KNOW YOUR THYROID

Today’s superwoman, balancing home and career may be more prone to thyroid disorders than she realizes. The pressure of multitasking put her system at risk, which goes up particularly for new mothers.


What is THYROID?
The thyroid is the butterfly shaped gland in front of the neck, which produces the hormones T-3 & T4. The thyroids stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the pituitary gland controls their production.
WHAT CAUSES HYPERTHYROIDISM?
Stress makes the thyroid gland falter. It has strong genetic and gender basis, being more common among women.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM?
It’s often linked to depression or abnormal cholesterol and sugar levels, particularly during pregnancy or lactation. There are a number of subtle symptoms which mimic hypothyroidism, the commonest being “feeling drained or tired”.
This is often accompanied by weight gain, swelling of feet, body of face, water retention, irregular cycles, dry skin, constipation and hair loss.

HOW IS IT TESTED AND TREATED?
Usually, blood tests of Free T3, free T4 and TSH are conducted. The thyroid hormone replacement (T4) pill has to be taken life long.

TIPS TO CONTROL HYPERTHYROIDISM :-

• Eat right and less, walk more, sleep well, smile
• Take medicine regularly.
• Drink boiled or mineral water; avoid water filters which use iodine’s disinfectants.
• Avoid iodine rich foods like broccoli, soya, prawns, shellfish and crabs.
• Get vitamin B12 & Vitamin D3 levels checked, particularly if you’re a vegetarian.
• Test your thyroid regularly and keep it in control.
• The winter season aggravates thyroid, so be careful.
• Lifestyles measures like Yoga have long-term benefits.
  

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK

Poor posture, a sore neck, and aching back muscles don’t happen overnight.Blame it on the eight hours each day we spend at work hunched over a computer, followed by the additional five hours spent slouching on the couch watching television. Regardless, our posture is shot, and our backs are aching in response.

Here are some tips for Back care :-
▪Always stretch before exercise or other strenuous physical activity.

▪ Don’t slouch when standing or sitting. When standing, keep your weight balanced on your feet. Your back supports weight most easily when curvature is reduced.

▪ At home or work, make sure your work surface is at a comfortable height for you.

▪ Sit in a chair with good lumbar support and proper position and height for the task. Keep your shoulders back. Switch sitting positions often and periodically walk around the office or gently stretch muscles to relieve tension. A pillow or rolled-up towel placed behind the small of your back can provide some lumbar support. If you must sit for a long period of time, rest your feet on a low stool or a stack of books.

▪ Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.

▪ Sleep on your side to reduce any curve in your spine. Always sleep on a firm surface.

▪ Ask for help when transferring an ill or injured family member from a reclining to a sitting position or when moving the patient from a chair to a bed.

▪ Don’t try to lift objects too heavy for you. Lift with your knees, pull in your stomach muscles, and keep your head down and in line with your straight back. Keep the object close to your body. Do not twist when lifting.

▪ Maintain proper nutrition and diet to reduce and prevent excessive weight, especially weight around the waistline that taxes lower back muscles. A diet with sufficient daily intake of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D helps to promote new bone growth.

THE BODY PUMPIMG STATION NEEDS CARE

HEART CARE
"Powering the heartbeat of life itself."
From the moment it begins beating until the moment it stops, the human heart works tirelessly. In an average lifetime, the heart beats more than two and a half billion times, without ever pausing to rest. Like a pumping machine, the heart provides the power needed for life.
So just imagine the amount of care should be taken for the heart.

-Eat Your Beans
Eat your beans! Nutrient compounds called 'flavonoids' have been found to be effective antioxidants that help protect against heart disease and cancer. These flavonoids are found in the coating of such beans as navy, pintos, kidney, great northern and black beans.

-Heart Disease
New Test for Predicting Heart Disease: If you're over 40 and have any family history of heart disease, take heart! A new speedy scan warns patients of cardiac problems before they have a heart attack. This test could save your life. Most heart attacks are the first and last warning a person gets. The newly devised test is the electron beam tomography (EBT) that takes 3D pictures that point out calcium in coronary arteries, a known predictor of heart disease. The test is not offered everywhere yet so if you qualify, ask your doctor where it's available.

-Optimize Your Heart Rate
Depending on your age, level of conditioning, and your fitness goals, you should train in a particular heart-rate zone. Beginners should try to elevate their heart rate to 50%-60% of their maximum while intermediates and advanced should shoot for 70%-85% of their max. The higher your heart rate, the more calories you will burn and the more fit you can become. To figure your maximum heart rate, simply subtract your age from 220. For example, if you're 30 years old, you would have a maximum heart rate of 190. To work at 70% of your maximum heart rate, you would shoot for a heart rate of approximately 133 beats per minute (0.7 x 190). You can also count bpm (beats per minute) in 10-second increments and then multiply by six.

