YW_Issue_93_June-18_68 pages

VOLUME VII • ISSUE I • JUNE 2018 TOTAL PAGES: 68 

`40/- 

Why We Would 

Love To Be 

Superheroes 

Gifting A Life 

To Another: Will 

Your Family 

Support You? 

Is Social Media 

Intruding On Your 

Relationships? 

Eat To Beat 

Obesity 

Fitness, 

Facebook 

& You 

Focus On 

Obesity 

wellness nutrition // wellness debate // relationship wellness // emotional wellness

Volume VII • Issue I • June 2018 

publisher’s note 

3 

Publisher, Editor & Printer 

Rakesh Dharavat 

Staff Writers 

Gayatri Pagdi 

Francine White 

Kirean Ball 

Jenny Catton 

Vaidehi Phansalkar 

Steven Miscandlon 

Advertising Sales 

shankar@yourwellness.com 

Senior Graphic Designer 

Mukesh Patel 

Owner : 

Health Media Publishing Pvt Ltd. 

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RMOSS Prints Pvt Ltd. 

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J. B. Nagar, Andheri (East), 

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Place of Publication : 

Health Media Publishing Pvt Ltd. 

G2, Akruti Centre Point, MIDC, 

Andheri (East), Mumbai 400093 

If stepping on the weighing scale fills you with dread, if you are caught in 

the vicious cycle of obesity and comfort-eating which, in turn, makes you weigh 

even more, it’s time to take your life back. This month we focus on obesity that 

affects millions of people worldwide and contributes to substantial health-related 

expenditure and loss of productivity, not to mention the psychological and 

emotional cost. The nutrition section has some wonderful recipes to fight the flab. 

Elsewhere, we look at how each one of us is capable of gifting new life to 

another through organ donation, why we would love to be superheroes, how 

social media intrudes upon relationships and what pictures of the gym-toned 

bodies of your friends on Facebook and Instagram could do to your fitness 

goals. We debate new research that says good grades in school predict future 

success, while our experts offer advice on the best ways to retain an excellent 

memory and alertness of mind all your life. There’s all of this and much more on 

the inside pages. 

Yourwellness is unique in covering all aspects of wellbeing, from health and 

relationships, through fitness and family, to work and finances. What’s more, we 

also explore all the options available, from Ancient to Modern and Scientific to 

Holistic. 

If you enjoy reading this issue, look for similar articles and features at 

www.yourwellness.com. Why not tell your friends so they can also sit down, 

take a well-earned break and browse our pages? 

Until next month, 

Publisher 

PS.: You may notice these three symbols 

appearing throughout the magazine. These 

reflect which features relate to psychological, physical, or physiological wellness. 

reach us 

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Reproduction in part or in whole, in print, 

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This issue contains 68 pages including cover. 

Disclaimer | yourwellness is dedicated to providing useful, well researched information on every aspect of your 

wellness. We do not pioneer any particular therapy or school of thought instead we offer all the options to allow 

our readers to make an informed choice. All our contents are not intended to provide medical advice or diagnosis 

of individual problems or circumstances, nor should it be implied that we are a substitute for professional medical 

advice. Readers are always advised to consult their healthcare professionals prior to starting any new remedy, therapy 

or treatment. 

June 2018 • Issue I • Volume VII • yourwellness.com

4 

contents 

32 

Are You A 

Hoarder? 

39 

Have Good Neighbours 

For Peaceful Home Life 

14 wellness focus on 

Obesity 

30 emotional wellness 

Why We Would Love 

To Be Superheroes 

36 family wellness 

Gifting A Life To Another: 

Will Your Family Support 

You? 

40 exercise wellness 

Fitness, Facebook & You 

46 relationship 

wellness 

Is Social Media Intruding 

On Your Relationships? 

50 wellness nutrition 

Eat To Beat Obesity 

06 wellness news 

10 kitchen wellness 

12 garden wellness 

emotional wellness 

34 Why People Get Into Bar 

Brawls 

family wellness 

38 How To Create A Family 

First Aid Kit 

exercise wellness 

42 Over 40? Here’s How You 

Could Improve Metabolism 

relationship wellness 

48 Could You Benefit From 

Sibling Counselling? 

wellness debate 

56 Can Good Grades In School 

Predict Future Success? 

58 wellness experts 

60 wellness reviews 

62 holistic wellness 

64 modern wellness 

65 ancient wellness 

66 scientific wellness 

61 Sparkling 

ACV 

44 

Are You 

Jymmin? 

54 

Stuffed 

Italian 

Zucchini 

Boats 

yourwellness.com • Volume VII • Issue I • June 2018

6 wellness 

news 

Are Selfies As 

Dangerous As 

Bullying? 

We know many parents worry about bullying but 

a new study has shown that selfies could be just 

as harmful to children. In the study, researchers 

at the University of Birmingham 

looked at responses from 1,300 

teenagers aged between 13 and 

18. They asked them about their 

usage of social media sites where 

youngsters often post pictures 

of themselves. The researchers 

found that looking at selfies of 

friends could act as a form of peer 

pressure with children comparing 

their own looks and bodies with others. They 

suggest that constantly looking at selfies of others 

can lead to poor self-esteem and a distorted body 

image among children. 

- Anonymous 

Wellness is a proactive approach 

to our physical, emotional, 

social and mental health. 

A Left Hug Or A 

Right One? 

Ever given a friend a warm heartfelt hug only to 

feel that the hug you received in return wasn’t 

quite so friendly? Well, new research has found 

an easy way to tell if a hug is authentic or 

whether the hugger feels a little awkward. 

Apparently, it’s all in the direction of the hug! 

When people lean to the left it signals that the 

hug is genuine and heartfelt while a lean to the 

right could indicate that the hugger is more 

awkward. Close friends were more likely to lean 

to the left while the strangers were more likely to 

lean to the right. 

Experts say that the reason 

for the difference in hugging 

technique boils down to the 

regions in the brain, with the 

right ‘emotional’ side of the brain 

controlling the left side of the 

body. So, when we are feeling 

genuine emotion, we are more 

likely to lean to the left. 

Too Social To 

Sleep 

Do you struggle to get the recommended 

eight hours of sleep each night? If so, 

you might want to review your social 

media habits. For a new study has 

found that people who spend as little 

as one hour per day using social media 

suffered from more sleep problems than 

those spending less time on social sites. 

Researchers found that those who used 

social media for an hour or more each 

day were more likely to suffer from sleep 

disruptions. They also discovered that 

while using social media could affect 

both boys and girls in this way, girls 

were more likely to be addicted to social 

networks and were, therefore, more 

likely to be suffering from poor sleep. 

How Low 

Sodium Levels 

Affect Older 

People 

A new study has found that lower level 

of sodium in the blood -- known as 

hyponatremia -- is linked with a decline 

in cognitive function with advancing 

age. The results, which are described 

in the ‘Clinical Journal of the American 

Society of Nephrology’ (CJASN), raise 

the possibility that addressing sodium 

levels may help preserve cognition as 

individuals age. Hyponatremia is said 

to be associated with higher risks of 

attention deficits, gait disturbances, 

falls, cardiovascular events, and even 

premature death. Says researcher Dr 

Kristen Nowak, “Because slightly lower 

serum sodium levels and mild changes 

in cognitive function are common 

occurrences with advancing age, future 

research on this topic is important 

- including determining whether 

correcting lower sodium levels affects 

cognitive function.” 


8 wellness 

news 

Eating Alone 

Might Be Bad 

For You 

With increasingly busy lives, it can be hard to 

fit in family meal times and many of us often 

have to grab a meal alone, in between other 

commitments. But new research has found 

that regularly eating alone could increase the 

risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol 

– particularly if you are a man. Experts 

believe this is because men 

will often reach for junk food 

or convenience meals when 

catering for themselves, rather 

than the healthier dishes they 

might enjoy when dining with 

their partner or family. Women, 

meanwhile, were more likely to 

stick to the same sorts of food 

they usually eat, even when 

eating on their own. Research showed that 

men who eat alone were 45% more likely to be 

obese than those who ate with others. 

- Paul Eluard 

Hope raises no dust. 

Polluted Air 

Lowers Morality! 

Can pollution lead to bad behaviour on your 

part? It might, according to ‘Psychological 

Science’, a journal of the Association for 

Psychological Science. Previous studies 

have indicated that exposure to air pollution 

elevates individuals’ feelings of anxiety. 

Anxiety is known to correlate with a range of 

unethical behaviours. Behavioural scientists 

at Columbia Business School found that cities 

with higher levels of air pollution also tended 

to have higher levels of crime. The 256 study 

participants, who were asked to imagine 

living in a polluted area or a clean one, and 

shown photographs of both, were given a 

test. The researchers found that those who 

thought about living in a polluted area cheated 

more often than the other group. They also 

expressed more anxiety in their writing. The 

study concluded that exposure to air pollution, 

whether physical or mental, is linked with 

transgressive behaviour through increased 

levels of anxiety. 

Is That Cow 

An Optimist Or 

Pessimist? 

Ever wondered about the emotional 

world and personalities of cows? A new 

University of British Columbia study has 

found that some calves are inherently 

optimistic or pessimistic, just as humans 

are. “Sometimes we are tempted to see 

only the herd, even though this herd 

consists of different individuals who cope 

differently with stressful events,” says 

researcher Marina von Keyserlingk, leader 

of the research team from UBC’s animal 

welfare program. The study also assessed 

fearfulness through standard personality 

tests that monitor how calves react to 

unfamiliar situations, such as the presence 

of a stranger or a foreign 

object. Fearfulness and 

pessimism turned out to 

be closely related. Adds 

von Keyserlingk that, just 

like humans, calves that 

are more fearful are also 

more likely to view the 

glass as half empty! 

A Little Wine 

Cleans Up The 

Brain 

A new study, which appears in the journal 

‘Scientific Reports’, shows that low levels 

of alcohol consumption tamp 

down inflammation and helps 

the brain clear away toxins, 

including those associated 

with Alzheimer’s disease. 

So a glass or two of wine 

can not only help clear the 

mind after a busy day, it 

may actually help clean the 

mind as well. “Prolonged intake 

of excessive amounts of ethanol 

is known to have adverse effects on 

the central nervous system,” says 

researcher Maiken Nedergaard. 

“However, in this study we have shown 

for the first time that low doses of 

alcohol are potentially beneficial 

to brain health, namely, it 

improves the brain’s ability to 

remove waste.” 


kitchen 

10 wellness 

Tips To Deep Clean 

Your Kitchen 

A daily routine is great for 

keeping on top of your kitchen 

cleaning but when your kitchen 

needs a little extra help, you might 

want to consider a deep clean. 

The first step is to choose a day 

when you have plenty of time and 

don’t need to cook throughout the 

day. Make sure you have all the 

cleaning products and accessories 

you will need. Then work your way 

through the kitchen methodically, 

tackling one area at a time. 

Before you begin 

It’s much easier to deep clean 

your kitchen if it is free from 

clutter. So, before you begin, take 

a trip around the room and tidy 

away as much as possible. Make 

sure food is stored before you 

begin to ensure that it doesn’t 

become contaminated by cleaning 

products. Then take gadgets or 

appliances from your worktops 

and store them elsewhere. Once 

your worktops are completely 

clear, you’ll be able to start 

cleaning. 

Start at the top 

A good rule of thumb when 

deep cleaning any room is to start 

at the top and work down. So begin 

by dusting away any cobwebs 

from your ceiling, give extractor 

fans a clean, and dust the tops of 

cupboards. Next, move onto your 

walls and worktops, giving them 

a good wipe with your favoured 

cleaner. If you want to use a natural 

product in place of chemical 

cleaners, a simple mixture of white 

vinegar and lukewarm water works 

well. Pay particular attention to 

those areas where grease builds up 

such as around the cooker. 

Worktops 

With your worktops free from 

clutter, it should only take a few 

minutes to give them a good clean. 

Make sure you get right into the 

corners where crumbs can often 

collect. 

The fridge 

A deep clean is a great 

opportunity to give your fridge 

a clear out. Check all products 

for expiry dates and throw away 

anything that’s past its best. Then 

take everything else out of the 

fridge for a few minutes while you 

wash and dry the interior, paying 

attention to grooves in the shelves 

and door compartments. 

The sink 

Sinks and draining boards need 

regular cleaning to keep them 

sparkling. If you have a stainless 

steel or porcelain sink, a great way 

to give it a deep clean is to sprinkle 

baking soda onto the surfaces with 

a little water to create a paste. 

Then use a cloth to remove grime 

and stains. Finally, give the sink 

a good rinse with fresh water to 

remove all traces of the baking 

soda before drying. 

The floor 

Once you’ve tackled all the 

other areas in your kitchen, you 

can give the floor a good sweep 

and mop. Now your kitchen will be 

sparkling and ready for use once 

more! 


garden 

12 wellness 

Rotate The Veggies 

If you’re new to growing 

vegetables in your garden you 

might have heard of ‘crop rotation’ 

but are perhaps unsure of what 

exactly it involves. Put simply, crop 

rotation means growing different 

vegetables in a new position on 

your vegetable plot each year. So, 

instead of growing the same thing 

in the same place, you rotate the 

position of your vegetables each 

year so that you grow different 

things in different spots. 

Why it’s important to 

rotate veggies 

The aim of crop rotation is 

to keep the nutrients in your 

vegetable garden balanced while 

helping prevent the build-up of 

pests and diseases. The principle 

is that different plants affect soil 

conditions in different ways and 

each plant is susceptible to its 

own diseases and pests. Therefore, 

if you keep the same crop in the 

same position year after year, it 

can result in a build-up of diseases 

and pests while also leading to 

lower quality soil. However, if 

you rotate your crops, you can 

maximise the nutrient values of the 

soil and help ward off pests and 

diseases. 

Get it right 

The first step to crop rotation is 

to look at your vegetable plot and 

decide what you would like to grow. 

Then grab a pen and paper and sort 

the different plants into types of 

crops. A four-year crop rotation is 

ideal for most home gardeners and 

one that many gardeners choose. 

For this, you could choose to group 

your crops as 

Brassicas such as cabbages, 

kale, cauliflower and broccoli 

Legumes including peas and 

beans 

Alliums like all types of onions 

plus other alliums such as leeks 

and garlic 

Roots and tubers like potatoes, 

carrots and beetroots. 

With these four groups, you 

can then establish a four-year 

crop rotation system. At the end 

of each growing season, you will 

clear the growing beds and move 

the position on one place ready for 

next year. 

