Exercising not only helps to tone your muscles and lose weight but is also considered excellent for a regular bowel movement. Experts suggest that exercising regularly can speed up the digestion process and prevents constipation. However, there are also some exercises that can worsen the symptoms of Irritated Bowel Syndrome or IBS, instead of improving them. How exercising affects people suffering from IBSA person suffering from IBS experiences episodes of diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. To get rid of this uncomfortable situation, it is important to stay active and include healthy food in your diet. Exercise is good to get relief from the symptoms of IBS, provided you are performing them moderately. Rigorous workout schedule requires intense movements and bouncing, which can exacerbate the risk of gut damage and make it more vulnerable to pathogenic attack. This can worsen the symptoms of IBS.

Here are 4 exercises that you should avoid if you are suffering from the problem of IBS. 1. RunningRunning is an excellent exercise to increase your cardiovascular strength. It helps to tone your legs and speed up the weight loss process. Apart from this, it is good for improving your overall health. But it can even lead to abdominal cramping, which can trigger diarrhea. Jogging might also have a similar impact as it requires continuous bouncing.

2. Ball gamesFor those who do not like to go to the gym, sports can be an excellent option to stay fit and healthy. Ball training is a perfect combination of strength training with cardiovascular exercise. It does offer numerous health benefits, but it not a good choice for people suffering from IBS. Rapid body movement and bouncing while playing ball games may irritate the stomach, which can trigger muscle spasms in the abdomen.

Originally posted here:
4 exercises to avoid if you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Times of India

Teenage boys rely on social media to access a wealth of information about living a healthy lifestyle but rather than being victims of online harms, such as an unhealthy body image obsession, the majority are able to use humour, irony and banter to navigate social media content.

In a new study, published in Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, researchers in the University of Birminghams School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, investigated how young boys use Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube to learn about physical activity, diet, and body image.

Over a 12-month period, more than 1,300 teenage boys from 10 schools and from a range of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds engaged a series of class activities, interviews, workshops and a survey.

In contrast to popular opinion, the study showed teenage boys were intelligent and critical users and generators of social media. For example, they used irony, through hashtags like #gymlad to enable them to post selfies about their bodies in the gym without fear of ridicule, and within a context of acceptable banter.

The evidence from teenage boys indicated that you can be a gymlad if youre ripped, with a toned gym body, but you can also use gymlad in an ironic way, says lead researcher, Dr Victoria Goodyear. Using humour and irony means that boys can still aspire to have gym bodies and be motivated by sport, exercise and healthy diets, but without the risk of being put down or ridiculed by their peers.

"Whats particularly important about this research is that it shows young people are critical users and generators of social media who are able to evaluate and think clearly about what they see, do and use online, says Dr Goodyear.

"Young people cant turn off social media - its not an option. But while we see plenty of news coverage about the negative impact of social media on health and body image, in reality, we are seeing teenage boys accessing information, learning and being motivated by it, but also finding ways to not put themselves at risk of body shaming that could lead to unhealthy habits.

The research highlights the need for adults parents, carers and teachers to try to better understand and empathise, rather than criticise how young people use social media. The team has published guidance on this topic. In addition, a new partnership with Google offers a professional development programmeto educate teachers in this field.

We need to support adults to become more digitally literate, so they understand both the positive and the negative potential of social media, says Dr Goodyear. They can then help young people navigate these landscapes to produce positive health education outcomes.

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact Beck Lockwood, Press Office, University of Birmingham, tel 0121 414 2772.

Read more from the original source:
Irony and humour keep teenage #gymlads healthy on social media - University of Birmingham

Unlike broader trends, diets, fads, and food plans are more specific in their application, with distinct goals, fixed guidelines, and sometimes complicated regimens.

Popular diets tend to be such that consumers cant or dont sustain them over time, said Katie Toulouse, communications director for the Produce for Better Health Foundation BB #:157162 in St. Louis. Further, as a society, we have long been conditioned to go on and off diets, rather than to eat a balanced and mostly healthy diet over time.

Still, some diets can be beneficialthe best are sustainable, allow moderation, include all needed nutrients, and are backed by science and research, said Sarah Limbert, RDN, LD, retail clinical dietitian for Kroger Health.

Thats why the Mediterranean Diet, Weight Watchers, and others that allow for flexibility and include a wide variety of foods top the list of best diets, according to U.S. News Best Diets 2019 report.

Heres more information on a few of the leading contenders.

Weight Watchers, now called WW, is a popular program (4.6 million people were signed up in 2018) and focuses not only on losing weight but healthier living. It uses a science-backed system of assigning numbers to foods and beverages based on calories, sugar, saturated fat, and protein.

