Hydropathy | SPA

Low Calorie Diet Plan

2012-01-28T05:39:00.000-08:00

Staying fit has become a motto among most of the people who are busy shaping up their careers. Though it is difficult to find time to focus on health and follow a workout regimen, people still work hard to do this as they have become aware of the advantages of staying fit and healthy. Following a healthy lifestyle not only brings positive changes in one’s body but it also has a positive impact on his social and professional aspect of life.

Photo: jypsygen

To attain such an objective one mostly is dependent on weight loss tips that one can follow. Mostly the tips revolve around dieting or exercising on a regular basis. But both dieting and exercising should be done in a manner that does not have an adverse impact on the body. The basic logic involved in a weight loss program is that of calorie intake and calorie burnt. So awareness about the nutritional value of the food consumed and the calories burned by an activity performed should be made a part of your routine to achieve a significant change in body weight. Apart from this one has to learn to make healthy choices about the foods one eats and the activities in which one partakes.

A low calorie diet is considered to be the simplest form of dieting, which involves reducing the number of calories you consume. A diet which is based on merely eating smaller portions of the same highly processed, calorie-rich foods mostly leads to hunger, poor nutrition, and just a temporary weight loss. Consuming small amounts of concentrated, processed calories does not satiate hunger. Such type of diet pattern is very short lived and difficult to sustain. This result in regaining the weight one loses very fast and easily. This lowers our morale down to go back to such a regimen again.

Eating foods that are higher in nutrients and fiber and lower in calories makes you satisfied eating fewer calories. The caloric value of any diet plan is a crucial factor for weight loss. Highly processed foods contain a large amount of sugar and other ingredients which don’t have significant nutritional value and hence don’t contribute to body metabolism. To make a low calorie diet plan of your own, click here. A pound of body weight is equivalent to approximately 3500 calories. So one needs to cut down on 500 calories everyday in excess of calories consumed that day to be able to reduce a pound in a week. Low calorie diet is not advisable for children, adolescents, and pregnant women. Individuals who can go on such a diet and benefit from it are extremely overweight or morbidly obese.

Research has shown that the best way to lose weight is to eat small meals throughout the day. Planning a meal beforehand helps in not getting tempted to eat whatever one sees at first sight. Making a diet plan in advance proves to be one of the very effective tips for losing weight and also helps in keeping a count of calorie intake during the day.

Healthy and nutritious diet during pregnancy

2012-01-25T03:11:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy is a time, when a woman is filled with mixed emotions like excitement and worry, joy and apprehension. This is a time, when eating healthy and vitamin rich diet is very important. Your pregnancy diet should be a balanced diet that contains all the essential nutrients like vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, calcium and iron. Eating healthily and safely is important at each and every stage of your pregnancy.

Photo: Schwangerschaft

With proper and intense planning, a vegetarian diet can also provide all the vital minerals, proteins, vitamins and other nutrients that are required by the body. A pregnant woman requires more protein during pregnancy and this is possible by following a healthy, varied vegetarian diet. If you are vegetarian then you should take extra care to include adequate amount of two nutrients that are very important during pregnancy, including iron and calcium. Food items that are good sources of iron are bread, cereals, green vegetables and pulses.

Foods items that should be and should not be eaten during pregnancy are as follows:

