Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Insomnia May Alter Hunger Hormone

A number of studies in the recent years have highlighted the role of sleep in overall health but for the first time a study has come up with the reason for this. The latest findings reported in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology have shed light on the reason for sleep deprivation which might encourage weight gain and its related health consequences.
The study was completed with an experiment on 38 men with and without chronic insomnia and found that those with the sleep disorder had 30 percent lower nighttime levels of the hormone ghrelin, which is involved in appetite control. The 14 men with chronic insomnia and 24 healthy men spend two nights in the sleep lab. A catheter was used by the researchers on a periodiacal to take blood samples from the men when they slept, looking for fluctuations in the hormones leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is secreted by fat cells which help in regulating the body weight; low blood levels of leptin promote hunger while increasing the calorie burning.
 
Ghrelin is secreted by the stomach to boost appetite. The study showed that men with chronic insomnia had lower overnight levels of ghrelin compared with their healthy counterparts. The study exposed that hormone level among the insomniacs may play a big roll in long term weight gain and obesity. The study also showed the possibility of insomnia patients having lower than normal ghrelin levels at night, but elevated during the day which helps in boosting appetite. It added that people with chronic insomnia may have consistently lower levels of the hormone which points towards the general dysregulation in the way ghrelin is expressed in the body.



The lead researcher, Dr. Sarosh J. Motivala, of the University of California Los Angeles considered this achievement as a beginning in understanding the role of the hormones that were thought to be specifically related to energy, metabolism and appetite in arousing sleep disorders.

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Yoga- A Way to Healthy Life

It tells how yoga can help in leading a long and healthy life.

Health is not only the smooth running of the bodily functions but a state of total well-being within oneself with one’s environment. The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word ‘yoga’ is union, contact, connection or mental concentration. The word has its roots in the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ which means to yoke, fasten, join, unite, concentrate or meditate deeply. 




Achieve the Ultimate Goal with Yoga 

Yoga is also one of the six great systems of thought of the Hindu tradition which approach the liberation from this world in their own ways. Yoga tells us the techniques to achieve the ultimate goal. It’s a practice that leads one to the path of self-realization and consciousness. 

The thinking principle of the mind is the constant flow of thoughts the mind undergoes. To stop this chain of thoughts by a conscious effort is yoga. There are various yogic practices which help in the total well-being of the man. These practices include forbearance, self-discipline, yogic postures, pranayama, restraint, attention, contemplation and meditation. 


Beneficial for the stressful modern life 

These practices are taught progressively with many preparatory physical and mental exercises. The traditional postures and concentration practices generally called meditation are inspired after body and mind acquire a pre-requisite for them.

The mentioned yogic practices are really worthwhile in the 21st century as the hectic life in technologically advanced countries and all big cities of the world have made us undergo a mechanization of our existence. This has resulted in the loss of communication between our body and mind. We use our body as a commodity and do not listen to its very deep and inner demands. 

The judicious and progressive follow up of yogic practices gives a greater control over the metabolic and the autonomic functions of the body which leads to the recovery of homeostatic dysfunction in the case of the sick and towards perfection of biological equilibrium in the case of normal persons. 


Aim of yoga varies for practitioners 


Millions of people in India and abroad are having a great craze for yoga. As millions of people are being saved from various ailments by the daily practice of yoga, the craze is only rising for it. In fact, Baba Ram Dev is a name to reckon with in this scenario. He has been organizing yoga camps at various places all over the country to provide personal assistance and training to the suffering mankind. Apart from this, thousands of viewers actually perform various yogic asana by watching Baba Ram Dev programs on television. 

However the aims of yoga practitioners are extremely varied. Some are particularly inspired by the spiritual element of yoga while others by the fitness and flexibility provided by the asana. Some people find solutions for varied health disorders and achieve all round development of calm, stress-free mind and a fit body. Whatever may be the reason, it is proved beyond doubt that yoga gives inner satisfaction, mental calmness, good health and long life to the practitioners. 


Hence, to live a long and healthy life, it’s essential to start practicing yoga and give place to it in one’s daily routine.