A Guide to Winter Wellness

Winter has finally dawned upon us. The lower temperatures and calmer weather helps reduce stress and irritability. Along with its joyful festivals, this season is welcomed whole-heartedly by everyone. However, little does everyone realise that, this in fact, is the season when wellness is the most important. Treat your body as a place of worship. Here is a quick guide on small ways to keep yourself as fit as a fiddle this season.

Diet

Diseases take their rounds during winter. Hence, it’s of utmost importance to keep yourself healthy and strong. Your immune system should be well-geared to ward off any threats to the body. Changing everyday food habits can greatly help. Here are a few measures you can take:

• Honey is a good alternative to sugar as a sweetener. It keeps the body warm and helps fight viruses that might cause cough and cold.
• Green leafy vegetables like spinach are an ideal inclusion in your winter diet. Its anti-oxidant properties and high vitamin count make it good for the hair and skin.
• A lot of citrus fruits, especially oranges, are in season during winter. Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C and are good for the skin and metabolism.
• Garlic helps keep the body warm and has antibacterial and antiviral properties that help fight different winter diseases.
• Avoid white carbohydrate foods like bread, cakes, pasta and rice. They promote weight gain as they are digested quickly and cause your blood-sugar and insulin levels to spike. Switch to whole-grain varieties instead.

For comprehensive consultation on maintaining a healthy diet, contact our Nutrition Department:
https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/clinicaldepartments/nutrition.html

Body Care

The cooler weather strips off moisture from the skin. A regular day time lotion may not be enough to keep your body moisturized for 24 hours. Try to replace your lotion with an oil or an extra-nourishing lotion. Aromatherapy can also work wonders. Use some lavender oil while in the shower or add a few drops of olive oil in the bucket. Avoid taking very hot showers or exfoliating too much, as it’ll just make your skin more fragile. Winter is actually as damaging as summer sun so apply a generous amount of sunscreen to any exposed areas before you step out. In the night, treat your skin to a rich cream massage. To support extremely dry, cracking heels or rough elbows, massage those spots with organic castor oil. Daily application during winter can help heal cracks and smooth out stubborn roughness.

For skin care treatments, contact the experts at The Aesthetic Clinic:
https://www.aestheticlinic.co.in/

Face Care

Your face is especially sensitive to harsh, cool winds. Following a strict face-care routine is advisable. This includes cleansing off all the dirt with a light face wash, followed by toning and moisturizing. You can indulge in natural moisturising by using warm almond or extra virgin olive oil and use it as a night massage routine. Home-made face packs are highly effective. Use ingredients like avocado, yogurt, honey, bananas, olive oil and aloe vera to make nourishing masks. Treat chapped lips by using petroleum jelly or an over-the-counter lip balm.

Hair Care

The cold weather can create a havoc on your hair. Keep your tresses silky and healthy with the following tips.

• Purchase a good quality shampoo and conditioner but avoid using too much of shampoo, as the chemicals may be harsh. Wash your hair not more than twice a week and use lukewarm water to avoid frizziness.
• Apply a nourishing hair mask once a week to keep your scalp healthy.
• Avoid using a hairdryer. It is always good to let your hair dry naturally.
• Moisturise your hair once a week with a hot oil treatment to promote a healthy scalp and nourished hair. Some natural oils that work effectively are coconut oil, avocado oil and almond oil.
•  Make sure to wear a scarf or a hat to lock in the moisture of your locks and to save it from breakage.
• Also, to avoid static-prone hair that flies all over the place, keep your hair tied up as much as possible, especially when outdoors, or while exercising.

Here a few additional tips to keep going strong during the winter:

• Varying temperatures often irritate the nose and throat. The beauty of ayurveda comes into play here. Nasya oil is usually a sesame or sunflower oil base, infused with stimulating herbs to energize and refresh the mind, such as eucalyptus, peppermint, or lemon. It helps to soothe the nasal passage.
• Consult a doctor about taking a flu jab. If you’re a diabetes, kidney disease or asthma patient, your likeliness of caching a flu is greater.
• Some of the ways arthritis patients can get pain relief is by dressing warmly, working out inside, and getting enough vitamin D.  Massages are also extremely comforting. If the pain is consistent, don’t hesitate to contact our Pain Clinic:
  https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/clinicsatkh/painclinic.html

Winter can be rough for those who aren’t prepared to face it. Therefore, going that extra step to pamper your body is imperative.

