Being Fit a show off or a life style? Fitness fad is at its highest peak now a days. Every one wants to hit the gym ,join jumba ,go for a walk, or enroll in aerobics. It's good to see so many women too join this run up which was previously more of a men's regime. Though being Fit is definitely a good idea it should become a daily routine or a life style rather than a fad or show off. If it becomes so then there is 100% chance that it might fade away sooner than later. So how can we make it a daily routine? how can we keep it going when it hits the boring button in our heads? Try to follow the following steps Step 1:  As it is exercise demands time and energy, even if we sustain for some days boredom comes up very easily. So to avoid this make a group of friends who are in same area and have similar thoughts about health keep up. Then even if one is lagging behind, others will pull them up Step 2: Dont punish your body with too much of work out. If you do so,your mind will reject the idea of work out as a whole. So keep it slow and build it up Step 3 : Food also should be controlled a bit when you are working out, or else how ever much you bend there wont be much of result. Step 4: Finally keep an off day or cheat day in a week or may be once in 2 weeks. That day Sleep and eat to your hearts content, then your mind and body will be rejuvenated to go back to your work out again Keep it simple and smooth,enjoy your body and enjoy your work out,health will be with you all the time. Keep Rocking!!   .......PUSPHA

  Smart Shirts for Health   Smart Technology has emerged in every area of life today, even into Clothing industry. We tend to loose track of health and fitness, but some smart clothes donot let us ignore health longer. Hexoskin has introduced a smart shirt that keeps track of our heart rate and breathing count...it can also help one keep an eye on the sleep patterns and sleep functioning of the body. It collects all this data and transports to a smartphone using and App, with the help of a small chip that fits into a small pocket in the shirt. We donot know when would such smart clothes be easily available and affordable but people who are afraid of heart checkups, sticking electrodes and piercing nodes for health checks can escape from all those with these smart shirts and easily keep track of their heart health etc. Like the treadmill test Doctors recommend, these smart shirts can track ones heart rate while in motion including no.of steps, acceleration of the body etc. they are machine washable and light weight Italian fabric. such an attractive item, but just the time when we can find them in atleast one store per city is unknown. Kudos to those innovators who are so smart to have invented these smart shirts !! .....Prathyusha  

How A Working Woman Should Fast During Navaratri! If you are that woman who likes to strike a balance between work and your faith for god, there are few things you must keep in mind this Navaratri. To start with, make sure that fasting during this period does not make you tired. Remember, that you are fasting to become healthy not sick. Keep stress in check during these 9 days. In general stress has negative effects on your body, if this occurs during fasting things can go from bad to worse. So always carry along with you, some quick fasting food that can help you in a stress situation. You never know when stress will attack you, so it is always better to be prepared. It is advised that having fruit juices in stress while fasting can be very beneficial. Fasting food needs to be chosen wisely. Consuming high calorie food during Navaratri fasting is not a very good idea. So, this season stay away from fried foods, potato chips and heavy fruits like a banana. Apart from this, you also need to take care to avoid acidity while fasting on these auspicious days. For this, keep giving your body fruits and nuts at regular intervals. Not eating for too long can bring out unwanted results. Don’t let fasting deprive you of energy. Keep replenishing your body with its requirements so you can enjoy the festival thoroughly. Follow these simple tips and experience fasting in Navaratri like never before. Shubh Navaratri! Kruti Beesam

