Padmasana - The Lotus:

Starting Position: Sit with legs straight

Concentration: on the whole body

Breath: normal breathing

Repetitions: once

Practice: Sit with the legs straight. Bend the right leg and place the right foot on the left thigh so that the heel is as close to the body as possible. Bend the left leg and place the left foot in the same way on the right thigh. Relax legs and hips and also the upper body, arms and shoulders. >Rest the hands in Chin Mudra on the knees. Close the eyes and remain motionless in this position.

Concentrate on the relaxation of the whole body and the breath.

Benefits: Padmasana is the best sitting posture for meditation. It has a balancing influence on all Chakras.

Caution: This Asana should not be practiced with problems in the knees or ankles.

Fish oil could prevent alcohol-related dementia

Omega-3 fish oil could help protect against alcohol-related dementia, according to a study presented at the 14th Congress of the European Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism in Warsaw, Poland.

The study, conducted by researchers from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, analyzed brain cell cultures of rats who had been exposed to large quantities of alcohol.

In a previous study carried out by the same research team, it was discovered that moderate social drinking, defined as two alcoholic drinks a day for men and one for women, could reduce the risk of neuronal degeneration, a condition that frequently underlies dementia.

The research showed that small amounts of alcohol could improve the fitness of brain cells, by "toughening them up" to cope with stress later in life that could lead to dementia. However, high amounts of alcohol were found to "overwhelm" the cells, leading to inflammation and cell death.

For this most recent study, the researchers assessed hippocampal and cortical brain cultures from rats that had been exposed to large quantities of alcohol - the equivalent to a human being four times over the legal alcohol limit for driving.

The cells were then compared with brain cells that had been exposed to the fish-oil

 - omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - alongside the same large quantity of alcohol.

Results showed that the brain cells exposed to the combination of fish oil and alcohol showed as much as 95% less neuroinflammation and neuronal death in the brain cells, compared with the brain cells that were exposed to alcohol alone.

Video game could combat age-related cognitive decline

Scientists have developed a video game-based training strategy, which they say could "repair" cognitive decline in older individuals, according to a study published in the journalNature.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, have created NeuroRacer, a computer driving game that researchers say could be used to improve multi-tasking and cognitive-control abilities.

The 3D video game challenges cognitive control by providing a series of distractions on the screen that the players must try to avoid while driving. The better the players are at avoiding the distractions, the more challenging the game becomes.

The research team tested the game on 174 adults between 20 and 79 years of age. All participants were required to play the game for 1 hour, three times a week for a period of 1 month, and EEG scans were used to measure the participants' brain activity.

They were required to play the game in two distinct conditions. The first was a "sign only" task, where the participants were asked to respond as quickly as possible to a particular sign, only when a green circle appeared on the screen.

The second game condition was "sign and drive." This required participants to simultaneously perform the sign task while driving a car and maintaining its position in the center of a winding road using a joystick.

HAVE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL92mkXna7k

Using a cost index, the researchers assessed the performance of multi-tasking within the participants by calculating the percentage change in "discriminability" between the "sign only" and "sign and drive" tasks. The more negative a percentage cost, the more distraction occurred when a participant engaged within both tasks.

"The game is adaptive, so when the participants get better, the game gets more challenging and keeps pushing them," explains Adam Gazzaley, study author and associate professor of neurology, physiology and psychiatry at the Neuroscience Imaging Center of the University of California, San Francisco.

"We also looked at how well some of these abilities sustained over time and how they transferred to other abilities that we did not directly train. We recorded how it impacted them compared to their whole life span."

Game showed 'significant increase' in multi-tasking abilities

The researchers found that adults' multi-tasking abilities declined throughout every decade of life between the ages of 20 and 80 years.

However, when the game was tested on 16 adults between the ages of 60 and 85, the group showed a dramatic increase in their multi-tasking "costs," meaning they showed significantly improved multi-tasking abilities.

These improved abilities continued to last for 6 months without any "booster" training on the game.

The researchers note that the older adults who trained on the multi-tasking version of the game also showed benefits in other cognitive areas for which the game did not train.

For example, they showed improvement in the ability to hold attention in dull environments, as well as improvement in working memory - the ability to hold information for brief periods of time.

