Wellness : Love yourself and avoid what Michael Jackson could have

Michael Jackson is one person who didn't deserve what he gave himself, disillusion, cynicism about his looks and his image, his health during his last years to be specific and more so his last days untill his last hour. For having adored his talent and genius to move the entire world with sheer energy of his music and his dance; I on a personal level am extremely disappointed by his death and professionally am motivated to responsibly educate who ever follows my blog or work about the harshest realities about not loving yourself for who you are. It has taken me almost a week to gather myself to write this article. I have been following his history through personal interviews, excerpts, documentary, making of his videos and the ongoing coverage post his passing by and one clear indication comes back to a single point troubled upbringing and low self esteem. We all are humans in the same right, having our weak moments in life one or more too often. Yes we all are equally vulnerable to criticism, ridicule, possible low confidence by self doubt and an unquenchable desire to be better than who we are in the present scenario - we are all that. But what we must remember in that weak moment while on verge to faulter that there is a bigger and valid reason why we are who we are. I was extremely lucky like many to be born healthy and to have grown into a presentable personality, although it would not be possible had it not been for the influx of positivity of my parents and family members all through my impressionable age. Like Michael's father once teased him about being ugly (to a boy who was the cutest and most handsome young man in his adolscence) because of his skin blemishes that made him cry and reclusive all the while, I too had one of my loved ones (not my family) say to my face that I should perhaps go for rhinoplasty. If you're already not aware of how good looking you are this comment can harm your menatality tremendously, it can lead you into extreme self doubt and contemplate procedures that you don't require to begin with. Of course I was deeply hurt and had my saddest moment there when I heard it but very soon the person was unceremoniously jutted out of my life for good. If god forbid I wasn't a strong individual and didnt have a family and a fleet of supportive friends can you imagine what that one statement could have ended me into ? I also thank my own intellect which is again a god given gift that I was sensible as a health professional to be responsible towards myself first.
Michael could have avoided all that lead him so far into his darkest moment had he refuted like his younger sister about such comments decades ago. We as his admirers could have had our Michael for a lot more years dancing to his music along with him if only he had loved himself for who he was just the way we didn't care about how he looked, it never mattered anyways. Infact I have over the years have guaged that people whether liked or disliked him unanimously agreed upon the fact that he was far better looking when hadn't gone under the knife. Wellness comes from within your soul, mind and into your body. Wellness needs positive energy, good food to run a healthy body, positive people surrounding you. Well its understandable that you can't always do much with who are surrounding you although your positivity will attract only positive people and that I have experienced. I have constantly written about the food that determines how our life behaves and yes food can also determine how we think as it influences neurotransimissions and has proven to have influence on mood regulation. When we dont eat the food that will allow us to think positively and love ourselves we automatically engage into a negative frame of mind and therby tending towards options like artificial parts of our body allowing us to be pseudo happy. Do you really think a perky or straight nose is the source of your happiness ? You ought to get a new dictionary for the word happiness in that case. I speak from my very traumatic experience of skin problems. I have a hyper reactive skin that leaves blemishes, scars, pigment with the change of climatic conditions, stress, physical interactions like holding an arm, clothing, carrying a heavy bag; I know its frivolous but true. I adore myself to no end all I need is my skin the way it originally has been so I need to take extreme care with its reactions. Being a averse to cosmetics its very difficult for me to slather sunscreen, disinfectant and non allergic products day in and day out all over my body but if thats what it takes to keep my skin healthy and safe I am all for hard work. Recently I panicked after having a therapy for my skin which had its temporary effects of marks but with immediate effect of 72 hours all was fine infact my skin was glowing and had done away with the blotchyness. Of course I have to take care with what I eat too but an external harm to your body can lead to procedures you wouldn't think of otherwise. Burn marks are one of them, please understand the reason plastic surgery is required to help people acquire a normal life out of their disformity not too become obessesively self destructive. The key to be happy is to primarily love what God or nature (who ever you believe in) created on this earth and that includes you. If you doubt your imperfect looks to get into a glamourous world let me shed some light on that aspect as well. There is no "glamour" once you're in the industry and again I speak from my experience. Its sheer perception that we in the glam world project out. On the contrary we have much hard work than anyone can imagine and I mean physical work. In the history of show business or any business a perfect nose has not raked in popularity and money and to prove it there can't be a bigger lesson than Michael Jackson. Love yourself to the fullest, share your joy wellness in its purest form will be where you are....
Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D

ENDORPHIN – the chocoholic effect of exercise in your body

Lets start with the word ENDORPHIN and what does it translate into physicality?
ENDORPHIN – is a neurotransmitter acting like a hormone released from your brain which blocks the P substance that indicates sense of pain to the brain thus acting as natural pain killer. But more importantly what it stimulates in the body is a ‘feel good factor’ or happiness or mood regulation also seen as a relief in mental illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and types of depression. There is a red alert to this though too much of it is not healthy.
So how does this endorphin get triggered in the body to be released by our brain? And how long does its effect last?

