Sugary food cravings: Why?😇

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

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For many of us, the sight of a freshly glazed doughnut can feel like falling in love and coming home to a pack of unopened cookies can feel like the adult version of Christmas morning. There’s something about sugar that hooks us and keeps reeling us in again and again. Whether we like it or not sugar has a major hold on us.

If you’re reading this it’s very likely for you to understand, and have firsthand experience, of this allure. Sugar isn’t just confectionary, but it’s a compulsion; there is no such thing as stopping after “just one.” I mean, if one is good, more is better. At least that’s what it feels like with the sweet stuff.

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We are given many reasons for our sugar cravings: pleasure-seeking brain circuits, intestinal parasites, mineral deficiencies, malnutrition, habitual behaviour, unbalanced diets, too much salt, buried emotional issues, lack of sleep, stress…. and my favourite, lack of discipline. We are not at a loss for reasons for our addiction to sugar, yet knowing isn’t enough to change us or our behaviour. If knowing was enough we would all be winning gold medals and gold stars in every area of our life. If anything, knowing just makes it feel worse… we know better so why aren’t we doing better? Knowing becomes just another reason for us to feel bad about ourselves.

The next step to knowing is to try and do something about it. We take matters into our own hands and attempt to turn our sugar-loving switch from on to off. This is not a painless process, and just when we feel we’re making ground something happens to throw us off and we’re on a mission to hunt down any sugar we can find and back at the start.

When we decide to target our sugar dependency, we attack the sugar itself, we clear the pantry, empty the house of all products and declare sugar the enemy. And this is fine… except it doesn’t work. When we create an action plan like this, we’re a few steps too far ahead and facing the wrong direction. We don’t address what’s really happening.

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The key: target the true problem, not the side-effect of the problem. And sugar cravings are the side-effect, they’re the symptom of the real problem, and treating symptoms never makes the problem to be resolved. The only way to create true, long-standing change is to address the root cause…. otherwise you’re just wasting your time and prepping yourself for another future sugar-binge.

What is the root cause? Leptin resistance. There are natural sources of food which can promote Leptin levels. Like protein-rich food of eggs, pulses, dairy products, fatty fishes and zinc-rich foods and leafy vegetables.

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In some individuals, the cravings can be strong and unavoidable. In this case, one way to target leptin resistance is with a product called leptitox, a blend of 22 all natural ingredients which work with your body to reverse leptin resistance and its effects. When leptin resistance occurs in our body we have a malfunctioning system. This malfunction will produce troublesome symptoms. Not only does leptin resistance increase hunger but it creates cravings! That’s a recipe for disaster! Not only will you be hungry but you’ll be hankering after the worst foods imaginable…

We may have blamed everything else under the sun for our inability to stop reaching for the next cookie… everything but leptin resistance. If you want to see real movement and change you’ll need to target leptin resistance and do something to “fix” it.

Leptitox is just the way to address the growing problem of leptin resistance, since it has been created to target and address it. Leptitox is a blend of 22 carefully selected herbs, amino acids and vitamins with the ability to help your body address the real cause of leptin resistance. It will change everything you thought you knew about weight loss.

Here is the link, you can check out, https://239b15ynyqt517h5ioycxg-r5k.hop.clickbank.net/

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love 💐

Autophagy: What is it, and how to induce it?🙌

Hello everyone! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

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The term “autophagy” means eating thyself where “auto” is self, and “phage” is eating. The name has been there in medicine since the 19th century. But the term became quite popular among the medical community in around 2016 when Japanese researcher Dr Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize.

Physiologically, the term means that the body has a natural capacity to eat and clean out the debris, junk and all the unnecessary components in the cells and recycle them as newer and healthier ones for smooth functioning. It’s a form of self-preservation process that the body has an innate capacity. In this way, the toxic, inflamed cells in the body which are responsible for chronic diseases are to be recycled and self preserved to healthier cells. The ageing process slows down, the body weight can be maintained. The process is possible in case of all cells in the body, including brain cells, heart, liver, lung, kidneys and all.

