The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 2. Have light food products really low cal

Overweight and obesity is a big health problem at present. In all the countries the youth have problem with their weight. Young women have eating disorders or overweight. Young men have problem with his T-Shirt when the weather becomes mild. The health insurances say that almost 30% of the persons treated for weight problems are below 18 years old. The youth must be given the right information so that they know what they do and what is right. I try to explain some of the important general points from today onwards.

The light food products have mostly low fat. But, this does not mean that they have low calories. They may contain more sugar or artificial sweeteners. More sugar means more calories. Artificial sweeteners are very dangerous. They give the body the feeling that food is coming. Correspondingly insulin is produced and this cannot simply disappear. It lowers the present blood sugar. You are hungrier and eat more. It is better to avoid light food products.

I have seen in persons who drank more light soft drinks significant increase of weight. Moreover, artificial sweeteners are given to animals to increase their weight quickly. There are no long-term studies with artificial sweeteners and few are risk factors for cancer.

Artificial sweeteners are also chemicals and the liver has to work more to eliminate them.

Consult your dietician and select the right food for you and it is easy to lose weight.

The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 1. Low calories food…

Overweight and obesity is a big health problem at present. In all the countries the youth have problem with their weight. Young women have eating disorders or overweight. Young men have problem with his T-Shirt when the weather becomes mild. The health insurances say that almost 30% of the persons treated for weight problems are below 18 years old. The youth must be given the right information so that they know what they do and what is right. I try to explain some of the important general points from today onwards.

1000 calories food or eating the half of the usual food is the mostly used method to reduce weight by many including the youth. The body gets few calories and so it uses the fat reserves of the body. The weight comes down quickly. You may ask where the problem is. There are two important problems here that you must understand well.

The body gets not enough calories and so it slows down the metabolism. This means that you need less energy to do things than before. The body burns few calories compared to the time when you eat normal. Therefore, the weight reduction is not there always. In course of time you may even gain weight.

Secondly, when you start eat normal the empty fat reserve cells are filled very quickly. You gain weight and it goes more than the weight you had before you started your diet. This is the so called Yo Yo effect. Yo Yo effect is a process in which the dieter is initially successful in achieving weight loss but is unsuccessful in maintaining the weight loss long-term. The dieter begins to gain the weight back when they eat normal. The dieter tries to lose weight once again and the cycle begins once again.

Try to understand our food well and plan well to reduce your weight. Slow weight loss is the best. Here the exercises and physical activities play a vital role. Our children learn so many complicated things without problem, but they don’t learn about food when they are young because we do not teach them. We must teach them properly and that is worth doing. Children will not have any problem to understand and once understood they do always right. Start in your family today to teach the children about food and diet!!!

Why do aged people, especially after 70, not have sound sleep at night?

All human beings follow similar sleeping patterns. One sleep cycle is 90 to 110 minutes. A typical night’s sleep is the repetition of this cycle. There are four stages of sleep.

Stage 1 – Stage one sleep is the lightest of the four stages where the brain wave patterns are similar when we are awake. The body is very active during this stage. The brain temperature rises, blood pressure and pulse rate fluctuates, breathing is irregular and the brain consumes more oxygen. We have several stage 1 sleep periods during a night.

Stage 2 – Stage 2 sleep begins usually within the first 5 to 10 minutes. This is the period where sleep-talking takes place. Stage 2 sleep becomes shorter and shorter with each sleep cycle.

Stage 3 – In stage 3 sleep the breathing is slow and even, the pulse rate has slowed down and the body temperature has dropped. During this period the brain produces five times more electricity as when we are awake. During this stage it is difficult to awake a person. This is the time when most dreaming happens. During this period the body has almost shut down and the brain sends messages to the spinal cord to suppress muscle activity. This is the reason why people cannot run or cry out during a nightmare. In the beginning stage 3 sleep lasts 10 to 15 minutes, but at the end of the night it can last 40 to 60 minutes in a cycle. With each cycle stage 3 sleep time increases.