Endorphin release can be stimulated by various factors such as adequate exercise, eating foods that release endorphin in restricted quantity like chocolate, walnuts, cocoa products, herbs. The safest way is to get your workout shoes on and get going for anywhere between 20 – 45 min daily for not more than 6 days a week. Remember your body is not a robot that’s on autopilot it needs rest for a good 24 hour break from exercise. The effect of endorphin released by exercise can last for at least 18 hours post workout if done regularly in a periodic manner. What our body and brain requires is the effect of exercise not to be confused with the daily routine exertion that we put ourselves through. I have been asked this question almost every time I recommend or prescribe a fitness regime ‘ I HAVE A VERY ACTIVE LIFE AS I MY WORK INCLUDES A LOT OF PHYSICAL RUNNING AROUND SO WHY DON’T I LOOSE EXTRA POUNDS OR FEEL ENERGISED AT THE END OF THE DAY?’. Let me put this as simply as possible, energy and endorphin release to effect our mood regulation and body functions around almost 18 hours a day need a trigger of 45 minute workout. Anything beyond that mark will be addressed by the body as exertion and not effective utilization of the built up energy. Exertion leaves our body in a state of fatigue and there’s no ‘feel good factor’ about that. I will be addressing the topic of fatigue later on.
Endorphin has also been seen to affect the sexual drive, memory, learning and body temperature. So now that we know we can last our manually triggered mood regulator for at least 18 hours what do we eat to trigger it?

A little piece of dark chocolate a day has also the effect on endorphin release, similarly resvetrol in red wine after consuming 60 ml or 2 fl oz a day can benefit in endorphin release, aromas in food with infused herbs like rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme etc and spices have also shown some effect in release of the neurotransmitter. I always go for something that’s natural and controllable and that for sure is exercise regime. That’s my endorphin boost for the day.

Wish you wellness.

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5 Summer Workout Must Have's

Every summer dons upon us with an escalating energy to get out, workout so that you look good to be envied for your beach body. That time of the year is on its anvil now and I can understand your rush of excitement to look good. But just for a moment let me warn you about spur of the moment enthusiasm in us, making many of us become oblivious to the harshness of the summer on our exercise schedule and thereby our coveted chiseled body. Here are 5 things you should keep at the back of your hand while working out in summer season.

1. Rehydration – Although 66% of your body is water rehydration in a continuous manner is mandatory. The first factor to take you down is being dehydrated during summer. Well your immediate reaction to this being drinking lots of water is not completely wrong. A study done to see the effect of drinking plain water on hydration of the body during workout was concluded that it is like filling up a bucket with a hole at the bottom. The rate at which water rehydrates the body is the same as it causes diuretic effect on it. Sweating coupled with humidity only adds to the problem. While rehydrating the body remember to add in sodium of about 50 – 60 mmols or 100 ml of water will have 1 gm of salt and 5 to 10 gms. of simple sugar or glucose added. The sugar source needs to easily absorbed in the circulatory system so it should be glucose. Always remember to drink at least 3 times of the fluid that has quenched your thirst e.g. If 200 ml of fluid has quenched your thirst then 600 ml of the same fluid should be ideally consumed to rehydrate the entire body. Drink at least 2 -3 glasses of 250 ml each of the fluid at least an hour before the exercise and about 200 – 250 ml during the workout. Post workout rehydrate with the same fluid at least 3 – 4 such glasses.

2 . Carbohydrate Loading – Your muscles are the major functional tissue to be utilized while working out. Major muscle groups like that of arms and legs and liver store in them a carbohydrate or chained glucose called glycogen. Glycogen is the emergency supply of glucose if the blood glucose gets replete. This means that in order to be ready for supplying glucose to the muscles the glycogen store should be adequate. Insufficient glycogen in the muscles is one of the major reasons of post workout pain, soreness for longer period, cramps while working out. A simple way to ensure this problem is taken care of is by loading your muscles with enough carbs pre workout. Ensure to consume as per your recommended diet plan a 3 hourly complex – simple carbs cycle. Complex carbs – whole wheat products, rye, red rice, millets, etc, simple sugars stick to seasonal fruits chose from all possible colors, dry fruits. Glycogen loading goes over for 18 hours so be sure you have had enough before workout. Make sure you consume 100 gm of carbs within the first hour post exercise this helps in the immediate carb loading in the worked muscle group instead of being distributed throughout the body.

3. Protein rebuild – Protein becomes essential for tissue wear and tear while workout as well as the insulin influencer in the body. Pre workout (around an hour) protein controls the sudden jump in the insulin secretion after consuming the carbs and regulates fat metabolism or breakdown. Protein also rebuilds lost muscle fibres post workout and supplies enough amino acids for tissue loss other than muscular.
10 – 15 % of your carb intake should be of high biological value proteins like low fat milk, casein products, whey products, egg white, soy milk. These have to be zero fat.

4. Suppressants – Caffeine is usually consumed pre workout but it harms the body completely to benefit from the workout. It acts as a dehydrant leaving the body far from rehydrating even with the fluid intake, it suppresses muscular pain hence not allowing the body’s natural indication for fatigue or exercise threshold making you workout for longer duration and stripping the body of its resources including excessive tissue loss. Fat is another such suppressant. Its intake pre workout slows gastric emptying leaving absorption of carbs and protein at a slower rate in the body and even slower replenishing of the required nutrients. It also causes sluggish effect on the brain.

5. Vitamin – Energy and metabolism influencing vitamins like B1, B2, B3, B12, are an essential lot that needs to be replenished through natural sources like carb and protein source. Vitamin A and E playing pivotal roles as antioxidants in curbing the free radicals stimulated by intense workout.

Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D
Related article -
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/04/no-resistance-to-resistance.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/fat-loss-or-weight-loss.html