Members receive a points budget and have access to a robust support system. Many studies show WW leads to clinically meaningful and sustained weight loss. And unlike Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Seattle Sutton, and other programs based on prepackaged meals, snacks, and shakes, WW members make their own fooda practice that encourages variety, flexibility, and an emphasis on fresh produce.

The Keto Diet is an ultra-low-carb plan that includes moderate protein and high levels of fat. The goal: to nudge the body into a state of ketosis in which fat, not sugar, is burned for fuel. But because its so restrictive, its less sustainable.

In the short term, diets like Keto and Atkins are helpful for weight loss because they eliminate foods we tend to overeat like cakes, cookies, breads, and chips, said Kerry Clifford, MS, RD, LDN, of Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, BB #:290751 headquartered in Downers Grove, IL.

But in the long term, complete restriction of carbohydrates can impact energy, bone health, exercise performance, and even reproductive health.

While carbs are strictly limited, the Keto diet does encourage the consumption of nonstarchy vegetables, avocados, berries, and low-sugar fruit.

Whole 30 is based on Paleo diet principles, but as designed not only for weight loss, but for digestive issues, inflammation, and chronic pain. While Whole 30 and Paleo emphasize high-quality foods, both eliminate grains and legumeswhich is not a healthy practice over the long run.

Diets that restrict whole food categories for no medical reason are not sustainable or advisable, warns Rachel Begun, MS, RDN, culinary nutritionist, and special diets expert in Los Angeles.

Its challenging to follow those rules wholeheartedly, and completely avoiding whole categories of food makes it difficult to meet all of our nutrition needs.

The upside: both Whole 30 and Paleo emphasize an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The Mediterranean Diet, based on traditional foods consumed in the Mediterranean region, has vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats, with moderate amounts of whole grains, legumes, and lean protein.

Many studies show the Mediterranean Diet improves cardiovascular health, promotes weight loss, and protects against chronic disease. And because it focuses less on calories, promotes a healthy lifestyle over restrictions, and emphasizes abundant fruit and vegetable intake, its very sustainable for the long-term, Clifford said.

This is a multi-part series on dietary trends from the October 2019 Blueprints magazine.

See more here:
Diets, fads and food plans - Produce Blue Book

Visceral fat is considered harmful because its stored in the abdominal cavity next to many vital organs, including the liver and intestines. Having too much visceral fat can increase a persons risk of serious conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Poor lifestyle choices can lead to visceral fat build-up, such as eating a diet high in saturated fat, so making changes to the food youre eating comes highly recommended. When it comes to a particular diet to follow, the Mediterranean diet may be best for getting rid of visceral fat.

A team of researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev carried out a weight loss trail that lasted 18 months and included almost 300 participants who were mostly men with abdominal obesity, meaning they carried high levels of visceral fat.

For the duration of the trial period, participants were randomised to one of two diets.

The first was a low-fat diet where fat accounted for no more than 30 per cent of participants total daily intake, and saturated fat for no more than 10 per cent.

They were also instructed to increase they fibre intake from low-fat grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes.

The second diet combined a Mediterranean-style diet with a low-carb diet.

Participants regularly checked in with a dietician for nutrient supports, and after six months they were also prescribed an exercise programme - three one-hour sessions each week in the gym which involved a combination of cardio and resistance training.

After 18 months their overall weight loss was considered moderate, with participants only losing about 3kg o average.

But the low-carb Mediterranean diet had a greater effect on reducing fat around the liver (30 per cent) and the heart (11 per cent) compared to low-fat diets with similar calorie counts.

Moderate physical exercise also reduced the amount of visceral fat stored around the stomach.

So what can you eat as part of a low-carb Mediterranean diet?

Participants in the study ate:

They then ate up to 70g of carbohydrates each day - whole grains such as oats, quinoa and brown rice are good choices here.

Another low-carb diet which has been proven effective at getting rid of visceral fat is the keto, or ketogenic, diet.

Ketogenic diets drastically reduce carb intake and replace it with fat, putting the body int a natural metabolic state called ketosis.

One study involving 28 overweight and obese adults found those who followed a ketogenic diet lost more fat, especially visceral fat, than people following a low-fat diet.

They also did this while eating roughly 300 more calories per day.

Including a certain drink in your diet may also help get rid of visceral fat.

More here:
How to get rid of visceral fat: Best diet to reduce harmful belly fat - the foods to eat - Express

Weight gain can be extremely frustrating, especially when you dont know whats causing it.

While diet typically plays the largest role in weight gain, other factors such as stress and lack of sleep may contribute as well.

