Swimming after workout

First things first, it is very important to 'aptly' warm your body up before hitting one of the two! It is as important as washing your hands before a meal. Free hand exercises, a good jog or stretching out your limbs relaxes your muscles for subsequent activities and reduces wear 'n tear.

Now, I am assuming that your primary motive is to gym (than to swim), it is generally considered better to go the gym and then go for the swim. 

In the gym, you are subjecting your muscles to sudden and heavy weights or forces. Your heart is pumping more blood. Your muscles are stretching more than usual, your ligaments are twisting more etc. In short, your body is tiring. 

Swimming, after a tough gym regimen, helps your body soothe. It is important that you let your body relax and recuperate. Do not over-swim. The sole purpose of swimming after gym to re-energise. Over-swim kills the very purpose. Mild swim helps your stiffened muscles to ease out and rejuvenate. And this is the best for your body in the long run. 

Bottom line is, whatever you do, give your body ample rest. Relax. Eat well.

Top 20 healthy habits to avoid disease

One of the best ways to maintain your health is by taking care of yourself. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy your old age without being injected with several different kinds of shots, then change your daily lifestyle because even the simplest little healthy modification can cause great benefits. 

Though it is difficult to put health and fitness as a top priority in this rat race day and age, it's best to start with baby steps will surely peak your health tremendously. Today, Dr.K.M. Sunesara - General Physician, Mumbai will help us to lead a disease free life, by providing a list of top 20 healthy habits. Follow these simple steps to stay away from the constant acchoos and germ attack. 
Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 1: Wash your hands often 

Not washing hands before a meal is one of the fastest way you can fall ill. During our daily chores, we tend to touch several things at a time knowing and unknowingly. Due to this daily mechanism, germs can get easily transported from our hands to our mouth. Hence, always instill the habit of washing hands regularly to keep health problems at a hands distance. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 2: Stop nose picking 

This habit of digging gold' is one of the worst health habits. Picking your nose constantly can cause and spread various infections like cold and flu since cold virus is passed into your body through the mucus. After touching several things and then taking the same finger into your nose, will ensure that you land at the doctor's clinic. Hence, stop this awkward habit of pulling out sticky substance from your nose. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 3: Stretching is important 

Make stretching a part of your daily activities. Since we spend most of our time ina office and infront of the computer, our muscles tend to become stiff and contracted. This stiffness can increase the risk of injuries and sever pains. To avoid these injuries, make sure to regularly pratice stretching every morning - says Dr. Sunesara. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 4: Breathe the right way 

The best way to improve your health is by improving your breathing technique - says Dr. Sunesara. Dr. Sunesara recommends - we should breathe from our diaphragm instead of breathing from our chest. This change in the breathing pattern will help to maximize the oxygen intake and will also ensure that you stay calm. Change your breathing style to improve the way your body functions and blood circulation. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 5:Eat a healthy breakfast 

Always make sure that you eat a healthy breakfast every morning. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and a eating a healthy breakfast in the morning will help you to avoid snacking during the rest of the day. Result? You will prevent stomach upset which is caused due to digestion problem and weight gain. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 6: Bathing is good 

Make sure you cleanse yourself thoroughly with a good refreshing shower gel or soap. A good shower is necessary to remove dirt and odor from your body and bathing also helps you to revitalize. Make your shower time a pamper time, by cleaning each part of your body thoroughly to prevent infection and foul odor. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 7: Cut your nails regularly 

Long nails will not only make performing your daily tasks difficult but it can also act as a host for infections and germs. When you touch several things, there is a huge chances of the germs getting stuck into your nails - says Dr. Sunesara. These germs can pass to your mouth, when you nibble your food. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 8: Avoid sharing personal items 

Sharing personal items like razors, toothbrush and nail clips etc. can lead to germ transfer. Keep your personal items just for you. Never share any item even with your family members. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 9: Always apply sunscreen 

Make a habit of applying a good sunscreen on your skin, whenever you venture out.This habit will keep various skin problems like skin cancer and melanoma at bay. Besides, it will also decrease skin damage and give you a younger looking skin for a long time. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 10: Say no to sugary items 

