My Yogabar (protein bar) experience: Part 1

Sharing my experience about Yogabar protein bars available in India. In my opinion, this is one of the finest protein bars available in India. I tasted it a few months back. Slowly the bars have silently filled my everyday snacks. [Buy Yogabars from here]

Why Yogabar: the protein bar ?
It all started when one of my friend became an avid follower of ketogenic diet. Now, I was not too much convinced to follow it completely. But why not cherry pick some of the good points from the principle of ketogenic diet. "A protein filled diet means more satiety and less hunger and cravings."

Did it achieve anything for me ?

• Sugar cravings has almost gone to nil. Yogabars too have carbohydrates and tends to have less with higher protein content bars.
• Modest weight loss (3 Kgs): Since I am on no snacks and fast foods and only on Yogabars for snacks.
• More sense of well being physically .
• I will update later on these parameters once I finish a month. At present, this findings is for 15 days.

Which yogabars to choose from ?
My personal choice is for 20 gram bars.

6 varieties of 20g each is my personal favorite. Buy it from here.




You can double the same but the second box is full of only baked brownie flavor. If you liked it, do buy this from here. 



The 8 gram bars are also quite filling but I usually combine it with 5 gram bars on days when I do not want 20 gram bars.

6 varieties of 8g each is what I have got and I love the flavors too. You can buy it from here. 

The 5g bars are just for getting over your hunger attacks for few minutes.
10 varieties of 5g each is great with different varieties.



And presently I have cashew orange zest flavor box (5g); I would suggest to buy variety box before you order for a single flavor.

Note: I usually have either a single 20 grams protein bar a day or 8 gram bar with a 5 gram bar a day. This helps me to avoid snacks and fast food. All the other part of a typical South Indian adult male diet continues in my schedule. No fasting but this is accompanied by a moderate amount of physical exercise (yoga/biking).

Disclaimer: This is not at a medical/ nutritional advice. I am just sharing my experience and it would be apt for anyone especially those with any clinical condition to consult your physician/ nutritionist before taking any supplements.

Other combinations that you can buy. Or try it from here for the list of combinations available.



  

Shooting the imaginary snakes inside your brain

The human nervous system has undergone evolutionary changes over thousands of years to reach the present stage. But the basic tenets remains the same in many aspects. The "fight or flight" response that was responsible for saving oneself from the real dangers of the stone age world is still present in our body today. The same response is being operated in our body excessively leading to many harmful effects in this modern society. 

"Fight or flight" response
Now imagine a man thousands of years ago, coming across a poisonous snakes while waking bare foot in the forests. It is at this type of real dangerous situation, the fight or flight response is activated. Also called as sympathetic activation in medical terms, the changes in the body prepares a man to either fight or fly away from that situation.  

"Fight or flight": Changes in the body 

• Pupils dilate
• A more larger view of the surroundings 
• Heart starts beating more ferociously 
• More blood to the running legs or fighting arms
• Respiratory system is overactivated 
• Breathing in more oxygen for nourishing blood 
• Fat from cells and glucose from liver are mobilised 
• Instant energy to the cells 
• Blood vessels to stomach, kidney and skin is constricted 
• To divert blood to essential organs like muscles, heart

 Modern society inserts imaginary snakes inside the brain
Imagine the same response occurring perpetually but without the presence of a real snake. The imaginary snakes the society inserts into the brain is enough to activate such response in many individuals. The continuous activation of this stress response has a long term effect on immunity and well being. Hans Selye explains the steps in which our body adapts to such chronic stress levels in a concept called general adaptation syndrome.

Kill the imaginary snakes inside your brain for a healthy life
The society introduces a lot of such snakes in disguise of names like religion, God, job security, relationships, duties, responsibilities, countries. So do not fall in these traps. Just kill all of those snakes inside your brain.

Light the day with a lemon

Starting a day with lemon water provides stamina to your life as well as acts as a strong warrior against diseases.
Heat the water until it starts boiling. Cut the lemon into two halves, squeeze juice from one half & pour it into hot water. Allow the water to cool down a bit. And here is ready luke warm lemon water with enormous benefits.
• Drinking lemon water every day, early in the morning, (empty stomach) is an excellent way to reduce weight. Little honey can be added to lemon water. Lemon detoxifies body while honey offers energy.  Both are enriched with anti- oxidants. Addition of honey also enhances the power to fight over allergies.
• Drinking lemon water in the morning also helps to replenish the water content to skin. Skin looks fresh, and hydrated. You may think why warm water why not cold water? Cold water adds stress factor to body. On the other hand warm water also helps in peristalsis, activates GI tract. Lemon contains citric acid, but in body after metabolism it provides alkaline residues, and this alkaline environment is beneficial to body.

