Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. 1 gram of carbohydrate provides 4kcals of energy.  A healthy balanced diet should include 50% to 60% of the calories consumed coming from carbohydrates. The minimum amount of carbohydrate required to prevent the starvation activation systems of fasting is 100 to 150 grams per day. Glucose is the primary fuel for the nervous system, the blood cells and the renal medulla. Requirements for each individual depend on age, sex, size, and activity level.
During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, the fuel for our bodies. Glucose is burned in all body cells and is the primary source of energy for us to function.  If your body does not have any use for the glucose, it is converted into glycogen and stored it in the liver and muscles as an energy reserve. If people consume more carbohydrates than they need at the time, the body stores some of these carbohydrates within cells as glycogen and converts the rest to fat.
Carbohydrates are classified into two types simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are digested by the body very quickly. Simple carbohydrates include Glucose, sucrose, fructose and lactose these provide the quickest energy supply to the body. Simple carbohydrates are found naturally in fruits milk and other dairy products. They are also often found in refined, processed foods. Foods that contain simple carbohydrates are sugar, corn syrup, white rice, white pasta, candy, cookies, cakes, soft drinks etc.
Complex carbohydrates are high fiber foods. Our body takes longer time to digest them, resulting in gradual steady stream of energy trough out the day. These are usually high in fiber and nutrient rich and provide many health benefits. Good sources of complex carbohydrates include, Starch - bread, cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, dried peas and beans, Fiber - bran, whole-grain foods, raw vegetables, fruit,  nuts, seeds and popcorn.

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Celebrities Hit by Cancer

RASIKA JOSHI, well know Marathi versatile actor passed away on 7th July 2011 by cancer. She was battling with cancer for long time.

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Aerobics

Aerobic exercise is one of the best and safest exercises to do. It is a complete workout as well as a fun sport to do. Doing aerobics regularly can improve one’s heart rate, body condition and state of mind. Aerobics helps relax the tense muscles. The term “aerobics” literally means with oxygen. It implies that the body is using oxygen supplied for low and moderate intensity physical activities that are constant such as biking, jogging, etc. Aerobic exercise plays the same role in the human body by pumping out deeply accumulated fat from inside the body.
Aerobics is an excellent way for a person to achieve physical fitness. A person performing aerobics has increased heart rate and increased metabolism rate. Increased metabolism rate speeds up sweating and eventually accelerates the fat burning process thereby resulting in the weight loss. Aerobics involves using large muscle groups for a repetitively for a sustained amount of time. One of the plus points of aerobics is that it can be enjoyed even with the extended period of time. The most common types of aerobics include aerobic dance, bicycling, fitness walking and running, stair climbing and swimming. Dancing and continuous sports activity like running can improve circulation and overall cardiovascular health.
The benefits of aerobics include:

·        It strengthens the body including the weight bearing bones and the cardiovascular muscles.

·        It helps in losing the body weight and in toning up the body muscles.

·        It is very easy and widely enjoyed form of physical exercise and can be enjoyed by people of all age groups. However, it is not recommended for very small children pregnant women. And elder people should perform it for a short duration.

·        It increases blood circulation and lowers blood glucose and blood sugar levels.

·        It increases oxygen supply to heart, lungs and blood vessels and thereby, results in the smooth functioning of the body.

·        Aerobic workout is a great stress buster and acts as an effective remedy for depression, anxiety and tension. It helps to a great extent in the rejuvenation of the mind.

·        It also boosts up the body immune system.

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Ayurvedic Treatment

Ayurvedic treatment or Chikitsa is to remove the root cause of the problem and to give permenant relief. It does not curb the main symptoms and creates some new ones as side effects of the main treatment. There are four main classifications of management of disease in Ayurveda:

1.      Shodan or cleansing

2.      Shaman or Palliation

3.      Rasayana or rejuvenation

4.      Satvajaya or mental hygiene

The treatments mainly comprises of powders, tablets, decoctions, medicated oils which are prepared from natural herbs, plants and minerals. Because the medicines are from natural sources and not synthetic, they are accepted and assimilated in the body without creating any side effects, in fact ir could have some side benefits.

Along with medicine proper diet, exercise and living style is also advised for proper treatment. If we are taking a medicine to remove the root cause and at the same time we are taking some food or following a life style which is increasing the cause of disease, then we may not get well or will be getting less relief. In addition to these Panch Karma and Yoga therapy can be very safely used to promote good health, prevent diseases and acquire longevity.

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