The Health of A Woman at Different Ages!  A woman’s body undergoes many changes each as she grows older. Naturally, the requirements of her health vary with time. The care she needs at one stage of her life, is not what she needed in the previous stage nor it is what she will need in the next. That is why it becomes important for every woman to know what her health needs are, at every stage of her life. So let us try and understand the same today. Starting with the early period of life, every woman in her 20s must get regular health check ups done. Find a physician who you can see on a regular basis, to eliminate health issues at an early stage. This is the time to develop good eating habits. Make sure you give your body 1,200 mg of calcium and 1000 IU of vitamin D everyday. As you enter your 30s your attention needs to drift to your body metabolism. As everything starts to slow down at this stage, it increases the possibility of unwanted weight gain. To avoid this, you must include exercises your daily routine. By attempting to strengthen your muscle, you will be improving your metabolic rate. At this point of life, you must prioritize a few needs of your body, like sleep. 8 hours of undisturbed sleep is a must for every woman at this age. Neglecting this could mean stress to your body, increased blood pressure and compromised immunity. In your 40s the needs of your body change again. Now nutrition should be your priority. Talk to your doctor about what sort of food your body needs, in what quantities and at what intervals. It is also the time when you should get your mammograms. This will keep a check on the development of breast cancer. Include Omega 3 in your diet through packed fish like salmon and fiber through fruits and vegetables. In your 50s you must direct your attention towards things like levels of cholesterol, prevention of diabetes and remember to get vaccinated. Most important care to your body at this age is to discuss menopause and understand the changes your body will go through in the near future. Take care of yourself.   ..... Kruti Beesam

  Are you or your child vaccine ready ? Vaccinations/ Immunizations are necessary to make our bodies immune to locally and periodically occuring and spreading diseases and sometimes to fight and stop a bacteria or virus from attacking our bodies from the atmosphere or others around. When a child is born, a series of Immunizations are suggested by the pediatricians to make a child ready to fight the atmospheric calamities in the form of viruses and diseases. As Man is getting more and more educated, faith in these vaccines is increasing, at the sametime, doubts are also arising as to these vaccines are capable of doing what they are made for or are they causing any side effects harmful to the body. In this scenario, everyone shall be smart to think before getting ready for any vaccination. It is just to be smart and educated about what is happening around with our health and bodies. The National Vaccine Information Center of USA suggests everyone to find answers to these questions below before taking their children or getting themselves ready for immunizations. * Did my child or  I have any bad reaction to a vaccine in the past ? * Do we have any family history of major health problems, any vaccine reactions, neurological disorders, food or drug  ( medicine ) allergies, or any immune system problems ? * Is my child or I sick right now? * Am I aware of any vaccine related or disease related reactions, risks or side effects ? * Do we know how to identify any vaccine or medication related reactions ? * Will we be provided with the vaccine's manufacturer name, lot number, chemical composition details in written or printed form for records ? * Am i convinced to say YES for the vaccination ? * So get vaccine ready as climate changes occure, smartly and safely !!   --pratyusha

  The Calcium Factor Calcium is one of the important mineral that’s needed for any organism with blood and bones. It’s estimated that more than 90 percent of the calcium we intake, is used by our body to maintain the structure of our bones. But now a day, too many things were said and heard about the role of calcium in the life of a woman. Let’s take a brief… Why women:   Though calcium is important for any person, it is said to be of much prominent for a woman. Women need much calcium during pregnancy. Though studies found that their body can cope up with the increased craving for the calcium during pregnancy, it’s always better to talk with the doctor regarding the need for calcium supplements. The blood pressure of a pregnant women and the bone development of the child in her womb can be severely affected by low calcium levels. The Estrogen effect:   With an advancing age, the levels of estrogen hormone in women would drop down. This has a direct affect in lowering the density of their bones- a condition called Osteoporosis.  The onset of Osteoporosis is so silent that most of the patients get to know of their ailment only after a fracture. According to International Osteoporosis Foundation, one in every three women might face the risk of an Osteoporosis fracture, while it is limited to one in every five in case of men!  Intake of calcium is supposed to lower the risk of Osteoporosis. For muscles and heart: Women keep working for hours together without bothering to relax and rejuvenate. They don’t even bother to have a glass of water while they work. Working continuously and without enough fluids would result in muscle cramps.  Muscle cramps though occasional can be severely painful. Having enough calcium levels in our body would reduce the risk of muscle cramps, because calcium has an important role to play in muscle contraction. It would let our muscles to move smoothly. Calcium even found to have a positive effect on the muscles of the heart thus reducing the chance of a heart stroke. It is even found to reduce the risk of blood clotting which is good news for patients with cardio vascular diseases. Intake of calcium: Having said enough about the role of calcium, the question now arises is about its intake. Various studies prove varied points regarding the sufficiency of calcium. It might change according to our age and lifestyle. So it’s better to leave for our physician, to determine the quantity of calcium required according to our age and ailments. But it’s always good to remember that the natural and most sought out source of calcium is MILK. Other natural sources include beans, nuts and leafy vegetables. However vitamin D is also essential along with the calcium. It helps our body to absorb the calcium we have consumed. As we are aware that sunlight is the natural source of vitamin D, let’s give our body a chance- to look at the sun once in a while!   --Nirjara