So, your brassicas would move 

to the position where you had 

previously grown your legumes 

and so on. Keep a plan so that you 

can easily see where each type of 

crop will be moving to each year. 

Salad crops can easily be 

fitted around your other groups, 

wherever you have space, but it’s 

also a good idea to move these 

around year by year. 

Another benefit of crop rotation 

is that, with a little planning, you 

can make sure a particular type of 

crop follows another to make the 

most of the soil conditions. For 

example, legumes help increase 

the amount of nitrogen in the soil 

which is beneficial for brassicas. 

Therefore, planting brassicas in a 

spot which was previously home 

to legumes could have big benefits 

for the success of your crop. 

Gardeners with less space 

sometimes group legumes, alliums 

and roots together to save space 

and still get good results. Or, for 

really small spaces, the simplest 

option is to swap crops between 

two positions each year. The 

golden rule is to not keep the same 

crop in the same position two 

years running. 


14 

focus 

- S. Jay Olshansky 

Fixing obesity is 

going to require a 

change in our modern 

relationship with food. 

If stepping on the weighing scale fills you 

with dread, if you are caught in the vicious 

cycle of obesity and comfort-eating which, 

in turn, makes you weigh even more, it’s 

time to take your life back. 

Focus On 

Obesity 


15 

Obesity is the result of an imbalance 

between calorie intake and energy 

expenditure resulting from complex 

interactions between many genetic 

and environmental factors. It is a 

chronic issue that affects millions of 

people worldwide and contributes to 

substantial health-related expenditure 

and loss of productivity, not to mention 

the psychological and emotional cost. 

When it comes to losing weight, 

there is no ‘one size fits all’ magic 

answer. There are many different 

factors that can play a part in why you 

put on so much weight or have difficulty 

losing weight. Obesity is a combination 

of lifestyle, amount of exercise, amount 

of sleep, stress levels, lack of water, 

emotional wellbeing, hormone balance, 

medication you are taking, food choices, 

the timings of your meals etc. 

So Your Genes Won’t Let 

You Fit Into Your Jeans? 

If the wait to get back into 

your college jeans seems 

endless, blame your genes! 

A new study, led by Imperial 

College London and published in 

‘Nature Genetics’, used genome 

sequencing and found mutations 

in one specific gene related to 

obesity: Adenylate cyclase 3 

(ADCY3). When mutations occur 

in ADCY3, the protein it codes 

for forms abnormally and doesn’t 

function properly. This leads to 

abnormalities relating to appetite 

control, diabetes, and even sense 

of smell. 

Says Professor Philippe Froguel, 

chair of Genomic Medicine at 

Imperial, “Early studies into ADCY3 

tested mice that were bred to lack 

that gene, found that these animals 

were obese and also lacked the 

ability to smell, known as anosmia. 

When we tested our patients, we 

found that they also had anosmia, 

again showing a link to mutations 

in ADCY3.” ADCY3 is thought 

to impact a system that links 

the hypothalamus (part of the 

brain) to the production 

of hormones that 

regulate a wide variety 

of biological functions, 

including appetite. 

Adds Professor 

Froguel, “Obesity 

is not always 

gluttony, 

and I think we should have a 

positive outlook considering the 

new treatments that are becoming 

possible.” 


16 wellness 

focus 

What’s Your 

Diet Personality? 

Research suggests that there’s a 

relationships between eating style 

and food intake. In other words: 

How you eat affects how much you 

eat. Here are some ‘obese habits’: 

The Diver – At a buffet, 

you don’t look around to pick and 

choose or even give a thought to 

what you should eat and what to 

best avoid. You dive right in and 

start loading your plate. 

The Eat-n-bolt 

variety – Chewing habits of the 

obese seem to be different from 

those not obese. In a study, it was 

found that the heaviest people 

chewed their food an average of 

11.9 times before swallowing while 

the leanest chewed 14.8 times. The 

obese dig in and clean their plates. 

There are times when you have to 

ignore mom’s advice and let some 

food stay back on your plate. Of 

course, what is better is to start off 

with smaller portions and avoid 

waste as also from waste going to 

your waist! 

The Shark – You take 

huge bites. You devour foods in 

large chunks and when you finish 

quickly, you go for the seconds or 

the thirds or more. 

The Strutter – While in 

company, you make a great show 

of being on a diet but then end up 

attacking a cheesecake wildly by 

yourself when alone. Temptations 

will come thick and fast. 

The Victim – You just 

can’t say No. Your family can 

tempt you with food, imply that 

you no longer appreciate them 

if you don’t like the food they’ve 

prepared, your friends don’t want 

to lose their ‘food buddy’ and you 

end up falling prey to every treat 

at workplace parties, every fizzy 

with your kids, and accompany 

your friends to check out the latest 

eating place. And all of it shows on 

your belly! 


17 

Is It Hunger 

Or Hormones? 

It’s not always hunger that 

makes you put on weight. There 

could be another cause - like your 

hormones. The hormones leptin 

and insulin, sex hormones and 

growth hormone influence our 

appetite, metabolism, and body fat 

distribution. 

Ghrelin 

Although it sounds like an elf 

from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, this 

hormone is produced in the lining 

of an empty stomach. Ghrelin 

directly stimulates the appetite 

centre in your hypothalamus 

to produce feelings of hunger. 

Infusing ghrelin increases food 

intake by as much as 28%. Once 

you start to eat, however, ghrelin 

levels soon fall. 

Obestatin 

Obestatin is believed to 

counteract the effects of 

ghrelin and reduce hunger 

pangs. Research suggests 

that impaired control of the 

ghrelin-obestatin system 

may trigger both obesity 

and diabetes. 

Leptin 

The word leptin 

derives from the Greek, 

leptos, meaning thin, as 

it is produced by over-stuffed 

fat cells in an attempt to reduce 

your food intake. The amount of 

leptin you make is directly related 

to the size of your fat stores, so 

you’d expect that the more you 

weigh, the fuller you’d feel. Here’s 

the catch: As you get more and 

more overweight, leptin receptors 

in the appetite control centre of 

your brain become less and less 

responsive to its effects so the 

signal that usually stops you eating 

doesn’t get through. This effect is 

linked with insulin resistance, and 

people with type 2 diabetes have 

higher leptin levels than those 

without, whether or not they are 

also obese. 

Glucagon-like 

peptide-1 

This hormone is released 

towards the end of your small 

intestine as yet another signal to 

reduce hunger and food intake. 

Unfortunately, the release of 

GLP-1, after a carbohydrate-rich 

meal, is lower in people who are 

obese than in those who are lean. 

Oxyntomodulin 

This hormone is produced in 

your lower small intestine and in 

the colon. Oxyntomodulin levels 

rise within 30 minutes of 

eating and remain elevated for 

several hours. It’s thought to 

work on the appetite centre 

of the brain to reduce food 

intake and ghrelin secretion. 

Peptide-YY (PYY) 

and Pancreatic 

Polypeptide (PP) 

These are yet more 

satiety hormones released 

shortly after starting 

Overcome Your Hormones 

Despite the abundance of appetitesuppressing 

hormones in your body, 

ghrelin and cortisol – the only two 

that significantly stimulate appetite 

– seem to win every time! The 

following tips will help you beat their 

effects: 

• Lack of sleep stimulates ghrelin 

production and boosts appetite, so 

try to get at least 8 hours sleep per 

night. 

• Chew your food thoroughly 

and pause between mouthfuls. 

The slower you eat, the more 

time there is for CCK (a peptide 

hormone responsible for 

stimulating the digestion of fat and 

protein) to make you feel full. 

• Regular exercise helps to reduce 

leptin resistance which may be 

why intense exercise can reduce 

your appetite. Exercise also resets 

your fight-or-flight stress reaction 

back to the rest-and-digest mode, 

as well as boosting fat burning 

and triggering the release of 

endorphins – brain chemicals 

that suppress hunger and increase 

feelings of euphoria. At least 30 

to 60 minutes of brisk exercise 

per day, especially when you feel 

stressed, can help limit weight 

gain. 


18 wellness 

focus 

to eat. They are so effective they can 

suppress appetite throughout most 

of the day, but people who are obese 

produce lower than normal levels of 

both these hormones. 

Cortisol 

If you resort to comfort-eating 

when feeling stressed, blame it on 

your stress hormone, cortisol. When 

women exposed to stressful activities 

were then left alone to recover with a 

bowl of snacks, those whose cortisol 

level were significantly raised ate an 

average of 216 kilocalories, while 

those who coped better, and showed 

a lower cortisol reaction, snacked less 

(137 kcal). Those who responded to 

stress with high cortisol levels also 

showed a preference for sweet rather 

than salty snacks. On the control day, 

when they were not stressed, however, 

both groups ate similar amounts (177 

kcal versus 187 kcal). Although eating 

and appetite is a complex behaviour, 

long-term stress may influence eating 

behaviour and lead to significant 

weight gain in some people. 

Seven Health Risks 

Linked With Being Obese 

It’s easy to ignore the health 

hazards of being obese. But it’s 

worth knowing the facts associated 

with carrying around significant 

amounts of extra weight. Did 

you know that obesity is one 

of the leading causes of death 

throughout the world, and that it 

kills three times more people than 

malnutrition? Here are seven of 

the most serious health conditions 

linked to obesity: 

Type 2 diabetes: The risk 

of developing this serious disorder 

rises dramatically when you are 

severely overweight. According to 

the World Health Organisation, 

obesity is the cause of around 70% 

of type 2 diabetes in men and 75% 

of all cases in women. 

Cardiovascular 

disease: Your waistline might 

make your BP look bad. Being 

obese is linked with having a 

high blood pressure and raised 

cholesterol. Your heart has to work 

harder to pump blood around a 

larger body. As a result, obesity 

doubles your risk of a heart attack 

or stroke. According to a Harvard 

Medical School report, controlling 

your weight is an important 

way to lower stroke risk. Excess 

pounds strain the entire circulatory 

system and can lead to other 

health conditions, including high 

blood pressure, diabetes and high 

cholesterol. 

Osteoarthritis: Carrying 

excess pounds puts an increased 

strain on your joints, especially 

your knees and hips. This can lead 

to osteoarthritis, an inflammatory 

and degenerative condition in 

which the cartilage and bone 

within a joint wears away. 

Cancer: Being obese is 

linked with an increased risk of 

developing cancer, especially 

those affecting the oesophagus, 

pancreas, bowel, breast (after 

menopause), endometrium 

(womb lining), kidney, thyroid 

and gallbladder. According to 

the National Cancer Institute 

in the US, for some 

types of cancer, 

obesity is 

thought to 

account for 


19 

40% of cases. A 2016 report published 

in the journal ‘Cell Metabolism’ titled 

‘Obesity and Cancer: The Oil that 

Feeds the Flame’, says, “In the past 

decade, cancer has joined the list of 

chronic debilitating diseases whose 

risk is substantially increased by 

hypernutrition.” 

Respiratory disease: Your 

risk of developing lung conditions 

such as asthma increase when you are 

overweight. Obstructive sleep apnea, 

where breathing is interrupted when 

sleeping, is also common, leading to 

disturbed, restless sleep, tiredness and 

an increased risk of daytime accidents 

as a result. 

Reproductive and 

urinary problems: Women 

who are obese are more likely to 

experience difficulty conceiving and 

health issues during pregnancy, as 

well as problems with menstruation. 

The risk of urinary leakage as a result 

of stress incontinence also rises with 

weight in women, while overweight 

men are more likely to experience 

erectile dysfunction. 

Liver disease: Non-alcoholic 

fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs when 

fats build up in liver cells. This leads to 

inflammation and can lead to fibrosis, 

cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer if 

not recognised and treated. 

Knowing the health risks associated 

with being obese might be just the 

motivational trigger you need to start 

losing weight slowly and healthily. 

Losing one pound per week may not 

seem like much, but think how much 

that adds up to over six months or even 

a year! Awareness is one of the best 

ways to improve your physical and 

psychological health. 

Stressed Out? Don’t 

Reach For The Cake! 

People who suffer long-term 

stress may also be more prone to 

obesity, according to research by 

scientists at University College 

London. The paper, published 

in the journal ‘Obesity’, shows 

that exposure to higher levels of 

cortisol over several months is 

associated with people being more 

heavily, and more persistently, 

overweight. 

Chronic stress has long been 

hypothesised to be implicated 

in obesity. People tend to report 

overeating and comfort-eating 

foods high in fat, sugar and 

calories in times of stress, and the 

stress hormone cortisol plays an 

important role in metabolism and 

determining where fat is stored. 

In the research, the scientists 

took a 2cm-long lock of hair 

from the participants which was 

associated accumulated levels 

of cortisol. They also examined 

the participants’ weight, body 

mass index and waist 

circumference 

and how hair 

cortisol related to the persistence 

of obesity over time. They found 

that people who had higher 

levels of cortisol present in their 

hair tended to have larger waist 

circumference measurements, 

were heavier, and had a higher 

body mass index (BMI). Those 

classified as obese on the basis of 

their BMI (greater than or equal 

to 30) or waist circumference 

(greater than or equal to 102cm 

in men, 88cm in women) had 

particularly high levels of hair 

cortisol. 

“These results provide 

consistent evidence that chronic 

stress is associated with higher 

levels of obesity,” says Dr Sarah 

Jackson who led the research. 

“People who have higher hair 

cortisol levels also tend to have 

larger waist measurements, which 

is important because carrying 

excess fat around the abdomen 

is a risk factor for heart disease, 

diabetes, and premature death.” 

Further research might help 

healthcare professionals target 

cortisol levels as a new method for 

treating obesity. 


20 wellness 

focus 

Fat Kids Aren’t Funny: 

Tackle Childhood Obesity 

Childhood obesity is a growing 

problem in the world. In fact, 

says latest research from Duke 

Health researchers, three decades 

of rising childhood obesity has 

continued its upward trend. The 

findings appear in the journal 

‘Pediatrics’. 

The two main causes of 

childhood obesity are over-eating 

and under-exercising. An unhealthy 

diet with too much sugar and fat, 

coupled with a lack of physical 

activity, too much time sitting with 

their phones or other electronic 

gadgets, inevitably leads to weight 

gain and an increased risk of many 

future health problems including 

high blood pressure, type 2 

diabetes, heart and liver disease. 

Being overweight is also associated 

with psychological stress 

associated with low self-esteem, 

anxiety and depression, especially 

if bullying also occurs. 

How can you help? 