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This is a natural phenomenon, which the body is capable of undergoing. But due to various factors, this bodily process isn’t so effective as it should be. The reasons are manifold like for the continuous binging of food, adopting an unhealthy lifestyle and choosing the wrong food items (high calories) to eat and so on. So, in many individuals, the process either slows down or work at a very minimal level. Therefore, there are vast dumping of debris and toxins in the cells leading to various chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes and cancers. Autophagy has received much public attention these days for its capacity to prevent diseases like cancers. But, more studies are required in this area.

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In an individual with a high carbohydrate intake of calories 300 to 500 calories/day, the process remains less effective. So, people are mainly adopting the Keto diet and lifestyle. Consuming food with healthy fats and a minimum level of carbs with increasing physical activities and short intervals of fasting induces ketosis in the body. Ketosis causes the body to use the fat reservoir for energy sources instead of carbohydrate as there is a minimum intake of sugar. Usually, the keto diet can be useful in weight loss and fat reduction, or muscle building process. Staying in ketosis can ignite the process of autophagy faster in a short interval of 12 hours.

Specific ways to ignite the process of autophagy are:

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1.Sleep: Adequate quantity of sleep daily of at least 8 hours a day is beneficial. But more than the number, the adequate quality of sleep matters. Sleep accentuates the lymphatic flow between the neurons and fastens the cleaning process of neuronal debris and plaques. So, every day you get up with a clean brain, not only helps in smooth cognitive functioning but also fewer chances of ageing disease like dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Sleep not only promotes autophagy in the brain but also in all somatic cells, thereby cleaning toxins and debris throughout.

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2. Adopting a ketogenic diet: Not changing the diet regime drastically from high carb to low carb and high fat. Because, it may cause severe outcomes like low blood sugar, electrolyte imbalance and fatigue. Instead, keeping in mind, the body’s tolerance level, slowly making changes by lowering the intake of carbs in the diet up to 50 calories/day. Incorporating more healthy fats in the diet of 80% of the entire daily intake of at least 2000 calories/day can give good results in the body. The body slowly ignites the natural process of autophagy faster, which takes a long time with a carbohydrate-rich diet. If you want, you can get more information about adopting ketogenic diet: Click the link https://481cb43mpgt7wbgmt08k1v3k18.hop.clickbank.net/

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3.Intermittent fasting: This is itself a vast topic to discuss. It means that scheduling the meal timings in a day in between fasting intervals. The fasting period can be 8-10 hours to 14 -16 hours a day. There are some extreme methods of fasting, necessary for specific parameters to target. But for regular individuals like you and me, an early dinner or sometimes skipping a meal or fasting, a single day can be constructive. Early dinner can give us fasting of at least 10 hours every day. If you want, you can get more information on intermittent fasting : Click the link

https://ca5fc89pxgpyy9ofji3dmj4p5z.hop.clickbank.net/

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4.Exercise: Heavy intense training and practice do more harm than good. Instead, it is wise to adopt interval training, to stretch, walking, yoga is all beneficial.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love💐

8 truths of Leaky gut syndrome 🙌

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

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Time and again, it has been proved by extensive Medical researches that most of the chronic illnesses, including autoimmune disorders, type 1diabetes, irritable bowel disorders, migraine are all associated with gastrointestinal disorders. A patient who suffers from chronic symptoms’, the history should be thoroughly investigated for an underlying food or lifestyle habits that may be co-related.
Our body is not a single entity, nor each of its organs works independently of each other. Every structure, including the skin, tissues, mucosal lining, organ, system including a huge colony of microbiota are all interconnected and work together as a biological system. Not only this, the immune system, biochemical processes, endocrine and the autonomic nervous system, are all very much interdependent. Therefore, while considering any chronic disorder, the entire system has to be taken into account, including food habits and lifestyle in the process of management of such illnesses.