Additionally, EEG scans of the participants showed increased measurements in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain - the area responsible for problem solving and complex thought.

The researchers say before the game training, the pre-frontal cortex measure was deficient in older adults, compared with younger ones. However, after training, the older adults showed similar activity to the younger adults in this area.

The researchers add that these measurements also correlated with how well the multi-tasking abilities sustained after 6 months, and how much their performance improved within cognitive abilities that the game did not train.

Life experience 'offsets age-related cognitive decline'

As we get older, there is no doubt that our brains become slower. But new research suggests that life experience may make up for cognitive decline in old age.

Researchers from the School of Business Administration at University of California, Riverside, conducted what they say is the first study to measure a person's decision making over their lifespan through two types of intelligence: fluid and crystalized.

Fluid intelligence is the ability to learn and process information, while crystalized intelligence is experience and accumulated knowledge.

The researchers note that previous studies have suggested that fluid intelligence declines as a person ages, but this hypothesis does not determine whether decision-making abilities also decline with age.

For their study, published in the journal Psychology and Aging, the research team recruited 336 participants. Of these, 173 were aged between 18 and 29, while 163 were aged between 60 and 82.

Participants were asked to answer a series of questions designed to measure economic decision-making traits. These were:

• Temporal discounting - how much people discount future gains and losses
• Loss aversion - how much the valuation of losses outweigh gains of the same magnitude
• Financial literacy - understanding financial decisions and information
• Debt literacy - understanding debt contracts and interest rates.

The participants were also required to complete a series of fluid and crystallized intelligence tests.

Older participants 'wiser' than younger

Results of the study revealed that older participants performed just as well or better than the younger participants in all decision-making measures.

The older group demonstrated greater patience in the temporal discounting area and showed better financial and debt literacy.

The researchers note that the older participants appeared slightly less loss averse, but they say this difference was so small that it was deemed insignificant.

Ye Li, assistant professor of management at the School of Business Administration at the University, says:

"The findings confirm our hypothesis that experience and acquired knowledge from a lifetime of decision-making offset the declining ability to learn new information."

Prof. Li adds that the findings also show help could be given to older people in order to aid their decreased fluid intelligence when making significant financial decisions, such as a financial advisor.

Additionally, he says that younger adults could also benefit more from financial education, so that they gain experience in making major financial decisions in life.

The researchers are in the process of a follow-up study involving adults between the ages of 18 and 80. The team will be asking them specific questions regarding decisions on selecting health care policies, when to start drawing social security, and how to pay off multiple credit card balances.

Some Unhealthy Foods..........................

HEALTHY BREAKFAST

HEALTHY NUTRITION

HEALTHY NUTRITION:

4 steps to achieving an instantly glowing face

4 steps to achieving an instantly glowing face

Is your face looking dull after a long day at work? Or maybe due to the weather? Fret not!Apeksha Bhagchandani gives steps on how to look radiant again in a matter of minutes!

Step 1: The magic potion for a radiant face
Collect a tablespoon of gram flour, honey and half a cup of milk in a small bowl. Blend these ingredients vigourously with a spoon and keep aside. 

Step 2: Initial clean up is a must
Dip a ball of cotton in cold rosewater. Wipe it across your face and neck to remove any accumulated dirt. Cleansing your skin is an important step towards a glowing face. 

Step 3: Open up the pores to make way for nourishment
Heat water in a pot, just enough to comfortably dip your finger into. Take a clean towel or napkin and soak it in. Make sure to wring it to remove excess water and cover your face with it for 2-4 minutes. Repeat this step at least 4 times to open your the pores.

Step 4: Pack to glow
Apply the concoction (from step 1) all over your face. Leave it on for about 10-15 minutes. Wash it off with splashes of cold water. Say hello to a glowing face! 

If you’re running short of time (or ingredients!), try the Lakmé Clean Up Fresh Fairness range of face wash, face scrub and face mask. It renders an instant glow to your face, making it look fresh and luminous. Doesn’t take long to look radiant now, does it?

No time to exercise? Try a Tabata!

WHAT IS A TABATA?

The protocol for Tabata training is doing high intensity exercise that gets the whole body involved for 20 seconds, followed by a rest period of 10 seconds. This is repeated for eight times for a total of four minutes of workout time. The key to making this workout most effective is to work as hard as you can in the 20 seconds, getting as many reps as possible in that time.