Lemon : Health in your hands

Lemon is a bundle of great benefits. Since ancient civilization time, lemon has become the part of life serving various purposes   right from food ingredient, medicine to cleansing agent and so on. Lemon mainly contains citric acid (5%) which give it characteristic sour taste. Lemon is a rich source of Vitamin C. Along with it also contains B complex iron, potassium, and other important vitamins, minerals. It belongs to citrus family. Lemon fruit is a modified berry, with outer rind. Inner flesh comprises of numerous juice filled vesicle.

Lemon is a little wonder of nature with healing power. It’s a low calorie fruit with many benefits like

·         It increases HDL Cholesterol level known as good cholesterol.

·         Hesperidin present in lemon has been found to lower blood sugar by enhancing glucose metabolism from blood.

·          Lemon has antibacterial and antiviral, anti-oxidant properties.

·         Enhances body immunity, helps to eliminate harmfull free radicles from blood, helps in digestion, stimulates brain are reduces fatigue.

·          Prevents scurvy, play role in dissolving kidney stones.

·          It helps curing acne, and also found beneficial in some types of skin cancer.

 But one thing to be noted is lemon contains acid in it so excessive consumption may exacerbate acid peptic disorders.

Little bit of lemon juice can prevent cut apple from browning. It  acts as natural bleach. Eliminate foul odour, it serves as natural Room freshener, stain remover& ant repellent.

One upon a time Lemons were so rare that kings used to present them as a gift. Lemon is very precious gift of nature. By considering the usefulness of this fruit it can be called as a all-rounder for all generations.
 Instructions to take lime water

Diet plans for obesity

These are some of the diet plans for obesity and it is one of the controversial issue as to which is the best but the one taken under expert advice is the better one.

1. Atkins - Very low carbhohydrate
2. Ornish- Very high carbhohydrate
3. Zone - Low carbhohydrate
4. Traditional which includes
   

• Lifestyle
• Exercise
• Attitudes
• Relationship
• Nutritional Management

Quercetin

Quercetin a flavonol, is a plant-derived flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains. It also may be used as an ingredient in supplements, beverages or foods.

Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant. It is also a natural anti-histamine, and anti-inflammatory. Research shows that quercetin may help to prevent cancer, especially prostate cancer.Quercetin's antihistamine action may help to relieve allergic symptoms and asthma symptoms. The anti-inflammatory properties may help to reduce pain from disorders such as arthritis. Men who are concerned about prostate problems would also benefit from quercetin. Quercetin may also help reduce symptoms like fatigue, depression and anxiety.

Quercetin is a naturally-occurring polar auxin transport inhibitor.

• black and green tea (Camellia sinensis; 2000–2500 mg/kg),
• capers (1800 mg/kg),
• lovage (1700 mg/kg),
• apples (44 mg/kg),
• onion, especially red onion (1910 mg/kg) (higher concentrations of quercetin occur in the outermost rings),
• red grapes,
• citrus fruit,
• tomato (more in organically grown)
• broccoli and
• other leafy green vegetables, and a number of berries, including raspberry, bog whortleberry (158 mg/kg, fresh weight), lingonberry (cultivated 74 mg/kg, wild 146 mg/kg), cranberry (cultivated 83 mg/kg, wild 121 mg/kg), chokeberry (89 mg/kg), sweet rowan (85 mg/kg), rowanberry (63 mg/kg), sea buckthorn berry (62 mg/kg), crowberry (cultivated 53 mg/kg, wild 56 mg/kg)

Importance of onions

• They are rich in antioxidantsthat reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and the risks of heart attacks.
• Among women they are believed to reduce the chances of colon and ovarian cancers.
• They contain quercetin that, research studies have shown, inhibits production of histamine and other substances that aggravate allergies.
  

Chopping onions without crying....

Remedies for chopping onions without crying

• Chewing on a toothpick
• Lighting a candle near by
• Washing them in cold water
  

Why Onions make us cry ?

It is not the strong odor of the onion that makes us cry, but the gas that the onion releases when we sever this member of the lily family.
The cells in the onion are separated by a membrane into two sections. One side of the membrane consists of enzymes, while other side contains the molecules that consist of sulphur compound. When you cut the onion, a number of onion cells break open and the contents of both sides of membrane mix together. The enzyme causes the sulphur compound, amino acid sulfoxides to undergo a series of chemical reactions. During these reactions, sulfenic acids are formed, which are immediately converted into a volatile gas, propanethiol S-oxide, which then couples with the enzymes in the onion to emit a passive sulfur compound. When this upwardly mobile gas encounters the water produced by the tear ducts in our eyelids, it produces sulfuric acid.
In response to the caustic acid, our eyes automatically blink, and produce tears which irrigate the eye, and which flush out the sulfuric acid.
Another reflex to rid the eyes of a foreign substance, that of rubbing our eyes with our hands, often exacerbates the situation, because our hands are coated with the caustic, sulfuric acid producing oil from cutting the onion, which we then rub directly into our eyes.