‘Stress’ is something that affects everyone. It lingers around for days and months, causing headaches, anger, moodiness or poor judgement, and switches on your body’s’ danger mode. It leaves you frazzled, irritable and anxious.

Hence, the art of stress management comes in handy. It lays down a range of tools to regulate this never-ending battle. Without stress management, your body is susceptible to a plethora of diseases and health issues in the long run. You should take control of stress, before it takes control of you. Here are some useful stress management techniques you should follow:

Pen it Down

Stress is a fact of everyday life. It can be a result of a major change like marriage or moving homes, or a cumulation of little things. The main task is to pinpoint the exact factors that are causing stress. A useful method of measuring stress levels is by maintaining a journal. Though this may seem petty, writing down your thoughts and frustrations are a great way to not only let off some steam, but also identify the stressors in your life. You should try understanding why a particular stressor bothers you, and how you tend to react to it. Then, a clear pattern will come into view. Once the stressors are identified, the job is half done!

Fight it Back

You shouldn’t let stress get the better of you. Rather than coping sensibly with stress, most of us tend to be irrational and let ourselves fall deeper into the hole. Unhealthy methods of dealing with stress include consuming large amounts of alcohol, tobacco, drugs or caffeine, alienating yourself from your loved ones, procrastinating, eating junk food, oversleeping etc. Though these methods provide relief for the time-being, they have perilous long-term effects. You ought to focus more on creative and motivating tasks, or experiment with new hobbies or activities to clear your mind and fend off any unwanted stressors.

Get Active

An excellent way to reduce stress is by exercising. Be it as simple as cycling, taking a walk or climbing the stairs, any form of physical activity helps counter stress. It burns away anger and frustration, and releases the ‘feel good’ hormones in your body. By incorporating activities like dancing, swimming, yoga etc. in your daily routine, you will make it hard for stress to bother you.

Smile a Mile

You must surround yourself with happiness and have a good time with the people you love. Stress can be effectively beaten by giving it no reason to even arrive. It is of utmost importance to keep aside some relaxation time, shielded away from all kinds of stressors. Take a whiff of something aromatic, or dance along to the peppiest tunes, laugh to funny jokes or sip a cup of warm tea – there are plenty ways to keep happy!

Health is Wealth

Yes, this old saying stands true when it comes to countering stress. Simple eating habits play a major role in increasing immunity and reducing vulnerability to stress. You should indulge in eating healthy greens and beans, and keep your body well-nourished at all times. By avoiding alcohol, drugs and tobacco, you can ensure that your body has no reason to complain. Last, but not the least, maintaining a regular sleeping pattern is the key to a clear and fresh mind!

Train the Thoughts

A major contributor to stress is overthinking. By training your mind to block out redundant thoughts, you can safeguard yourself from unnecessary stress. It nevertheless requires a great deal of motivation and resilience, but is worth all the effort!

Other effective means of managing stress include:

• Learning to say ‘No’
• Extracting some ‘me time’
• Investing in a massage
• Finding a new hobby
• Dialing a friend
• Engaging with nature
• Getting a pet

Stress can be harmful in the long run. It leads to various health problems like asthma, diabetes, headaches, ageing, heart diseases, gastrointestinal diseases and even premature death. Hence, it is up to you to take matters in your own hands and effectively undertake stress management. So, straighten up, take in a deep breath and shove away all your stress. And remember, it’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it!

Studies have established that stress and anxiety have a negative impact on fertility, and that managing stress effectively is useful for an overall improved quality of life and increased pregnancy rates.

Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital’s Mind-Body Medical Institute offers a well-structured and holistic Mind-Body Program to address stress associated with infertility. You can find more details about the service, here:

https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/clinicaldepartments/reproductiveendocrinologyfertility/stressmanagement.html

Winter is here and most of us are enjoying the slight drop in temperature. The cooler weather makes us crave for foods like tea, coffee, spicy foods, fried foods, chocolates and hot soups. Many people believe that winter is the time of bingeing, but that is always not true. These extra calories are valid only if you are living in freezing conditions, as in the north of the country. Elsewhere winter is mild, but it definitely is the time to enjoy some seasonal delights!

It is that time of the year to eat foods full of nourishment, to make your body and immunity strong for the rest of the year.
Certain winter foods generate heat and help cope with the falling temperature. The heat produced in the body by these foods is called diet-induced thermo-genesis. The energy released during digestion and assimilation eventually helps increase body heat.