Here are 9 causes of unintentional weight gain.

Many healthy foods, such as oats, frozen fruit, and yogurt, are minimally processed.

However, highly processed foods, including sugary cereals, fast food, and microwave dinners, pack a slew of harmful ingredients, as well as added sugars, preservatives, and unhealthy fats.

Whats more, numerous studies link highly processed food to weight gain, in addition to rising obesity rates in the United States and around the world (1).

For example, a 2019 study in 19,363 Canadian adults found that those who ate the most ultra-processed foods were 32% more likely to be obese than those who ate the least (2).

Highly processed foods are typically packed with calories yet devoid of essential nutrients, such as protein and fiber, which keep you feeling full.

In fact, in a 2-week study in 20 people, participants ate about 500 more calories per day on an ultra-processed diet than on an unprocessed diet (3).

Thus, you should consider cutting out processed meals and snacks, focusing instead on whole foods.

Regularly downing sugary foods and beverages, such as candy, cakes, soda, sports drinks, ice cream, iced tea, and sweetened coffee drinks, can easily enlarge your waistline.

Many studies link sugar intake not only to weight gain but also an increased risk of chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease (4).

In particular, sugary beverages are the largest source of added sugar in the United States and strongly associated with weight gain.

For instance, a review of 30 studies in 242,352 children and adults tied sweetened beverage intake to weight gain and obesity (5).

One study in 11,218 women revealed that drinking 1 sugary soda per day led to 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of weight gain over 2 years meaning that cutting out sweets might have the opposite effect (6).

You can try gradually reducing your sugar intake to ease the process.

Inactivity is a common contributor to weight gain and chronic diseases (7, 8, 9).

Working a desk job, watching TV, driving, and using a computer or phone are all sedentary activities.

A study in 464 people with obesity and excess weight found that their average daily sitting time was 6.2 hours on working days and 6 hours on non-working days. Work-related tasks were the largest contributor, followed by watching TV (10).

Making a few simple lifestyle changes, such as exercising and sitting less, can make a big difference.

For example, a 3-month study in 317 workers found that replacing just 1 hour of sitting with 1 hour of standing during the workday reduced total fat mass and waist circumference while increasing lean muscle mass (11).

Research has also shown that engaging in excessive screen time contributes significantly to unintentional weight gain (12, 13, 14).

Even small adjustments, such as taking a walk after dinner instead of watching TV, working out or walking during your lunch break, investing in a standing or treadmill desk, or riding your bike to work, can counter weight gain.

Yo-yo dieting refers to cycles of intentional weight loss followed by unintentional weight regain.

Notably, this pattern is linked to an increased risk of weight gain over time (15, 16).

In a study in 2,785 people, those who had dieted within the previous year had greater body weights and waist circumferences than those of non-dieters (17).

Other studies reveal that restrictive eating and dieting may lead to future weight gain due to your bodys physiological responses to such behaviors, such as changes in hunger and fullness hormones (18, 19, 20).

Plus, most people who lose weight through restrictive dieting gain back most or all of it within 5 years (15).

To keep weight off long term, you should focus on sustainable lifestyle changes. These include exercise, cutting out processed and sugary foods, and eating nutrient-dense, whole foods rich in fiber and protein.

Although many lifestyle factors contribute to unintentional weight gain, certain medical conditions may also play a role. These include:

Other conditions, such as diabetes and Cushings syndrome, are likewise associated with weight gain, so its important to get the right diagnosis from your medical practitioner.

Whats more, certain medications, including antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs, can lead to weight gain. Speak to a health professional if you believe youre gaining weight due to your medicine.

Sleep is essential for overall health and well-being. Insufficient sleep may trigger weight gain, among other negative effects (27).

A study in 92 women demonstrated that those who slept fewer than 6 hours daily had the highest body mass index (BMI) and the highest levels of visfatin (a protein secreted by fat cells), compared with women who slept 6 hours or more per day (28).

In a 2-week study in 10 adults with excess weight following a low-calorie diet, those who slept 5.5 hours per night lost 55% less body fat and 60% more muscle mass than those who slept 8.5 hours per night (29).

As such, increasing your sleep time may aid weight loss.

Some evidence associates 7 or more hours of sleep per night with a 33% greater likelihood of weight loss, compared with sleeping fewer than 7 hours (30).

If you have poor sleep quality, you can try limiting screen time before bed, reducing your caffeine intake, and going to sleep at a consistent time.

If you regularly eat processed foods, switching to a diet thats higher in whole foods is an easy and effective way to promote weight loss and improve many other aspects of your health.

In fact, the most important factor in weight loss is choosing whole, minimally processed foods.

