Health care – The power of “power nap”

                             The power of “power nap”

There is a good reason why the afternoon nap is said to be a "power nap", that is, a refreshing sleep. In fact, if you decide to "take a nap" in the afternoon, it could have many health benefits.

When you are sleepy, everything seems wrong and people and things get on your nerves. You can fix all this with a nap of 15 to 30 minutes.

If you feel your energy is running low in the middle of the day, do what people regularly do in Mediterranean cultures - "catch a nap".

If you don't practice that, you might want to change your mind about the benefits it brings.

Power nap boosts immunity

Insufficient long sleep impairs your hormonal and immune function by increasing the amount of otherwise useful inflammatory proteins of the cytokines and stress hormones cortisol and noradrenaline.

In 2015, one study found serious disorders in healthy volunteers who were allowed to sleep for only two hours one night.

The next day, part of the volunteers slept twice for half an hour and the rest did not nap. Tests showed that, after a nap, cytokines and hormones returned to normal in the first group. Thanks to the control of stress hormones, regular naps save your heart and brain, two major targets of anxiety.

It sharpens the focus throughout the day

Short afternoon sleep improves attention and efficiency, research has shown. A half-hour power nap eliminates drowsiness and fatigue and enhances mental abilities such as concentration, flexibility, and creativity. It is even more advisable to nap several times for 10 to 15 minutes, in which case the positive effects occur immediately after opening the eyes, while longer naps require awakening.

Raises physical endurance

A power nap has a beneficial effect on the physical endurance and performance of physical tasks.

For research purposes of a 2007 athlete survey, volunteers were instructed to run after lunch and again after an afternoon nap. Post-nap times were better, leading researchers to conclude that afternoon naps boost both mental and physical abilities.

A nap allows for better night work

Whether you work or study at night, either regularly or occasionally, a nap before night shift will help you stay fresher and work better.

Studies examining this phenomenon have indicated the effectiveness of naps between half an hour and four hours before night work begins. Such preventative naps also enhance the concentration of drivers returning home after a night shift.

Improves memory

It is well known that regular nighttime sleep helps to remember. If you have been studying during the day, you will better remember what you learned after an all-night sleep. A study published in 2010 in the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory found that afternoon power nap plays an equal role.

At noon, the respondents were tasked with memorizing certain information. One group then slept for an hour and a half, while the other group was not allowed to nap. Later that afternoon, those who were napping had a better memory test.

The perfect dose for a nap? 20 minutes!

The ideal duration of an afternoon nap is 20 minutes, according to experts in this field.

This kind of nap is what most people need to get rid of drowsiness and get an injection of energy. A person who sleeps for only 20 minutes does not enter the rapid eye movement phase, a deeper phase of sleep that requires longer awakening. Thanks to this, a 20-minute dream offers extraordinary benefits because it is possible to get to work immediately afterward.

Nap and caffeine: a shock combination!

Snooze and caffeine combined work better than either alone. A 1994 study found that surgeons would stay fresh during a full day of duty if they snooze and drink coffee.

Take care of your health, take a nap in the afternoon !

Health care – Walking, the best you can do for your body and mind

                   Walking, the best you can do for your body and mind

Walk! 15 minutes of walking is not a lot, and it will do wonders for your health, body, and brain.

When you are stressed, it may take some time to clear your head, slow down your thoughts, or calm down. A pleasant longer walk may be exactly what the doctor recommended.

This simple activity is propagated as something that is 'most akin to a miracle cure'. Here is a list of benefits that a 15-minute walk a day does for your body.

Reduces the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

In the 2009 edition of Harvard Men's Health Watch, walking was noted as extremely underrated. To prove this hypothesis, scientists have gone through over 4,200 articles that were published between 1997 and 2007 related to the topic of walking. Eighteen articles they found met the standards and quality of the research. Each study collected data from each of the participants about their walking habits as well as their cardiovascular risk habits, which included age, alcohol consumption, and smoking. The subjects were followed by the experts for 11 years, and cardiovascular changes, as well as death, were recorded during those years. From data collected over 11 years, scientists have found that 2.5 hours of walking a week (21 minutes a day) reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems by 31% and the risk of premature death by 32%.

Going for a walk is the best way to beat stress-induced overeating. When your serotonin levels are higher, you feel less stress causing you to eat less.

The battle against obesity

Every person has genes that stimulate weight gain, according to Harvard Medical School. One of the easiest ways to combat obesity is to try to cut in half those genes that promote weight gain. To determine how this can be done, Harvard scientists observed 32 genes that promote weight gain in a total of 12,000 study participants. They concluded that those study participants who walked for an hour a day were cut into half genes that promote weight gain. Exter University has learned that 15 minutes of walking can help reduce the craving for sugary foods, which play a big role in obesity.

