Body

The holidays are such a fun time: family get-togethers, vacations, treats, drinks, laughter, and constant excuses to skip the gym. It’s the time of year when you can’t avoid the seasonal candy and unhealthy snacks. But it hits you once you’re back to reality. The jeans don’t fit; the dress feels tight. So what would you do? Go on a juice fast? Are you going to live on a watermelon or a cabbage soup diet? The dilemma with these fad diets is that while you may lose a little weight, you’ll go round the bend because they are so restrictive. Plus, they lack the nutrients you need to remain healthy. But most notably, such diets foster an unhealthy relationship with food. 

What you need to do to lose those holiday kilos is to keep your eating habits in check. Post-festivities, you may require a holiday reset. And, the good news is that to get back in shape, you don’t have to indulge in a crash diet or hours upon hours of exercise. Your body is rebounding and knows how to repair itself. Here’s a simple detox plan to rid your body of that holiday bloat and bring back your curves without much sacrifice. 

Hydration

The first and the foremost step of the Holiday Detox is to eliminate the water retention and beat the bloat. Remaining hydrated is one of the essential things you can do to help your body detox from accumulated processed carbs and drinks. But you don’t have to chug water to get the benefits. Water supports digestion and elimination, and this can be in the form of juicy fruits and vegetables, soups, broths, and decaffeinated herbal teas.

Eat home-cooked meals

One most effortless way to get your life back on track is to eat home-cooked meals. Plus, you can control the quantity you eat. Aim to have two to three cooked vegetables, one small bowl of yogurt at each meal. All those boxed meals and cup-a-noodles are a complete no-no. This way, you will be able to relieve bloat, rebalance blood sugar, regulate digestion, and recharge your metabolism.

Chart out a Workout Plan and Stick to It

All right, so this one is a little preemptive, but you’ve got to set yourself up to be successful. Don’t wait for the New Year. Plan your workouts ahead of time and make a conscious effort to stick to them.

Break up with sugar

There’s no soft-pedaling here. You have to go cold turkey. After all, nothing helps you swift faster than an immediate break-up. Say no to anything sweet or processed. The list is long and includes biscuits, cakes, chocolate, and soft drinks. Indulge your sweet tooth with an occasional date or fig or fresh, juicy fruit like pears, oranges, and melon. And if you simply must, add some sugar substitutes to sweeten things up.

Yoga

Yoga is one of the quickest ways to get your energy system back into balance, plus it boosts your mood. Try to incorporate 20 to 30 minutes in the morning to get back on your exercise track. You’ll feel at home in your body in no time!

Reboot your system

To reboot your body after a festive feast, you don’t have to go to extremes. You can conquer the Battle of the bulge at the boundaries. Sweeping dietary overhauls are impractical. Instead, small, concrete changes that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine will lead to success. Take care of your system with the intention of mindfulness, nourishment, and self-love. 

Holiday Season Detox

Learn more about mindful practices at JoyScore that will help you detox your mind and body and help you develop healthier behaviors for sustainable living. Download the Joyscore app now.

Your immune system is a natural defense against disease-causing viruses that may be present in areas like the workplace, shopping malls, and even airplanes. However, this defense often fails: a virus may successfully invade you and make you sick due to your immune system being weak. So the question is: can improvement in your immune system prevent you from falling ill quite as often? The answer is yes. Research indicates that drinking tea will boost your immune system due to the tea’s polyphenols and theanine.

For thousands of years and for the right reason, people all over the world have been drinking tea. Numerous studies have shown that different teas can improve the immune system, fight against inflammation, and even prevent heart disease and cancer. Although some brews have more health benefits than others, there is plenty of proof that drinking tea can have a lasting effect on your well-being.

Tea polyphenols for enhanced immunity

Modern medicine acknowledges that tea’s therapeutic benefits are plentiful. A substance in tea called L-theanine increases the germination of disease-fighting cells. Experts recommend drinking 4 – 5 cups daily of handpicked, unblended, and garden-fresh tea packed at the source of either black, oolong, or green tea per day to help boost immunity.

Here are some of the most potential benefits hidden in the world’s most popular teas.

• Herbal teas, also called tisanes, are very similar to white teas, but in addition to tea leaves, they contain a combination of herbs, spices, fruits, or other plants. There is no caffeine in herbal teas, which is why they’re known for their soothing powers. There are various kinds of herbal teas, all with distinctive advantages. Some of the herbal teas most consumed include:
• Chamomile tea reduces menstrual pain and muscle spasms, improves sleep & relaxation, and reduces stress.
• Rooibos – enhances blood pressure and circulation, boosts good cholesterol while reducing bad cholesterol, makes hair and skin firm and healthy, and provides relief from allergies.
• Peppermint: Contains menthol that can soothe an upset stomach and serve as a treatment for constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and motion sickness. This tea variety also offers relief from tension, headaches, and migraines.
• Ginger – Helps to cure morning sickness, can be used to treat chronic indigestion, and helps to relieve joint pain caused by osteoarthritis.
• Hibiscus: Lowers blood pressure and fat levels, improves overall liver health, stave off cravings for unhealthy sweets, and may prevent kidney stones.

• Green tea: It’s made with steamed tea leaves and has a high EGCG concentration. Antioxidants from green tea can interfere with the growth of cancers of the bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreas, and colon. It can prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, reduce the risk of neurological ailments such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It can reduce the risk of a stroke and improve cholesterol levels.