Make an appointment with 

your GP to see where your son or 

daughter fits within the normal 

childhood growth charts. Your 

doctor can also refer you to a 

dietician for advice. It really helps 

if the whole family adopts the 

healthy lifestyle recommendations 

you receive, so your child learns 

healthy habits from following your 

example. Typical advice includes: 

• Increasing fruit and veg to at 

least five-a-day 

• Reducing fat intake 

• Selecting healthy snacks and 

ditching unhealthy ones 

• Sitting down to at least one 

balanced family meal each day 

• Decreasing portion size 

• Choosing wholegrain and fibrerich 

foods where possible. 

If your child has a cooked 

lunch at school, they may not 

need another big meal in the 

evening. You may prefer to control 

portion sizes, and what they’re 

eating, by giving them a packed 

lunch. Include at least one piece 

of fruit, and avoid fizzy drinks and 

high-calorie convenience foods 

such as snack bars, chocolate and 

crisps. 

Sit down with your child and 

plan family dinners that are 

healthy. And if they help prepare 

the meal, they are more likely to 

eat the healthier options they’ve 

put together. 

Discourage snacking while 

watching TV, as it’s difficult 

to keep tabs on how much is 

mindlessly consumed. Keep an eye 

on what your child is eating when 

they stay with relatives, too, and 

how many treats they get when not 

under your watch. 

Working hard at 

losing weight 

Limit sedentary activities such 

as watching TV, playing video 

games or surfing the Internet. 

Go out for walks, to throw a ball 

around, cycle or swim as a family 

at least one or two evenings a 

week, as well as at weekends. Use 

the car less – can your children 

walk or cycle to school rather than 

going by car or bus? Find out if 

there are any healthy after-school 

activities your child could join to 

make new friends and learn new 

sports. 

Lead by example and never 

nag or criticise your child over 

their eating habits, as this can lead 

to resentment and behavioural 

problems. Instead, give them the 

opportunity to choose healthy 

options and praise them when they 

make the right choice. 


21 

Is Your Weight 

Affecting Your Sex Life? 

In some cultures, being 

overweight is associated with 

sex appeal and good health. But, 

in reality, being overweight can 

lead to a number of problems in 

the bedroom, from lack of desire 

through to muscle cramps, fatigue, 

poor blood flow and inability to 

perform. There are psychological 

issues, too, as knowing you are 

less fit than you would like can 

affect your self-confidence. But 

rather than focussing on all that’s 

unsatisfactory with your love 

life, turn it round as a positive 

motivator to shift some weight and 

improve your general fitness. 

Here are some other 

ways in which obesity 

affects your sex life: 

Erectile dysfunction is one 

of the most common chronic 

conditions that men face and being 

overweight dramatically increases 

the chances of an uncooperative 

penis. 

Low testosterone in men can kill 

their sexual life. Appropriate levels 

of this hormone are necessary to 

achieve erections and maintain 

a healthy sex drive. When a man 

has a large amount of belly fat, 

there is a greater affect on the 

testosterone levels. Experts say that 

in men abdominal fat will convert 

testosterone to estrogen, interfering 

with proper hormonal balance. 

There’s difficulty in reaching 

orgasm for both obses men and 

women. It will cause decreased 

blood flow in their genitals because 

the extra weight causes their blood 

vessels to narrow. Proper blood 

flow is crucial in order to reach an 

orgasm. 

According to 2010 research 

published online in the ‘British 

Medical Journal’, being obese 

impacts on sexual health. The 

research led by Professor Nathalie 

Bajos, Research Director at the 

Institut National de la Santé et 

de la Recherche Medicale in 

Paris, became the first major 

study to investigate the impact 

of being overweight or obese 

on sexual activity and sexual 

health outcomes such as sexual 

satisfaction, unintended pregnancy 

and abortion. The results show 

that obese women are 30% less 

likely to have had a sexual partner 

in the last 12 months. Obese men 

are two and half times more likely 

to experience erectile dysfunction. 

The study concludes that obesity 

increases risk in terms of poorer 

sexual health status. In an 

accompanying editorial, Dr Sandy 

Goldbeck-Wood, a specialist in 

psychosexual medicine, points to 

the evidence showing that doctors 

find it difficult to discuss sex and 

weight issues with patients. She 

suggests that clinicians must 

be prepared to address these 

difficult subjects which have such 

important effects on health and 

quality of life. She says, “Obesity 

can harm not only health and 

longevity, but your sex life. 

And, culturally, it reminds us as 

clinicians and researchers to look 

at the subjects we find difficult.” 


22 wellness 

focus 

Do You Snack On 

Autopilot? Get Mindful! 

If you start eating a bag of chips 

while watching TV and suddenly 

find they’ve all gone without you 

really noticing, you are eating 

emotionally and mindlessly. In fact, 

research has shown that watching 

TV makes a two-pronged attack 

on your weight. It’s a completely 

sedentary activity that also seems 

to promote unhealthy eating, 

mindlessly, while going through 

promotions that constantly pitch 

high-calorie, low-nutrient food and 

drinks. 

Learning to eat mindfully could 

be your key to overcoming obesity. 

Those who eat mindfully get more 

satisfaction from their food, eat 

more slowly, and tend to consume 

less calories overall. 

Most commonlycraved 

foods 

A food craving is an intense 

desire or urge to eat a specific 

food and can contribute to obesity 

and eating disorders. The most 

commonly-craved foods are: 

Sweet: Chocolates, carbonated 

drinks, biscuits, cakes, doughnuts, 

pancakes etc 

Creamy: Ice cream, mayonnaise, 

cream buns, custard etc 

Salty: Bacon, chips etc 

Savoury: Fried chicken, cheese, 

Hot dogs, burgers, French fries, 

pizza etc. 

What mindful eating 

means 

Mindful eating, combined with 

meditation, can also overcome 

food cravings and help you resist 

when a snack attack occurs. Stress, 

boredom and the smell of food 

are often the biggest triggers for 

cravings. But experiencing cravings 

without acting on them is easier 

said than done. 

Eat when you have an 

appetite – Don’t skip meals. 

Bring a good appetite to the table 

but make sure that you are not 

ravenous or you will eat anything 

that you can lay your hands on – 

and most of the times it will end 

up being of the wrong variety. 

Pay attention – Eat slowly. 

Pay attention to what you eat, the 

textures and flavours, and how you 

feel during and after eating. Pay 

attention to your eating urges and 

to the emotions that trigger the 

eating. Look at what you’re eating. 

Is it healthy for your waistline or 

not? 

Look at the aftermath – Teach 

yourself to look at how you feel 

after you have your chosen foods. 

Learn how food affects your mood 

and energy throughout the day. 

You also slowly start to realise that 

unhealthy food isn’t as great as 

you thought, nor does it make you 

feel very good or help you cope 

with whatever is really making you 

reach out to them. 

Give yourself time – Mindful 

eating won’t happen overnight. 

It takes practice, and there will 

be times when you forget to eat 

mindfully. There will also be starts 

and stops. But with practice and 

attention, you can become very 

good at this. 

Do You Know? 

Yoga could fix your 

cravings. People who 

regularly practice Yoga are 

more attune to their appetite 

and are better able to judge 

when they are full and stop. 

Researchers believe the 

benefits come from the calm 

and focus that Yoga teaches, 

so you become more mindbody 

aware. So what are you 

waiting for? Find your nearest 

Yoga class and enrol now! 


23 

What Should You 

Eat To Lose Weight? 

Before you approach a major 

diet and lifestyle overhaul you 

must start by loving yourself. You 

must show that amazing body of 

yours some respect. Treat yourself 

as you would a new-born baby, 

don’t fill yourself with rubbish. 

Spend money on good quality 

food, it makes much more sense 

than spending it on clothes and 

makeup and accessories that will 

do nothing for your health and 

appearance as you age. When you 

are happy and healthy within, your 

skin will glow and your natural 

beauty will shine through. 

Often dietary advice focuses 

on eliminating or reducing one of 

the three major ‘macronutrient’ 

food groups - carbohydrates, 

proteins and fats. But avoiding 

macronutrients the body needs 

is not a long-term solution and 

there is so much more that you 

need to consider when fuelling 

your body. The quality of the 

proteins, fats and carbs you eat is 

essential and when you improve 

that you are also able to increase 

your micronutrient intake. 

Micronutrients including things 

like zinc, magnesium, Vitamin C, 

vitamin D, potassium, calcium, iron 

and so many more, are needed for 

the body to function optimally and 

deficiencies can lead to a whole 

host of health problems including 

excessive weight gain. If your body 

isn’t getting what it needs it can 

trigger hunger signals. However, 

if when you are hungry you eat 

nutrient-deficient foods like a 

biscuit or chocolate bar, when 

what your body really wanted was 

some omega 3 fats or magnesium, 

you are not fixing the problem. 

With quick and easy convenience 

foods like these you are also 

setting yourself up for a blood 

sugar roller-coaster of sugar highs 

and subsequent crashes and so 

mood and energy highs and lows. 

It’s impossible to try to lose weight 

if you are in this imbalanced blood 

sugar cycle. 

The good news is that when 

you improve the quality of the 

food you eat you will find it easier 

to get the nutrients you need, 

improve digestion, balance your 

blood sugars and so bring about 

balance within your body. This 

will ultimately lead to weight 

loss. Eliminate junk food, refined 

and processed foods and sugar. 

Eat whole foods like fresh fruits 

and vegetables (organic where 

possible), eat healthy fats like 

virgin coconut oil, grass-fed butter 

and ghee, avocadoes, extra virgin 

olive oil and organic cold-pressed 

nut and seed oils. Eat high quality 

protein from organic dairy, poultry, 

grass-fed lamb, wild caught fish, 

sprouted legumes and activated 

nuts and seeds. Eat fermented 

foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, 

kefir, raw yoghurt and kimchi. 

Choose whole grains over refined 

white versions, so eat brown rice, 

rolled oats, sprouted grain flours 

(wheat, spelt, millet etc), sorghum, 

buckwheat, quinoa, barley and so 

on. 

When you eat nutritionallydense 

foods full of fibre, complex 

carbohydrates, good fats and 

proteins you will feel fuller for 

longer. This makes it easier to 

resist the urge to snack. When 

your blood sugar is balanced, 

physiological cravings for sugary 

or salty foods are also reduced. 

However, if you are an emotional 

eater you will need to address 

the route causes of this – but 

that again will be easier when 

your body and brain is nourished 

properly! 


24 wellness 

focus 

Understanding 

Cooking Oils 

Making healthy food choices 

and maintaining a healthy body 

weight can help prevent and treat 

lifestyle diseases like diabetes and 

cardiovascular issues. 

Research has found that obesity, 

diabetes, and heart issues are 

closely connected. Therefore, it 

becomes imperative to maintain a 

healthy body weight throughout 

your life. 

One good way to determine if 

your diet is causing obesity and 

exposing you to diabetes and heart 

ailments is to look at the cooking 

oil that is used in your daily meals. 

The right cooking methods and the 

ingredients used have a substantial 

role to play in slowing or even 

reversing lifestyle diseases. With 

innumerable cooking oil choices 

available at retail stores, it is easy 

to get confused. Here are some oils 

that you could use for your healthy 

weight and overall health: 

Olive oil: This is rich 

in monounsaturated and 

polyunsaturated fatty acids that 

are a healthy choice. Antioxidants 

in olive oil are beneficial to bolster 

your metabolism and keep your 

weight in check. 

Sesame oil: It is a great 

source of both polyunsaturated 

fat and monounsaturated fat. 

That which is cold pressed from 

untoasted sesame seeds is light 

in colour and that from toasted 

sesame seeds is dark coloured. 

Light sesame oil has a nutty 

flavour and is good for frying. 

Sesame oil contains a high smoke 

point and is the least prone among 

oils to turn rancid. 

Rice bran oil: Rich 

in monounsaturated and 

polyunsaturated fats and free of 

trans-fats, this oil is known as the 

heart-friendly oil. It is extracted 

from hard outer brown layer of 

rice. It lowers the cholesterol 

levels, boosts immune system, and 

aids weight loss. It has high smoke 

point, which makes it useful for 

stir frying and deep-frying. 

Says a 2016 report in the 

‘Journal of Clinical Lipidology’ 

“Using a blend of sesame oil and 

rice bran oil as cooking oil showed 

a significant antihypertensive 

and lipid-lowering action and had 

noteworthy additive effect with 

antihypertensive medication.” 

Another report, in ‘The American 

Journal of Medicine’, supports this 

as it concludes, “A novel blend 

of 20% cold-pressed unrefined 

sesame oil and 80% physically 

refined rice bran oil as cooking 

oil, lowered hyperglycemia and 

improved the lipid profile in type 2 

diabetes mellitus patients.” 

Flaxseed oil: If your 

obesity has exposed you to 

diabetes, using flaxseed oil 

may help in decreasing the 

incidence of insulin resistance. 

It has high fibre content and is 

rich in potassium and omega-3 

fatty acids. It reduces the risk of 

heart-related problems, plays a 

role in burning body’s fat, and 

its mucilage can help the glucose 

from foods to be released and 

digested into the blood more 

slowly, thereby preventing sudden 

spikes in blood sugar levels. 

Canola Oil: Canola oil has 

beneficial alpha-linolenic acid, a 

kind of omega-3 fatty acid. Alphalinolenic 

acid has been suggested 

to have anti-inflammatory 

properties that may benefit 

cardiovascular disorders. 

When it comes to eating for 

weight loss and better health, 

choosing the right oil may be 

your first step. Nutrition experts 

advise that you rotate your oil 

every 2 or 2.5 months so that you 

get nutrition from every variety 

of oil. Regardless of which oil you 

choose, you’ll need to consume 

it in moderation if you want to 

lose weight. Weight loss needs 

a sustained nutritious diet of 

whole grains, fresh produce, lean 

proteins, and healthy fats and oils. 


A Promotional Feature 

Obesity: 

A Worldwide Epidemic 

Obesity can simply be defined 

as having too much of body fat and 

is absolutely different from being 

overweight, which means having 

excessive weight. WHO – World Health 

Organization – has termed obesity 

as an epidemic as the diseases that 

are prevalent with its conditions are 

becoming more and more common and 

rising at an alarming level. 

When we say obesity causes 

weight gain, we need to understand 

the factors that are associated with 

unnatural weight gain: What causes it 

to happen? What are the symptoms to 

be watched out for? And, what can we 

do to prevent us from it? 

