Sleeping problems? Thirteen simple tips for sound sleep at night

It is but an absolute necessity for every human being in this world to have rest for a minimum of 7 to 9 hours a day in the form of sleep.  While there might be some deviation in the time spent for sleeping, one cannot ignore the importance of the quality of sleep to provide the desired relief and rejuvenation to the body, both mentally and physically.  The quality of sleep also plays a vital role in determining your activities the next day.  Needless to point out that a poor sleep or a disturbed sleep will make your next day not quite so refreshing one.  Cascading effects of a poor sleep at night might affect your work, level of concentration and the ability to interact with other members in the family and at workplace.

How many of us can say with confidence that we have a complete and sound sleep without any external assistance?  I leave the answer to the concerned individuals.  In this fast-paced world where man runs ahead of time chasing the shadow, it is definitely a bliss to have a sound sleep at night. 

How can a person get a good and sound sleep at night?

The following tips might be of help to people suffering from sleep disorders.

One can follow the basic sleeping rituals to have a sound sleep at night.  These rituals include :

• A warm bath before going to sleep;
• Reading a book for a few minutes in bed;
• Listening to soothing music while lying in the bed;
• Use bedroom only for sleeping and ensure that TV is not placed in the bedroom, or else working files or other things are not kept in the bedroom
• Ensure that the bedroom is quiet and dark; if there is any outside disturbance such as sounds, try to eliminate them totally
• Wear clothes such that they are loose-fitting and comfortable
• Also ensure that you prepare a regular timetable for your daily routines and follow it strictly including going to bed, waking up time, exercise, dinner time, etc., so that you daily routine can function as a ritual every day.

If any of the above mentioned things did not aid you in having sound sleep at night, then there might be other reasons for not getting a sound sleep at night.  One can try to implement any one of the following tips to get sound sleep at night.

1. Do not take a long nap during the day time; this will result in not getting sound sleep during night
2. Avoid taking a heavy meal, especially at the night time, before going to bed.  Ensure that you take meals during day time at regular intervals.
3. Avoiding coffee or caffeine in any form, especially after meals in the day time, will assist in falling asleep during night
4. If you are a smoker, it is advisable that you do not smoke atleast a couple of hours, if not more, before going to sleep, as nicotine content in cigarattes might hinder sound sleep at night
5. If worries or tension about some thing engulf you and prevent you from having a sound sleep, which is the case in many instances, you can try this simple tip:  Devote 30 minutes of your time after dinner to writing down in paper the nature of the problems or pressure that is keeping you awake; also record the possible solutions for the same, including alternatives.  Give a reading of the entire written matter and then set aside the paper.  Then go to bed and try to sleep.
6. If you did not get sleep, after writing down in paper, for more than 15 minutes, do not stay in the bed lying.  Get from the bed, come to the living room, and watch TV or spend time reading a book till you get sleep.  But, in such instances, ensure that you get up at the correct time the next day morning.

Hope these tips will help a person suffering from sleeping problems overcome the same and have a sound sleep at night.

Proteins - the building blocks for growth and development

It is essential that we, human beings, consume food at frequent intervals everyday to get the required energy to keep us alive in this universe. Without food in any form, one cannot survive in this world beyond a period.

While consumption of food at frequent intervals will ensure that you survive in this world, what type of food and in what proportion you consume the same on a daily basis determines the health of your body and the energy and stamina you derive from the food to keep yourself not only fit, but also hale, healthy and energetic.

Basically, a person requires the following ingredients in his daily food consumption. They include proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, fat and minerals. A right mix of the same in appropriate quantities will ensure a healthy life for a person. Proteins and carbohydrates form the bulk of our food consumption and without these two essential components, not only will be a meal complete, but the desired result of food consumption – energy to live – cannot be fulfilled in its entirety.

Let us understand more about Proteins and its importance in maintaining a healthy body.

Protein is the main ingredient that is required to maintain the body. In the early years of life, especially during childhood and adolescence, protein is very essential because it paves for growth and development of the body. Protein is required in later stages for upkeep of the body and maintenance.