Studies have shown that high intensity interval training, such as Tabata training, is more efficient than traditional long, slow aerobic exercise in increasing anaerobic capacity, aerobic fitness, and fat loss. High intensity Interval training will increase your metabolic rate and causes you to burn more calories even after your training is over.

Sample Tabata workout:
(perform a full body warm up for 5-8 minutes before beginning workout ex: jumping jacks, walking lunges, light jogging etc)
Alternating split squat jumps Start in a split stance one leg in front of the other. Squat down, then jump up as high as possible and switch back leg to front position, and front leg to back as quickly as possible in mid-air. Begin next jump immediately upon landing.



Medicine ball jump squats Hold medicine ball at chest level, sink down into a squat position feet shoulder width apart. From this position jump as high as you can reaching medicine ball up to the ceiling as you jump up. Bring medicine ball back to chest level as you sink back into squat position. Try to land softly and repeat jumps for the 20 second interval.



Burpees Stand with feet hip width apart and squat to floor and place hands on the floor in front of you. In an explosive movement, jump feet out behind you so you are in a push up position. Immediately jump feet back to start, and stand up and repeat.




Mountain climbers Begin in pushup position on hands and toes. Bring right knee in towards chest, resting foot on floor. Jump up and switch feet in air bringing the left foot in and the right foot back. Continue alternating as fast as you safely can for the desired amount of time.



Go all out with each exercise for 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds between each of the four exercises
Repeat each of the four exercises 1 more time for a total of 8 intervals

Benefits Of Bodyweight Squats

Benefits Of Bodyweight Squats

There are several benefits of bodyweight squats. Here is the short list:

• Easy to learn to do properly
• Does not put undue stress on the spine
• Good for the joints
• Can be done anywhere, not just at the gym.
• Can challenge your cardio at the same time as building muscle

There are many more benefits of bodyweight squats, but that list is enough. Done properly, this exercise will build muscle, while not putting undue strain on your joints and spine. Add in some of the many variations, and this is an exercise that should be in your program for years to come

Exercise Tips for a great fit body.............................

Exercise Tips for a great fit body

SQUATS:

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees while looking straight ahead, back erect. You can hold a bar behind your neck on your shoulders to make sure your posture stays erect or hold your arms out in front of you. Carry weights depending on your fitness level. When bending, your knees shouldn’t go further than your feet. To maintain this, jut your hip out at the back. Repeat a set of 15 squats three times.

WALKING LUNGES:

Take a long stride with your right leg and bend it at a right angle. Feel the stretch at the back of the left leg. Place the left leg in front of the fight one and repeat. Cover the length of a long room by doing this. Repeat a set of five laps three times.



BACK KICKS:

On a functional training machine, put the strap around your ankle and start with 10 pounds of weight, kick your leg back, all the way to your hips while squeezing your butt. Repeat a set of 15 kicks three times.



STANDING SPINS:

Set the spinning machine on the highest resistance and spin while standing for short bursts of 15 to 30 counts. Repeat three times.



SPRINTS:

On an athletic track, intersperse sprinting for 15 to 30 metres with walking the same distance. Do this as part of your cardio work out.




HIGH KNEE JOGGING:

While spot jogging, bring your knees up at right angles to your pelvis. Do this as fast as you can for 30 counts. Repeat thrice.

It’s not crunches that make the concave abs, it’s the low fat per centage. So to tuck in the tummy, you need to do power yoga for an hour on an empty stomach, preferably first thing in the morning. Also follow a kickboxing or Pilates routine three times a week and a low fat diet. Martial arts also tighten the core muscles.



CARDIO:

The importance of sprints and interval training cannot be underestimated if you want a flat stomach. Within 15 minutes of your cardio routine, sprint for one minute and jog for two minutes and break back into a sprint. You can even cycle or jog uphill three times a week or swim.



AB CRUNCHES:

Lie on your back and fold up your knees. Place your palms behind your head and come up from your stomach. Point your chin at the ceiling. The strain should be on your stomach muscles, not your neck. Repeat a set of 30 crunches three times.