At Diet Clinic nutrition expert Sheela 

Seharawat explains that gain in weight 

can be because of muscles, fat, bone 

and or water in our body. In the case of 

obesity, it is the fat that causes gain in 

weight to levels that it starts disrupting 

normal life, making us susceptible to 

life-threatening diseases. 

What causes Obesity? 

It is typically a very complex 

condition that can be associated with 

a variety of reasons. At times it could 

be certain disorder of the body that 

could trigger excessive accumulation 

of fat or it could simply be a result of 

poor dietary choices and sedentary 

lifestyle that one chooses. Here are 

some common causes responsible 

for obesity: 

• Hormonal disturbances: 

The fat cells in our 

body produce leptin. 

The hypothalamus 

(a part of the brain 

that navigates food 

intakes) receives 

signals from leptin 

when we are full 

and need to stop 

eating. When there 

are disturbances 

with this hormone, 

leptin does 

not signal the 

brain, and the 

brain doesn’t 

understand when 

to stop eating, thereby making us 

consume more and more food. 

• Genetically inherited: It has been 

observed that obese parents raise 

obese children as compered to their 

leaner counterparts. Obese genes of 

parents dominate the genes of their 

children. 

• Junk food: This has been framed as 

one of the prime causes of obesity. 

Junk foods like greasy burgers, 

fries and aerated sodas are highly 

processed and pose health hazards 

not only to our weight, but also to 

our glucose levels. 

• Addicted to food: This is dangerous 

as it makes us have no control on 

food and eating habits. We feel 

happy but never satisfied and keep 

on eating. It gives us a sense of 

relief. 

• Certain medications: Medicines 

and insulin levels have also been 

associated with obesity. 

What are the effects of 

Obesity? 

Some of the major problems that 

obesity has often been linked to are: 

• Cardiovascular disorders / Heart 

ailments 

• High Blood Pressure or 

Hypertension 

• Diabetes 

• Acute Back Pain 

• Osteoarthritis 

• Depression 

Diet and Obesity 

The amount of calories that we 

intake through food and drinks have 

a direct impact on our weight. When 

calorie intake and consumption is 

almost same, we maintain a balanced 

and constant weight, but when the 

intake is higher than used, we gain 

weight through fat. Excess calories are 

stored in the body as fats. It simply 

means we need to make healthier food 

choices. 

According to Sheela Seharawat, 

the best way to do it is by swapping 

unhealthy and energy-rich foods 

like fast foods, processed goods 

and sugary drinks with healthier 

foods like fruits, vegetables, whole 

grains, lean meats and poultry, 

eggs and dairy and dairy 

products. 

Dietician Sheela Seharawat 

Mentor - www.dietclinic.in 

13 years 

1,00,000+ Happy Clients 

80 Dieticians / 34 Clinics 

Customer care no 8010888222

26 wellness 

focus 

Does Exercise Boost 

Weight Loss? 

Are you afraid to exercise, in 

case it makes you hungry, so you 

eat more? Although it’s logical to 

assume that exercise stimulates 

appetite, this doesn’t seem to be 

the case. In fact, when you exercise 

with high intensity, your appetite 

may even be suppressed for a 

short period of time. 

When it comes to losing fat, diet 

and exercise work best together. 

In a recent trial, over 400 women 

were divided into four groups. 

One was asked to follow a caloriereduced 

diet, and another to 

exercise 45 minutes a day for five 

days a week. A third group was 

asked to both exercise and diet, 

while the fourth group made no 

changes to their usual diet and 

lifestyle. After a year, those in the 

exercise-only group lost around 

2kg each, those in the diet group 

lost 7kg, while those who did both 

lost an impressive 9kg over the 

year. Not surprisingly, those who 

did nothing lost 

no weight at all. 

So which 

exercise is 

best to burn those pounds? Those 

who were most successful took 

part in regular, moderate-intensity 

aerobic exercise such as brisk 

walking, cycling or using gym 

cardio machines. They started 

slowly and gradually increased 

to 45 minutes activity a day. 

Interestingly, the women who lost 

the most weight and body fat were 

those who kept a food journal in 

which they wrote down everything 

they ate and drank, and who ate 

more home-cooked meals rather 

than eating out in restaurants. 


27 

Should You Take 

Herbal Supplements? 

Says a 2013 report in the 

‘Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic 

Disorders’, “Studies with seaweed 

laminaria, virgin olive oil, catechinenriched 

green tea, oolong tea, 

yacon syrup, psyllium fibre, 

black Chinese tea, sea buckthorn 

and bilberries show significant 

decreases in body weight. No 

significant adverse effects were 

reported. Green Tea and Black 

Chinese Tea seem to have 

satisfactory anti-obesity effects.” 

Another report in the journal 

‘Complementary Therapies in 

Clinical Practice’ in 2016, 

maintains that supplements 

are of benefit in maintaining 

health in those who 

are obese. The 

study suggests that 

pomegranate extract 

consumption may 

reduce complications 

linked with obesity. 

According to the 

‘Bulletin of Faculty 

of Pharmacy’, Cairo 

University, “Recent 

researches have 

demonstrated the 

potential of natural 

products to counteract 

obesity. 

Multiple 

natural 

product 

combinations may 

result in a synergistic 

activity that increases 

their bioavailability and 

action on multiple molecular 

targets, offering advantages over 

chemical treatments.” However, 

the report makes it clear, “Diet 

and exercise have been the 

mainstays for weight control. 

Natural products can play a safe 

and effective role with obesity, 

specially those containing 

fibres, polyphenols, sterols, and 

alkaloids. In addition, they are 

a good supplement for vitamins 

and minerals. In general, natural 

products with potential action in 

treatment of obesity act as body 

cleansers, regulate metabolism, 

dissolve fat in the body, help 

to eliminate craving of food, 

stimulate glandular secretions, 

reduce water retention, boot 

energy and help in constipation. 

However, their use should be in 

conjunction with regular exercise, 

as well as dietary and behavioural 

modifications.” 


28 wellness 

focus 

Lose Weight As A Family 

Eating well, and keeping 

active, was the normal way of 

life less than 50 years ago. So 

was eating fresh, local produce. 

Kids walked or cycled to school, 

and automatically played outside 

afterwards, until called in for a 

home-cooked, nutritious meal. 

Technological inventions have 

encouraged inactivity, while fast, 

processed, convenience foods have 

reduced the nutrient quality of 

many people’s diet. This change in 

eating and lifestyle habits means 

many people are gaining weight 

and struggling to see where they 

are going wrong. If you’re cooking 

for your family, there’s a good 

chance this problem won’t just 

affect you. Often, a predisposition 

for gaining weight can run in the 

family, meaning you and your 

children could be staring at the 

same fate. 

There is a plus side though, and 

that is that you have an instant 

support group in your family. 

Losing weight is hard work and 

requires a lot of dedication, so it 

helps if you can go through it with 

someone who understands the 

difficulties and the triumphs. 

If you’re looking to join a 

slimming group, you will need 

to ensure that they accept 

adolescents, as many don’t for 

health reasons. Alternatively, you 

can develop your own regime 

simply through cutting back on 

fatty and sugary foods, increasing 

your intake or fruit and vegetables, 

and upping your level of physical 

activity. This is the standard of 

most diets and, if you stick to it, it 

can prove very effective. 

There are plenty of activities 

you can do as a family, from 

going on family bike rides and 

swimming, to walking to school or 

work rather than driving. 

The first step before you make 

any changes to your lifestyle 

though, is to discuss it with your 

GP. As children are obviously 

still growing, it is important that 

weight loss does not affect their 

development. Often, it’s a case 

of helping them maintain their 

weight as they grow taller so they 

naturally start to slim down. Your 

doctor can discuss the right way to 

go about things, offer advice about 

any additional health problems, 

and help your family navigate their 

way through the healthy weight 

loss maze. 

Eating better and becoming 

more active may start out as a 

chore, but you’ll soon notice the 

difference in your fitness, energy 

levels and improved mood and it’ll 

become a way of life. The basic 

steps of getting your nutrition 

right and being more active is 

the very first step in optimising 

your chances of a long, healthy 

lifespan! 


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emotional 

30 wellness 

- C. G. Jung 

Show me a sane 

man and I will 

cure him for you. 

Why We 

Would Love 

To Be Superheroes 


31 

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, The Avengers... the list of 

superheroes featured in popular culture and entertainment media of every 

society is long. We love them because the crusaders, often caped, fight for 

justice, save the day, and bash up criminals. Some start off by fighting back 

following harm to themselves, moving on to fight for the society as a whole. 

All of us would like to be them. Neuroscientists now say that this is because of 

the hormone oxytocin that maintains a feeling of fairness or justice in us. 

Research published in ‘The 

Journal of Neuroscience’ says that 

punishing a wrongdoer may be 

more rewarding to the brain than 

supporting a victim. In a study, 

titled, ‘Neurobiological Mechanisms 

of Responding to Injustice’, 

researcher Mirre Stallen and 

colleagues started with the premise 

that people are particularly sensitive 

affected by the injustice, or 

whether one was a third-party 

observer of a violation occurring 

to another. The reward-related 

brain regions were preferentially 

involved in punishment compared 

to compensation. So, punishing 

a wrongdoer was way 

to injustice. They wanted to 

explore the processes that underlie 

the perception of injustice, and 

the subsequent decisions to either 

punish transgressors or compensate 

victims. 

In the study, participants 

played a game in which two 

players, a ‘Taker’ and a Partner’, 

each started out with 200 chips. 

The Taker could steal up to 100 

of the Partner’s chips, and then 

the Partner could retaliate by 

spending up to 100 chips to 

reduce the Taker’s stash by up to 

300 chips. Participants played as 

either a Partner or an Observer, 

who could either punish the Taker 

or help the Partner by spending 

chips to increase the Partner’s 

stash. 

The researchers observed that 

neural mechanisms underlying 

punishment differed depending 

on whether one was directly 

more rewarding to the brain than 

supporting a victim. 

Before beginning the 

experiment, all participants were 

given a nasal spray, with some 

randomly assigned to receive 

the hormone oxytocin, which 

has been suggested to have a 

role in punishing. Participants 

in the oxytocin group chose to 

give more frequent, but less 

intense, punishments. This finding 

implicates oxytocin in corrective 

punishments akin to a ‘slap on the 

wrist’ to maintain fairness. 

Says the study, “The perception 

of injustice is a fundamental 

precursor to many disagreements, 

from small struggles at the dinner 

table to wasteful conflict between 

cultures and countries. Despite its 

clear importance, relatively little 

is known about how the brain 

processes these violations.” “The 

results,” concludes the study, 

“provide valuable insights into 

the fundamental neurobiological 

mechanisms underlying social 

injustice.” 


emotional 

32 wellness 

Are You A Hoarder? 

All of us have keepsakes, 

items that have particularly 

fond memories. But what’s with 

people who store mail, discarded 

gadgets, magazines, newspapers, 

old clothes, paper and plastic 

bags, cardboard boxes, and even 

trash? Compulsive hoarding sees 

people have a persistent difficulty 

in discarding or parting with 

possessions, regardless of their 

actual value. The behaviour can 

take alarming proportions and 

usually has detrimental effects 

- emotional, physical, social and 

financial - for a hoarder and their 

family members. The large piles of 

stuff in the house keep growing so 

it’s difficult to move around and sit 

or eat together as a family. 

The Mayo Clinic defines a 

Hoarding disorder as “a persistent 

difficulty discarding or parting 

with possessions because of a 

perceived need to save them. A 

person with hoarding disorder 

experiences distress at the 

thought of getting rid of the items. 

Excessive accumulation of items, 

regardless of actual value, occurs.” 

According to the Anxiety And 

Depression Association Of America 

(ADAA), someone who hoards may 

exhibit the following behaviour: 

• Inability to throw away 

possessions 

• Severe anxiety when attempting 

to discard items 

• Great difficulty categorising or 

organising possessions 

• Indecision about what to keep 

or where to put things 

• Distress, such as feeling 

overwhelmed or embarrassed 

by possessions 

• Suspicion of other people 

touching items 

• Obsessive thoughts and actions: 

Fear of running out of an 

item or of needing it in the 

future; checking the trash for 

accidentally discarded objects 

• Functional impairments, 

including loss of living space, 

social isolation, family or marital 

discord, financial difficulties and 

health hazards. 

Besides, hoarders are 

embarrassed about their 

possessions and feel uncomfortable 

when others see them. Their 

clutter is often at the expense of 

livable space. They feel guilty or 

ashamed after acquiring more and 

more items, and they may also find 

themselves in debt. Some people 

with a hoarding disorder may 

recognise and acknowledge that 

they have a problem while others 

may not see a problem. 

Hoarding, say mental health 

professionals, is a disorder that 

may be present on its own or as 

a symptom of another disorder 

like an obsessive-compulsive 

personality disorder (OCPD), 

attention-deficit/hyperactivity 

disorder, and depression. 

Says the American Psychiatric 

Association, treatment can help 

people with hoarding disorder 

decrease their saving, acquisition 

and clutter, and live safer, more 

enjoyable lives. 

There are two main types of 

treatment that help people with 

hoarding disorder: Cognitivebehavioural 

therapy (CBT) and 

medication. 

During CBT, hoarders gradually 

learn to discard unnecessary items 

with less distress, diminishing their 

exaggerated perceived need or 

desire to save these possessions. 

They also learn to improve skills 

such as organisation, decisionmaking 

and relaxation. For 

some people, medications are 

helpful and may help improve 

symptoms. If you or someone you 

know is experiencing symptoms 

of hoarding disorder, contact 

your doctor or mental health 

professional. 


ITS RAW, ITS YOGIC

emotional 

34 wellness 

Why People Get Into 

Bar Brawls 

Drunken bar fights, 

unfortunately, have a very long 

history. Verbal insults, often 

leading to acts of physical 

aggression or unwanted physical 

contact, can lead to serious 

physical violence and casualties. 

Why do people get aggressive 

after drinking? 

In a study led by Thomas 

Denson of the University of New 

South Wales in Australia, in the 

journal ‘Cognitive, Affective, 

& Behavioral Neuroscience’ 

which is an official journal 

of the Psychonomic Society 

and is published by Springer, 

researchers used magnetic 

resonance imaging (MRI) scans 

that measure blood flow in the 

brain to better understand why 

people often become aggressive 

and violent after drinking 

alcohol. After only two drinks, the 

researchers noted changes in the 

working of the prefrontal cortex 

of the brain, the part normally 

involved in tempering a person’s 

levels of aggression. 