One study divided 609 adults with excess weight into groups that followed either a low-fat or low-carb diet for 12 months (31).

Both groups were instructed to maximize their vegetable intake, restrict their intake of added sugars, trans fats, and refined carbohydrates, eat mostly whole, minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods, and prepare most meals at home.

The study found that people in both diet groups lost similar amounts of weight 12 pounds (5.4 kg) for the low-fat group and 13 pounds (5.9 kg) for the low-carb group. This demonstrated that diet quality, not macronutrient content, was the most important factor in their weight loss (31).

Incorporating whole foods into your diet doesnt have to be difficult. Start by slowly adding more nutrient-dense whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, beans, eggs, nuts, and seeds, into your meals and snacks.

Chronic stress is a common problem that can affect your weight (32).

High levels of the stress hormone cortisol have been shown to increase hunger and your desire for highly palatable, calorie-dense foods, which can cause weight gain (33).

Whats more, studies indicate that people with obesity have higher cortisol levels than those without this condition (34).

Interestingly, stress management may promote weight loss.

In an 8-week study in 45 adults with obesity, those who engaged in relaxation techniques like deep breathing lost significantly more weight than those who only received standard dietary advice (35).

To reduce stress, try incorporating evidence-based relaxation practices into your routine. These include yoga, spending time in nature, and meditation (36, 37, 38).

Overeating remains a prominent cause of weight gain.

If you take in more calories than you burn per day, youll likely gain weight (39).

Mindless eating, frequent snacking, and making calorie-rich, nutrient-poor dietary choices all promote excessive calorie intake.

It can be difficult to determine your calorie needs on your own, so consult a registered dietitian if you struggle with overeating.

Some simple ways to avoid overeating include paying attention to hunger and fullness cues by eating mindfully, following a high-fiber, high-protein diet rich in plant foods, drinking water instead of calorie-rich beverages, and increasing your activity level.

Many factors can contribute to unintentional weight gain.

Poor sleep, sedentary activities, and eating too many processed or sugary foods are just some of the habits that may increase your risk of weight gain.

Yet, a few simple steps such as mindful eating, exercise, and focusing on whole foods can help you reach your weight loss goals and improve your overall health.

Read more:
9 Causes of Unintentional Weight Gain - Healthline

Brendan Romele can't remember a time when he was within a healthy weight range. Even as a kid, he was always the "bigger" guy in class. This fact never really bothered him until his late twenties, however, when his weight climbed to nearly 285 pounds. That's when he truly started feeling it: The extra weight that made his body behave like a much older man's.

Between the backaches and the shortness of breath, Romele decided it was time for a change. He also had his family history to consider: "My mother suffered from heart failure at an early age that almost cost her life, and my grandfather had diabetes," Romele says.

Romele started by investing in a good scalethe Fitbit Aria 2, which synced up wirelessly with his daily fitness tracker, allowing him to monitor his progress without manually entering it into the device's app. "Even though it was scary at first, I began to track my weight and body fat percentage," he says. "When I started, I was 285 pounds with 37 percent body fat, which is in the obese range."

Romele also tracked his step count using a wearable, the Fitbit Versa. He went on walks every day to make sure he hit at least 10,000 steps, and quickly realized that fitting in physical activity didn't have to mean hours and hours in the gym.

"These walks would often be at lunchtime where I would go with coworkers to pick up healthier lunch alternatives, even to places a little further to get those extra steps," he says. "I began to take advantage of Fitbit's [coaching program], too, which helped motivate me through guided workouts and eventually became a regular habit."

With his workouts building momentum, Romele moved on to overhauling his nutrition. He started tracking his food, and to his great surprise, he had been eating around 4,000 calories a day thanks to copious amounts of takeout. He decided to start cooking for himself. Just four weeks into his new routine, Romele had already dropped 20 pounds.

"As a very data and visually focused person, once I started to see the downward trend in my weight through app, and I wanted to keep it going," he says.

Beyond losing weight, Romele also eased his back pain and found his lung capacity increasing. He even added running a few miles a week into his usual 10,000 steps a day routine. By combining tracking his calories and working out more, Romele was able to drop 100 pounds and 20 percent of his body fat to hit his new weight of 185 in just one year.

"A lot of friends and coworkers have told me how they have been inspired by my journey and helped them to lead a healthier life, which is great because so many have inspired and encouraged me," he says. "I feel better, mentally and physically. I've noticed I have more energy compared to when I started."

For people looking to follow his lead, Romele advises them to first get over the dread of exercise. "What I came to realize is that any exercise is better than no exercise, even if it means going on daily walks or doing as little as ten squats," he says. "Be patient, and stick with it. A lot of people are in the old mindset of thinking diet means temporary, but it simply isn't. Don't try to change everything at oncetake it day by day."

