Healthtips , Health News, Health Care and Fitness,Health and Nutrition Tips

You'd think the sunlight you get is enough to prevent a Vitamin D deficiency. But experts say that it's not  Living in the sunny city isn't enough for your daily quota of Vitamin D, a vitamin most easily attained by the body through the absorption of sunlight. Dr Shonali Sabherwal, a certified macrobiotic food consultant explains why a large number of people are now Vitamin D deficient. It's not just about the sun. Adequate fill  Normally speaking, Vitamin D aids a large number of critical functions in the body without which systems begin to fail. It helps absorb calcium in the body and maintains phosphorus levels which are critical for bone development. It also helps with weight loss and reduces muscle fatigue and skin disorders. It improves your immunity and is also known to reduce the incidence of cancer and heart diseases. According to studies, adequate quantities of the vitamin also help combat depression and type II diabetes. In spite of your sun tan, you might

There is an alarming rise in the prevalence of diabetes in India. Thanks to our eating habits and sedentary lifestyle, even gestational diabetes is not uncommon.  The sad fact is that it could affect the baby too. According to recent statistics, India has more people with Type 2 diabetes than any other nation. Who likes to take medicines everyday? Insulin and dialysis is even worse experience. And mind you, as opposed to the misconception, eating sweets is not the only cause for this disease. Stress and genes too play a major role in this. Although one cannot do much about it if it's genetic, it definitely doesn't harm to prevent it. No, you don't have to pop pills everyday. Just a few changes in your foot habits and you can cut the risks to a great extent. Here are some things that you can do at home to prevent diabetes or reduce it if you already are affected by it.

Whether you prefer them green or black, olives are a healthy fruit to add to your meals. For the Greeks, they represent nobility and peace but more than that they know the wonders it does for your health.  Olive oil helps keep cholesterol levels in check and controls the blood sugar. It is one of the easiest to digest as it is monounsaturated. Drizzle some on top of a vegetable salad or dip a slice of whole-grain bread in some and eat as a snack. Olive oil can also be added to spicy dishes and acidic food items. Try adding them when making sauces and dressings. Make a mix of olive oil with onions, herbs (oregano, thyme etc) and garlic for pasta sauces. Use olive oil to marinate your meat dishes as this allows better penetration ofthe flavour into the food.

We give you simple exercises to treat lower back ache  Almost everyone suffers from lower back pain at some point or the other. It could be for a variety of reasons and is especially common among adults. It is often caused by overuse and muscle strain or injury. Here are some simple tips that will help you overcome it better... - Avoid positions or activities that increase or cause back pain, use an ice pack when needed and take a painkiller only if you really require it. Most lower back pain gets better when you remain active. - When your pain is getting relatively lesser, you can opt for simple strengthening exercises for your stomach, back, and legs along with some stretching exercises. Exercise not only helps you recover quicker, it also prevents re-injury to your back. 

A new study, which examined gender-specific influences of binge drinking on spatial working memory (SWM), has found that female teens may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of the habit.  Binge or "heavy episodic" drinking is prevalent during adolescence, raising concerns about alcohol's effects on crucial neuromaturational processes during this developmental period. Heavy alcohol use has been associated with decrements in cognitive functioning in both adult and adolescent populations, particularly on tasks of SWM. "Even though adolescents might physically appear grown up, their brains are continuing to significantly develop and mature, particularly in frontal brain regions that are associated with higher-level thoughts, like planning and organization," said Susan F. Tapert, acting chief of psychology at the VA San Diego Healthcare System as well as professor of psychiatry at theUniversity of California, San Diego.

Scientists have indicated that just one night of sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain.  It slows down the body's metabolism the next morning - meaning less energy, in the form of calories, is burnt off. Previous studies have linked sleep deprivation with an increase in hunger-related hormones during waking hours. "Our findings show that one night of sleep deprivation acutely reduces energy expenditure in healthy men, which suggests sleep contributes to the acute regulation of daytime energy expenditure in humans," the  Daily Mail  quoted Christian Benedict, who led the research at Uppsala University in Sweden, as saying. 

Good breakfast is the key to a healthy lifestyle determining the quality of your whole day's nutrition, according to research.  And the best way to start the morning is with a simple bowl of a healthy cereal, as it makes people less likely to turn to fatty, sugary food through the rest of the day, reports  express  . The study, by nutritionist Sigrid Gibson revealed the healthiest breakfast choice is cereal with milk because it is a good source of calcium and numerous other key nutrients, such as fibre, protein and carbohydrate. The research team analysed 12,068 food records from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which interviewed Britons aged from 19 to 64.