According to most theories, 

alcohol-related aggression 

is caused by changes in the 

prefrontal cortex. However, 

there is a lack of substantial 

neuroimaging evidence to 

substantiate these ideas. In 

this study, the research teams 

recruited 50 healthy young men 

who were either given two drinks 

containing vodka, or placebo 

drinks without any alcohol. While 

lying in an MRI scanner, the 

participants then had to compete 

in a task, which has regularly 

been used over the past 50 years 

to observe levels of aggression in 

response to provocation. 

The MRI allowed the 

researchers to see which areas 

of the brain were triggered 

when the task was performed. 

They could also compare the 

difference in scans between 

participants who had consumed 

alcohol and those who hadn’t. 

Being provoked was found to 

have no influence on participants’ 

neural responses. However, when 

behaving aggressively, there was 

a dip in activity in the prefrontal 

cortex of the brains of those who 

had consumed alcoholic drinks. 

This dampening effect was also 

seen in the areas of the brain 

that are involved in reward. Also, 

heightened activity was noted in 

the hippocampus, the part of the 

brain associated with people’s 

memory. 

“Although there was an overall 

dampening effect of alcohol 

on the prefrontal cortex, even 

at a low dose of alcohol we 

observed a significant positive 

relationship between dorsomedial 

and dorsolateral prefrontal 

cortex activity and alcoholrelated 

aggression,” explains 

Denson. “These regions may 

support different behaviours, 

such as peace versus aggression, 

depending on whether a person is 

sober or intoxicated.” 

An earlier study in 2013, by 

a team of researchers led by 

Penn State sociologists, found 

that in one-third of barroom 

brawls bystanders stepped in 

non-aggressively. About 72% 

fights were broken like this. 

Most of those that jumped in 

were male, and they were 

more likely to step in when 

both participants in the 

fight were also male. 

The researchers 

noted, “Aggression 

in bars is largely a 

male phenomenon, 

with bars being 

settings with 

heightened 

concerns 

regarding male 

honour and 

identity.” 


family 

36 wellness 

Gifting A Life 

To Another: 

Will Your Family 

Support You? 

Giving, it is said, is not about making a 

donation. It is about making a difference. Each 

one of us was born to make a difference to 

someone’s life. In fact, each one of us can make 

a difference to and save many lives, even after 

we cross over. 

Modern surgical techniques have 

made it possible to replace damaged 

organs or tissues of someone with 

healthy ones from a departed donor. 

And yet many people on the waiting 

list for organ donation die each year 

without receiving organs. As medical 

advances continue, the need for 

transplants keeps growing. But there 

are not as many organs available to be 

transplanted, as there are people who 

need them. In fact, an acute shortage 

of donated organs is a real problem all 

across the world. 

Because each additional donor can 

mean several saved lives, it is crucial 

to make more and more people aware 

of its need, to bust myths surrounding 

organ donation, to change people’s 

attitude towards it, and highlight the 

extremely important role that the 

family plays in the process of organ 

donation. 

Unfortunately, very few people 

ever discuss their wish to donate 

their organs with their family or their 

doctor. It’s important that you talk to 

your family about it because it is the 

family members that will make the final 

decision regarding organ donation after 

you. If you and your family members 

have discussed organ donation before 

entering the hospital, the process of 

donation becomes much easier. 

To understand the issue better let’s 

look at certain facts of organ 

donation: 

What are the organs 

that can be donated? 

Major organs that can be 

donated include the heart, lungs, 

kidneys, and liver, and tissues 

include bone, corneas, skin, and 

heart valves. 

What kinds of 

donations are possible? 

Living Donation: It is only 

possible if the donor can still live 

a healthy life without that organ 

or tissue. Many types of living 

donation are of regenerative 

tissue. This type of tissue grows 

back naturally after some of it 

is removed. Bone marrow is a 

commonly donated tissue of this type. 

Non-regenerative tissue does not grow 

back again once it is removed. Kidney 

donation is the most common form of 

this donation. Out of the two kidneys, if 

one is donated, the remaining one can 

carry out the normal functions of both 

kidneys. 

Most living organ donors are 

relatives of the person receiving the 

transplant. Advances in medicine have 

also made it possible for people who 

are not blood relatives to the person 

who needs a transplant to make a 

donation. Living donation by a relative 

- Anne Frank 

No one has 

ever become 

poor by giving. 

or friend is called directed donation. 

Living donation can also be nondirected. 

Donations of bone marrow by 

volunteers are a common form of this 

type of donation. 

Deceased Donation: Most 

transplanted organs and tissues come 

from people who have died. The 

process of donation begins with your 

consent to be a donor. Registering 

usually takes place many years before 

donation becomes possible. If the 

deceased is registered as a donor and 

the family has given a legal consent 

for donation, a medical evaluation 

takes place, including obtaining the 


37 

deceased’s complete medical and social 

history from the family. First, organs 

are recovered, and then additional 

authorised tissues such as bone, 

cornea, and skin follow. All incisions are 

surgically closed. 

Who can be a donor? 

Most people can be donors. In 

deceased donation your age does 

not matter; what matters is the your 

physical condition. Specialist doctors 

decide in each case which organs and 

tissue are suitable. Organs and tissue 

from people in their 70s and 80s 

have been known to be transplanted 

successfully. 

To be a living donor, you must be in 

good physical and mental health and 

also need to be free from diseases that 

may affect the health of the person 

who receives the transplant. Living 

donors are usually aged between 

18 and 60 years old. The donor and 

recipient usually have matching 

blood groups and tissue types. A 

test using the donor’s blood can also 

show whether the recipient’s immune 

system is likely to accept or reject the 

transplant. 

Can I donate despite 

an existing medical 

condition? 

Having a medical condition does not 

necessarily prevent you from becoming 

an organ or tissue donor after your 

death. The doctors, taking into account 

your medical history, can decide 

whether some or all organs or tissue 

are suitable for transplant. 

Is the decision 

irreversible? 

You always have the option to 

change your mind and can let your 

family know of it. 

Donor concerns & facts 

Organ donation is not as common 

as it should be because of the various 

misgivings surrounding it. The ‘Journal 

of National Medical Association’ (Vol. 

90, No.1), published in the USA, lists 

out some of the apprehensions that the 

donors and their families have: 

I worry that my body would not 

look good if I donated organs. I 

think that organ donation involves 

mutilation of the body. 

Fact: The donor is brought to 

the operating room. Multiple organ 

recovery is performed with organs 

being preserved through special 

solutions. Organs are always removed 

by a team of specialised doctors with 

great care and respect for the donor 

under sterile conditions. The surgical 

incision is closed and covered by a 

dressing. The body does not look 

disfigured or mutilated. 

I believe that organ donation 

interferes with the laws of nature or 

God. 

Fact: Every faith believes in 

helping others and acts of charity 

and kindness. There are very few 

acts of life that are more noble than 

donating a part of your body when 

you no longer need it. You are helping 

humanity. 

Doctors would not try as hard to 

save me if they knew I was an organ 

donor 

Fact: Absolutely untrue. The medical 

team does everything possible to save 

the patient’s life. At this point, whether 

or not the person is a registered donor 

is not considered at all. Doctors will 

always do the best they can. 

Time is crucial when it comes to 

recovery of the donated organs. It 

must be done quickly after death to 

ensure that the organs remain suitable 

for transplantation. The family has 

a say in the entire protocol of organ 

donation referral, consent, and eventual 

procurement. 

Collective effort 

Organ donation as a process 

needs the collective effort of family 

physicians, health-care specialists, 

nonprofit organisations, academia, 

government and media. Expanding 

donation opportunities, enhancing 

professional education about organ 

donation, increasing public awareness, 

improving media coverage to increase 

public awareness and reducing 

misconceptions will go a very long way. 

However, more than anyone else, it is 

the family of the donor that can make a 

difference by encouraging discussions 

on the issue and honouring the donor’s 

wish after they depart. 

Organ donation gives you and your 

family the opportunity to understand 

that when you donate organs, you 

are gifting someone another birthday, 

another anniversary, another laugh, 

another chance in life, another night 

under the stars, and another day 

of hope. This deed is about finding 

beautiful light of life in the midst of 

darkness of loss. Like someone has 

rightly said, “Don’t think of organ 

donation as giving up a part of yourself 

to keep a total stranger alive. It’s really 

a total stranger giving the whole of 

themselves to keep a part of you alive!” 


family 

38 wellness 

How To Create A 

Family First Aid Kit 

Whether it’s a box, a drawer, a 

shelf, or a cupboard, most families 

have a space where they keep 

medicines and first aid products. 

But, often, these are a collection of 

random items accumulated over 

the years. And while this might be 

fine for the occasional headache, 

cut finger or sore throat, if a 

family member had a more serious 

injury or illness, you might want 

something a little more organised. 

That’s why it pays to create a 

family medicine box or first aid kit 

containing all the essentials. 

How to store 

It’s important to store medicines 

correctly. Choose a place that 

adults can easily access in a hurry 

but that’s out of reach for younger 

children. Make sure medicines are 

stored at the correct temperature. 

Most will need cool and dry 

conditions but some may need to 

be stored in the refrigerator so 

always check labels. 

What to include 

Deciding what to include in your 

first aid kit will depend largely 

on your own family and 

any recurring illnesses 

or health conditions you 

might have to deal with. 

For example, if you don’t 

have any particular health 

needs, your first aid kit 

might contain just the 

basic essentials. However, 

if you have a child with 

an allergy or if you live 

in a country where insect 

bites are commonplace, 

you might want to keep a supply of 

medicines that are regularly used. 

A basic first aid kit 

would contain the 

following items: 

• Plasters in a variety of sizes 

• Bandages to support injured 

limbs or to apply pressure 

to larger cuts while you seek 

medical treatment 

• Antiseptic ointment for small 

cuts and minor burns 

• Painkillers – although always 

check the expiry date and 

instructions for use before 

administering 

• A thermometer for checking 

children’s temperatures 

• Eyewash solution for removing 

grit or dirt from eyes 

• Medical tape to stick dressings 

to the skin. Medical tape is also 

useful for strapping an injured 

finger to its neighbour to create 

a temporary splint until medical 

attention is available 

• Tweezers for removing ticks 

or stings. It’s a good idea to 

research the correct way to 

remove ticks and insect stings 

so that you know the correct 

procedure in advance, rather 

than struggling in an emergency 

situation. 

When to replenish 

It’s important to check your first 

aid kit and medicine box regularly. 

Many medicines have an expiry 

date so always replace medicines 

as needed. 

It’s also useful to include 

accessories such as safety pins, 

cotton wool and disposable gloves 

in your kit. A list of emergency 

contact numbers, plus a list of local 

pharmacies, could also be handy 

when you need to find them in a 

hurry. 

Having a well-stocked first aid 

kit or medicine cabinet is just one 

step in maintaining your family’s 

health and safety. If you have 

young children or people with 

particular health risks, you might 

also find it beneficial to take part 

in a first aid course so that you will 

be well prepared in an emergency. 

Always follow your doctor’s 

guidance when choosing medicines 

for your family. 


39 

Have Good Neighbours 

For Peaceful Home Life 

A study that measures the 

connection between the experience 

of the home and wellbeing has 

found that no matter what the 

tenure or ownership status of a 

person’s home, one of the most 

significant features of a good 

home is a sense of security and 

confidence that you can ‘get 

away from it all’ at home. Good 

neighbours, good design and good 

management are all as important 

for wellbeing as a person’s tenure 

or tenancy. The research report, 

‘Homes & Wellbeing – Breaking 

down housing stereotypes’, 

suggests that social housing plays 

a positive role in protecting people 

from anxiety. It says, “Our research 

shows that the most crucial part 

of the home is the social fabric of 

the neighbourhood in which it’s 

embedded. The social value of 

tenure mix and giving people the 

opportunities to interact with each 

other, all reduce neighbourhood 

tension.” The study recommends, 

it’s more vital than ever that 

housing associations shape the 

future delivery for the wellbeing 

of its residents and society as a 

whole. 


exercise 

40 wellness 

Fitness, 

Facebook & You 

Looking at the 

photographs of 

the fitness pursuits 

of your friends 

on the social 

media, whether 

on the elliptical 

at the gym, 

hiking through 

the wilderness or 

crossing a 10km 

finish line, can 

make some of you 

feel terrible about 

your shape, while 

others may be 

inspired by them, 

says a study on 

the impact of the 

social media on 

health. 

According to the study by researchers 

at Texas State University and the 

University of Arizona, no matter what the 

goal of the posters, whether it is to brag 

or simply to share a part of their lives, the 

pictures end up influencing the health of 

their social media pals. 

During the study, researchers have 

found that the more exercise-related 

posts a person sees on social media, the 

more concerned they feel about their own 

weight, which could result in unhealthy 

body image. 

“When people receive more posts about 

exercise, it makes them more concerned 

about their weight -- more self-conscious 

-- and that’s not a good thing,” says 

Stephen Rains, co-author of the study, 

- Anonymous 

The body achieves 

what the mind believes. 


41 

which appears in the journal ‘Health 

Communication’. People are especially 

likely to feel concerned about their 

weight when they perceive their friends, 

who post about physical activity, as 

being very similar to themselves. 

“We thought about this from 

the perspective of social 

comparison theory, and 

the idea that we use 

others as benchmarks 

to figure out where we 

stand,” explains Rains. 

“Similarity heightens 

social comparison; so 

if the person posting 

about exercise is 

someone who’s in 

your age group, has a 

similar build or a similar 

background, you might 

think that’s a pretty good 

reference, and that might 

spark in you even greater 

weight concern.” 

But this isn’t all bad news. For 

certain people, friends’ exercise posts 

seem to have a motivating effect when 

it comes to attitudes about exercise. 

Researchers found this to be true for 

people who are more likely to engage 

in ‘upward social comparisons’ or look 

at themselves in the light of people 

whom they aspire to be like. Says 

co-author Tricia Burke, “With upward 

social comparisons, you tend to 

compare yourself to those you perceive 

as superior to you. So, for example, if 

you’re in a classroom, you’d compare 

yourself to the smartest kid in class. 

In terms of exercise, if a person is 

posting a lot about exercise, they must 

be really fit, so you’re using that as a 

motivator.” 

