in a natural way by following certain basic rules in our daily lives.

1. Proper Sleep:

It’s a well-known fact that our body grows and regenerates tissues while we rest. Proper sleep and rest are absolutely essential in a growing body. It’s believed that the Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is produced naturally in our bodies during sound, deep and slow wave sleep. Growing children and teenagers should have at least 8 to 11 hours of proper sleep every night in order to reach their maximum height. It is extremely important to ensure that you have a proper sleeping environment. It should be serene, minus disturbing noises or strong lights. Here are some tips to ensure sound sleep:

• Taking a warm water bath before going to bed can greatly enhance the quality of sleep.
• You can drink one cup of chamomile tea before hitting the bed. This is really useful to induce sleep.

Proper sleeping habit is definitely the top answer when it comes to growing one’s height naturally.

2. Regular Exercise and Sports:

• One of the best ways to increase your height naturally is by being physically fit and active as a child. Regular exercise and sports activity enhances one’s height. When you are physically active, your body demands more healthy nutrients and consequently, an increase in nutrient intake results in proper growth.

• Indulging in sports activities like swimming, aerobics, tennis, cricket, football, basketball or a number of stretching exercises are a good way to keep our body growing. Our muscles improve our growth prospects besides cleansing and detoxifying our body through sweating. Regular exercise or sports should definitely form a part of our daily activities.

• Swimming is one of the best ways to increase your height. If one starts this at an early age, surely his/her height will be adequate. 2 hours of daily swimming for 4-5 days a week can be highly effective in increasing your height. The breast stroke is specially recommended for those who wish to increase their height. Swimming is a full body, intense form of exercise which will help to lengthen your muscles and build muscle strength.

• Some of the stretches you can try out with to begin are the car stretch, super stretch, cobra stretch, the bridge, bow down, twists, the table and basic leg stretches. It is recommended to do simple stretching exercises on a regular basis, for a minimum of 15 minutes for these to be effective for you. Stretches serves a great warm up before a workout.

• Hanging exercises can be useful to grow one’s height through exercise. Though these may seem a bit tough to try out in the beginning, you would get the hang of it slowly. All you need is a bar for this. Hang from it with your arms and spine stretched for 10 seconds. Repeat 12 sets one after the other or continue to do this for 2 minutes every day.

3. Yoga:

Yoga is a great and comparatively less strenuous way to increase your height naturally. Yoga brings about overall fitness which is useful to give a boost to your height. Certain yoga poses facilitate the release of growth-inducing hormones in the body. The stretching and balancing exercises involved in yoga strengthen the muscles and improve the posture of the body as well. Try yoga poses such as triangle pose (trikonasana), cobra pose (bhujangaasana), mountain pose (tadasana), pleasant pose (sukhasana), tree pose (Vriksasana). You can addSuryanamaskar to your fitness regime too.

4. Maintaining the Correct Posture:

Due attention should be given towards maintaining a correct posture from childhood. Simple things like sitting straight on a chair, keeping your shoulders straight, chin high, and hips over your feet while walking or standing can actually have favourable effects on your height. Do not slouch while walking.

A straight spine and a strong back are very vital in increasing your height. Align your neck and head without bending or slouching. Having a good pillow and a body-friendly mattress are equally important in keeping your spine comfortable.
It should be noted that your shoulders should not stoop while walking or standing. Hunching should be avoided by all means. A good posture makes you look tall, smart and confident.

5. Balanced Diet:

A balanced diet is absolutely essential to get proper nutrition. Stay away from junk food at any cost. Avoid saturated fats, carbonated drinks and excessive sugar-loaded foods as these can cause a negative impact on your height. It should be ensured that you get all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs, to grow to your full height.

• Vitamin D and proteins help in triggering the growth hormones, and are required for proper growth of teeth and bones. Hence, the foods which are rich in these nutrients such as cheese, legumes, tofu, lean meat, egg white should be included in your diet.

• Intake of zinc is also very important as its deficiency can lead to stunted growth in children. Foods such as asparagus, chocolate, eggs, oysters and peanuts are rich in zinc.

• Calcium found in dairy products and green vegetables is required for the growth and development of bones.

• Apart from this, other nutrients like minerals like magnesium and phosphorus, carbohydrates and vitamins should not be ignored as they also contribute towards proper growth of the body. The nutritional requirements can also be fulfilled by taking supplements in limited quantities.
• It is important to have a good metabolism. Hence, you can have six balanced meals throughout the day. Smaller but well-spanned portions can be helpful to boost your metabolic rate. This will lead to lesser fat storage in your body, thus allowing you to grow to the proper height.