-Eat Well
Regular, nutritious meals are a must for recovery. A healthy diet is prevention for the family and maintenance for the patient. Plan changes together ... one step at a time. Moderation is the key.

-Get Adequate Sleep
Rest frequently and take short naps to compensate for fitful or disrupted sleep at night. Respect the pace of your energy returning. Don't count how many hours you've slept ... let how you feel be your guide. New sleep patterns will become normal with time.

-Walk Everyday
Your spirit is refreshed by the warmth of the sun and the earth underfoot. Walking with your mate is a special activity you can do together. Regular and moderate exercise is essential for you to maintain good health. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

-Relax
Breathe fully and deeply, listen to beautiful music, laugh aloud and find something to feel grateful about each day as you journey through recovery. Cultivate a positive attitude about the stresses you face. Have fun! You deserve to take time every day to feed your soul.

-Cholesterol Help
Moderate aerobic exercise for 4 hours a week was shown to improve cholesterol profiles even when no weight loss occurred, in a study in Clinical Exercise Physiology. Other work indicates that consistent regular exercise has the best effect on cholesterol. So don't do your 4 hours all at once.

-Controlling Blood Pressure
People with high blood pressure can benefit from aerobic exercise. A 45-minute run can lower blood pressure for up to 24 hours. If you can't go that far, start with what you can and move up. Other aerobic exercise can also help. Choose what you enjoy. New research shows strength training also helps control blood pressure.

-Exercise And Cholesterol
Exercise can help improve your cholesterol levels, even if you don't lose weight.

-Heart Failure And Exercise
Most people with heart failure, a weakened heart muscle, can improve their endurance and activity levels through aerobic exercise. Get clearance from your doctor before you start.

-Heart Wealth
You can strengthen your heart and help yourself live longer and healthier with aerobic exercise. However, if you clog up your arteries by eating too much saturated fat, you can defeat your best efforts.

-Weight Training And Your Heart
Weight training can help your heart and is even being recommended to people with some heart disease. When your muscles are stronger, your heart doesn't have to work so hard when you do things like lifting, pushing, or shoveling. Heart rate and blood pressure response stay lower when a load is lifted after weight training is undertaken.

So take care of your heart......

QUIT SMOKING WITHOUT GAINING WEIGHT

As soon as person thinks to quit smoking the biggest threat he has is to gain weight. However, the gain of weight is only up to 5-10 pounds. People get frustrated because they think that they replace their one bad habit with excessive weight gain.But everybody doen't gain weight.
The reason behind your weight gain is Cigarettes activate your metabolism.You burn about 250 calories if you smoke a pack a day. So when you quit and your metabolism slows down, your body has these extra calories it has to deal with, and many people gain weight.
Once you’ve congratulated yourself for quitting smoking (and given your body a few weeks to settle down), it’s time to work on replacing your bad habits with some good ones.
Conquer your smoking triggers. For example, if you were used to smoking after a meal, get up from the table and brush your teeth instead.
Sidetrack that oral fixation. Experts recommend chewing celery, carrots, sugar-free gum or candies, or playing with a straw or toothpick.
Try cognitive-behavioral therapy. This can help you focus on taking care of yourself—quitting first and then working on weight control.

And consider this core advice for controlling your weight, whatever the situation.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals to increase your metabolism and avoid getting so hungry that you overeat.
Eat high-protein, high-fiber foods because they fill up your stomach more (and because they’re better for you).
Exercise. Instead of going to smoke or grab a high-fat snack, take a walk or go to the gym. Keep in mind that moderate exercise, such as a walk during lunch, will actually decrease your appetite, because as you exercise fat breaks down and enters your bloodstream. The extra muscle mass you gain by exercising will also help increase your metabolism, not to mention that exercise helps you deal with stress, boredom, and tension.

There is another misconception that if you have gained two pounds in a week after quitting smoking, then you will keep on gaining every week. This is wrong at the most upto the second week you'll gain weight after that nothing is gonna happen.

Quitting Time
When it comes time to quit, here are a few tips to minimize cigarette cravings and weight gain:

• Drink more water. Shoot for eight, 8-ounce glasses of water a day, says Purcell. This will keep you hydrated, help you feel full, and give you something to do with your hands.
• When a craving for a cigarette strikes, be prepared. If you want certain snacks around, make sure they're handy and healthy. Have water around. Take a walk, have a soda. Think these things through so when an urge hits, you are prepared. It's all about careful planning.
• Keep up the physical activity and the healthy eating. This will help you quit smoking as well as trim your waistline.

Motivation and a good support system are key.