In contrast, the study says that 

those who engage in ‘downward social 

comparisons’ use as their benchmark 

people who they perceive as doing 

less well than they are. Tendency to 

engage in downward comparisons did 

not have an impact on weight concern 

or exercise attitudes in the study. The 

findings suggest that social media’s 

impact on health is indeed real, if 

nuanced, and deserves additional 

attention. 


exercise 

42 wellness 

Over 40? Here’s How You 

Could Improve Metabolism 

By Jasmin Waldmann 

Once you’re over 40, it’s a lot 

easier to gain a few pounds than 

it is to drop them. I’m often asked 

about the best ways to improve 

your metabolism after 40. 

As the body and mind are 

programmed to survive, it stores 

extra calories whenever possible. 

The main reason why the 

metabolism decreases over time is 

because of the loss 

of muscles after 

the age of 25 

to 30 years. 

If you don’t 

work out, 

the muscles 

atrophy 

slowly and 

continuously. 

Here are the best ways 

to improve or maintain a 

high metabolism: 

• Lift heavy 

weights. With the 

right posture and technique, 

women should do this at least 

three times a week and men, 

minimum twice a week. 

• Keep moving. Use stairs 

instead of lift; go to your coworker 

instead of calling out or 

sending a message. 

• Eat well. Make sure to have 

at least two good meals a day. 

• Eat right. Have enough 

good protein. An average 

person needs 0.9 gram/kg of 

the body weight every day. 

If you work out frequently 

and heavily enough, this goes 

even higher. Choose the right 

sources. Have more protein 

from vegetables than animals 

• Laugh! This is good not 

only for your emotional fitness; 

laughter also burns calories and 

is a good training for the belly 

muscles. 

• Try fasting. Intermediate 

fasting for 17-20 hours, two 

to three times a week, can 

stimulate the metabolism. This 

fast involves drinking only 

water and herbal tea - without 

sugar and milk. The most 

beneficial time to do it is after 

lunch and then directly have 

breakfast the next morning. 

However, this is tough for a lot 

of people and so I advice them 

to stop eating after dinner and 

then have lunch directly the 

next day. 

• Sleep 

well. Make 

sure 

you get 

sound 

sleep 

every night. 

There is a very 

close connection 

between sleep 

deprivation and appetite. When 

you’re sleep-deprived, your 

metabolic system goes out of 

balance, which affects your 

choices of food. You will end up 

eating carbs, salty and fatty food. 

• Take popular tips 

with a pinch of salt. 

Drinking ice-cold water to 

increase your metabolism, or 

drinking green tea and black 

coffee, are a part of popular 

advice but please take this with 

a pinch of salt. They have their 

side effects. 

Following these tips will not 

only keep your metabolism high 

and your body in good shape, 

it will also protect you from a 

disease like osteoporosis. Along 

with a fit body, you will also have a 

fit brain all your life. 

Jasmin Waldmann is an 

international Mind & Body 

Transformation Expert. She is the 

author of the book ‘Change Me’. 

Visit www.jasminwaldmann.com 

to know more. Book available on 

amazon. 


exercise 

44 wellness 

Are You Jymmin? 

Pain is often a consequence of 

illness, injury or intense physical 

exercises. A lot of adults suffer 

chronic pain and feel constrained 

by it. There are several options to 

help manage this. Scientists at the 

Max Planck Institute for Human 

Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI 

CBS) in Leipzig have found Jymmin 

as an alternative to painkillers or 

heat therapy. Jymmin, or jamming 

in the gym, is a mixture of working 

out on gym machines and free 

musical improvisation. It is a new 

fitness technology that makes us 

less sensitive to pain. 

In Jymmin, fitness machines 

are modified in a way that 

movement strength on the 

abdominal trainer, pull 

bar or stepper creates a 

wide range of sounds. 

Software for music 

composition developed 

at MPI CBS and a 

related sensor system 

enable users to produce 

a unique accompaniment 

from each fitness machine. 

The exerciser becomes the 

composer and the machines 

their instruments. 

Researchers at the Max 

Planck Institute for 

Human Cognitive and 

Brain Science, led by 

Thomas Fritz, asked 

the participants to fill 

out a standardised 

medical 

questionnaire 

about their 

mental state. 

Then they were 

asked to choose 

between fitness 

machines such as 

a stomach trainer, 

a weight tower, 

or a stepper, and 

initiate a tenminute 

workout. 

One group did 

their first workout 

on conventional fitness machines 

while listening passively to music. 

The second group started with 

the Jymmin machines and actively 

produced music while they 

were exercising. After the first 

workout, the participants once 

again recorded their mood on a 

questionnaire, and then swapped 

with the other group for a second 

ten-minute workout. 

The researchers found that 

actively making music during 

physical exertion improves 

mood to a far greater extent 

than listening to music passively. 

When the participants began their 

workout on the Jymmin machines 

they retained their good mood 

even after the second workout 

during which they listened to 

music passively. “We found 

that Jymmin increases the pain 

threshold,” says Fritz. “On average, 

participants were able to tolerate 

10% more pain from just ten 

minutes of exercise on our Jymmin 

machines, some of them even up 

to 50%.” 

From previous studies 

neuroscientists already knew 

that sports increase our pain 

threshold. “Jymmin showed 

these effects to be even stronger 

compared to normal workouts,” 

Fritz states. After Jymmin, the 

participants were able to immerse 

their forearm into ice water of one 

degree Celsius for five seconds 

longer compared to a conventional 

exercise session. That means, 

Jymmin helped patients to reach 

their pain threshold later. 

Scientists working with Fritz 

think one of the main reasons for 

this might be the increased release 

of endorphins: The higher their 

level, the more tolerant we are to 

pain. The combination of physical 

exertion and making music seems 

to trigger the release of endorphins 

in a particularly efficient way. 

Interestingly, the effect size 

was dependent on the individual 

experience of pain. 

The participants 

with the highest 

pain threshold 

benefitted the 

most from this 

training method. 

A study with 

chronic pain patients 

furthermore seems to 

imply that Jymmin can 

also reduce anxiety, a 

contributor to chronic 

pain. 

To know more about Jymmin, 

visit www.mpg.de/7692611/ 

jymmin-music-sport 


elationship 

46 wellness 

Is Social Media Intruding 

On Your Relationships? 

So, you’re enjoying a quiet night in with 

a loved one, watching your favourite TV 

show together, but, every two minutes, 

you see them checking their phone. 

It’s infuriating. You know that they’re 

checking their social networks but you 

just want them to relax and enjoy their 

time with you – without picking up 

their phone! 

Or perhaps you’ve gone out for a family 

meal but everyone is more interested in looking 

at their phones rather than chatting and 

enjoying time together – leaving you feeling 

exasperated. 

Social media is a constant presence in most 

of our lives. Whether you’re catching up on 

celebrity gossip, seeing what your friends are 

up to, or replying to messages from friends, 

it can feel like we need to be constantly 

connected to the outside world. But when this 

gets in the way of enjoying quality interactions 

with the people we’re with in real life, it can 

have a negative impact on relationships. After 

all, no one wants to feel like they are second 

place to a smartphone! 

When we prioritise our phone over a 

person, it sends a strong message that the 

person is not important enough to deserve 

your attention. You wouldn’t try to hold two 

or three meaningful conversations at once 

with different people in real life because you 

wouldn’t be able to give each one the attention 

- Henry Winkler 

Assumptions are 

the termites of 

relationships. 


47 

it deserves. Yet this is exactly what we 

do when we’re using our phones to 

talk to other people who aren’t in the 

room, while also spending time with a 

friend or loved one. 

It’s easy to see why social media 

is increasingly cited as a cause of 

arguments between couples and 

family members. If you’ve ever argued 

with a loved one about internet usage, 

here are some ways to stop social 

media causing arguments within your 

relationships: 

Set boundaries – Agree 

when and where it’s okay to spend 

time on your phone. For example, 

you could agree there should be no 

phones at the dinner table, when 

watching a movie at home together or 

while having a conversation. 

Don’t be secretive – If 

someone asks, “What are you looking 

at?” be open and honest. If you 

constantly say “Nothing” or hide 

your screen away, it can make them 

suspicious, which is when mistrust 

can sneak into your relationship. 

Set a time limit – If your 

partner or teen is tapping away 

on their phone but you want their 

attention, suggest a time limit of five 

minutes. For example, “Hey, I know 

you’re in the middle of something on 

your phone but can we talk in five 

minutes?” 

Show respect – Remember 

how important social media is to your 

teens. It’s not trivial to them, it’s their 

way of connecting with their friends, 

so while you might want to limit their 

time online, be ready to compromise. 

Schedule downtime – Let 

your social contacts know if you’re 

going to be away from your phone 

for a while. For instance, if you’re 

heading out to a family dinner, put an 

update on your networks to say you’ll 

be away from your phone for the 

evening. This way, you won’t feel you 

need to check and reply to messages 

throughout the meal. 


elationship 

48 wellness 

Could You Benefit From 

Sibling Counselling? 

Marriage counselling is nothing 

new and organisations have been 

helping couples mend rifts in their 

relationships for decades, enabling 

married couples to stay together 

rather than going through divorce. 

But, of course, there are lots of 

other types of relationships where 

you could be facing difficulties 

with a loved one. Counsellors have 

recognised this and are beginning 

to expand their services to offer 

help to people wanting to heal 

family fall-outs. 

One relationship that is 

often beset by arguments and 

resentment is that between 

brothers and sisters. Whether it’s 

long-held tensions resulting from 

childhood or ongoing arguments 

caused by personality clashes, 

many people struggle to maintain 

a good relationship with their 

sibling. But if you can overcome 

your difficulties, a brother or sister 

can offer a lifetime of friendship 

and support. So, if you don’t get 

on with a sibling, it might be 

worth considering whether sibling 

counselling could be a good option. 

Here’s why sibling counselling 

can prove to be beneficial: 

Often when a person finds it 

hard to get on with a sibling, it can 

be difficult to get to the root of the 

problem. You might have argued 

about a particular topic recently 

but it’s likely that the cause of 

the tensions between you is due 

to events in your childhood. You 

might feel that your parents always 

favoured an older brother or sister, 

or you might resent your younger 

sibling for taking away your 

parent’s attention. Counselling 

can help you understand the real 

reasons why you argue and that is 

often the first step to healing your 

relationship. 


50 wellness 

nutrition 

Eat To Beat Obesity 

Don’t go on a diet, eliminating 

all of your favourite foods, skipping 

meals or starving yourself in an 

attempt to lose weight. It’s not 

sustainable, healthy or realistic. You 

won’t be able to stick to it. Instead, 

try to feed your body the nutrients 

- Dr Robert Atkins 

How much obesity has 

to be created in a single 

decade for people to 

realise that diet has to 

be responsible for it? 

it needs 80% of the time and allow 

yourself treats. You can, perhaps, 

save your treats for birthdays, 

weddings, parties or events you 

are going to where you can enjoy 

whatever is on offer without 

guilt. The rest of the time, try to 

make sure each meal and snack 

is packed with highly nutritious, 

filling, whole food ingredients. 

Take packed lunches with you 

to work and have healthy snacks 

(like fresh fruit, fresh smoothies, 

vegetable sticks, nuts and seeds) 

on hand to grab when you are in a 

rush. Make your plates of food as 

colourful as possible, not only to 

make it more attractive but also to 

ensure a good range of nutrients. 

Make sure that throughout the 

day you have some healthy fat, 

good sources of protein, and good 

quality carbohydrates. Look at 

feeding yourself as a creative and 

pleasurable lifestyle change and 

have fun with it. 


51 

Smashed Avocado On 

Whole Grain Sourdough 

Toast With Feta 

(Serves 2) 

It’s easy to grab a slice of toast with jam or bowl of sugary 

packet cereal but, nutritionally speaking, they make a poor start 

to the day. Breakfast like a king with this recipe; it may take 

a few extra minutes more to make but it is such a delicious, 

nutritious meal packed with healthy fats, proteins and complex 

carbohydrates that it will keep you full all the way to lunch. 

Ingredients 

1 ripe avocado 

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 chilli, finely chopped (optional) 

A pinch of rock salt 

1 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice 

4 slices sourdough bread, toasted 

40-50g feta, crumbled 

2 organic eggs, poached 

Method 

1. Using a fork, mash the avocado with the lemon, garlic, salt 

and chilli. 

2. Spread on the toast and crumble feta over it. 

3. Top with a poached egg and serve immediately. 

Super Green Fat-busting Smoothie 

(Serves 1) 

This refreshing smoothie is full of 

fat-burning ingredients like lemon, 

mint, cucumber and apples. Plentiful 

in nutrients and fibre this makes a 

great breakfast or snack. You can 

add a chunk of fresh ginger for that 

extra kick to your metabolism and 

energy levels. 

example, you don’t need to juice the 

apples; you can just core them and 

blend alongside all the ingredients 

with a little coconut water. If not, 

juice the apples first and then blend 

with the rest. 

Ingredients 

2 green apples, juiced 

2 handfuls spinach leaves 

1 cucumber 

Juice of 1 lime 

1 handful mint leaves 

Coconut water, according to 

thickness you like 

Method 

1. You can make this smoothie 

according to the equipment you 

have. If you have a high-powered 

blender like a Nutribullet for 


52 wellness 

nutrition 

Vegetarian Platter With Grilled Tofu 

(Serves 2) 

Purposefully formulated with organic 

green tea to support stamina, in 

combination with garcinia cambogia 

and ginseng plus eleuthero root 

extracts, Yogi Green Tea Blueberry 

Slim Life, 

energises 

and supports 

your efforts 

to achieve 

a healthy 

weight. It 

has a light 

and sweet 

blueberry 

flavour and 

hints of 

organic hibiscus, making this tea 

a fragrant and delicious addition 

to a healthy lifestyle. Available on 

amazon. Quantity: Pack of 6. 

Such a nutritious feast with 

great sources of complex 

carbohydrates, friendly fats 

and healthy protein as well 

as jam-packed with enzymes, 

vitamins, antioxidants and 

minerals! Colourful and 

filling, this makes a great 

lunch or dinner to share. 

Ingredients 

2 thick slices of firm tofu 

1 sweet potato, cut into disks 

1 avocado, sliced 

½ large cucumber, sliced 

½ cup sprouted chickpeas 

1 large radish, thinly sliced 

2 handfuls baby spinach 

leaves 

Juice of ½ lemon 

Extra virgin olive oil to 

drizzle 

1 tsp black sesame seeds 

For Tofu Marinade 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

1 tbsp Brag’s liquid aminos 

or soy sauce 

1 tsp grated ginger 

1 clove garlic, minced 

Juice of ½ lemon 

Method 

1. Mix the marinade 

ingredients in a deep dish. 