Intake of Vitamin A should be controlled because it can cause damage to embryo.
Brinjal, celery, onion, carom seeds, suran/yam, papaya, chilli, garlic, asfoetida, mustard, bajara, ginger, pepper and jaggery should be reduced from your diet.
Those women who suffer from bloating, gas and constipation should try to avoid heavy to digest cereals, peas and potato. They should include green gram in their diet as it can be digested easily and gives protein to the pregnant women.
Cauli flower, cabbage and long green vegetables like Govari, Louki, Parwal, Tondali, Turai, Spinach, etc should be included in your diet. You can keep a balance by eating different vegetable each day rather than eating same vegetable daily.
Fruits like banana, grapes, ripe mango, apricot and dates & cashew nuts are beneficial for the mum and the baby.
Fennel seeds, butter, milk, honey, clarified butter and sweets that are made from jaggery and not white sugar can be consumed in small quantity.
The items that are made from rice and wheat like khichri, chapatti, murmure, gujarati thepla, pulao, bhakari, paratha are very beneficial for the pregnant woman.
Fasts are strictly not advisable during pregnancy as these are not good for the health.
Do not eat left over, frozen & deep-frozen food.
You should avoid cold drinks, cocoa, eggs, alcohol,tobacco, mutton, pan-masala, smoking and betel nut. Coffee, tea, ice-creams can be consumed in small amounts.
During pregnancy, mother must focus on supplemental nutrients while maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet.
Food items like bakery, dhokla, pizza, khaman, bread, bun, steamed rice cake, sandwich, curd, tomato, handva, kadhi, pancake, tamarind should be avoided as these items cause acidity and swellings.

You should remember, the baby inside depends on the amount of nutrition you intake. So, it is advisable to take a healthy & balanced diet that will be beneficial for you and your child.

4 Benefits of CrossFit

2011-10-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

What is CrossFit?
CrossFit has gathered some buzz from physiotherapy centres and exercise professionals alike. Launched in 1995 by an American gymnast, CrossFit is an all-around type of workout that includes cardio, strength and flexibility training all at once.

Photo: rr_graphic_design

CrossFit has become popular because it proposes a variety of exercises that don’t require expensive equipment: medicine balls, kettlebells and jumping ropes are all you need for a great CrossFit workout. CrossFit also relies much on bodyweight exercises, making it one of the most accessible type of workout.

Still not convinced to try CrossFit? Here are some benefits you can derive from the intense workouts.

1. It increases ten physical skills
Ten? That’s a lot! CrossFit trainers believe that a healthy individual should be strong in these ten skills:

Cardiovascular endurance
Stamina
Strength
Flexibility
Power
Speed
Agility
Balance
Coordination
Accuracy

A good CrossFit workout will work at least four or five of these skills at a time. The goal of a CrossFit workout is to do all the exercises of the day as quickly as you can.

2. It’s customizable

Can’t jump 20 inches? Make it 10. Can’t lift a 40-pound box? Get a smaller one. With CrossFit, everyone works at their current level and there’s nothing wrong with doing less reps or lifting lighter. As long as you give it your all, you will get all the benefits.
You can use CrossFit to fit your lifestyle. People do it in gyms (which can be expensive), in their garages or in parking lots. People do it at home alone or in groups. Since there’s no need for expensive machines, it’s easy to start a workout group or to do it in your basement.

3. It gives you life skills

More than increasing your level of fitness, CrossFit also gives you the endurance and strength to go through challenges in everyday life.

After a few weeks of CrossFit, you’ll be able to lift bigger grocery bags or play physical games with your kids. In case of an accident, you’ll be better able to withstand the pain and challenges of rehabilitation. You’ll feel strong enough to break through a door or lift a heavy beam off someone.

CrossFit teaches you proper lifting techniques, how to move large weights over short distances and other skills that might be handy. Several fire departments, law enforcement agencies, military and para-military organizations have already adopted CrossFit as their official training program.

4. It’s a community

CrossFit is one of the first fitness communities to have developed mainly over the Internet. The official CrossFit website publishes a daily workout (or WOD) for all CrossFit enthusiasts. There are forums and blogs and people can get support and tips from CrossFit trainers and aficionados alike.
Of course, you should always consult a physiotherapist or a medical professional before engaging in a new fitness program, especially if you’ve suffered from injuries in the past. Always work to your level and stop if you feel any undue pain. Fitness isn’t a competition: it’s a way of life.

The Most Common Workplace Injuries

2011-10-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

Medico legal specialists know that the workplace is often dangerous and can cause many injuries. Even offices, which seem relatively safe, can be dangerous if some things are not taken care of. If you’re wondering what are the most common workplace injuries, read on.