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1. The food, we eat reaches the intestines where they are bind to enzymes where filtration and absorption take place. Then, the nutrition of the food is absorbed in the bloodstream through the intestinal barrier. Without digestion, the food cannot escape directly through the intestinal/gut wall. The intestinal lining is typically intact and tight. It doesn’t let food, bacteria or toxins to escape directly to the bloodstream. Nutrients of food also absorbed through small villi on the intestinal wall. Usually, there are tiny holes of 1-7 microns in the gut lining through which the nutrition permeates into the bloodstream. When there is Leaky gut, the holes become bigger about 200-300 microns, and the intestinal villi are damaged too because of which the intestinal integrity is lost. That is the reason leaky gut is also called intestinal permeability. There is directly permeability on the gut lining through which the food material, bacteria, toxins escape into the bloodstream. The immune system comes into play and starts reacting. There is extensive inflammation of the intestinal lining and its structures. There is swelling and slowly scarring of the intestinal walls.

2. Evidence has proved that genetic predisposition is one of the leading causes of leaky gut. But, emerging researches have shown the not only DNA is to be blamed alone. Lifestyle conditions like high gluten diet, fat, sugar-rich diet, smoking, alcohol, stress, pain killers (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and food intolerance are some of the common conditions predisposing leaky gut. Therefore, leaky gut commonly found in chronic conditions like Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS, cystic fibrosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy patients. Leaky gut not only creates symptoms in bowel disorders but also linked to most conditions of autoimmune origin. It may be associated with autoimmune diseases like Lupus, Type 1diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Chronic fatigue syndrome, asthma, allergies and mental illness. Autoimmune disorders are difficult to diagnose and treat. They can be managed and controlled but has no permanent cure.

3. Trigger factors of leaky gut are like a gluten-rich diet, dairy-rich, soy food or drugs like antibiotics or over the counter pain killers like aspirin, acetaminophen which may disturb the intestinal lining and cause leaky gut. Such triggers lead the immune system to be activated, causing an immune response in the body to produce antibodies against our own body’s intestinal tissue lining, causing inflammation. This inflammation can increase the intestinal permeability that is the escape of food and toxins directly into the bloodstream leading to symptoms like pain, diarrhoea, joint pain, fatigue, headache and depression. As Leaky gut is associated with a number of symptoms, so, it is called Leaky Gut syndrome. 

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4. Common symptoms are
Diarrhoea, Constipation
Pain abdomen, bloating
Skin rashes like acne, eczema, rosacea
Brain fog, memory loss
Depression
Chronic Fatigue
Joint pain.

5. Though strong evidence shows that many chronic conditions are associated with an underlying cause of leaky gut. Leaky gut is still not considered an official medical diagnosis, nor it has a standard protocol of treatment. A proper detailed history of the patient can detect the leaky gut condition. Therefore the management also differs from individual to individual depending on the full range of trigger factors.

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6. Diet and lifestyle changes do help a great deal in such conditions. Drugs that suppress the immune response and also to control the inflammation are required in some cases. The most important message is that we know our body better than anybody else. Even if we go to the best of the specialist physician, we should do what works best for us. Never stop self investigating and self-analysing yourself about why and what may trigger or lead to such symptoms. Be your observer, and make changes accordingly, which may be very helpful.

7. Hold on to basics. As, from my own experience, the best thing is leading a simple life; more fundamental is food and lifestyle, less is the list of complications or symptoms of chronic illnesses. Stick to the essential food habits that you may have inherited from your ancestral lineage because that’s how your genetic makeup and your body is comfortable. Follow work, exercise and sleep balance. Always maintain calmness of mind by using techniques of meditation and mindfulness because a healthy mind has a high impact on the physical body.

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Other measures that can be beneficial are:
To limit the amount of carbohydrate from the diet.
To eat more of fermented food (Kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, yoghurt)
Limiting dairy products and using more probiotics in the diet.
Eating more of soluble fibres in the diet.
Limiting the use of antibiotics and pain killers and using them only when necessary.

8. Vitamin deficiency of D, A, C, Zinc are related to increased intestinal permeability. So, dietary sources and vitamin supplements can be helpful to some extent. Vitamin D also suppresses inflammation in the gut. Certain supplements like Curcumin, L glutamine, collagen peptides, Zinc and probiotics are also helpful in some instances.

Thanks for reading.