Keep yourself healthy and warm with some of these winter special foods:

• hyawanprash – Chyawanprash is magic potion made of herbs. It is a delicious nutritive jam made with many herbs and amlas which is the main ingredient. Chyawanprash is said to be an anti-aging supplement. It aids rejuvenation and anti aging hence its link with youthfulness. It also enhances the assimilation of nourishment from the foods we are eating. Amla with its phytonutrients, antioxidants and digestive enzymes acts as anti-aging. It also works as a mild laxative and thus help you relieve the bloated feeling when you wake up and also with the constipation too.
• Our basic grains – Traditional grains like jowar, bajra, barley, oats and corn have great warming properties. Relish these grains in the form of rotis.
• Garlic – Garlic is known to be the easiest home remedy to cure fever and cold. It has the ability to increase the levels of enzymes that help the liver detoxify the blood that gives it special immune powers. Eating raw garlic provides maximum potency but if you cannot tolerate the strong taste, you can have it in cooked form.
• Green tea and chamomile tea – Green tea is a powerful antioxidant and has strong antiviral and antibacterial properties. Drinking approximately three to five cups of green tea a day keeps your immune system in check. Chamomile tea is also said to possess antioxidants that help fight against cold and flu during the winters.
• Honey – It is known to be the safest and the easiest way to cure cold and fever during winter. Honey is known for its antibacterial properties that help fight bacteria and virus. You can have honey every night before going to bed, or mix it in a cup of warm milk for added advantage.
• Spices – Besides generating heat, spices like cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cloves and pepper also contain phytochemicals that act as decongestants, are anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. Ginger and garlic especially are great decongestants and improve blood circulation.
• Hot soups – They are definitely the season’s favourite. A bowl of healthy and wholesome soup is not only nutritionally sound, but will also make you feel full and prevent you from eating junk food. Avoid ready soup mixes as they contain high amount of starch and preservatives. Homemade soups and stews are the way to go.
• Dry fruits – Snack on unsalted nuts and dry fruits like almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, walnuts and apricots. They are nutritionally dense and take longer to digest, keeping your appetite in check. Have them in appropriate quantities (6-8 pieces) and balance the intake with a healthy dose of exercise.
• White radish, onion and garlic – They are rich in isothiocyanates and indoles, phytochemicals that help prevent cancer. Their strong flavour helps to pep up the taste of food.
• Leafy greens – Methi, Palak, Sarson are all available in abundance and are a good source of beta-carotene and Vitamin C – both powerful antioxidants that help fight disease and build immunity. Others in this category are coriander, amaranth, celery, radish greens, etc.

So this winter eat fresh, eat healthy and build a strong immune system. Healthy nourishment is the first step towards a healthy body.

As we welcome the weather of foggy mornings and chilly evenings we are happy to get a break from the otherwise hot Mumbai climate. Winter is almost there in India and it’s the time to rejoice! It’s the season of endless cups of “Adrak chai” and strong coffee. It is also that time of the year filled the approaching holidays and the wedding season. However for many the winter season brings a lot of diseases with the onset of low temperatures.

During winters, the body heat usually experiences a drop as the environment cools. At the same time, the body is adjusting to the new climate. As a result, the change in the process is demonstrated through a number of diseases. While some people are more susceptible to catching these common diseases most can be avoided by just a few precautions:

Some common winter diseases in India:

Colds and Flu: Contrary to popular belief, cold and flu symptoms are not a direct result of falling temperatures. Many individuals suffer from bacterial or viral induced cold and flu symptoms resulting from a compromised immune system. In the winter, when temperatures begin to fall, the body naturally begins to work in overdrive to regulate the normal body temperature. Try to offset this by layering the body in a variety of warm clothes which will help your body in regulating the body temperature. Flu generally gets transmitted through the air in the environment. Yet, keeping yourself shielded from chilling winds is always helpful.

Coughs: The dust, dryness and cold winds in the winter all add to cough symptoms. Having beverages of extreme temperatures also triggers a throat infection. Always wear a helmet or use scarves to protect yourself from the dust while rising two wheelers.

Itchy skin: A lot of people with sensitive skin develop itchy during winter. The best way to take care of this is by applying coconut, olive or almond oil every night. Cold temperature with low humidity results in this.

Headache: Cold winds sometimes play havoc on your head. Hence, shield yourself with a warm muffler or scarf. If you drive a two-wheeler in India, invest in a good helmet and a muffler if you want to stay away with persistent headaches during winter.

