Solitude

No need to envy marathoners. Walking is just as good for your mind and body.                                         A Mighty Heart Biking and rowing may get your heart racing, but a low-intensity stroll in the park five to six times a week is actually more effective in preventing obesity and eliminating heart risk factors including insulin sensitivity, total cholesterol, and blood pressure. Walkers trimmed their waistlines more and shed more weight. A Walk to Remember Walking improves memory. Subjects who walked on a treadmill were better at correctly identifying which numbers were repeated in a series of digits read aloud. Walking also improves attention, bolstering your ability to ignore distractions—probably because walking activates brain regions associated with attention. A Spring in Your Step Your gait reflects your emotional state: Sad people walk slow...

5 Foods to look fabulous at 40-plus Even after the baby, the French President's wife Carla Bruni  sports  a body that can put many young people to shame. Carla's "a little of what you fancy" approach to dieting is very popular in France. Here's how eating like her could help you too. No dieting Only 10 per cent of French  women  are overweight. Fullfat foods can actually keep you slim for two main reasons. They keep you fuller longer. Foods such as butter switch on 'full' signals in your brain but 'diet' foods, which are nearly always full of preservatives or sugar make you hungrier. And fullfat foods are difficult to binge on. It's hard to eat too much strong cheese or dark chocolate. Food from scratch In France, 76 per cent of women eat  meals  prepared from scratch at home. Meals from scratch usually contain less salt, sugar and preservatives. So prepare as many meals at home as you can. Don't add ready-made sauces to pas...

Meditation has been established as a powerful tool for ushering in peace of mind and putting an end to stress and related maladies like tension headaches, premature ageing and chronic fatigue syndrome If there is one thing that can travel faster than the speed of light, it is the human mind. From dawn to dusk, a jumble of chaotic thoughts crowd our subconscious, demanding our time and attention. This can affect the health and peace of mind. Promoting healing In simplistic terms, meditation is a kind of conscious relaxation—an inner journey towards calmness and tranquillity. According to information released by the Meditation Society of America, regular sessions can improve one’s I.Q., foster creativity and imagination; reduce blood pressure while promoting clear thinking and healing emotional scars and balance. Meditation does not have to have spiritual or religious implications, nor even any rigid rules. Though there are different techniques, the American  Journal of Health Prom...

The weight loss industry grows at six per cent a year and yet the incidence of obesity also increases by six per cent every year! Obviously something is not working. To make matters worse, we are deafened by a cacophony of conflicting dietary advice from the Cookie Diet to the Cabbage Soup Diet and everything in between. If you’ve found it hard to maintain or lose weight, you need to go beyond the familiar “diet and exercise” mantra. There are three hidden causes for the obesity epidemic. 1. The “Overfed / Undernourished” Syndrome Depleted soil conditions and refining give us nutritionally bankrupt foods which fill us without nourishing us. This leads to constant hunger at the cellular level. Solution: Turn to “superfoods” such as wheat grass and alfalfa sprouts to satisfy your ‘cellular’ hunger. Voila! You will eat less and feel more satisfied without dieting! 2. The “Craving-for-Refined-Foods” Syndrome It is not the lack of will power, but undiagnosed food allergies that make you...

I think I am too fat', ‘too short', ‘my hair's too straight'… if you are the type who never tires of self-assessment, then get ready for a mental makeover. Self-image is how you see yourself which reflects on how you feel. Today's youngster often suffers from poor self-image. It's a young people's ‘thing'. Sometimes even something as simple as walking across a room may be traumatic, as the person feels like all eyes are on him/her, judging and analysing. Ask any person how they feel about their looks and you will probably get something like, “I'm too fat” or “I could've been a little taller” or “Maybe if I had straight hair, I'd look better” or “I'm a shade too dark” ... Very few actually say they feel perfect, inside out. It's nobody's fault, really. All in the mind In today's world, with so many ‘beautiful' people around, one who is different from the conventional perception of beauty may actually feel awkward. “I rem...

“Am I fit?” How many times would you have asked yourself this question? Self-evaluation on fitness is tough because you never know what you are supposed to be looking for! Even a “slim” woman could be unhealthy. Conversely, a “stout” man could be really fit. So what are the criteria? Let's reflect just a little bit on fitness and what it means. Stand in front of a full-length mirror and take a good, hard look at yourself. Do you see a slouching body that needs to stand tall? Pinch your midriff. Are your fingers picking up a roll of fat? Smile. Does your face glow; do you feel energetic; are you in shape? Remember, your mirror tells you a lot. Often, it is more accurate than the opinions of people around, so pay attention! These questions tell you where you are right now. But, as you are aware, your fitness status could keep changing. There could be phases in your life where exercise is minimal such as during the monsoon season, or when you are on a vacation. You have to make a co...

In this fitness-obsessed world; where gym is home, treadmill your pal and the staircase your daily mission, your exercise regime tops the priority list. But, really, how long can you keep doing the same old routine season after season; even the dedicated ones will need a change. Once the raindrops start and the overcast sky opens up, motivation slowly and steadily moves to zilch. Our metabolic rate also takes a lazy turn but your body needs serious movement now. Also since the cold has been proved to aid weight-loss; do just that, only with a twist. Nothing shakes up that stubborn cellulite like a change in routine. With the fitness world offering a variety of vigorous, yet fun, fitness fundas, ditch the regulars and introduce some zing while you continue with those workouts. Kayaking Don't we all love those row-boat rides in our misty hill stations? Even all those weights with multiple sets and counts aren't as effective as a session of swift kayaking. Basically a lean, row ...