DRINK WATER, LIVE BETTER

70 percent of our body weight is made up of water only. This alone signifies the importance of water in our system. According to scientists, water is the second most essential substance to sustain life on any planet, only behind oxygen. Not only in respiration, digestion, excretion or any physical needs, but also a glass of water can help rejuvenate your brain after continuous stressful work. So, let’s dive into water and its importance in this article.

HOW MUCH WATER SHALL ONE DRINK IN A DAY?

Have you ever been told to drink eight glasses of water every day? It’s even believed that anything less than that is harmful to one’s body? But this is not true. One might need more than that water to go through the day, while the other might need lesser than that. It is completely dependent upon the work you do in your day-to-day life. Following activities lead to more consumption of water-

• Exercise- If you run or do physical activities like cardio or aerobics, your body might need; or crave, more water. Having an adequate amount of water not only keeps your muscles’ health in check, but also relieves you of your tiredness.

• Conditions like pregnancy- In a condition such as pregnancy, where the female body supports another life inside her, she might need more amounts of fluids to stay hydrated. This is the case when she breastfeeds her child as well.

• Facing health issues like diarrhea etc.- In cases of diarrhea or equivalent diseases where the body loses a lot of fluids in a short period of time, a person necessarily needs a lot more amount of water to replenish his or her health.

• Weather- The temperature and natural conditions outside may also decide the amount of water one drinks per day. On a hot and humid day when the body loses a lot of fluids through sweat, etc. he tends to drink more water as compared to regular days, whereas when the temperature is cooler things might be the reverse.

• Having a heavy meal- After having a heavy meal, generally one that consists of a lot of proteins, our body craves for a lot of water.

Having said all these, according to a research conducted by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate fluid intake on a daily basis for men is 3.7 liters, while the same for women is 2.7 liters.

IMPORTANCE OF DRINKING WATER-

• Water forms an essential component of our blood- Blood, the circulatory fluid in our body, consists of 90 percent of water by volume, including the plasma proteins, while the rest 10 percent are the corpuscles. Thus, water is essential for efficient transportation of oxygen from the lungs and nutrients to several parts of the body. It also collects the toxic wastes from the organs and helps in efficient disposal of such wastes. Having less water will inhibit the efficient supply of oxygen, which in turn results in conditions like cramps in our body muscles, even after not doing any strenuous exercises.

• Helps in digestion of food- Wondering how water helps in efficient digestion of food? Let’s find out. Water is an essential component of saliva and helps generate saliva. Saliva consists of an enzyme known as salivary amylase which breaks down solid food in mouths itself. 

• Acts as a thermoregulator of the system- Water controls the body temperature, hence acts as a thermoregulator. In hot temperatures our body loses water through sweat and gives us a cool feeling. If water is not replenished soon enough, as a reaction, our body temperature may even increase, due to losing essential electrolytes through dehydration.

• Helps improve concentration- Let’s discuss the mental aspects, regarding the importance of water. Having enough water is proven to improve concentration power, and leads to one being more attentive of the situation. Water even helps to brighten mood, for a short term.

• Helps lose weight, or makes the skin brighter- Although there’s no medical background of this statement, but still according to some studies drinking a lot of water, to go with dieting and exercises, necessarily helps to reduce weight. It also helps to improve skin health and make it better.

• Takes care of joints in our body- Water is pretty essential when it comes to lubricating the joints in our system. Having enough water daily, may even do away with old age symptoms of arthritis and several such joint related issues.

Thus, it is quite clear that water is very important for every part of our body. It not only takes care of our body physically but also mentally. It is known that we derive 20 percent of the required body fluids from the fruits and vegetables that we eat. The rest 80 percent is what one should take care of. It is to be noted here that carbonated drinks and such items if consumed on a daily basis in the place of water can cause more harm than good. Thus, one thing is for certain, that if you choose to live better, drink enough plain, simple water!

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author Ranit Laha

All photos credited and designed by Freepik

MUSIC AND OUR MIND

Music is defined as any vocal or instrumental sound combined in a way so as to produce beauty of harmony, emotion and expression. Music is something that transcends the boundaries of body or mind and connects one’s soul to another. Music has no language. It sometimes becomes the mode of transport for feelings to be conveyed from one person to another while other times it acts simply as a medicine. Yes! You heard it right. Music is a kind of medicine as well as the correct kind of music causes a sense of calmness, a feeling of happiness and thus reduces stress and restlessness in one’s mind.

POWER OF MUSIC AS A HEALER:

As American physicist Debashish Mridha once said, “Music can heal wounds that medicine cannot touch.”, music has a way of connecting our hearts to ourselves and to the world around us. Hence it has been used as a therapeutic intervention since the late 18th century. Today, music therapy is a method which is scientifically proven/validated.

