All posts by dkothawade

Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Performance

The importance of Sleep for healthy body and mind.

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Poor sleep is strongly linked to weight gain, restlessness and lower focus during the day. If you sleep less than the required duration, you’ll probably skip exercising and eating healthy as your focus will be shaky. In an extensive review study, children and adults with short sleep duration were 89% and 55% more likely to develop obesity.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2398753/ The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be caused by numerous factors, most commonly hormones and motivation to exercise. Good amount of sleep helps with recovery of muscle as well which helps to exercise at the same level the next day. Studies show that sleep-deprived people tend to have bigger appetite and tend to eat more calories. Sleep deprivation disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones and is believed to cause poor appetite regulation. This includes higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stipulates appetite, and reduced level of leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15602591/ Sleep is also very important for various aspects of brain function like cognition, concentration, productivity and performance. A study about sleep deprivation has found that sleep deprivation can have similar effects on our brain function as alcohol intoxication.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10984335/ On the other hand, good amount of sleep has shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance for both children and adults. In a study on Basketball players, longer sleep has shown to significantly improve speed, accuracy, reflex actions and mental wellbeing. On the other hand, A study on over 2,800 women found that poor sleep was linked to slower walking, lower grip strength, and greater difficulty performing independent activities.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17969465/ People who get less quality and duration than required sleep are at far greater risk of heart disease and stroke. Sleep deprivation can cause prediabetes in healthy adults in as less as 6 days. Many studies show a strong link between short sleep duration and type 2 diabetes.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19910503/ Mental health issues, such as depression, are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders. It’s been estimated that 90% of people with depression complain about sleep quality.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16259539/ Poor sleep has also been strongly linked with long-term inflammation of the digestive tract, known as inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers are even recommending sleep evaluation to help predict outcomes in individuals with long term inflammatory issues.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3995194/ Sleep loss reduces your ability to interact socially. Researchers believe that poor sleep affects your ability to recognize important social cues and process emotional information. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20337191/

Nutrition, Uncategorized

Natural Diet vs Supplements

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In todays world, where everyone is obsessed about social media gratification most of the youth nowadays are lured into success in a short period of time with minimal effort. Everyone wants to gain muscle, loose or gain weight in a short amount of time. The advertisements, gym trainers and pop up ads also promote short time success by recommending products like fat burners, protein powders, creatine and different types of steroids without informing the side affects of the products. These kind of products can give you results in a shorter period of time but can also have side effects on your body in the longer run like kidney stones from excess protein shakes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1169452/ You should always ask your family doctor before taking any kind of supplements because every person has a different body and it can have different effects on different people. The modern day advertisements about supplements can almost make you forget that the natural food we eat everyday also contains components like protein, creatine and glutamine. Eggs, Chicken breast, Cottage cheese and Milk are protein rich natural resources. Fish, Meat and Poultry products are rich in  creatine. Beef, Tofu, White Rice and Corn are all glutamine rich natural resources. While Coconut Oil, Coffee, Green Tea and Apple Cider Vinegar are said to be natural fat burning resources which are way cheaper and better for your health than fat burning pills. Your daily diet or consumption of supplements should be driven by your fitness goals. If your fitness goal is just to maintain your weight, be fit or gain muscle mass, a well balanced diet with Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats compared to your body weight should be just fine. If your goal is to compete in a Bodybuilding competition, you won’t stand a chance against your opponents without using supplements and steroids. Acne, high blood pressure, blurred vision and sleep difficulty are some of the common side effects of steroids.https://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/qa/what-are-the-possible-side-effects-of-oral-steroids

Consistency is the key for having a fit body, whatever your goals are. If you take a shortcut to having a fit body, even if you achieve it, it won’t last for a long time if you stop working out for a period of time. Whereas, persistently working out and eating healthy will keep your body in a good shape even if you stop working out for some time. It is said that a healthy body is not made in the gym but in the kitchen so the focus should be on what you put into your body.