  Tips for a Healthy Day   For a healthy life, every day's health is crucial, like a building's strength in every strong brick laid. Parents keep teaching their kids to stay active and eat healthy. Children would not follow until they see their own parents do that. For a healthy foundation, here are some tips to help the family get started on the right foot: Kick off with a healthy breakfast: A balanced, healthy, nutritious breakfast is extremely important to fuel the body and mind for an active day. A Daily requirement of Proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats should be met to avoid malnutrition. Hydration complusion: Drinking sufficient plain water during the day keeps the body well hydrated. Only water, this doesnot count soda, juices, tea or coffee. Children and adults should stay away from Processed foods, store bought ready-made foods, High fructose corn syrup and MSG items.   Preparing a well-balanced food for the lunch box is important. Cooking lunches in advance along with dinners or prepping to cook lunches during the busy mornings will be helpful to pack a balanced, nutritious food for lunch too. Even snacks should be well-balanced mini meals like fruits, cheese, homemade fruit yoghurt, homemade milkshakes or smoothies. Children are required to spend 60minutes of active time every day. Leave aside their school schedules, parents should make it a rule to spend 60 minutes with children, exercising together, going on bike rides, jogging, playing outdoor games. This helps the whole family stay active and healthy, sametime the family bonding strengthens to leaps and bounds. If Parents lead by example, children will follow sincerely. Have a healthy every day !!   --Pratyusha

  Some Diseases That Effect Women Differently!   The modern lifestyle has got all the human beings to experience certain kinds of diseases that require them to alter their lives for ever. This is a fact known to all. What is not known is the fact that, these diseases effect men and women differently. The difference may not be seen in the symptoms but is observed in the effect it has on the mail and the female body. We’ll start with a simple thing as Alcohol abuse. Although it is observed that men are more likely to be dependent on alcohol and also that that they abuse the substance a lot more, it can be seen that a significant number of women do that too. If we take the case of the United States of America, it can be observed that 5.3 million women put their health at risk by abusing alcohol. It has been found that women who abuse alcohol intake put themselves at a greater risk of breast cancer, heart diseases and a condition called foetal alcohol syndrome. This is a condition in which the brain of the foetus is damaged due to the excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy. The instances of women dying of a heart disease are greater than men dying of it. Unfortunately, this is a directed result of a greater delay in the identification and treatment of a heart disease in women. Similarly the cases of depression are also found to be more among women. It could be because of a variation in the life that a woman leads. We must understand the need to take extra care of women and give them the attention they need.   Kruti Beesam