Music therapy is often employed quite effectively to treat various illnesses (primarily owing to mental disturbances). Autism, depression, Alzheimer’s, etc. several such diseases if not cured fully, can at least be stabilized to a large extent through music. The music therapy sessions mostly include creating, singing, and listening to music, and hence it opens up avenues for communication that transcend the limitations of verbal expression. Music therapy can induce the following improvements or changes to a person suffering from certain mental turbulences:

• Induce positive changes in emotional states.

• Since music connects the worlds to us, it helps one to enhance more control over life by increasing awareness of one self and the outside world.

• Development of a sense of relaxation from worldly troubles.

• Improves concentrating power for a longer duration of time.

• Since, all of the above improvements can be brought to one’s life through music, it can also help to resolve conflicts and lead to stronger bonds of relationships.

MUSICAL BEATS AND OUR BRAINS:

When we walk into a disco, we find people dancing, banging their heads and moving their body almost in synchrony to the thumping music. In this simple example we find that our unconscious mind is somehow controlled by rhythmic sounds, causing us to move simultaneously in a regular manner. This simple example has a much deeper meaning to it. According to psychologist Annett Schirmer “Rhythmic sound, not only coordinates the behavior of people in a group, but also it coordinates their thinking-the mental processes of individuals in the group become synchronized”. This simple finding shows the extent of power of music, which easily taps into the brain circuits of people controlling their emotions and even their physical movements. This type of examples can also be found amongst people in a tribe who dance synchronously on drum beats, people dancing on a religious function, or people dancing due to excessive happiness during several religious or secular occasions.

Researchers from the Society for Neuroscience meeting in New Orleans, attached electrodes to the scalp of subjects to determine if the brain’s electrical activity was somehow affected by the beats of the sound and they found that rhythmic sound synchronizes brain waves. Thus, music impacts thinking and working of the brain to an extent we may not know of.

CONCLUSION:

As we have seen, music necessary controls our brain functions and thus enable us to think better and as a result it can help us to boost our energy, calm our mind, improve sleep and most importantly improve our mental conditions. Specially in this pandemic affected world where we might find ourselves lonely most of the times, music can be the best companion one can have. So, throw all the negativity away and let all your emotions flow with music as music is the best healer. Happy listening!

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author Ranit Laha

All photos credited and designed by Unsplash

An Insight On Eyesight

 “WE ARE ONLY BLIND, AS WE WANT TO BE”-

The name of this topic is a well-known quote made by American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. Although the quote was made with a different thought in mind, it also applies to us, common people who don’t pay proper heed to instructions or methods when it comes to taking care of our eyes. Don’t worry, as CUREYA is here to debunk some of the myths regarding treating our eyes the right way, as well as providing proper methods for the same.

HOW TO TAKE PROPER CARE OF EYES? :-

Eyes form one of the most, if not the most vital sensory organ when it comes to the human body. It helps us to navigate and often it’s the eyes that show early symptoms of anything wrong happening in our body, both physically and mentally. Taking care of eyes is not simply wearing Sunglasses when going out on an extra sunny day or simply, getting a pair of corrective lenses to improve vision. It’s much more than that.

You can fight back against eye diseases employing the following methods-

• Proper Sleeping- When it comes to taking care of eyes, nothing beats proper sleep, i.e., giving our eyes proper amount of rest. Also, we must keep in mind that resting eyes doesn’t necessarily mean sleeping for 16 hours straight, or going into hibernation mode, as 8 hours sleep is enough for our body. We can rest our eyes by lowering our exposures to high U-V radiations (Computer, Mobile Screens, etc), whenever we can.

• Choosing Proper Eyewear- Wearing protective sunglasses on an extra sunny day or wearing specialized glasses with U-V protective coating while going out in the sun, helps to a certain extent to keep our eyes safe and eyesight sound. It's equally important, as in the cases where we need to wear goggles and special protective coverings on our eyes when dealing with chemicals or working with harmful radiations. So all the budding chemists do take some notes!

• Following A Healthy Diet- Having foods rich in Vitamin A (such as carrots) can help to a much larger extent than we think it does! Sticking to a healthy and nutritious diet sure helps in treating the eyes well.

• Avoid Harmful Habits Like Smoking- Ever wondered that smoking not only affects the lungs but also the eyes? Several research papers have established this fact that smoking increases the risk of getting eye diseases like glaucoma, dry eye syndrome and such incurable diseases. Also, smokers are three- times more likely to be affected by diseases like cataract than non-smokers.

• Eye Check-Ups- In our daily busy schedule we often tend not to follow the above guidelines. So, it is advisable to pay a visit to an ophthalmologist, at least once every six months.