Much love and blessings for all 💐

 

Mucus facts 👃🤧

Hello everyone! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

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Every day, in our environment, we breathe in loads of pollutants, allergens, pathogens like viruses, bacteria and fungi, which enter into our system. Once they enter, the interaction of our immune system starts responding. So the process of filtration, defence and lubrication takes over. That’s how the mucus comes into play.

Mucus is a slimy secretion which is produced by the mucus glands on the tissue lining of many organs in the body. Its primary function is protective. It protects the particular organ from drying, catch hold of dust particles, foreign bodies, germs, microbiomes from getting inside our body. It also contains specific enzymes to kill the bacteria and pathogens and prevent us from getting infected. We produce at least 1.5 litres of mucus every day. Therefore, every day, mucus is created and perform its function of protection and hydration.

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We start experiencing mucus in our throat, mouth, sinuses when produced in excess. The organs that usually produces mucus are:

Nose
Throat
Sinuses
Lungs
Gastro intestinal tract.

Facts related to mucus:

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1. Mucus excess production is usually not a medical problem unless associated with other symptoms in the body or abnormal colour of the ooze. When you have a yellow to greenish mucus, it is usually due to cold. When you have blood-tinged mucus in the nose, it is generally due to dryness or scratching or forcefully blowing of the nose. Mucus, when produced in the lungs, is called phlegm. When you have blood in the mucus or phlegm, it is mainly infection or irritation in the lungs. It is usually not that serious. But, when there is excessive and frequent blood in the mucus, you need medical attention.
2. Excessive mucus produces common symptoms like sneezing, nasal irritations, nasal stuffing, nasal blockage, sore throat and headache. In such cases, slime is usually slippery and watery.
3. When mucus gets thickened in the throat and lungs, this is mainly due to congestion in the lungs and upper respiratory tract. The person may have breathing difficulty or problem in swallowing.

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4. Sometimes, thickened mucus is produced due to conditions like smoking, air pollution, not drinking enough water, drinking too many caffeinated drinks like tea or coffee and alcohol, or being in airconditioned air for a long time.
5. Certain medical conditions which cause overproduction of mucus are Allergies, Sinusitis, Common cold, acid reflux, certain lung conditions like COPD, chronic bronchitis and asthma.

Simple measures to get rid of mucus are :

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1. The best home remedy to clear the throat from mucus is the saltwater gargling which I recommend as this measure is very helpful for me too.
2. Keep yourself hydrated by consuming enough water.
3. Over the counter medicines, the expectorant, mucolytics, liquorice tablets are useful to some extent.
4. Elevating the head by using an extra pillow while lying down has been effective in some people.

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5. Having certain kind of food items like Pineapple ( contains an enzyme bromelain which has anti-inflammatory properties), ginger, turmeric, apple cider vinegar are helpful to reduce the mucus.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

Thymus: Forgotten yet most crucial 🙌

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

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This Coronavirus Pandemic has created havoc within us in these couple of weeks. Thousands of people are affected and already killed by the virus. In today’s world, it has created an atmosphere of panic, fearfulness which has greatly affected our mental health. We were never prepared for such Pandemic. It’s also true, that we can never avoid such naturally acquired disaster. But, we can at least armed our bodies better by start building up a strong, powerful immune system.

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Therefore, to take proper care for our body, we need to be more aware and more informative about how our body’s natural defence system function. Concerning our immunity and the immune system, Thymus is an important gland that plays a vital role. This lymphoid gland seems to be an underrated gland that is hardly discussed. People know or give very little importance about this gland. But this gland plays the most significant role in building immunity in our body by supporting the immune system. This is a small gland which lies behind the sternum (the chest bone). It usually atrophies as ageing progresses. But its function remains intact lifelong. Its main function is that it supplies the defence cells of the White blood cells army of Immune system which are responsible to fight against viruses and cancers cells.

img_0746Certain type of precursor cells originate from the stem cells in the bone marrow of bones and go through the bloodstream to the thymus gland where they mature and are trained to perform their specific functions of defence. Thymus secretes hormones like Thymosine which helps in the development and maturation of these cells. Not all cells produced mature and make through a very specific selection and training process. Many of them die within the thymus. Only 1-2 % of the cells become ready to perform their function of defending against harmful pathogens and cancer cells. Therefore, these matured and trained cells are released in the lymphatic system to perform their specific functions. The different cells released from the thymus are categorised as T (thymus) cells and B (bone marrow) cells. The T-cells mainly fight against antigens and cancer cells.