Photo: Nikita Kashner

Fall-related injuries Falls can either happen from heights (as much construction workers building skyscrapers as painters working on walls or even filing clerks on steps) or on the same level (slipping on the floor for example).

Falls cause a variety of problems ranging from strains and sprains to brain injuries and even death. While a sprain or strain is usually temporary and can last from a few days to a few weeks, sometimes the injury is more serious and requires weeks and even months of recovery. Some may be handicapped for life or die as a result of their injuries.

Exertion-related injuries
Injuries may also come from physical exertion. This type of injury is generally called “overexertion”. They happen because of pulling, pushing, lifting, carrying or holding heavy objects. Tossing or placing the object may also cause an injury.

The injuries related to overexertion are usually to the back, but they may also happen in the legs, neck or arms. Musculoskeletal disorder is the general term for any injury to muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage or spine. These injuries can take longer to heal than other types of injuries.

Object-related injuries
Things falling from above without warning can cause serious injuries, even death. A worker can also strike a table, desk, piece of equipment or other object that’s in his or her way. Object-related injuries can cause problems as mild as a bruise or as severe as disability and death. Construction sites are especially dangerous for falling or moving objects.

Repetitive motion injuries
These injuries may take a long time to appear—years sitting at a desk typing or repeating the same movement on an assembly line. The strain to the muscle or ligament may not appear at first, but by repeating the same action every single day a worker can seriously impair his or her working abilities.

These injuries may cause problems to joints like wrists, elbows and knees. Recovery depends on the severity of the injury and if the motion can be changed or the posture corrected.

Road injuries
Getting in an accident while driving for business also counts as a workplace injury. Traveling representatives and truckers are especially susceptible to road accidents, especially if they have to drive long hours.

Obviously road accidents can cause injuries as mild as bruises and cuts and as grave as dismemberment and death.

These are some of the most common workplace injuries reported by workplace safety organizations. In order to get compensation, an independent medical opinion is often required. Both the victim and the business may request an opinion by a qualified medical professional. Implementing simple measures that will keep workers healthy and safe can prevent most of these injuries.

Day Spas - Relaxing is Healthy

2011-09-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

Our busy lives can break us down and create unwanted physical and emotional damages to our bodies. Relieving those stresses on your body can be done with various types of spas. Day spas come in different sizes starting with a tiny package and going up to economy size facilities. Availability to the latest technology is greater accessed through the larger facilities. Most spas offer salt scrubs and mud wraps as a service standard.

Photo: Grand Velas Resort

What greater opportunity than to take a complete vacation getaway to a destination spa for relaxing treatment? A destination spa offers techniques for helping you build a healthier lifestyle. They focus on eating whole grains, with vegetables and fruits, and give guides to keep a healthy eating routine. Destination spa packages generally offer classes focused on obtaining a full body fitness and classes that help to relieve that unwanted stress. Another stress relieving factor is the wonderful massages.

A medical spa is under the direct supervision of doctors. Treatments like Botox® injections and laser resurfacing are done in medical spas due to the serious nature of giving them. Medical spas are not just limited to medical forms of spas, but they do offer mineral springs spas, club spas, cruise ship spas. A cruise ship spa is among the wonderful ways to decrease your stress levels. You get seaside treatment while relaxing in the sun and watching the dolphins swim.

There is nothing more stressful than waiting in an airport among a crowd of people bumping into each other and spreading germs. A perfect way to flee the insanity is to find the airport spa. You can get a 15 minute chair massage along with oxygen therapy. The brain needs oxygen, and improving the flow will release stressful hormones. After short, relaxing therapy, boarding the plane and getting into the small seats will not be a problem.

If you are in need of a stress reliever, try any of these spa types and feel your stress diminish. Different spas types are available depending on your location. Relieve your stress mess with a SPA treatment and obtain a healthy feeling.