•  Black tea: Black tea, made with fermented tea leaves, has the highest caffeine content and forms the base for flavored teas such as chai and some instant teas. Black tea can protect the lungs against damage caused by cigarette smoke exposure. It could decrease the risk of stroke, as well.

•  White tea: One study showed that white tea has the most potent anticancer properties than more processed teas.

So, put on the kettle and enjoy the benefits of tea. Integrate healthy beverages in your diet on a more regular basis to benefit from these health-promoting properties. It’s not only about the foods; it’s about what you drink, as well, that can contribute to your health.

At JoyScore learn more about mindful activities that will ensure keeping illness at bay and help you develop healthy habits for sustainable living. Download the JoyScore app now. 

 I got my facts corrected a little late when my father was diagnosed with diabetes. I had assumed consuming sweets and chocolates was the reason for high “sugar” levels in the body. After doing a little research out of curiosity, I found out that diabetes occurs due to increased glucose levels in the blood cells, either caused by insufficient insulin in the body or the ineffectiveness of insulin on our blood cells. 

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes has become the most common chronic disease in the current lifestyle. In 2019, diabetes patients worldwide were estimated to be  9.3% (463 million people), and it is predicted to rise by 10.2% (578 million) in 2030. These statistics consist of three types of diabetes patients. 

Know your Diabetes

In the first type, the body produces no insulin or a very little amount. The immune system, responsible for fighting off viruses and diseases, attacks and destroys the secretion house of insulin, the pancreas. Instead of diffusing the insulin in the cells, the sugar in the bloodstream builds up. Although weight is not a reason for the first type, a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors is believed to trigger the disease.  The second type, the most common form of diabetes, can be caused due to lifestyle factors or genes. When our body is inactive, as it does not get physical exercise, it starts putting on weight leading to obesity or being overweight. This causes insulin resistance, the inability of the blood cells to utilize the insulin transported from the pancreas. Extra weight around the belly develops when our body lives in a prolonged sedentary position, which has become a lifestyle in the pandemic. Also, a bad diet can be a reason. This can link to insulin resistance and heart and blood vessel diseases too. Prediabetes is the initial stage of type 2 where blood sugar is high but not as high to be turned into type 2 diabetes. The last type is Gestational diabetes. It can be activated during pregnancy as pregnancy leads to insulin resistance. Though gestational diabetes is temporary, if not taken necessary precautions, it can result in further complications.  

 ABCs of Diabetes

Tensed you might have one of these factors in your routine?

You need to know your ABCs if you have diabetes. A firm control on your ABCs can lower the risk of strokes or heart attack, since a diabetic person is more likely to counter them compared to a non diabetic person. The American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology have teamed up to raise awareness  of “ ABC of diabetes”. A stands for A1C test which shows an average of your blood glucose level from the last 3 months. Your number should be below 7. It is advised to take this test at least twice a year. B stands for blood pressure. The heart works harder with higher blood pressures. Keeping the blood pressure under control in case of diabetes, can prevent the risk of heart attacks, strokes or kidney diseases. Many people aim for the blood pressure levels to be  below 140/90 or lower in some cases. C stands for cholesterol. Cholesterol is the waxy substance produced by the liver to protect nerves, make cell tissue and used to secrete certain hormones. LDL or bad cholesterol should be below 100. HDL or good cholesterol should be 40 or higher. Higher amounts of bad cholesterol can also be a striking factor for heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases.  

How to live with Diabetes

Keeping the ABCs numbers checked and doing every possible thing to manage diabetes, the question now is will it ever fully cure. Studies suggest that type 2 can be reversible in some cases. There is no cure yet but through proper diet and regular exercise, one has a chance to reverse it. Living with diabetes needs an iron will to make lifestyle changes. While making these changes you can face a lot of stress which may affect your glucose levels. Your body responds with fight or flight mechanisms when you are experiencing stress. This increases the hormone levels in the blood and consequently elevated glucose in the bloodstream. Your body may not act on this glucose if you have diabetes, giving rise to high sugar levels. Hence,  it is important to manage stress in the day to day life. Starting your day with 15 mins meditation can set a tone for the rest of your day. You can simply sit in a chair and recite mantras like “I will have a good day” or “today is the best day of my life”. You can also focus on your breathing, naturally resisting the unwanted thoughts in your mind. Regular practice of meditation will definitely give you peace of mind and also keep you calm in times of stressful situations. The major changes with the most effective results are eating habits and exercise. Higher intake of fatty fish, leafy greens, eggs, avocados, beans, etc become a great source of nutrients, protein, vitamins, and fiber to lower complications of diabetes. A proper diet must be followed by regular exercise. Yoga is a real stress reliever which also makes you flexible and stabilizes your blood glucose level. All you need is a mat and some open space. If you already have a bike, hitting the road in the morning can make your heart rate go up, burn calories, and also lose weight. If not, a simple 30 minutes walk in the morning can put your body in motion and lower your stress. Putting a habit of using stairs instead of elevators or walking to the grocery store in case of buying a few items also can work up your heart and lungs and regulate the glucose levels. 

Conscious choices constitute a greater change. Download JoyScore app to help you manage diabetes effectively by suggesting activities that contribute to changing your lifestyle. Let’s live a mindful and healthy life together.