Roll the tofu steaks in 

the sauce and leave for a 

minimum of 20 minutes. 

2. Roast or steam the sweet 

potato until nearly cooked 

but still firm. 

3. Prepare the platter with 

a bed of spinach leaves, 

the avocado, cucumber 

and radish slices and the 

sprouted chickpeas. 

4. Heat the griddle pan and 

brush with oil. Cook the 

potato slices on both sides 

and place onto platter. 

5. Char-grill the tofu slices 

for 3-5 minutes on each 

side and place on platter. 

Drizzle with olive oil and 

lemon juice and sprinkle 

with sesame seeds. Serve 

immediately. 


54 wellness 

nutrition 

Stuffed Italian Zucchini Boats 

(Serves 2-4) 

Zucchini is a great vegetable for 

weight loss, full of filling fibre and 

so versatile! Mushrooms are used 

in this recipe but you can just as 

easily use mince or lentils depending 

on your taste and what’s in the 

cupboard. Really fast to assemble, 

this makes a fab last minute waistfriendly 

meal. 

Ingredients 

2 medium zucchinis 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and 

finely chopped 

½ cup finely chopped fresh 

mushrooms 

½ tsp dried basil 

½ tsp dried oregano 

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes 

2 tbsp olive oil 

¾ cups shredded Parmesan cheese, 

divided 

2 tsp fresh basil, chopped 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 400°degrees F. 

2. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. 

Scoop out pulp and seeds, leaving 

¼ inch shell (use a small spoon 

for this). Reserve pulp from two 

zucchini and chop. Combine 

zucchini pulp, garlic, tomato, 

mushrooms, basil, oregano, crushed 

red pepper flakes, olive oil and 

½ cup cheese in a medium bowl. 

Divide mixture among zucchini 

shells. 

3. Place stuffed zucchini in a 13 x 

9 baking dish; cover with foil. Bake 

for 25 minutes or until zucchini is 

tender. Sprinkle with the remaining 

cheese. Bake uncovered 5 minutes 

more or until cheese is melted. Top 

with fresh basil. 

Smart Pressed Juice Pineapple Chia Cleanse is a refreshing, 

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and smooth digestive support. It contains 15 activated superfoods 

to support a healthy gut, body composition, satiety and blood sugar 

levels. It has the most nutritious superfood fibre on the market, with 

chia seeds, flax seeds, and activated sprouts. It offers smooth digestive 

support with vegan probiotics, probiotics and enzymes such as 

pineapple bromelain. Available on amazon. Quantity: 375g. Visit 

www.smartpressedjuice.com. 


55 

Buckwheat And Braised Brussels Sprout Salad 

(Serves 2) 

If Brussels sprouts aren’t your thing, 

you can easily replace them with 

tenderstem or normal broccoli in this 

recipe. Buckwheat is not the same 

as, or even related to, normal wheat. 

It is actually the seed of the plant 

so not technically a grain or cereal 

either. It makes a delicious nutrientdense 

alternative to rice or quinoa. 

Ingredients 

1 cup buckwheat 

2 cups stock 

6-8 Brussels sprouts, halved 

lengthwise 

1 knob grass fed butter 

Kernels of 1 pomegranate 

¼ cup chopped walnuts 

1 tbsp dried cranberries 

¼ cup fresh parsley 

Juice of 1 lemon 

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or 

nut/seed oil of your preference) 

Salt and pepper if needed 

Method 

1. Rinse the buckwheat in water. 

Then add to stock in a saucepan. 

Bring to the boil, cover and reduce 

the heat. Simmer for 25-30 minutes. 

Strain. 

2. To braise the Brussels sprouts, 

melt the butter over medium heat in 

a skillet. Add sprouts, cut side down, 

cover and cook without stirring on 

medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes 

or until tender when pierced with a 

knife. The cut side should get nice 

and brown. 

3. Mix the buckwheat with the rest 

of the ingredients in a large bowl 

then divide onto plates topped with 

the sprouts. 


56 wellness 

debate 

Against 

For 

Can Good Grades 

In School Predict 

Future Success? 

New research 

from the American 

Psychological 

Association claims 

that your behaviour 

in high school 

predicts income and 

occupational success 

later in life. So, can 

good grades in 

school mean a good 

life later? 

Are you For or Against? 

For – Loren Almeida, Mother 

Being a responsible student, maintaining an interest in academics, and having 

good reading and writing skills prepare you for the later life. It’s simple: The 

better educated or qualified you are, the better work opportunities you attract. 

You get a head start with high qualifications and they are possible when 

you are serious about your academic performance right from the beginning. 

No matter how clever you are, if you don’t work hard, you will not fulfill 

your potential. When children are young, they will obviously prefer play to 

work but it is the parents who need to imbibe on their minds that it is only 

by working hard on their grades and associated skills that they will have a 

bright future. When you have potential in high school, but don’t pair it with 

hard work, it sets the tone for your life. Good grades are extremely important 

because they are the sign of intelligence, discipline, focus and sincere work 

— all crucial character traits. Whether in school or in the outside adult world, 

there is only one recipe for success: Hard work. Good grades in school lay the 

foundation for success in later life. 

Against – Kieran Patel, Entrepreneur 

I don’t believe in this premise. You may not be the brightest student in school 

simply because none of the subjects taught in the class interest you. However, 

you may be fantastic at photography, writing skits or DJing! Or are a super 

sportsman/sportswoman. Or really good at something else which you can 

specialise in after school. Simply memorising information in school is not 

real knowledge. A lot of students don’t fit in where learning by rote seems to 

be the only way good grades are achieved. I myself didn’t bring home report 

cards filled with As but that did not stop me from achieving success in my 

professional life later. As for the school toppers of my time, not all of them 

have done well in life. The set of skills needed to be a good student does not 

match the set of skills to be a success in the world. Also your IQ, parental 

socioeconomic status, the phase of life you and your family are going through 

at that time, or other personality factors all play a role in your school grades. 

The researchers from the American Psychological Association may have their 

reasons to arrive at this conclusion but I don’t agree with them. 

What do you think? Can Good Grades In School Predict Future Success? 

Visit www.yourwellness.com to register your vote! 


58 wellness 

experts 

Dr Vidhya Pathare, 

Family Physician 

Oksana Ches-Wadhawan, 

Yoga Instructor 

I’m a 56-year-old man and have a fairly busy life. I’m aware that as 

people get older, changes occur in all parts of the body, including the 

brain, which might lead to memory-related problems. At my age what 

can I do to ensure that I retain an excellent memory and alertness of 

mind in my coming years? 

Malini Shah, 

Clinical Psychologist 

Francine White, 

Nutritionist 

Dr Vidhya Pathare says: Memory can be maintained, unless you develop 

debilitating diseases or dementia. There are many ways to keep it sharp: Keep 

yourself busy. To be on your toes and challenging your mind, whether it is 

decision-making or learning something new, is very stimulating to the brain. 

Learn new skills, a new language, develop new hobbies, play games like chess, 

scrabble, crossword puzzles, sudoku etc to help boost memory. Regular physical 

exercise, yoga and meditation go a long way. So will travelling and meeting new 

people, reading, writing, maintaining a diary and to do lists. Get good sleep and 

get rid of unnecessary stresses in everyday life. Quit smoking if you do smoke, 

and lose weight. 

In terms of diet, have memory-boosting foods like fruits, vegetables, berries, 

nuts like walnuts and almonds, avocados, oily fish, coconut oil, olive oil, leafy 

veggies etc. Cut down on trans fats and white sugars. You can take multivitamins 

rich in B group vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids if you find your diet inadequate. 

Have an active life, give importance to physical and mental wellbeing equally, and 

keep challenging your mind to keep it well oiled. 

Dr Vidhya Pathare is a Family Physician 

Dr Bina Wadhawan, 

Alternative Medicine Therapist 

Oksana Ches-Wadhawan says: There are two ways in which yoga can help 

your memory. One is through asanas or postures, and the second way is through 

breathing exercises. All of these techniques have fundamentals in common. 

They tend to drive oxygen and blood towards the brain, hence making the mind 

a calmer place. Increased calmness will revitalise our mental functions and 

activities. The yoga asanas that will help improve your memory are: 

1. Padahastasana (Standing Forward Bend) 

2. Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand Pose) 

3. Halasana (Plow Pose) 

4. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) 


59 

5. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) 

6. Padmasana (Lotus Pose) or 

Sukhasana (Easy Pose) 

Through meditative and breathing 

exercises such as Pranayama: Bhramari 

(Humming Bee Breathing), Bhastrika 

and Kapalbhati Kriya (Breath of fire), 

you can learn to focus your mind, send 

ample oxygen to your brain, which will 

revitalise it and remove any blockages 

that may have occurred. Chanting ‘Om’ 

is also said to help improve mental 

function. 

Oksana Ches-Wadhawan is a Yoga 

Instructor 

Malini Shah says: Sometimes myths 

about ageing can contribute to a failing 

memory. People who believe that they 

are not in control of their memory 

function are less likely to work at 

maintaining or improving their memory 

skills, hence more likely to experience 

cognitive decline. If you believe you 

can improve and put that belief into 

practice, you have a better chance 

of keeping your mind sharp. Getting 

adequate sleep is a very simple exercise 

but has loads of benefit for memory, 

fatigue-prevention and creativity. 

Just as physical exercises keep 

the body fit, similarly mind exercises 

help to keep the mind active alert 

and agile. Challenge your brain with 

mental exercise to help maintain 

individual brain cells and stimulate 

communication among them. Keep 

learning and developing new skills and 

doing activities out of your comfort 

zone like pursuing a new hobby or 

learning a new skill. 

Physical activities that require handeye 

coordination or complex motor 

skills are particularly beneficial for 

brain-building. 

Practice Sensory Integration 

Method. It means using all the senses 

to reduce the stress on visual and 

auditory senses. Exercises like walking, 

running, swimming, or rock-climbing, 

activate your senses and make you 

more aware of yourself and others 

when they are done with focused 

attention. Certain yoga asanas aid 

brainpower. Omega-3 foods like 

seaweed, walnuts, ground flaxseed, 

flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney and 

pinto beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin 

seeds, and soybeans or fresh water fish 

sardines help boost brain health. 

Malini Shah is a Clinical Psychologist and 

a Behavioural Trainer. You could reach her 

at aasthachrysalis@gmail.com 

Francine White says: Firstly, you 

must avoid brain-damaging dietary 

and lifestyle habits. Researchers 

have discovered that an unhealthy 

western diet, high in red meat, refined 

carbohydrates, and low in fresh fruits 

and vegetables can actually shrink 

your brain! They have found that 

these foods result in the gradual 

destruction of the hippocampus, an 

area of the brain involved in learning 

and memory. To keep degenerative 

brain diseases at bay and feel mentally 

sharp and productive you must avoid 

sugars and refined carbohydrates. 

These cause inflammation, high blood 

sugar levels (spikes in blood sugar is 

thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s) 

and can affect mood and memory loss. 

Choose complex carbohydrates found 

in unprocessed fruits and vegetables, 

sprouted whole grains and sprouted 

legumes. Don’t go on a low-fat diet; 

instead choose your fats wisely. Good 

fats are essential for the brain (which is 

60% fat) so eat avocados, olives, nuts, 

seeds, grass fed butter, virgin coconut 

oil, wild fatty fish and good quality 

organic extra virgin olive oil. Amino 

acids, derived from proteins, are major 

components of brain chemicals known 

as neurotransmitters that control your 

ability to concentrate and remember. 

Other important nutrients for brain 

health include B vitamins (happy, antistress 

vitamins), vitamin D (sunshine 

vitamin), magnesium (the master 

mineral important to de-stress) and 

vitamin K (key anti-ageing vitamin). As 

well as the foods mentioned, plenty of 

leafy greens will also help you. 

Francine White is a Nutritionist and a 

Columnist with Yourwellness Magazine 

Dr Bina Wadhawan says: Habits 

influence your memory and simple 

lifestyle changes can help you to stay 

sharp as the years go by. 

• Regular exercise does wonders for 

your alertness and sharpen memory. 

It increases oxygen supply to the 

brain, revitalises it, and helps it to 

grow new cells. 

• Never stop learning, as when 

you stop learning, some parts of 

your brain start to endure 

atrophy. Reading books, doing 

crosswords and sudoku puzzles, 

quizzes, mind-twister games such 

as chess give your brain an 

excellent workout. 

• Eat the right foods that are low 

in carbs and high in healthy fats 

and proteins. Have lots of fresh 

fruits and green leafy vegetables, 

avocados, berries, dark chocolates, 

walnuts, olive oil, coconut oil, 

fish, fermented foods and coffee. 

Avoid sugar, trans fats, processed 

foods, mono sodium gluconate and 

flavour enhancers. Drink lots of 

water as dehydration causes brain 

shrinkage with adverse effects on 

concentration and alertness. 

• Take supplements such as multivitamins, 

minerals and Omega 3 to 

support brain health. 

• Sleep is important, as less than 7 

to 8 hours of sleep can impair your 

cognitive function. 

• Engage in meditation as it benefits 

memory improvement, stress 

reduction and increased focus and 

attention. 

• Avoid sleeping pills, anti-histamines, 

pain relievers, remedies for acid 

reflux and cholesterol-lowering 

stanins, as they significantly 

increase the risk of dementia. 

• Quit smoking as every drag of 

cigarette kills brain cells. Drug 

abuse and alcoholism also have 

major consequences on brain 

function. 

Dr Bina Wadhawan is an Alternative 

Medicine Therapist, Naturopath and 

Reiki Master. To know more, 

visit www.drbina.com 

Do you need expert advice? Send your problem, in confidence, to: ask@yourwellness.com. Problems can only be 

answered on the page, we are unable to answer personally. You can also visit the forums at www.yourwellness.com and 

ask advice from other readers online. 


eviews 

In Praise Of Fruits & 

Vegetables 

60 wellness 

Celebrate the glory of 

vegetables all year round 

with spectacularly tasty 

vegan soups from the book 

‘Vegan Soups: Over 100 

recipes for soups, toppings, 

sprinkles & twists’ by Amber 

Locke (Publisher: Mitchell 

Beazley). From a refreshing 

Watermelon Gazpacho, perfect 

for a summer’s afternoon, to 

a chunky, wholesome Black- 

Eyed Bean Chilli stew to warm 

you up on a cold winter’s night, soup is not just incredibly 

versatile but is also an easy way to make the most of fresh, 

seasonal ingredients. Try Curried Greens and Coconut, 

Butternut Noodle, Sparkling Pineapple soup, and many more. 