It lowers blood pressure

If you have high blood pressure, comfortable and easy walks may be just what you need. Researchers at Arizona State University would agree. They conducted a study on the relationship between walking and lower blood pressure and found that just 10 minutes of walking a day was effective when it comes to lowering blood pressure. By walking for 15-20 minutes, you increase your chances of lowering your blood pressure even further.

Improves memory

Obviously, exercise is great for the brain because serotonin binds to the brain receptors. But walking can help your memory serve you better, according to a 2011 study in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study found that participants who walk 40 minutes a week, which can be distributed three to four times a week, can increase hippocampal activity by 2%. Also, another study, presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, found that regular rapid walking (may take between 15-20 minutes) could slow down the "aging" of the brain. The respondents participated in the study ranged in age from 60 to 80, which is the population in which dementia begins to develop or is already in its late stages.

Relieves joint pain

Physical therapist Eric Robertson told WebMD that for osteoarthritis (OA), cartilage acts as an absorber, especially in the knees, and can become damaged or worn. He added that you would feel numbness, pain and difficulty in movement. But exercise, especially walking, can help rebuild that joint.

                

Decrease overeating due to stress

Going for a walk is the best way to beat stress-induced overeating. This is my first-hand experience. In recent years, my stress at work has increased, and as a result has been uncontrolled food intake and weight gain. I started walking and lost 12 pounds in 2 months. When your serotonin levels are higher you feel less stress causing you to eat less because you are not stressed. Whether it's 15 or 20 minutes, walking will raise your serotonin levels.

Health care - Save your heart

                                           Save your heart 

Hundreds of thousands die every year from a heart attack; yet, no sign of protest can be heard in this regard by the public, the press or government agencies. At the same time, almost every one of us can find this fiercest mass murderer on his plate!

Can we say that what we eat causes heart attacks?

Not everything. The main culprits are certainly excess fat and cholesterol. And the problem that arises in our body, thanks in large part to them, is the narrowing, hardening and sometimes even clogging of vital arteries that supply oxygen and food to the heart. This process is known as atherosclerosis.

Humans are born with clean, resilient blood vessels. They should remain in this state for the rest of our lives. However, in many people, the arteries are slowly clogged with cholesterol, fat, and calcium - a mixture that gradually hardens and eventually inhibits the necessary and vital blood flow.

During and after World War II, most Europeans were forced to change their diet, which consisted of meat, eggs and dairy products. They had to switch to a "poorer" diet with potatoes, cereals, beans, root vegetables, and other vegetables. Do you know what caused the change? Dramatic reduction in atherosclerosis-related diseases such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, gallstones, some cancers, and arthritis. A significant drop in deaths from these diseases was felt even 20 years after the Second World War.

How Do I Know I Have Arteriosclerosis?

Risk factor analysis is a good way to determine the likelihood of having this heart disease:

• Today, the most serious risk factor for a heart attack is elevated blood cholesterol. Men at age 50, with a cholesterol level of 7.6 mmol / l, are more likely to develop atherosclerosis ten times more than men of the same age as levels below 5.1 mmol / l. A 20% reduction in blood cholesterol levels reduces the risk of heart attack by 50%.

• Smokers 60 years of age are ten times more likely to die of coronary heart disease than their non-smoking peers. About 30% of deaths from a heart attack can be directly linked to the effects of smoking.

• In America, every third adult has high blood pressure. This risk factor triples the chance of dying from heart disease compared to a person with normal blood pressure.

• Obese men are five times more likely to die of a heart attack by the age of 60 compared to men of normal weight.

• Other classic risk factors include diabetes, elevated blood triglycerides, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, and increased blood homocysteine ​​levels. Fortunately, all the aforementioned risk factors depend on lifestyle and diet and can be influenced and controlled.

Risk factors for coronary heart disease

Nutrition:

1. Diabetes

2. Obesity

3. LDL cholesterol

4. High blood pressure

5. Triglycerides

Lifestyle:

1. Smoking

2. Inactivity

3. Stress

Out of our control:

1. Heritage

2. Age

3. Gender

Five of the eight nutrition and lifestyle factors mentioned above can largely be influenced by diet.

Factors not under our control are an inheritance, age, and gender, but they are the least contributing to the development of the disease.

What about medication and surgery?

In people with dangerously elevated blood cholesterol levels that do not decrease even after appropriate dietary changes, medication is unavoidable. However, drugs are expensive. Furthermore, most of them have not very harmless side effects. Taking medication requires frequent laboratory checks and medical check-ups.

Even more sophisticated are surgical procedures: by-pass surgeries, cleaning the deposits with the apparatus and dilating blood vessels with balloons. Some of the results are remarkable. But as time goes by and statistics accumulate, it is becoming increasingly clear that most of these operations do not extend life significantly or necessarily improve it.

The best short-term help you can give a person with atherosclerosis therapy has already developed, it is not too late to make lifestyle changes. You can clean your arteries, reduce the risk of dying from atherosclerosis, and extend your active, creative years. You can significantly change your risk factors yourself, regardless of age, and positive results are often visible after only a few weeks of proper lifestyle and nutrition.