6. Avoid Growth Stunting factors:

You can ensure that your height doesn’t get affected by external or internal factors. Hence, keep in mind a few things.

Taking drugs and alcohol at a young age can be extremely harmful. Consuming these can lead to stunted growth and malnutrition, thus preventing you from reaching your full height. The intake of caffeine should be restricted, particularly among children as it keeps you from sleeping soundly and regularly. As kids and adolescents require a good eight to eleven hours of sound sleep, caffeine can restrict that to a great extent, thus indirectly contributing to a short stature.

Apart from this, steroids have also been found to inhibit bone growth in young children, adversely affecting their height. Research has shown that asthma-affected children and teenagers who use inhalers tend to grow up to about ½an inch shorter than others. This is because these inhalers dispense relatively small amounts of the steroid called budesonide.

7. Strong Immune System:

Certain childhood illnesses can also cause stunted growth. These can be avoided by regular immunization and taking plenty of Vitamin C which is found in citrus fruits like orange, grapefruit and lemon. The immune system can be kept strong by eating whole and fresh foods, and avoiding processed and hydrogenated foods such as the very popular margarine.

A healthy diet will lead to a healthy immune system. Incorporate lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet to maintain a healthy immune system.

8. Ask For Medical Aid:

If you have reached your mid-teens and hail from a family where all members are tall, but find that your height isn’t developing, it is judicious to visit a doctor. Certain medical conditions can be detected at an early stage. Hence, if you are doing all in your means but still not growing, asking for medical aid is advised.

9. Build Your Confidence:

If a person is tall but lacks confidence, it’s no use. Hence, it is very important to build confidence from childhood and cultivate it as you grow older. You can take part in school activities, join a club and spend time pursuing your interests and hobbies. All of this acts towards boosting your mood and sense of well-being, thus affecting your confidence levels. If you have a positive mindset and are brimming with confidence, even a shorter stature won’t seem to be a hindrance for you. Hence, cultivate your confidence!

Don’t wait any longer; start right away to keep your body growing!
Leave me a suggestion if you have one to help me add a couple of inches more to my height!

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Cholesterol: Top 5 foods to lower your numbers

Diet can play an important role in lowering your cholesterol. Here are five foods that can lower your cholesterol and protect your heart.

By Mayo Clinic 

Can a bowl of oatmeal help lower your cholesterol? How about a handful of walnuts or even a baked potato topped with some heart-healthy margarine? A few simple tweaks to your diet — like these, along with exercise and other heart-healthy habits — may be helpful in lowering your cholesterol.

1. Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad," cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes.

Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as bananas, you'll add about 4 more grams of fiber. To mix it up a little, try steel-cut oatmeal or cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.

2. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids

Eating fatty fish can be heart healthy because of its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your blood pressure and risk of developing blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, fish oil — or omega-3 fatty acids — reduces the risk of sudden death.

The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:

• Mackerel
• Lake trout
• Herring
• Sardines
• Albacore tuna
• Salmon
• Halibut

You should bake or grill the fish to avoid adding unhealthy fats. If you don't like fish, you can also get small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil.

You can take an omega-3 or fish oil supplement to get some of the benefits, but you won't get other nutrients in fish, such as selenium. If you decide to take a supplement, just remember to watch your diet and eat lean meat or vegetables in place of fish.

3. Walnuts, almonds and other nuts

Walnuts, almonds and other nuts can reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy.

Eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease. Just make sure the nuts you eat aren't salted or coated with sugar.

All nuts are high in calories, so a handful will do. To avoid eating too many nuts and gaining weight, replace foods high in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, meat or croutons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.

4. Olive oil

Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol but leave your "good" (HDL) cholesterol untouched.

Try using about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day in place of other fats in your diet to get its heart-healthy benefits. To add olive oil to your diet, you can saute vegetables in it, add it to a marinade or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for butter when basting meat or as a dip for bread. Olive oil is high in calories, so don't eat more than the recommended amount.

The cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and contains more heart-healthy antioxidants. But keep in mind that "light" olive oils are usually more processed than extra-virgin or virgin olive oils and are lighter in color, not fat or calories.

5. Foods with added plant sterols or stanols

Foods are now available that have been fortified with sterols or stanols — substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol.

Margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks with added plant sterols can help reduce LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent. The amount of daily plant sterols needed for results is at least 2 grams — which equals about two 8-ounce (237-milliliter) servings of plant sterol-fortified orange juice a day.

Plant sterols or stanols in fortified foods don't appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good" cholesterol

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