T-cell types :
#Natural killer T-cells fight against viral infections. They release certain chemicals like Cytokines which can kill the viruses or other pathogens along with the affected cells.
#Helper T-cells not necessarily kill the viruses but tagged them as ‘harmful’ so that the natural killer cells can eliminate these antigens. So, the helper T- cells help in coordinating the immune system.
#Regulatory T- cells mainly control and regulate the immune system. it naturally keeps the balance. If this is not done, then T-cells will attack the body’s own tissues leading to autoimmune conditions. The body may suffer from different autoimmune conditions like various inflammations and allergies. So, the function of this regulatory cell is very important to balance the immune defence system.

B-cells mainly produced antibodies. There are a variety of antibodies. The antibodies do not kill the pathogens but instead, they tag and segregate them as harmful viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites. So, the natural killer cells can destroy them. Our body can produce as many as millions of antibodies which can identify different specific pathogens and tagged them accordingly.

Fortunately, it is amazing to know that our body has been naturally equipped with such a powerful strong immune system with Thymus playing an important role. We are gifted with a very sophisticated defence immune system. But, as we age, the thymus gland slowly atrophied, become smaller and smaller in size. So the release of matured and trained T-cells and B-cells from the Thymus is slowly reduced too. Therefore, our immune system gets weaker and weaker and we become susceptible to diseases and infections.

So, how do we maintain and keep our immune system function intact and powerful? To support the thymus gland and the immune system from functioning at their optimal potential, we need to adopt a healthy lifestyle: Healthy eating, low-stress level and meditation, exercise.

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1 Vitamin D: This particular vitamin is anti-inflammatory and is very useful in the development and maturation of Helper and Regulatory T cells which are integral in the immunity defence army of cells. Dietary sources are best and supplements only given under clinical recommendation. Not to forget, sunlight is an important source of vitamin D. So, being in the sun for at least 15 mins a day can be very beneficial.

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2. Iodine is important because it helps in the process and maturation of Natural Killer cells.

3. Zinc: Another important mineral which greatly supports the immune system and defends us from the invasion of pathogens. Food chart is given in my previous post on Zinc: https://wordpress.com/post/healthhappinesshealing.org/3137

Stress Management mind map
Stress Management mind map, business concept background

4. Stress: Enough has been talked and written about stress which may harm our body and the immune system. Therefore, we need to control our stress level every day by adopting different stress-relieving tips and keep ourselves calm.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

Zinc: 10 vital uses 🙌

Hello everyone! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

Human population studies have shown that almost about 2 billion population suffer from Zinc deficiency in the world. Zinc is a trace mineral which is most vital for many of our body’s natural processes. It is not produced in the body but has to be supplemented by food sources and supplements.

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The body’s vital processes where zinc plays a significant role are :
1. Zinc acts as a co-factor in almost 1000 enzymes in protein synthesis.
It plays a role in cell division and DNA synthesis.

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2. It supports the immune system. Zinc reduces the oxidative stress and stimulates the particular immune cells like the mast cells which helps in fighting bacterial infections, viruses and promotes the immune response. So, it reduces the infection course in common cold. Also, because of it’s antioxidant properties, it helps in reducing inflammations in the body. In the present scenario of COVID 19 pandemic, Zinc is very effective in the prevention and management of COVID 19. Therefore, it is wise for us to daily have Zinc intake through food sources to have a strong and powerful immune system especially these days. 
3. It plays a vital role in the growth and development in-utero (during pregnancy), during childhood and adolescence. It plays a vital role in cell proliferation, metabolism. It helps in cognitive functions and learning.
4. It is essential for the proper functioning of the smell and taste senses.
5. It promotes wound healing. Because of anti-inflammatory property and its role in collagen synthesis, zinc is very essential in the healing of burns, ulcers and other skin injuries.

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6. Another important function of zinc is that it plays a very important role in neural functioning. It helps to control the brain body’s response to stress. Researches have shown that zinc supplements along with antidepressants given to depressed patients have dramatically improved symptoms.