  Dealing with Spider Veins     Spider and Vericose veins are the most occuring side effects of sudden weight gain in human bodies. According to United States' Womenshealth.gov website, spider veins affect 50-55 percent of women in USA,  and vericose veins affect half the population of over 50year olds. Managing these pesky veins is tricky because they dont show up on the legs when the body has good rest...they appear soon after one has not had proper rest, or had been standing or walking for longer periods. In the Western socities like the United States where women wear skirts and swim wear, having spider or vericose veins is an uncomfortable situation. They dont allow such dressup styles and one tends to cover the legs to hide these odd veins. They also spring up under the eyes, on hands for some. For few women, these occur as side effects of pregnancy or excessive weight gain, or even constipation due to low-fiber in foods consumed. They can be prevented by following a few simple steps: By controlling body weight. -eating a balanced healthy diet -consuming high-fiber, low-sodium food -exercising regularly to improve blood circulation -wearing sunscreens to protect skin -elevating legs when resting/ sleeping -not crossing the legs when sitting for longer periods of time -avoiding tight clothing around waist or legs. Many Indian women also face these odd veins issues but because of the cultural dress up habits, they dont seem to care much about the skin unexposed. However, relief from spider and vericose veins is definitely helpful for anyone suffering due to low blood circulation side effects these come with. Prathyusha Talluri

 Coffee for Good !   That hot cup of coffee in the morning, oh, Whatte refreshing start ! There are people i know who drink more than just a big mug a day....they keep sipping three to four small cups of coffee during their chores, and the family members have concerns about their health...too much caffeine ! There has been a debate about coffee and its limit of consumption per day, some say its good, many say it is bad. A four-year long new study from Harward School of Public Health reports that people who consumed more than one cup of coffee a day were found to have 11 percent lower risk of Type-2 Diabetes. Conversely, people who reduced their daily consumption of coffee by more than a cup had 17 percent more risk of being affected by Type-2 Diabetes. for the healthy lot is a good news and even better news for all the Diabetics who have many dietary restrictions. You get to sip your favorite Java, happily. Many have been under the misconception that Decaffeinated coffee does good, but the study reported that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee brought in the same benefits. When a study was conducted on animals, the bioactive and phenolic compounds in coffee were shown to improve glucose and metabolism and that might have been the reason for both caffeinated and decaf coffee to yield same benefits. Coffee has long been known as a rich source of anti-oxidants.Consuming caffeine in the form of coffee is better than consuming caffeine in the form of aerated beverages that come with high sugar and artificial flavors and what not....and so 'Have another Cuppa Coffee' !!! - Prathyusha Talluri

  Perfect Walk walking is the best exercise for any age group, is what we all agree upon. However, do you know that perfect result of fitness from walking is obtained from choosing right walking shoe? When you have decided to go for walking, you need to have clarity on place and surface you are walking. Is it a track, pavement or hill area which includes slight trekking, depending on this you have to select your shoe. Walking has less impact to your feet than running. As a result, a true walking shoes doesn’t require as much cushioning in the heel as a traditional running shoe provides. Walking shoes often focus on providing cushioning under the ball of the foot. If you are walking in the rainy season too, a waterproof shoe will likely be important to you, so a trail-running shoe could be a good option. Trail-running shoes often have waterproof uppers, plus sturdy soles and support with feature like quick drying.When fitness is your goal, then look for the low weight and support of a running shoe. They’ll work fine for walking on pavement or a treadmill. But they are not the right ones, when you walk side by side or for abrupt motion. Walking sometimes may causes swelling on your feet, hence choose your shoe that has half thumb gap between your big toe and end of the shoe. This can avoid blisters and black toe nails. Lifetime of a shoes is not more than 8-10 months. After that shoes can't give you the flexibility and cushioning effect. So, replace your shoe accordingly. While buying shoes, never hesitate to take a test drive. Do a little walk with in the store to check if they are perfectly fit.. - Bhavana