Start eating healthy, homemade low fat and cholesterol foods, and lots of unrefined complex carbs and fiber! Such a diet can lower cholesterol levels by 20 to 30% and reverse the development of diabetes in many cases in less than four weeks. When combined with reduced salt intake, this diet will also help normalize blood pressure and regulate body weight.

Accept an active daily exercise program

If we, as a society, were able to lower our cholesterol levels below 4.6 mmol / l, blood pressure below 125 mm Hg and stop smoking, it is estimated that this could prevent 82% of all heart attacks affecting people younger than 65 years. Such a simple lifestyle changes would contribute to improving the health of our people more than all hospitals, surgeries, and medicines combined.

                                    

Health care - lose weight with daily activities

                            Lose weight with daily activities

 A sedentary lifestyle poses a serious health risk, and we often run out of time to exercise. But life every day provides us with an opportunity for recreation.

Today's hectic lifestyle is ubiquitous. Business, children and their responsibilities, your obligations, your haste, just reading these words causes stress to our body. If we just look at the word hectic, we can conclude that we are constantly on the move. But the absurdity of all this is the fact that although we lead a hectic lifestyle, we have never been less active.

We hop in the cars from the bed, go to the office where we spend most of our time sitting, after work, we may go grocery shopping or take our kids to extracurricular activities, and in the evenings when the family finally gathers, we spend time in front of the television. It is very easy to conclude - our lifestyle is sedentary. And such a lifestyle is a danger, and we need to be aware of the importance of being physically active regularly and what benefits will come from it.

We can do it without a gym

Regular physical activity will regulate blood pressure, strengthen the heart, muscles, and ligaments, improve circulation, reduce the risk of cancer by regulating hormones and scientists have determined that the risk of developing Alzheimer's will be as much as 45% lower in physically active individuals. However, regular physical activity does not have to mean going to the gym or intensive group workouts.

Years ago, I was able to persuade a friend of mine to start training at the gym and when we saw each other again, I asked him how he felt, and he replied: " I had noticeable results after the first workout, my face was red, I couldn't breathe and my legs were shaking for another two hours after training!"

Of course, he wanted to make a joke, but it was clear to me that many of us don’t want to spend even one minute in the gym!

This form of activity may not fit into your schedule and you just don't get there, but that doesn't mean that you can't take small steps to improve your health.

  

Fun exercises

Squats after sleep 

Do a few squats right after getting out of bed. I suggest three sets of 15 squats each, you will feel lighter even without having your first coffee.

Walking or biking to work

You probably go to work by car or public transport, it is difficult to get a walk on these cold days. The good news is that spring is coming quickly, but also, that a little cold is good for you and your body and will burn more calories to keep you warm. Why not leave your car in the garage at least a few times a week and walk to work, get out a few stops before your destination, and walk a little? We are sure that you will love the feeling and that you may leave your car at home every day. This option, in addition to having a positive effect on your body, also has a positive effect on your wallet. Maybe your classmate is also your neighbor, invite her/him to walk to work in the morning as well, it will be easier for you as a couple. If your lack of time is a problem and you find yourself not getting on time to work, the good news is that there is a solution. It may not be so attractive in winter, but you can always go to work by bike. You will come faster than walking, and the positive is that you can always avoid traffic jams. If the Dutch can go biking, why can't we?

Stairs instead of elevators 

If your responsibilities do not allow you to walk, or go to work by bicycle is not an option for you, you can always choose the stairs instead of lifting. Whether in the building where you live or at work, try to forget that an elevator exists and take the stairs to your destination.

Make a phone call while standing 

Do you make frequent telephone calls during office hours? Why not make important phone calls while standing or walking if your office space allows it? If you are doing an office job, try to get up from your workplace every hour and take a short walk.

Strength training in the store 

Grocery shopping can be a great strength training - fill your bags and walk to your home. I’m aware that a car makes buying much easier, but try to think about the benefits of purchasing without a car and do not look at this as a problem. With this purchase, you will do strength training without visiting the gym.

Housework and weekends 

Housekeeping, such as vacuuming and window washing, is a hassle, but considering that one hour of vacuuming consumes 215 kcal per hour and window washing 330 kcal, we have done training without even being aware of it. The weekend is designed for outdoor activities, so go for walks, bike rides, hiking, bring girl(boy)friends, friends or family. You will spend quality time with them as well as being physically active.

Changes that bring health and happiness

With these small changes that we have listed, you can make big strides and burn 600 extra calories without training at the gym. In addition to the extra calories, a very important benefit of regular physical activity is the fact that your mood will improve due to the release of the hormone's happiness, endorphins, and thus reduce the risk of depression.

Of course, regular physical activity should be accompanied by a healthy diet. Eating quality, healthy foods is much more important than the calorie counts, and this is something we should keep an eye on.