Sugary items are as toxic as alcohol and cigarettes. Excess presence of sugar in your body, can have sever negative effects on your weight and skin. Avoid sugary items and sweet sodas to keepdiabetes and other chronic diseases at bay. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 11: Sweat it out 

Give a break to your inactive life by adding a little exercise to it. Exercising regularly for 30 minutes have endless benefits as it helps to maintain healthy weight, decreases tension and boosts your energy levels and mood. Start exercising stay healthy and to avoid various cardiovascular diseases. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 12: Good sleep 

Never compromise on your sleeping hours. A good night's sleep for 8 hours is very important to prevent various sleep disorders. Thus, always maintain a proper schedule and proper sleeping pattern. Choose a comfortable bed and never eat a heavy meal late at night. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 13: Stop worrying 

The best thing favour you can do to yourself is by avoiding stress like plague. Stress is the cause of various health problems like depression, insomnia and heart ailment. Dr. Sunesara says - whenever stressed, practice breathing exercise and relax yourself. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 14: Monitor your monitor time 

Reduce your monitor time, to avoid negative impact on your eyes and mental health - says Dr. Sunesara. If your work depends on the usage of monitors then protect yourself by using good pair of eye protection glasses and adjust the way you sit. Besides, make sure you avoid looking at any kind of a monitor before bed time to get a good nights sleep. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 15: Drink lots of water 

Drink a minimum of 8-10 glasses of water every day, depending on your physical activity. Sufficient intake of water is very essential to flush out toxins from your body and to rejuvenate your cells. If you do not drink enough water, you will end dehydrated yourself and thus, exhausted. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 16: Say no to junk food 

Fast food is rich in trans fat, sugar, spices and artificial preservatives. Constantly consuming junk food will expand your waistline and cause serious health problems in the long run such as high cholesterol, diabetes and heart problems. Since fast food is rich in bad fat, it raises the bad cholesterol in the body and leads to the hardening of the arteries, which can further cause plaque deposits. Hence, switch to a healthier diet and protect yourself from weight gain and other serious wellbeing problems. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 17: Quit smoking 

Dr. Sunesara says - smoking even a single cigarette a day, can cause blood clots, which may prevent swift flow of the blood and hence can cause plaque to develop in your arteries and blood vessels. Besides, you may also damage the life of the nonsmoker who is living with you. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 18: Stay safe while having sex 

Sex is a pleasurable act and if you act foolish you will land in serious health problems. Dr. Sunesara says - always use a condom while having sex to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and avoid unwanted pregnancy. Besides, don't be a Casanova, stick to one partner for your sexual pleasures. 

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 19: Respect your body and yourself 

Your body is your host, learn to respect it. Accept every flaw and weaknes and learn to live with it. If you want to stay happy with good health and high confidence then love your body the way it is.

Healthy Habit to Avoid Disease # 20: Start loving vegetables 

The first habit to add in your eating rule book is to add all types of vegetables in your diet. The health benefits of eating vegetables are numerous. Vegetables are loaded with fiber, essential vitamins and various nutrients which promote good health in every way.

skin care 2

Add oatmeal to a mixture of curd and tomato and apply it on your face. Wait till it dries. Wash off. Repeat twice a week to de-tan your face.
- Keep raw potato slices to remove blemishes and scars on the face. Keep repeating the process till you achieve the desired result.
- Take one spoon of milk powder and to it add a teaspoon of lemon juice and a drizzle of honey. When it becomes a homogenous mixture, add some almond oil and mix it thoroughly again. Apply this mix on your face and rinse it out after 20 minutes.
- Take one tomato and crush it to a pulp in a blender, to it add 6 drops of lemon juice. Apply the pulp on your face for about 20 minutes to achieve an instantaneous glow and lightens skin as well.
- Take some almonds and soak in cold water overnight. Crush them in the morning and add it to 20 ml of honey. Rub the concoction to your face for about 30 minutes. Rinse off with cold water to reveal fresher, glowing skin.
- Take dried orange peels and crush it to powder. Add this to milk and apply the paste on your face. It must be used regularly for whiter skin.

"Apart from this, consuming fruits and raw vegetables are always beneficial, to maintain your skin's healthy glow," says Mohan.