  For The Health Of A Working Woman!     Doing household work is a lot of exercise. This was not realized by women themselves, until the trend changed and women started going to work in an official set up. Most of today’s highest positions cause life to become sedentary, with very little or no exercise at all. This is causing a lot of problems, that were not part of a woman’s life before. The modern women is putting herself at a risk of a wide range of health problems from obesity to cardiovascular diseases. Don’t worry! There are some easy ways to get out of this problem. Tackle it before it is too late. To start with, walk whenever you can at work. If that is happening, take short breaks and walk around for a couple of minutes. You could also take a walk when you are talking on the phone. This will give you the much needed exercise, for which you have no time at all.     When you are hungry between meals, choose a healthy snack over one that can add to your calories. Find an appropriate time in a day when you can do some simple exercises. You can spare a minimum of 20 minutes per day can’t you? Simply exercising cannot keep a working woman healthy. So make sure you take care of your diet too. Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you must eat well. Include some fresh fruits in your breakfast to stay fit. Don’t forget to drink lots of water during the day. This will keep you hydrated and fresh. Follow these tips to create a balance between work and health. -Kruti Beesam

  A True Friendship is good for your Health ! (Friendship Day Special)   As a famous quote says 'Friendships are good for health', so are its benefits for life too. Good friends come as a package of goodness....Friendships make the boring everyday life easy. For someone who is Aging, a group of good friends make it easy to forget those younger days. For someone battling to face Retirement, true friends make even the idle days look restful and happier. Motivation, Encouragment are the attributes of friendship. Someone who is looking to join a health club or a fitness center is likely to attend all sessions of training if a friend goes along...lets say this way, even a 10k run is interesting to those who participate with friends than to those who are just fitness and health conscious but alone.     People tend to show Increased boldness towards new challenges in life like relocating to new countries or places, or quitting a job and joining a new one if a friend encourages. A new friendship erases loneliness in a stranger country or at a new job place. Any healthy lifestyle changes like becoming a vegan if a friend is ready to accompany or quit smoking and consuming alcohol etc get easier if ones friends cooperate and encourage. Among kids, friendships encourage studying well and increased outdoor activities, which enable a healthy lifestyle from childhood A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow- said William Shakespeare. If we can elaborate it...a friend knows me along with my weaknesses and strengths, what i went through in life from childhood, accepts me even when i am rude or silly, and still, gently allows me to grow closer in friendship.....can we find such a friend?! I have a couple of them...count your many blessings-friends!! Happy Friendship Day..celebrate your friendship now !!!   -Prathyusha Talluri   Click here for more Friendship Day Special articles Trends in Friendship Long live - friends! Rules in Friendship?? స్నేహం పేరుతో ఒక దేవుడు స్నేహం

  Using MultiVitamins Regularly?!  A human body needs vitamins and minerals every day. Women, Men and Children need a daily consumption of the required vitamins and minerals. Many brands of Multivitamins are available over the counter for everyone of us, Pregnant womem, newborns if necessary, nursing mothers and all. Even Couples who are preparing for a child conception are suggested to start taking prenatal multivitamins for a healthy child, and to women also after Child birth for easy recovery and during nursing stages. Some come as capsules, tablets, oral suspension drops for newborns, chewable gummies for young children etc.... Many of us have intolerance to a particular vitamin or mineral, it is important to keep observing our health patterns based on food consumptions and reactions that follow, if any and control the intake of that particular nutrient or avoid it if necessary. Consuming junk food is a culprit when it comes to food reactions, some processing units mix items without intention and it results in food reactions...it is important and recommended to read the nutrition chart and content label on the food pack before even tasting it. Though it is necessary to consume the required amount of these nutrients, overdose is dangerous, it is strictly recommended not to consume even one capsule more than the prescribed amount. Every nutrient comes with side-effects of over consumed and hence, severe caution is advised by the Doctors and also on the conrent table on the vitamin bottles. There have been some arguments about the nutrition offered by capsules, some say they maynot be useful to the body, and some say they are perfect....discussions and studies happening still. Hence, it is safe to consume nutritional foods that are rich in these vitamins and minerals, by keeping a track of the daily requirement. Natural food is the best way to possess nutrients....even that method is called 'consuming multivitamins regularly'!! Are you? - Prathyusha Talluri 

