Waking up many times at night to urinate, discomfort in the upper abdomen, heart burns that stop you from sleeping well, consistent back pain that makes you wriggle in bed, difficulty in falling asleep and you are pregnant… sounds familiar? Welcome to the club of pregnant women who face sleep disturbances. What to expect during pregnancy? Pregnancy is marked by sudden changes in the sleep pattern, due to the new physical and physiological changes that pregnancy offers. It is perfectly normal to experience sleep pattern changes when you are expecting a baby. The symptoms may begin early in the first trimester and may increase during the second trimester. After 12 to 15 weeks, you get used to it, and the body adapts to the new physiological scenario. Although in the third trimester, nearing childbirth, the sleep patterns hit an altogether new low, which causes frustration. But don’t worry! There are solutions to handle this. First-trimester sleep patterns The first trimester is marked by dullness and tiredness most of the time. This can be attributed to the hormone progesterone that is essential for the maintenance and a normal healthy outcome of pregnancy. The developing fetus consumes your nutrition and energy for growth and development.

Stress has almost become the natural state of mind in the 21st century. From work to personal issues, everybody is stressing over something or the other. It’s not a surprise if you have ever been told that you should meditate to get over stress! Meditation is an activity where you practice mindfulness and train your mind to concentrate. It has been a practice in several religions like Buddhism and Hinduism over the ages. However, today it is devoid of religious connotations and is used by people of all faith to bring some peace in their lives. There are many forms of meditation – Transcendental Meditation, Heart Rhythm Meditation, Kundalini, Guided Visualization, Qi Gong, Zazen and Mindfulness. In recent times, studies have scientifically proven benefits of meditation through modern equipment like MRI and EEG. One of the benefits of scientific research on meditation is that it has led to the creation of meditation programs and practices like Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction MBSR is a program developed by Professor Jon Zinn that uses a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness and yoga to help people become more mindful. It is used to reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety.

Facing joint pain and arthritis recurrently? Tired of taking analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs? Most people do not know that the solution that they are seeking is right within their reach. So, here are some dietary tips to combat arthritis at the comfort of your home: Ginger A natural anti-inflammatory found commonly in everyone’s kitchen, ginger is very effective against arthritis. Ginger is very easy to use. Take some dry ginger pieces and dry grind them. Mix this (six teaspoons) with caraway seed powder (six teaspoons) and black pepper powder (three teaspoons). Mix ½ teaspoons of this preparation with water and consume daily, preferably in the morning. You can also eat fresh raw ginger either alone or along with food. The oil from ginger can also be used over inflamed parts. Turmeric Turmeric is a very effective anti-inflammatory in arthritis, especially for rheumatoid arthritis, as it contains curcumin. Turmeric is available in capsules of 500mg or 1000mg. Turmeric latte or turmeric powder, mixed with milk and consumed daily, can be a very good long-term solution for arthritis. Cinnamon An effective anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, cinnamon is used to treat arthritis either orally or topically. Topically, cinnamon is mixed with honey to make a paste and applied over the affected areas.

Do you know that your diet is not complete without some essential nutrients? These nutrients perform crucial functions. Also, the deficiency of these nutrients could lead to serious cognitive disturbances, neural problems, and other health issues. Sounds scary? Relax and just add seafood to your diet! Seafood contains a lot of these essential nutrients and is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids (Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid). So, here are 6 health benefits of seafood: Your heart will be grateful to you Yes! Seafood is essential for the proper functioning of your heart. Essential fatty acids found in seafood help prevent heart diseases by reducing the fat content of the blood. Research shows that people who consume seafood have lesser heart problems than those whose diet is devoid of seafood. It boosts the grey matter of your brain The essential fatty acids in seafood increase the grey matter of the brain, thereby positively affecting behavior and cognition. These fatty acids improve memory, learning, and other psychological skills. This, in turn, reduces long-term cognitive decline and prevents Alzheimer’s disease. For essential fatty acids to be fully available to you, eat baked or boiled fish. Essential for your skin and hair Your skin and hair require the essential fatty acids present in seafood.

Frequently, we come across people who say that they are dieting yet they see no results . Neither do they see a reduction in their pounds, nor do they see any change physically. Given below are the main reasons why you are not losing weight in spite of dieting. Common Diet Mistakes Not having a realistic goal Yes, you read it right – you may not have a realistic goal! Most people set too lofty goals to reach when it comes to losing weight without understanding their underlying physiology. Before-After transformation programs where we hear stories of people losing 20 pounds in a month also do not help with out goals. You need to understand that you are unique and how much weight you gain or lose depends on your genotype, eating habits, metabolic rate, life style, workout, and the amount of sleep you get each day. Before you start dieting you must experiment a little so that you understand how your body reacts to various types of food, how much sleep you get on an average, what your the metabolic rate is, and if you have any toxic food habits that might be silently adding to your weight. After understanding this, set realistic goals that you can achieve in five to six months that are based on the amount of commitment you can offer.