Stage 4 – Stage 4 sleep is the deepest level of sleep. In the first cycle this will be usually 20 minutes or more. Stage 4 becomes shorter and shorter during the sleep and before the end of the sleep there is no stage 4 sleep in the cycle.

In stage 4 sleep only the growth hormones are released into the body and so teenagers need more of this than adults.

People over 70 may have almost no stage 4 sleep in their sleep cycle. This is the reason why they do not have sound sleep. This makes them sick.

Can you give me some tips for a good sleep?

We can do many things to have good sleep. Every individual is different and so everybody must find their right way for this. The general information gives you what to d and what not. In this changed and quick world a good sleep becomes more and more important.

The tips for a good night sleep include:

• No long afternoon sleep. If you sleep it should not be more than 20 min
• Go to bed at the same time every night
• Avoid excess coffee after dinner. You may not have problems with coffee for many decades, but the problem can start from a day to the other. In many cases a strong coffee in the afternoon can affect the sleep.
• Avoid excess alcohol
• Avoid smoking as nicotine is a stimulant
• Do your exercises in the morning, not before you go to bed
• Your bedroom must be dark, external lights can also disturb your sleep
• Mattress and pillows must be comfortable. The bedroom must be clean and ventilated good. You must also know which temperature is good for your sleep.
• Don’t work till you go to bed. Relax with good music and warm bath.
• Don’t eat much before you go to bed. You need 2 to 3 hours gap between dinner and sleep.
• Don’t drink too much water before you go to sleep
• If you are hungry groundnuts are the best. But, don’t eat much. If you want to drink milk, take warm milk, but always with a piece of bread or toast. Only milk can increase the production of the acid in the stomach and bad for your sleep.
• About your tomorrow’s work you can think in the morning and not before sleep
• If you have health problems consult with your doctor and don’t wait for weeks.
• Low hemoglobin and iron values in the blood can also be a reason for sleeplessness. If necessary to control this talk to your doctor.
• Turn off your television

We all know we can sleep well if we are happy. Try to reduce your stress and this also you can learn.

Wish you a good sleep every night!

Can you tell me the reasons for sleeplessness (insomnia)?

The sleeping difficulties are called insomnia. The definition of insomnia is the difficulties in initiating and/or maintaining sleep or a poor quality of sleep associated with impairment of daytime functioning. People of all ages including children are affected by insomnia. Approximately 10% are suffering continuously with this problem. Almost every second person experiences this problem sometimes in his life.

The three classes of insomnia are:

• Lasting one week or less
• Lasting more than a week but less than three weeks
• Lasting more than three weeks

Insomnia can be a sign or a symptom. The factors that cause this problem include:

• Stress
• Excess heat or cold or noise or lighting
• Unfamiliar surroundings including a different bed
• Jet lag
• Working in shifts
• Excess alcohol
• Smoking
• Abuse of illegal drugs
• Strong coffee in the late evening
• Side effects of certain medicines
• Symptom of some diseases

The sleep disorders that cause insomnia include:

• Sleep apnea – abnormal pauses in breathing
• Restless leg syndrome – burning, itching or tickling sensations in the leg during sleep
• Periodic limp movement disorder – repetitive cramping or jerking of the legs during sleep
• Circadian sleep disturbance – have changed biological rhythms
• Sleep walking

The other important conditions that can cause insomnia are medical, psychiatric and physiologic and they include:

The medical causes include:

• Breathing problems from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Acid reflux
• Obesity
• Frequent urination or urinary incontinence
• Chronic pain
• Heart diseases
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Hyperthyroidism
• Diseases like dementia, fibromyalgia and Parkinson’s disease

The psychiatric problems that can cause insomnia include:

• Depression
• Mania
• Anxiety
• Psychosis
• Posttraumatic stress disorder

The common physiologic conditions that can cause insomnia include:

• Menstruation
• pregnancy
• Menopause
• Midlife crisis
• pain

It is important to consult with your doctor to find the causes of insomnia. There are many treatments to help you and your doctor can suggest the right one for you. Sometimes you need the help of a neurologist or a psychologist.