MYTHS REGARDING EYE-CARE: -

Coming to this, one quote seems to come to my mind, “All that glitters is not gold, and all the statements are not facts, as some are MYTHS too!” Here’s some of those myths (Some are hilarious by the way!):

• People who are colour blind, see no colours at all! – Just imagine this, the people who are colour blind are seeing this world in a retro fashion. No, this is simply a myth as colour-blind people often have problems distinguishing the colours between red and green.

• Reading in dim-light may cause loss of eye-sight! – No! Not at all! Its true that reading under improper light conditions may cause eye-strain (only if you are reading for long hours), but that can simply be relieved by taking a break in between. However, it will not cause any sort of blindness.

• Reading small-lettered writings very closely can harm your eyes greatly- It's similar to the earlier case where it can cause a mild eye strain but wont damage your eyesight extensively.

• No need for checking your eyes until you are 40- This is also a myth as one can have eye-sight issues right from birth (generally congenital) or can occur at any age (generally acquired). So, as stated earlier, regular visits to an ophthalmologist is advisable at any age.

• If you are wearing specs which are poorly fit, you will face serious eye-problems- Poorly fit spectacles won’t cause any harm to your eyes, but also won't lead to proper vision too, so get that fixed, without believing in this myth.

So, as long you take proper diet and follow some of the mentioned guidelines and stay away from the myths you are good to go! So cheers to a healthy lifestyle!

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. 

Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author Ranit Laha

All photos credited and designed by Unsplash

Understanding Sleep

Sleep is a temporary state in which you naturally rest - in short, you are physically inactive. You are absolutely unaware of what happens around you/ in your body. The American Academy of sleep medicine(AASM) recommends, adults aged between 18 to 60 should sleep for 7 hours or more per night on a regular basis for ideal sleep health.

Externally sleep make you feel fresh and active, while internally many biological processes happen when you sleep. For example, a few of the biological processes are 

1. The body repairs cells/releases hormones, etc

2. Nerve cells communicate and reorganize

These are essential for overall health and also for healthy brain function.

Cycles of sleep

Studies show that, our body cycles through 4 different stages of sleep which include both 

1. Non-Rapid Eye Movement(NREM) - quiet sleep

2. Rapid Eye Movement(REM) - active sleep

Sleep begins with 

1. NREM stage 1

• You might be aware of your surroundings(you may know if someone is talking next to you) and easily wake up due to noise or any disturbance at this stage.

• Your body relaxes, eye movement, heartbeat, and breathing slow down.

• The brain produces theta waves at this stage. Then it proceeds to NREM stage 2

2. NREM stage 2

• You are less aware of your surroundings.

• Your eye movement stops but your heartbeat and breathing become regular.

• The Brain processes the new memories you have acquired the previous day.

3. NREM stage 3

• Noise might not wake up you from sleep at this stage.

• Your muscles get relaxed, blood pressure drops.

• Delta waves emerge from the brain at this stage. 

• From this stage, you are about to move to the deepest sleep stage.

4. REM

• This stage approximately begins after 90minutes of sleep- where the voluntary muscles get immobilized at this stage (so the body is super relaxed).

• Breathing is faster, irregular and your eyes move rapidly and then you dream.

• During this stage, the emotions and memories related to it get processed. As mentioned earlier Biological processes, happen in this stage.

The body cycles through these stages 4-6 times on average and approximately for 90minutes each. Each stage has a significant role in maintaining the brain’s performance.

Benefits of sleeping well

Sufficient sleep has a significant impact on your social, physical, and emotional life. Here are a few highlights for you,

• Boost your immune system

• Improves memory - lets you think clearly

• Reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes(provided when you have a healthy lifestyle and eating habits)

• Helps you maintain your skin and reduces hair fall

• Reduces stress

Quality of Sleep and simple ways to measure it.

Quality of sleep is different from sleep satisfaction. Quality of sleep says how well we sleep. A parameter that determines whether your sleep is restful or restorative. 

Signs like, you wake up more than once at night on a regular basis / you feel extremely tired and more hungry often/ your skin may break out often - shows that you have a poor quality of sleep.

Signs of good quality sleep are

• You fall asleep soon after getting to bed(approximately after 30mins)

• You don’t wake up more than once per night regularly.

• You feel fresh to start the day.

• You are able to think and concentrate clearly.

• You have healthy skin and hair.

Impacts of Sleeplessness - Insomnia

Sleep deprivation (Lack of sleep) could lead to serious health-related issues like,

• Obesity

• High blood pressure

• Heart disease

• Diabetes

• Increased mood swings

Remember, it is not as easy as you think. The long-term effect of sleeplessness(insomnia) could hinder your personal and professional life. Get it diagnosed and treated at an earlier stage to avoid the ill effects of it.

Treatment for Insomnia

Psychologists / Psychiatrists could help you treat and get rid of insomnia. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia(CBT-I) is more effective when compared to medications prescribed for better sleep.