What does this protein do to the body?

Protein helps in building up the body structure such as bone matter and cell tissues. Protein is found in muscles, skin, nails, hair and also in blood.

Not only does protein help in building up the body, but it also ensures and maintains supply of essential enzymes, hormones and antibodies. These essential enzymes, hormones and antibodies help in regulating the most important functions of our body, such as the ability for digesting food.

What is this protein made up of?

Protein is made up of amino acids, which are found in many foods. Rather than building blocks, these amino acids are linked together in chain structures that give each kind of protein its specific characteristics.

In all, there are as many as 24 (twenty four) amino acids that come under the category of proteins. Of these 24 amino acids, ten amino acids are called as Essential Amino Acids, and without these essential amino acids, the body cannot survive, not can the body synthesize them.

Thus, it is essential that our daily intake of food does include these 10 essential amino acids.

What are these 10 very essential amino acids?

They are:
• Isoleucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Valine
• Histidine
• Tyrosine, and
• Leucine.

Wheat and rice, which are invariably the basic components of any meal, contains Lysine, one of the essential amino acids.

Bioflavonoids: What are they and what is their role in our body?

It is a well known fact that our daily consumption of diet can be broadly classified to have proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and fat in some proportion.  These are not the only ones that help us keep our body fit, agile and healthy.  In addition to these broad categories, there are many other things that also play a very vital role in their own way to help us maintain a healthy body.  One of such important things that is found in many eatables we consume is classified under a broad category called bioflavonoids.

What are these bioflavonoids?

The fruits and vegetables we consume do include a range of naturally occuring phytochemicals.  These phytochemicals are classified in a broad group called as Bioflavonoids.  This broad group of bioflavonoids, comprises of flavorants and plant pigments, and is categorized into many sub categories such as isoflavones, flavans, flavones, flavonines, and anthocyanidins.

What do they do?

We might be aware of the role of Vitamin C in our body.  According to the latest research in the field of medical technology, the bioflavonoids present in many fruits and vegetables help in enhancing the performance of Vitamin C. 

In addition to enhancing the performance of Vitamin C, these bioflavonoids also provide many health promoting effects to our body. 

Bioflavonoids play an important role in improving the strength of the capillaries, which are highly permeable blood vessels.  It is these capillaries that allow hormones, oxygen, antibodies and nutrients from the bloodstream into individual cells.  If the capillaries are not strong enough, or else, if the capillary walls are fragile, then blood will seep into the cells and might cause abnormalities, small and big such as bruises, hemorrages or even bleeding gums.  The capillaries are strengthened by these bioflavonoids by properly enhancing the degree of permeability in the capillary walls.

It has been discovered that some of the bioflavonoids help in preventing cellular damage that could be caused by free radicals when oxygen is used. 

Bioflavonoids play a vital role in either stopping or else slowing down the growth of malignant cells and thus help in protecting the body against cancer-causing substances.

Where are these bioflavonoids found ?

Fruits and vegetables are the major source for bioflavonoids and it is this reason that many doctors and nutritions advise intake of more fruits and vegetables as anti-cancer diet on a regular basis.

Citrus fruits contain flavanones; soy products are a good source for isoflavones; apples contain flavons.  Generally, fruits like cherries, apricots, cantaloupe, grape, grapefruit, tomatoes, papaya and plums are found to be rich in bioflavonoids.

Cancer: What is an ideal anti-cancer diet

Cancer is a life-threatening disease.  Thanks to the improvements in medical science and the vast research carried out in this challenging subject, people in general, and patients affected by the disease in particular, need not panic or worry unduly about the onset of disease.

                                                                

By effectively planning one's diet and changing the dietary style, one can fight cancer, achieve some sort of success, and increase the chances of extending his life span for a relatively longer period.

It has been proved beyond doubt that including more quantity of foods and vegetables, as well as fiber content, in a person’s diet every day reduces the risk of contracting most of the deadly cancers. 

How a person gets affected by cancer?