Happy Eating!! Here am again talking about the much debated phrase " Healthy eating ".But i am neither going to talk about "What to eat? When to eat ? or How to eat ?" Am going to talk about how to control your thought while eating. Now a days we see many diets on display starting from fruit diet to water diet, people who followed it and how they lost in KILOS!! ...From Tv shows to Internet every where we find tips on diet plans and Apps too. But according to experts " eating is more emotional than physical". fact that we eat too much when we are depressed rather than being hungry proves it. So what ever diet you follow if your mind is not in place either it will go down the drain and make you weak or pile up in body and make you fat.So before you think of dieting please do check if you are mentally calm. If you are not 1st attend to that, so that when ever you eat you will have control on your food intake too. "A happy soul will stay in a healthy body" was an old line..."A happy mind will give you a healthy body which in turn can give space to a happy soul" is the ultimate truth. So keep calm and take charge of your mind before DIETING !!!! - Bhavana

Yes, I am angry!! Anger Management has off late become a very important point of discussion among women. They say its hard to control anger and it often leads to denting of human relations and feelings.This is a big problem especially with women bcoz they are expected to have tons of patience.The question here is why should we control our anger?? when you are allowed to show your love as an emotion and make people accept it,why cant you show your anger and make them accept it too?? The problem basically lies with women themselves. They think they should not be angry,they think they have to have patience, they think they should compromise..its their thinking and not the rule of law. So its more important to understand that women need to express their Anger too rather than suppressing it. The important thing here is they to remember and identify the 3 Ways What? When ? Why? What are they Angry about? A: They should not shift the anger to any other point other than the main issue or subject of discussion. When should they show it out? A:They should know the right time to express (Not too late Or not too early). Why should they do so? To come out of the pressure which might build up if kept long and will spoil every situation which is around and with in. Keep Coming out of Anger asap, this is surely possible with a continous effort...Which will always have a happy ending.. - Bhavana

Understand Your Body! Do you really know your body? May be not! Once you read the facts below, you will know exactly how your body functions everyday. Can you take a guess how much hair you lose everyday? On an average an individual loses 80 strands of hair daily. This is true for those who wash their hair once a week or on a daily basis. Research says more hair is lost during the summer months, when compared to the rest of the year. Have you ever met the good bacteria on your skin? If you haven’t, its time to say hello to them. These micro organism help in skin cell turnover and build our immunity. You know what? We leave out a few of them, wherever we go. We are all shedding skin throughout out lives. Even as you use your PC to read this article, you are shedding out a lot of dead skin. Interestingly, the surface of all parts of our body is dead except for our eyes. If our body is made of 1.6 trillion skin cells, we replace 30,000 to 40,000 of them every hour. Our body takes 30 days to regenerate completely. It may interest you to know that the dust you find at home, is nothing but the skin you have been shedding all through. Now you know your body better. So, take care of it and live a healthy life. - Kruti Beesam

 Home remedies for Menstrual Cramps   When women have painful periods, it is very difficult to perform normal household, making to job for working women, or school-related activities during each menstrual cycle. Painful menstruation is the leading cause of lost time from school and work for most of the girls and women in their teenage and twenties. Here are few home remedies which will give you relief from the cramps:  * Place a bottle filled with hot water or use a heating pad over the lower  part of your abdomen and lower back for 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat this  exercise for 3-4 times a day to find relief from pain. * Taking two tablespoons of flax-seeds every day during periods will balance your hormones; this will reduce the menstrual pain also. * Take ½ tea spoon of cinnamon powder, mix it in to 1 glass of hot water, still well and allow it to settle. Add 2 tablespoons of honey to this mixture and drink. Consume this at least two times a day will give you quick relief. * Prepare black tea, add ½ tablespoon of crushed ginger , 2 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of honey and drink twice in a day. This will relieve you from the pain during periods. * Take handful of basil leaves, crush them in to paste and extract the juice. Mix this juice in hot water and add 1 tablespoon of honey and drink this 3-4 times. - Bhavana