Available on amazon. Visit www.ambaliving.com. 

Yourwellness verdict: This book is a celebration of 

the versatility of fruits and vegetables and the vital role 

they play in our diets. 

Nostradamus 

Says So! 

Discover the unique symbolism and deep wisdom of 

The Golden Nostradamus Oracle Cards. With stunning 

stylised iconography set in a glorious gold foil 

background, these cards create a captivating effect that 

focuses your attention and unlocks hidden pathways of 

the mind and spirit. The medieval imagery beautifully 

illustrates hidden 

attributes and spiritual 

qualities, and it reaches 

across the centuries to 

speak to you. Available on 

www.llewellyn.com. 

Yourwellness 

verdict: This 

deck can be used 

in readings or 

it can be added 

to a collection 

of creative and 

distinctive decks. 

Above The 

Salt 

Give a salt connoisseur or a 

serious chef the ultimate gift! 

Or, if you are one, gift yourself 

The Best Salts in The World – A 

collection of 24 mini-jars with 

cork tops in bamboo presentation 

box from Artisan Salt. This is 

a comprehensive collection of 

premium natural salts from 

around the world. From Kala 

Namak to the Peruvian Pink and 

the Pacific Blue, salts from Italy, 

France and Cyprus, salts with a 

hint of wine or hickory wood, this 

collection has it all. 

Available on ebay & amazon. 

Visit www.artisansalt.com. 

Yourwellness verdict: 

While salt by itself can boost 

flavour, it can also be an 

unhealthy ingredient if used 

overzealously. Just a sprinkle 

can add a subtle level of 

taste. 


61 

Cook Sous Vide 

Sous Vide is a cooking technique that uses 

precise temperature control to deliver 

consistent, high-end restaurant-quality 

results. The technique has become popular 

for home cooks with the availability of 

affordable and easy-to-use sous vide 

precision cooking equipment like the 

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker 

Bluetooth, Immersion Circulator (800 watts). 

Here, food cooks in its juices to remain moist, 

juicy and tender. Just attach the cooker to 

any pot, add water, drop in your ingredients 

in a sealed bag or glass jar, then press start. 

The bluetooth connectivity enables you to 

start, stop and monitor your cook from your 

mobile device, so you’ll no longer be tied to 

your kitchen when you’re cooking. Available 

on amazon. Visit www.anovaculinary.com. 

Yourwellness verdict: This technique 

produces results that are impossible 

to achieve through any other cooking 

method. 

Botox In 

A Bottle 

Instantly boost 

complexion glow and 

bounce with Rodial 

Snake Serum O2. A 

fast-action oxygen 

carrier helps restore 

the look of youthful, 

healthy radiance to 

tired and lackluster 

skin while syn-ake 

dipeptide, inspired 

by the effects of the 

temple viper venom, 

smoothens the look of 

skin and reduces the 

visual appearance of 

wrinkles. 

Available on amazon. 

Quantity: 1.01 fl. oz. 

Yourwellness 

verdict: It’s botox 

in a bottle! 

Sparkling ACV 

Sparkling apple 

cider vinegar 

can be your new 

fizzy beverage 

obsession. 

Crisp and 

tangy, Botonics 

Sparkling Organic 

Apple Cider 

Vinegar Tonic 

is an amazingly 

delicious and 

refreshing drink. 

It is made with a 

refined organic 

blend of crisp 

sparking water, 

fruit juice, apple 

cider vinegar, 

and a hint of 

sweetness. You don’t need to dilute it while drinking. The Variety 

Pack includes 3 flavours– Lemon Honey Ginger, Passion Fruit Mango 

and Strawberry Rose. Available on amazon. Quantity: 4 cans of each 

flavour. Visit www.drinkbotonics.com. 

Yourwellness verdict: A great-tasting, on-the-go option that 

is just 50 calories a can. 


holistic 

62 wellness 

Spill The Beans 

Beans get a rap for being gassy but they are 

good for digestion. They are especially rich in 

fibre and take a while for the body to digest. 

This means you feel full for longer after a meal, 

making the beans useful when you’re trying to 

lose weight. They also help prevent constipation 

because beans have a great mixture of soluble 

and insoluble fibre, both of which help the food keep 

moving through the intestines to relieve constipation. 

A study in the ‘Archives of Internal Medicine’ has found 

that people with type 2 diabetes who consumed one 

cup of beans daily for three weeks were able to maintain 

a lower blood sugar and blood pressure than when they 

started the diet. According to the US Dry Bean Council, eating 

beans may reduce your risk of developing heart disease and certain cancers. 

When Life Hands 

You Lemons, 

Rejoice! 

Lemons do much more than add a citrusy 

zing to our favourite foods. It is abundant in 

vitamin C, which is known to reduce the risk 

of heart disease and stroke. Lemons 

also contain potassium, which, 

according to the American 

Heart Association, 

can help to relieve 

tension in the 

walls of your blood 

vessels and lower 

blood pressure. 

Lemons can 

help increase 

the amount of 

iron your body is 

able to absorb, thereby 

protecting you from anaemia. A 2013 study 

published in the journal ‘Allergy, Asthma & 

Clinical Immunology’, shows that those whose 

asthma attacks were triggered by a respiratory 

infection were able to decrease the occurrence 

of an asthma attack by 78% by taking one 

gram of vitamin C a day. 

Acupuncture For 

Headache 

Acupuncture provides effective and lasting 

relief for headaches without the potential side 

effects of medications. It works on three levels: 

First, it prompts your body to release natural 

painkillers; second, it relaxes muscular tension 

by signalling the brain, via the nervous system, 

to direct blood flow to the affected areas. An 

increased blood flow to the head helps relax 

the muscles there; third, it regulates the central 

and autonomic nervous system, reducing the 

experience of stress. Acupuncture points vary, 

depending on where the pain is located in the 

head and the underlying triggering factors. The 

American Migraine Foundation has found that 

the frequency of headache is dropped by 50% 

or more in up to 59% of individuals receiving 

acupuncture and this effect can last for more 

than six months. 

- Anonymous 

Nothing tastes as 

good as healthy feels. 


modern 

64 wellness 

Elderly Don’t 

Start Depression 

Treatment Quickly 

Research has found that despite the wide 

availability of effective treatments for depression 

and a growing effort to detect and begin treating 

depression during primary care visits, just about 

one-third of newly 

diagnosed patients start 

treatment. The study, that 

appears in the ‘Journal of 

General Internal Medicine’, 

also found that patients 

who were 60 years or 

older at the time of 

diagnosis were less likely 

to begin treatment as 

patients under the age of 

44. Stigma was one of the 

reasons for it. For patients 

who did initiate treatment, 

more than 80% started antidepressant medication 

rather than psychotherapy. The researchers found 

that older patients were less likely to choose 

psychotherapy. Only about 7% of patients age 

75 and older chose it as compared to 25% of 

younger patients. Researchers say that a lot more 

work needs to be done to understand why many 

depressed patients do not begin treatment quickly. 

Pets Boost 

Mental Health 

A new study, published in ‘BMC 

Psychiatry’, conducted by researchers 

from the universities of Liverpool, 

Manchester and Southampton, 

suggests that pets provide benefits to 

those with mental health conditions. 

The researchers systematically 

reviewed 17 international research 

papers to identify the impact of 

pet ownership and found that pets 

contributed in a multifaceted way to 

managing a mental health condition, 

particularly in times of crisis. There 

was also an intense connectivity 

between the people and their 

companion animals. Says researcher 

Dr Helen Brooks, “Our review suggests 

that pets provide benefits to those 

with mental health conditions. Further 

research is required to test the 

nature and extent of this relationship, 

incorporating outcomes that cover the 

range of roles and types of support 

pets confer in relation to mental 

health, and the means by which these 

can be incorporated into the mainstay 

of support for people experiencing a 

mental health problem.” 

- Greg Anderson 

Wellness seeks more than the 

absence of illness; it searches 

for new levels of excellence. 

Organic Diet Good For The Planet 

New research has found that a diet high in fruit and vegetables is better for the planet than one high in animal 

products, and that organic food provides significant, additional climate benefits for plant-based diets. The new 

research, published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Nutrition’, looked for a comprehensive picture of how different 

diets impact the environment and found that while organic food added environmental benefits for a plant-based 

diet, it did not do so to diets with high contribution from 

animal products. The authors also 

say it will be important 

to conduct further 

studies to expand our 

understanding of 

how the entire food 

production lifecycle 

impacts sustainability. 


- Native American Wisdom 

The soul holds the secrets to healing. 

When Pomegranate 

Meant Marriage 

The pomegranate, with its juicy, ruby-red seeds, has been 

a source of food and herbal medicines for thousands 

of years. The ancient Romans considered it a symbol of 

marriage, and brides decked themselves in pomegranatetwig 

wreaths as a symbol of richness and fertility - out 

of one fruit could come many more! The fruit is also 

considered to represent eternity and has been represented 

in many old artworks, paintings, sculptures and 

decorative arts. Painters of the Renaissance era showed a 

pomegranate in the hand of the baby Christ as a symbol 

of the new life offered to humanity. 

Why Charaka 

Recommended Onion 

Onion has been cultivated for more than 5000 years. 

The ‘Charaka Samhita’, the Compendium on Ayurveda 

in ancient India by physician and scholar Charaka, 

glorifies the onion as being therapeutic. It is said to be 

a diuretic, excellent for digestion, good for heart, eyes 

and joints. Dried onions are a rich source of fibre and 

natural healthy sulfur compounds. Onions 

also contain phytochemicals named 

flavonoids, which maximise the 

benefits of vitamin C in keeping 

arteries flexible. This aids our 

cardiovascular system. Chromium 

in onion helps diabetic cells help 

balance the insulin level and 

rectify glucose tolerance. The 

anti-inflammatory properties 

in onion are also effective in 

lowering the risk of gout and 

arthritis. 

ancient 

wellness 

Liquid Gold 

Of The 

Greeks! 

Described as ‘Liquid Gold’ 

in Greek epic poetry, olive 

oil was listed as medicine by 

Hippocrates. Ancient Greeks 

used it for cooking as also a 

part of their beauty regimen. 

A wonderful moisturiser, it 

penetrates deep below the skin’s 

surface for longer hydration. It 

is also loaded with antioxidants 

like Vitamin A and E that help 

fight off free radicals. Its light 

texture makes it non-sticky and 

can be used for all skin types. 

Olive oil also improves skin 

health by treating inflammation, 

acne, and protecting the skin 

from psoriasis. Massaging your 

face with a few drops of olive 

oil is also known to reduce the 

appearance of wrinkles. 

65 


scientific 

66 wellness 

New Research To Stop 

Cancer Metastasis 

There’s new hope for cancer patients. Research from The Scripps Research 

Institute (TSRI) may give scientists a chance to target tumors before they 

metastasise. The study, published in the Nature research journal ‘Oncogene’, 

shows that a protein called LTBP3 fuels a chain reaction that leads some early 

developing tumors to grow new blood vessels. These vessels then act like 

highways to spread cancer cells throughout the body, seeding metastatic 

tumors very early on. “Lower LTBP3 levels appear to be associated with 

better prognosis in patients with certain types of cancer,” says Elena 

Deryugina, first author of the new study. The research suggests that 

LTBP3 may be a good ‘upstream’ drug target to treat early-stage 

tumors. The new data is in line with clinical findings that LTBP3 levels 

can indicate better overall survival in cancer patients with early-stage 

head and neck carcinomas. 

- Carl Sagan 

Science is a way of 

thinking much more than 

it is a body of knowledge. 

Routine Scans 

Can Predict 

Fracture Risks 

According to new study results published 

in the ‘Journal of Bone and Mineral 

Research’, routine body CT scans may 

help clinicians estimate an individual’s 

risk of future osteoporotic fracture. 

Researchers found that out of 507 

older adults who underwent chest and/ 

or abdominal CT scans, a simple rapid 

density measurement of bone quality, 

called vertebral trabecular attenuation, 

correlated with fracture risk in the 

following 6 years. Specifically, having a 

trabecular attenuation of the first lumbar 

vertebra below a certain threshold 

was associated with an increased risk 

of future fractures. Says Dr Perry J. 

Pickhardt, of the University of Wisconsin 

School of Medicine & Public Health, “The 

rich bone data embedded in the scans 

is often ignored, but can and should be 

harnessed for opportunistic screening for 

fracture risk.” 

Charge Your Phone 

On Your body! 

No more looking for a power outlet to charge your 

electronic gadgets; no more lugging the charger 

around either, because you are the new charger! 

According to a study published in the journal ‘Nano 

Energy’, scientists at University at Buffalo and 

Institute of Semiconductors (IoP) at Chinese Academy 

of Science (CAS), have produced a ‘Tab’ - a 

triboelectric nanogenerator. This small 

metallic tab, when attached to the body, can 

generate electricity from bending a finger 

to provide electricity to your gadgets. It 

consists of two thin layers of gold, with 

polydimethylsiloxane (also called 

PDMS, a silicon-based polymer used 

in contact lenses) sandwiched in 

between. Key to the device is that 

one layer of gold is stretched, 

causing it to crumple upon release. 

When force is reapplied from a 

finger bending, the motion leads 

to friction between the gold layers 

and PDMS. This causes electrons 

to flow back and forth between the 

gold layers. The more the friction, 

the greater is the amount of power 

produced. 


Great Days Start 

with Good Nights! 

Sealy is the number one choice of bedding with the title of World’s No.1 Selling 

Mattresses for over 30 years. 100 million people worldwide are experiencing the 

benefits of a better night’s sleep from Sealy mattress. Developed in conjunction 

with leading orthopedic surgeons from The USA, Sealy’s better sleep technology, 

infused in their mattresses, has been providing superior harmony of support, 

comfort and durability for over 100 years. You can be sure that every bed meets 

the most exacting standards laid down by Sealy. 

SEALY INDIA 

Sealy India Trading Pvt Ltd, Level 15, Eros Corporate Tower, Nehru Place, New Delhi - 110019 

Email: gssj@sealy.in | Internet: www.sealy.in

RNI.Registration No.MAH/ENG/2012/45655. Postal Registration No.MCN/258/2016-2018 

Posted at Mumbai Patrika Channel sorting office on 13th to 14th day of every month published on 4th Day of every month.

YW_Issue_93_June-18_68 pages

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