Cancer can be caused in a person’s body due to the presence of cancer-causing agents called as carcinogens.  Other environmental factors including radiation also lead to cancer in some cases.

Why should a person consume more fruits and vegetables?

The reason is quite simple.  Most of the fruits and vegetables that are gifted to the humanity by the Mother Nature have rich content of bioflavonoids as well as a variety of plant chemicals.  In addition to bioflavonoids and plant chemicals, these fruits and vegetables contain dietary fiber, folate, and antioxidants such as Vitamin C and beta-carotene.

How fruits and vegetables are useful to a person?

Intake of fruits and vegetables in sizable quantities will play a vital role in preventing cancer, in the first instance, and in case one contracts this deadly disease, these fruits and vegetables will help in arresting, slowing down or reversing the processes that might result in aggravating cancer.  In other words, the abnormal growth of evil cells can be effectively arrested and the threat of cancer can be minimized if not entirely avoided.

Fruits and vegetables, having rich content of bioflavonoids, plant chemicals, dietary fiber, folate and antioxidants, help in detoxifying or neutralizing the impact of carcinogens.  More specifically, fruits and vegetables help in the formation of protective enzymes in the body that are capable of preventing precancerous changes in cellular materials due to carcinogens,  or other environmental factors.

When cancer strikes, abnormal growth of tumor around cells takes place.  Intake of fruits and vegetables will help in reducing the hormonal actions that might otherwise stimulate the growth of tumor in specific places in the body.

Importance of fiber content

Every person’s diet should include fiber content.  A diet filled with high-fiber and low calorie content will help a person maintain his weight at optimum level and need not worry about obesity.  Being obese can also lead to cancer.  Fiber content in diet helps in the transit of waste through the colon in the digestive system and one can be rest assured that he could not contract colon cancer in his life if he takes adequate amount of fiber content in his daily routine diet. 

Briefly, if a person adjusts his dietary plan such that it includes good amount of fruits and vegetables as well as high fiber content, then he can be effectively protected from cancer disease, in the first instance.

Cancer: Useful tips for prevention and treatment

Cancer is a life-threating disease, which is characterized by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in any part of the body.  These abnormal cells, once developed in the body, are generally destructive in nature.  These cells cannot be eradicated from the body and their abnormal growth is very difficult to contain.

Thanks to intensive research and development in medical field, appropriate means for treatment and cure are available to the affected patients.  

Wisdom lies in preventing a disease like cancer in the first instance, while treatment is also available for the needy.

It has been discovered that the diet we consume in our daily life has a very important role in treating cancer, and more so in preventing cancer from affecting a person in the first instance.  To be more specific, latest developments in research over this life-threatening disease reveal that at least 35% of all cancers can be related to diet.  In this age of advanced technology where processed foods and foods having more fat content are being consumed, the probability of contracting this disease has also been on the rise.  By adapting some minor changes in our diet, it is possible that most of us can prevent the disease from approaching us.

If one were to prevent a disease like cancer ever threatening him in his lifetime, it is advisable that he follows the following simple tips, especially in connection with diet, and make the necessary dietary changes.

• ·         One should take more of vegetables and fruits in his daily consumption
• ·         One should reduce the intake of fat content in any form
• ·         Once diet should include a fair amount of fiber content
• ·         One should have control over the intake of alcohol and if possible, reduce the intake in a phased manner and cease to drink
• ·         Avoid or stop the habit of smoking
• ·         One should reduce the consumption of processed foods

How will you know that you have been affected by cancer?

The first thing that raises the doubt about the onset of cancer in a person’s health is weight loss, in most cases, abnormal weight loss.  Some people experience some sort of a loss of appetite in the initial stages, probably due to the impact of the cancer disease itself. A depression, caused in most cases after the diagnosis of a potentially fatal disease, might also lead to cancer among some people.

Whatever may be the cause or the effect of cancer, if one were willing to adapt some dietary changes and have a critical eye on what they eat, then cancer can be fought, if affected, and can be prevented in the first instance.