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7. It plays an important role in skin health. It is widely distributed through the layers of the skin. Zinc acts as a transporter in the cells of the skin. Therefore, it’s deficiency causes a lot of skin problems like acne, eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, hyperpigmentation and also alopecia.
8. It is important for prostate health. Zinc concentration is highest in the prostate tissue. It helps in the synthesis of testosterone. Its deficiency can lead to hypogonadism.


9. Zinc helps in the storage of insulin in the beta cells of Pancrease. It is essential in the conversion of proinsulin to insulin. Therefore, zinc is significant in both the production and storage of insulin. Because of it’s, antioxidant properties, Zinc helps in lowering the oxidative damage caused by free radicals and reduces the effects of diabetes-induced complications. So, Zinc supplementation is very important in diabetics patients.

10. Zinc plays a vital role in the synthesis of melanin which is a protective pigment for the eyes. It helps to transport Vitamin A from the liver to the retina and helps in the production of melanin. Zinc deficiency can lead to poor or impaired vision.

So, this magical mineral has tremendous health benefits to talk about. Deficiency can lead to numerous health issues. To name a few like,

Delayed or retarded growth, various skin problems, weakened immune system, chronic diarrhoea, delayed sexual maturity, delayed healing of wounds, early ageing, poor vision and behavioural issues.

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Mineral food zinc supplements. Large medical capsule with Zinc letters and many small pills. 3d illustration.

Ideally, Zinc required for daily intake in a normal adult is 10 mg/day from food sources. Supplementation of 15-30mg/day is clinically recommended if deficient in Zinc related issues. But higher doses of daily consumption of about 60mg/day for about 10 weeks can lead to Zinc toxicity. Zinc supplementation is given in the form of Zinc acetate, Zinc sulphate, Zinc gluconate, Zinc citrate. Supplementation should be taken always under clinical supervision.

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Both plant and animal food sources of Zinc can be absorbed in the body. But, whole grains, legumes, cereals contains phytate which may inhibit the Zinc absorption in the body. This is a fact that needs to be aware of in case of a vegetarian diet. Fortified grains, cereals can be the substitute if deficiency issues arise. Other food sources of Zinc are :

Healthy product sources of zinc.
Healthy product sources of zinc. Food rich in Zn

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

Vagus Nerve: The wellbeing stimulator 🙌

Hello everyone! Have a wonderful day and stay safe 🙋🏻

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Vagus Nerve, is the body’s unique nerve which is by far the most important nerve to be stimulated in today’s time of crisis, threat, anxiety, innumerable stress, pain, tensions. Especially in times of crisis like this Coronavirus Pandemic where people are continuously under the anxiety and fear of falling sick, hospitalization, death.

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Anatomically, this is the 10th cranial nerve which starts in the brain and runs entirely throughout the body till the reproductive organs. Therefore the name ‘Vagus’ comes which means a wanderer which wander through every organ of the body. It is also the longest and most complex nerve. Just to simplify, it runs from the brain and branch as dorsal and ventral branches with numerous sub-branches running through both front and back of our body touching almost every organ.
But, why is this nerve so important when it comes to wellbeing ? The reason is that this particular nerve is the cynosure of Parasympathetic Nervous system, the ‘rest and digest’ stimulation or the relaxation of the body. It is this nerve which helps the body to self regulate and maintain the homeostasis. It is this nerve which maintains the brain-gut communication. The immune system is rejuvenated and work efficiently. There are the body’s recovery and healing.

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The Autonomic nervous system has 2 main areas:
Sympathetic Nervous system: This system is mainly responsible for mobilization, high energy state, vigilant state. So, the heart rate, blood pressure, alertness, breathing rate are increased. In such state, there is no energy left for growth, repair and regeneration.

Parasympathetic Nervous system: The vagus nerve is mainly responsible for this system. This is the ‘rest and digest’ state where the metabolism is optimized, heart rate lowers, breathing slows down, blood pressure lowers and the body is relaxed. There is a restoration of growth. repair and the immune system is regulated to it’s highest potential. The body is in recovery and the healing state from any damage that it went through.