Ayurvedic solution:

Ayurveda uses various natural ingredients like Brahmi and Ashwagandha to get red of insomnia. These natural ingredients may not have harsh side effects as they don't have any harmful chemicals in them. Be it Ayurveda or Allopathy - Do not go with self medication. It can deteriorate your health. Always consult a registered medical practioner and get the treatment in the right way

Final Thoughts

Take any type of treatment, with which you are comfortable, which you think will definitely cure you. Because half the time, it’s our hope that cures us soon than the medication. Healthy lifestyle-related habits like having dinner soon, not using mobile phones before going to bed, staying stress-free when you go to bed are a few little things that might help you avoid or prevent insomnia at ease.

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. 

Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author: Janani Chandrasekar 

All photos credited and designed by Pexels

FOODS THAT RELIEVE ANXIETY

In today’s world, the one thing, we all are mostly and equally suffering from is anxiety. Anxiety is such a state of mind in which we tend to think or worry persistently. Symptomatically speaking, anxiety often comes up with no symptoms at all, but at times can cause palpitations accompanied by heavy-breathing or sleeplessness.

We often need to seek medical help for dealing with severity, but in certain mild cases certain daily food items can help dealing with anxiety. Therefore, let's embark upon a journey that will teach treatment of anxiety, deliciously!

HOW AND WHY DOES FOOD HELP DEALING WITH ANXIETY? -

Before knowing which food items will help you deal with your anxiety issues, let's understand how food actually works in our system in this regard. All of the food items that deal with anxiety controls the secretion of one hormone known as dopamine. Dopamine is a hormone that is released when we do something that makes us feel good. Eating food items that are sweet and nice to taste causes such release and hence makes us feel happy and distracts our mind from anxiety issues at least for a while. Now don’t get me wrong as there are still food items which when consumed on a daily basis can cure anxiety disorders permanently. Here goes some of them-

WHICH FOOD ITEMS HELP DEALING WITH ANXIETY? –

• Dark Chocolates- Chocolates specifically dark chocolates can help a lot dealing with anxiety. Research conducted in 2013 published in the Journal of Pharmacology, showed that a special compound found in cocoa called polyphenols can help increase calmness of mind while reducing stress and anxiety. It also consists of Tryptophan which improves levels of serotonin in the body, which helps fight anxiety. Magnesium is one of those few nutrients which has a positive impact on anxiety. Magnesium is one of the ingredients of dark chocolate and hence such items act as mood enhancer.

• Also, most of the chocolates are sweet (i.e., milk chocolates in general) and having anything sweet gives pleasure to mind and body, but it has to be kept in mind that such chocolates have not much nutritional value. Hence dark chocolates which are sugar-free are far better in these aspects, as it can deal with your feelings of anxiety without causing your health any other harm.

• Turmeric- Okay, so enough of sweetness, let’s spice things up a bit! Turmeric is one such spice that consists of Curcumin. Curcumin is known to relieve long-term inflammation, and also benefits brain health.  It has high-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well. One gram of curcumin (through turmeric) everyday can reduce levels of anxiety in your system.

• Salmon- Salmon is one fish which has high nutrient value to go with its ability to enhance dopamine and serotonin secretions in our system and thus lowering anxiety levels. It has vitamin-D and omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA are two fatty acids that help lower rates of anxiety. They help keep up brain health as well.

• Water- When in stress or anxiety increasing levels of water intake can be a momentary solution, as it rejuvenates your body and makes it calmer. 

• Other items consisting of Zinc and Magnesium- Foods that consist of high amounts of Zinc and Magnesium in them can help fight anxiety as well. Food items like meat, nuts, peas, lentils, etc. are such which are an excellent source of zinc and magnesium.

FOOD HABITS THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR LOWERING ANXIETY:

Along with goods there are evils and similarly not all food items can improve anxiety-related issues. Some might worsen them.

• Beverages- Sweetened or carbonated drinks are harmful not only to physical health but also mental health. Such drinks can increase anxiety levels and can even cause depression.

• Highly-processed food items- Highly processed food items cause sudden sugar level increase in our system and then crashes it and that has a very negative impact on anxiety levels. Even if those food items are sugar-free it still has no useful nutrients in it which can be beneficial. These include ketchups, toast, pickles, energy drinks, etc.

• Coffee- Coffee consists of large quantities of caffeine. Those who are not used to having coffee may cause more harm than good trying to consume it. Even though you are used to it, too much consumption is not advisable. Caffeine reduces sleepiness and hence messes up with your sleep routine which is not at all advisable while dealing with anxiety.

Hence, food does help fighting against anxiety but you must be smart enough to choose the right foods. 

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. 

Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author: Ranit Laha 

All photos credited and designed by Unsplash