Skin Care

Dermatologist Dr Bindu Sthalekar dispenses hope to men and women of all ages...
Skin care is a tricky area. Your skin needs nourishment and care if you want it to look radiant and healthy. And with advances in medical science, you can greatly delay the signs of ageing.

Here are some skin care facts and myths that you should be aware about...

1. Teens wanting blemish-free skin and fairness with over-the-counter (OTC) products advertised by film stars must identify the need for using these products. Radiant and lustrous hair cannot be achieved using OTC products. Consult a dermatologist - use the products they give instead of fancy OTC products whose unsupervised, prolonged usage can lead to hyper-pigmentation.

2. The young woman just out of her teens blessed with good hair and healthy skin needs to pay attention to what she eats, make sure she gets adequate sleep (seven to eight hours), exercise regularly and avoid taking stress. She must cleanse, moisturise and use a sunscreen.

3. What you put in your mouth is more important than what you put on your skin! If your core is healthy, it will show on your face. Have a diet rich with Vitamin A and antioxidant foods, lots of coloured fruits and vegetables. Regular exercise improves circulation and blood supply, and flushes out toxins.

4. Bad hair days exist. The weather can wreak havoc on hair. Dry weather can make your hair frizzy, humidity can make it limp, stress can turn it oily. Products and chemical treatments that don't agree with you will also give you bad hair days.

5. Stress increases cortisol levels and this over activity of the oil gland will make one prone to breakouts. Psychological problems can lead to acne.

6. Fortunately, most skin problems if identified and treated early can be reversible.

7. The ageing process depends on the genes, but in a woman, it is any time between the mid 20s to late 30s.

8. If you get adequate sleep (the skin repairs and rejuvenates itself when we're asleep), eat the right diet, stay active and keep yourself hydrated, you won't regret later. Water retains moisture in the skin making it glow. Decrease stress levels and know your skin type (oily, dry, a combination, sensitive or mature skin) and use products accordingly. Sunscreen will avoid blotchiness and dullness. Exfoliate your skin at least one a week. This will remove dead skin and helps the moisturiser absorb better.

9. Men shouldn't shy away from approaching dermatologists for skin problems. Men have an added advantage - shaving daily is an automatic exfoliating process.

10. All commercially sold beauty products are not harmful. If made well and prescribed for a reason by an expert, they are beneficial; but certainly not when self-prescribed.

11. Continuous and long-term use of make-up does not damage the natural oils and texture of the skin if the make-up is of good quality, applied correctly, suitable for your skin type and removed properly.

12. Botox, fillers, wrinkle erasers, skin tightening machines, laser and mild non-invasive treatments are a boon.

13. Women in their 20s want fairer skin. A woman in her 30s fears blotchy and dehydrated skin, pigmentation etc. By the time she is 40, she fears lines, crow's feet, creases, deeper folds, wrinkles and sagging skin. Women in their 20s and 30s can start with microdermabrasion non-chemical peels, which remove dead, outer skin layers and delay the ageing process. As a woman ages, her dermatologist can tell her what she needs and doesn't. A woman in her 40s may need to get rid of wrinkles and folds near her nose and mouth and can opt for fillers and skin tightening. A woman in her 50s can go in for laser rejuvenation. This can erase 10 years off her face.

14. Dermatology and cosmetology are not the same. A dermatologist has done an in-depth study of skin, skin care and its problems. A cosmetologist is an expert on cosmetics on skin. A dermatologist can treat external as well as internal skin problems - something that a cosmetologist can't. The skin is a mirror of one's internal system. It can indicate more problems than just advancing age.

15. Botox does not harm the body. What is injected is a purified toxin. It relaxes the muscle where it is injected and is an excellent treatment for lines, creases, wrinkles, crow's feet etc.

16. It is never too late to salvage your skin. There are several non-invasive treatments like chemical peels and hydra dermabrasion which rejuvenate the skin. Non-abrasive skin tightening machines can help.

17. The world has become a smaller place with advances in medical science. Indian dermatologists update themselves by attending international conferences and undergoing constant training. The same treatments available in New York can be availed at a clinic in Mumbai. People prefer doing it here instead going abroad.                                        

                                                                      courtesy : TOI