Ideally, there is a balance of harmony between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Whenever, there is an alert state, a threat, there is an automatic switch-on of the sympathetic system. Once, the threat is gone, there is a switch-off of the sympathetic and parasympathetic system takes the centre-stage. But in today’s time, we, people are so caught up with the day to day stress, anxiety, fear, that throughout the day, the sympathetic system remains in action. There is hardly the switch off. As a result, there is less potential for growth, repair, regeneration, rejuvenation of the body. The immune system is compromised and we become susceptible to disease. Most of the time, or even during an entire lifetime, we remain stuck in the high tone state which is not good for the body at all. We, end up, suffering from various chronic conditions and diseases. Therefore, it’s high time that we realise this default habit in our system and start taking measures to activate the Vagus Nerve (parasympathetic) tone daily for our overall wellbeing.

There are various ways by which the Vagus Nerve get stimulated to maintain the calm relaxed state:

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1.Social connection: The ventral vagus branch is mainly stimulated by social connection and engagement. By keeping ourselves connected to loved ones, people around with positive emotions like love, gratitude, joy, empathy and compassion, there is the self-regulation of the body-mind connection and the homeostasis is maintained.

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2.Deep breathing: Baroreceptors present in the heart and upper body around the neck get stimulated by slow deep breathing. Therefore, regulating the breath with slow deep cycles of breaths can instantly stimulate the vagus and lowers the heart rate and blood pressure bringing the vitals to a relaxed state. There are different breathing exercises like the Pranayama in yoga, Win Hoff method and other helpful breathing techniques.If you want to learn more about diaphargmatic breathing, you can listen and understand from audio CD of Dr Andrew Weil

3.Meditation: Meditation and deep relaxation can naturally put our body in the parasympathetic tone. Chanting or humming words, mantras can directly stimulate the Vagus nerve. The singing and chanting in the chorus (like the choir in Church), can increase the heart variability rate and naturally causes relaxation waves in the body. Prayers are highly effective in increasing heart variability rate and maintaining calmness.

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4. Cold exposure: Exposing the body to cold like cold water shower, splashing cold water in the face, drinking ice cold water, sudden cold exposure can naturally stimulate the Vagus Nerve.
5.Message: Having messages like a foot, hand, neck messages along the carotid arteries can naturally stimulate the Vagus Nerve. It also lowers heart and blood pressure.
6.Gargling: This is a simple technique where the muscles of the pallet are stimulated by gargling which inturn stimulates Vagus nerve instantly.

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7.Exercises: Usually mild low-intensity exercises like stretching, Yoga, Tai Chi stimulate and improves the brain-gut axis and helps in relaxation. High intense training should always be done in short intervals followed by relaxation so that the body learns to fluctuate from sympathetic to parasympathetic tone in a quick recovery state.

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8. Food rich in omega 3 fatty acids and probiotics, fermented food can naturally stimulate the gut which in turn stimulate the gut-brain axis.

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9. Music: Relaxation and listening to the music of your choice can naturally increase the heart variability rate, gives your pleasure, joy which enhances immunity and stimulate the Vagus Nerve.
10. Intermittent Fasting: Intermittent fasting provide the much-needed break, the rest to the digestive process. The metabolism slows down and improves the vagus nerve activity.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

Post: 5 Sleep aids 😴 🙌

Hello everyone! Have a great Tuesday 🙋🏻‍♀️

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Blessings and much love to all💐

Post: Immune boosters ❤️

Hello everyone! Have a wonderful week ahead 🙋🏻‍♀️

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Blessings and much love 💐

Post: The Mind Diet 😇

Hello everyone! Have a great Monday 🙋🏻‍♀️

We need both mind and body equally to carry out our daily activities. As we age, we face the challenges of ageing, living, working, struggling to have a fit mind and a body. Therefore, food being an important source of energy, we need to give our undivided attention to what we consume daily. This Mind diet is a routine plan of what we need to consume daily to keep our mind healthy and prevent us from Alzheimer’s, dementia and other age-related illness.

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Thanks for reading.
Blessings and much love to all 💐