Respiratory ailments: In the winter season, the air molecules become thinner and more restricted. As a result, individuals suffering from respiratory conditions, such as asthma or COPD, may find it increasingly difficult to breathe during extreme cold temperatures. To negate this effect, when venturing into the outdoors, layering the face and chest in warm clothing and scarves will help. For some individuals, however, the winter season brings about a change in activity requiring a limitation to only indoor events. The cold and dry air leads to tightening of airways and makes it even worse while breathing. Making some changes can surely be helpful. Keep your homes smoke free as smoke can travel even through closed doors.

Heart Attacks: Most of us are unaware of the fact that winters is one of the prime seasons for heart attacks. As the temperature falls, the arteries become constricted making it difficult for the heart to pump the blood. Experts suggest, people over the age of 30 should avoid exhausting themselves in winter season. Also, do not overeat food during winters and preferably eat in small quantities.

Joint Pain: There is no scientific evidence to joint pains in winter season but there are many people who do suffer from the pain in winter. One of the most common remedies to get relief from joint pains is keeping yourselves and your feet warm. Also, wear two or three pairs of thin clothing instead of one pair of heavy warm clothes. Exercising is another way to get rid of all joint and muscle stiffness during winter time without overdoing it. Basking in the sun is also a great way to get rid of the joint aches.

Sinusitis: Congestion, headaches, coughing, running nose as well as post nasal drip symptoms make people feel miserable during winters. Sinus problems occur when homes are closed and there is no proper ventilation. To stay clear of sinusitis this season, make sure you get enough rest, eat healthy, drink plenty of fluids and avoid dust.

Winter is the season of fun and celebration. Don’t let yourself down with one of the diseases that keeps you away from experiencing these joys. Some precautions can keep these diseases at bay to get most out of this season.

Till some years ago, the mantra of many nutritionists was to say no to carbohydrates. However, these days the emphasis on no-carbs has reduced. And sugar has become the new forbidden food. Supermarkets offer sugar-free products and sweet shops and patisseries offer sugar-free dessert options. So is sugar really this bad for our health? But our ancestors always had sugar, didn’t they? So what went wrong…..or may we say what changed over the years?

Sugar is not poison but too much of anything is never good for you. We must treat sugar like a treat rather than an everyday necessity.

We can control the sugar we consume on a daily basis consciously. But many times we tend to eat sugar without even realising it. Packaged food is one such culprit which makes us do this. All processed food and food at fast food chains contains high amounts of sugar. Surprisingly, the things you assume will be loaded with sugar do not cause much harm. An original glazed doughnut from a popular donut chain contains only 10gms of sugar as compared to a chocolate chip cookie which is 19 gms. And both of these are much less than a glass of packaged orange juice, which has 25 gms of sugar.

Even when you think you are going to indulge in a sugary treat, you may end up consuming less sugar than you realise. A serving of high quality ice-cream has only 16 gms of sugar. But if you decide to order a fancy coffee you might end up having 58 gms of sugar. We are highly mistaken that savoury foods are free of sugar. Canned baked beans usually contain vast amounts of sugar. So do the so called healthy salads at restaurants – some are loaded with 45 gms of sugar.

The best way to watch sugar intake is to eat fresh and local. Say no to indulgent coffees and avoid eating at fast food outlets. Cooking simple meals at home is much healthier than depending on store bought canned, processed or packaged foods. And if cooking at home is an issue, there are many options available now a days to order healthy homemade tiffin meals.

How foods with added sugar are harmful:

1.   Added sugar contains no essential nutrients. It is also very bad for the teeth, because it provides easily digestible energy for the bad bacteria in the mouth.
2. For people who are inactive and eat a western diet, large amounts of fructose from added sugars get turned into fat in the liver and may cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
3. When people eat a lot of sugar, it can cause resistance to the hormone insulin, which may contribute to many diseases.
4. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and is characterized by uncontrolled growth and multiplication of cells. There is considerable evidence that sugar, due to its harmful effects on metabolism, can contribute to cancer.
5. As sugar causes a large release of dopamine in the brain, it can cause addiction in a lot of people.
6. The way sugar affects hormones and the brain is a recipe for fat gain disaster. because of the effects of sugar on hormones and the brain, sugar dramatically increases the risk of becoming overweight or obese.

It is always good to keep a check on your sugar intake for a healthy self. Do avail of KDAH’s Executive Health checkups to keep a track on your health.