Remedies

Blink while you sink in the computer

If you are sitting in front of computer, then make sure that you blink constantly, one of the main mistakes that we do is just stare at the screen and forget blinking. Blinking is essential so that the tears spread uniformly on the eyeball and prevents it from drying. Excessive drying leads to a syndrome called Computer Vision Syndrome...

Ever gone near the death

Well there is no stopping for the curiosity of man like chasing the origin of universe by stimulating environment of big bang theory here is another ambitious of studying the near death experiences

World laughter day

May 4 : Today is world laughter day so here is some interesting facts about laughing

“Rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory and involuntary actions” -- better known as laughter Laughter is the physiological response to humor. Laughter consists of two parts -- a set of gestures and the production of a sound. When we laugh, the brain pressures us to conduct both those activities simultaneously. When we laugh heartily, changes occur in many parts of the body, even the arm, leg and trunk muscles. Fifteen facial muscles contract during laughing

Why laughter is the best medicine?

• · Laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones. In doing this, laughter provides a safety valve that shuts off the flow of stress hormones and the fight-or-flight compounds that swing into action in our bodies when we experience stress, anger or hostility. These stress hormones suppress the immune system, increase the number of blood platelets (which can cause obstructions in arteries) and raise blood pressure.
• · When we're laughing, natural killer cells that destroy tumors and viruses increase, as do Gamma-interferon (a disease-fighting protein), T-cells, which are a major part of the immune response, and B-cells, which make disease-destroying antibodies.
• · Laughter may lead to hiccuping and coughing, which clears the respiratory tract by dislodging mucous plugs.
• · Laughter also increases the concentration of salivary immunoglobulin A, which defends against infectious organisms entering through the respiratory tract.
• · Laughing can be a total body workout! Blood pressure is lowered, and there is an increase in vascular blood flow and in oxygenation of the blood, which further assists healing. Laughter also gives your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles a workout. That's why you often feel exhausted after a long bout of laughter -- you've just had an aerobic workout!

Here are some tips to help you put more laughter in your life:

• Figure out what makes you laugh and do it (or read it or watch it) more often.
• Surround yourself with funny people -- be with them every chance you get.
• Develop your own sense of humor. Maybe even take a class to learn how to be a better comic -- or at least a better joke-teller at that next party. Be funny every chance you get -- as long as it's not at someone else's expense!

• 
  

Hiccups

Hiccups occur due to sudden contraction of the diaphragm. The diaphragm almost always works perfectly. When you inhale, it pulls down to help pull air into the lungs. When you exhale, it pushes up to help push air out of the lungs. But sometimes the diaphragm becomes irritated. When this happens, it pulls down in a jerky way, which makes you suck air into your throat suddenly. When the air rushing in hits your voice box, you're left with a big hiccup.

Some things that irritate the diaphragm are eating too quickly or too much, an irritation in the stomach or the throat, or feeling nervous or excited. Almost all cases of the hiccups last only a few minutes. Some cases of the hiccups can last for days or weeks, but this is very unusual, and it's usually a sign of another medical problem.

You've probably heard lots of suggestions for how to get rid of hiccups, and maybe you've even tried a few. Holding your breath and counting to 10 is one way some people can get rid of their hiccups. Other people say that drinking a glass of water is the way to become hiccup-free. Putting sugar or jaggery under your tongue might work.

Health infrastructure in India

A patient whose I.V line is held in position by a label instead of plaster !!!!

Here is the small example of the infrastructure provided in the peripheral regions(Primary Health Centre) of India, and unfortunately this is the country where the health tourism is growing at more than 100%. So instead of concentrating on our health needs we are putting red carpet for foreign patients just to earn few extra bugs

Government Service in India

Here is the tip of the ice berg of the disaster of the service in India proposed by Government.....
Take a look at the photo the number encircled by blue line is the total strength of the children in Anganwadi (a place where education and health is imparted to village children)and the number encircled by the red one is the number of them present i.e 13.
This reflects the implementation of the government policies and the response by our great people......

Tobbaconomics

The mortality rate in India due to smoking related diseases will reach upto 10 lakh per year in 2010. But what the Government is doing, it is just increasing the fine for smoking in public areas and introduced mandatory pictorial warnings. Why the Government can not ban these merchants of death. Here is the statistics of tobacconomics which prevents the Government from imposing a ban.
Total turn over-35,000 crore
Total people employed-40 lakh people
Contributes to 10% of India's excise revenue.