BICEP CURLS:

Hold weights in both arms or on the bar. Lock your elbows and pull up to your shoulders. Weightage depends upon fitness levels. Do three sets of 15 repetitions.



TRICEPS:
Use a table or ca chair. Push yourself off the seat, keeping your palms on the edge. Pull yourself up and down, legs outstretched in front of you. Do three sets of 15 repetitions. Also, push down the bar of a pulley machine to chest level and push it all the way down, while sitting. Do three sets of 15 repetitions.



PREACHER CURLS:

Sit on a preacher bench, lean forward and do three repetitions of 15 curls. Increase the weight with your fitness levels.

For the things, start with 15 suryanamaskars. Also weave walking lunges (5 laps) and interval training into your routine.



STIFF LEG DEAD LIFTS:

Hold a bar with minimum weight. Bend down from your hip, keeping your back straight and arched till you reach your knees / ankles. The bar should be close to your legs. This also works the lower back. Do a set of 10 to 12 bends three times.



HAMSTRING CURLS:

Do the curls on the hamstring machine. Three sets of 15 repetitions.



CALF RAISES:

Do standing and seated calf raises on the calf machine. You need to use 20/ 30/ 40-kg weights. You can do standing and sitting calf raises, with three sets of 15 repetitions.

THE EAT WELL PLATE.....................

Healthy Eating means choosing the appropriate amounts of foods from all of the five food groups.  
The five food groups and sources are:

• Carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, etc)
• Protein (chicken/meat, fish, eggs, lentils, beans, etc)
• Fruit  and Vegetables (bananas, apples, carrots, cauliflower, etc)
• Milk and Dairy (milk, cheese, yoghurt, dairy alternatives, etc)
• Foods Containing Fat and Sugar (cakes, crisps, biscuits, fizzy drinks, etc)

A healthy balanced diet contains a variety of types of food, including all the five food groups mentioned above. This helps reduce risks of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and combats obesity. Regular physical activity also improves your health.
 

WHAT IS HEALTH ?

Health and Fitness is now one of the major concern areas across the world. Easy lifestyle is what we are moving towards. Very less of effort spent on most activities like, travel by motor vehicles, air-conditioned environment, ready-made food stuff, etc. 

Earlier humans used to hunt for their living, due to which their body had to undergo a lot of physical exercise. Every part of the body was exercised and the intake was more of natural substances.

Today, we hardly do any of those. Even a simple 30 mins per day of workouts and one good nutritious meal a day can help improve our health. This easy life has restricted humans to do that bit of physical exercise which is required to keep the body fit and healthy.

How do we ensure that we have all that is required for a healthy living? This is a big question among everyone. We need a fit and healthy body. Good Health is all that one craves for. Becoming healthier and fitter though not very difficult needs dedicated efforts. 

Nutrition and Health Diet:

                                       The basic foundation for a healthy individual starts from his foetal stage with proper and healthy nutrition derived from his or her mother. Hence, a pregnant woman's diet stands a top all diets.Your food shall be your medicine. Ayurveda has postulated the role of food and especially nutritive foods for maintaining health as well as cure of diseases. Nutrients are necessary for the proper functioning of mental, physical, metabolic, chemical and hormonal activities. The body is like a machine that will repair and rebuild itself if proper nutrition is provided by way of food. 

 Sumptous nutrition is available in fruits and vegetables. Fruits have the capacity to give all that a body needs.

Exercise and Fitness:

Simple fitness exercises can help to have a fitter and healthy life. Stretching exercises can help in many ways in mainting a fitter body. Weight loss can be achieved by following simple effortless regular exercises. Medical breakthroughs can happen by regular meditation and exercising. Yoga and other workouts which can be performed easily are available in this website to keep you fit and healthy.

Health and Fitness can make all that difference in one's life. Healthy living is all that one needs, and to achieve that we picked up the best of the articles from reliable sources and have presented here in an organized manner. You might not be able to spend your valuable time on complicated medications and diet controls, but, you can find articles to help you have a better living using simple and easy technics.

Ayurveda, a science in vogue practiced since centuries, uses a wide variety of plants, animal origin substances, mineral and metallic substances to rebalance the diseased condition in the sick. A few tips on simple treatment of life style diseases have been carefully picked for the visitors of this website. These tips can help reduce or control diseases like diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.