Read more:
This Guy Used a Fitness Tracker and a Daily Step Goal to Lose 100 Pounds in a Year - menshealth.com

Heart disease is an umbrella term for a range of diseases that affect a persons heart. It can trigger deadly conditions such as a heart attack or heart failure. It is well understood that leading a healthy lifestyle can ward off the risk of developing the deadly health condition. Exercise plays an essential role in reducing the risk - what is the best exercise?

According to Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, the general consensus is that anything is better than nothing, and any activity that gets a persons heart rate up and makes them breathe a little harder will offer some protection against heart disease.

Rising evidence makes a strong case for high intensity interval training (HIIT) in particular, however. As Dr Lopez-Jimenez reports, increasing evidence suggests HIIT training provides added metabolic benefits.

According to Dr Lopez-Jimenez, HIIT training forms an essential part of cardiac rehabilitation programmes. The benefits even extend to people who have had heart disease and a heart attack.

He said: There is also some evidence that 30 minutes of even 20 minutes of high intensity interval training has more benefits than the same amount or even longer of just fast walking.

As he explained, most sets of exercise equipment come with a HIIT preset for or alternatively people can do it around their neighbourhood. It consists of doing bursts of intense exercise, followed by intermittent periods of slowing down. This temporarily ramps up a persons metabolism and this has been shown to provide innumerable health benefits such as giving longer diabetic control throughout the day, said Dr Lopez-Jimenez.

HIIT training will also benefit people who are struggling to lose weight, despite engaging in 30 to 40 minutes of exercise a day and eating a healthy, balanced diet. This will help to jumpstart the metabolism, he said.

What counts as interval training?

Interval training is simply alternating short bursts (approximately 30 seconds) of intense activity with longer intervals (three to four minutes) of less intense activity, explained Mayo Clinic. This could be incorporating short bursts of jogging into regular brisk walks, noted the heath body.

For people that have barriers to exercise such as planta fascitis, or a bad knee, being creative and finding things that they can do will also provide protective benefits for heart health, explained Dr Lopez-Jimenez.

Even if you are not a strong swimmer, if you have access to a pool and have bad knees you can tread in deep water and the harder you push the more resistance you have, he explained.

Adding: That is a great form of exercise that is very low impact.

What are the symptoms of heart disease?

According to the NHS, the common symptom of heart disease is chest pain (angina).

This can be a mild, uncomfortable feeling similar to indigestion.

However, a severe angina attack can cause a painful feeling of heaviness or tightness, usually in the centre of the chest, which may spread to the arms, neck, jaw, back or stomach, explained the health body.

See the article here:
Heart disease: Best exercise to lower the risk of developing the deadly condition - Express

Mandira Bedis 100 days fitness challenge is all about variety training. (Source: Mandira Bedi/Instagram; designed by Gargi Singh)

Mandira Bedi has undertaken the 100 days fitness challenge and regularly shares updates of her workout routine, which also includes cross training, with her fans on social media. So on the 59th day of her challenge which was also Dussehra the actor and fitness aficionado shared a video which showed her doing a mix of squats, inchworm walk and skipping. The 47-year-old also shared her fitness monitor screen which revealed that the exercises helped her burn 401 active calories!

Heres what she posted:

The fitness enthusiast, who began with the challenge in August this year to show that nothing is impossible and its the hard work that can take you where you want to be, has also undertaken a 40-day challenge in the past.

The 40-days challenge was fantastic, but its time now to raise the bar. I am looking at 100-days. 100 days of healthy living. It is going to a minimum of 10,000 steps and 45-minutes of exercise every single day along with mindful eating, good healthy balanced diet, and it begins today. It is Sunday. Sunday is a good day to make a start like this. I would love if you would join me, is what she captioned the Instagram video about her 100-day challenge.

Take a look at the video:

By combining a variety of exercises and working different muscle groups, cross training helps in maintaining and building the bodys fitness levels. Besides, it helps keep the interest levels high.

One of the easiest ways to incorporate cross training is to alternate between activities such as running one day, climbing stairs on the next or cycling the very next. Combining and alternating between various exercises for 10 minutes each, much like Bedi, can help achieve the goals.

Individuals can exercise more frequently and for longer durations without excessively overloading vulnerable areas of the body such as knees, hips, back, shoulders, elbows and feet. People, who are particularly prone to lower-leg problems from running long distances should consider incorporating low-impact activities such as elliptical training, cycling and swimming into their regimen.

Without letting boredom seep in, cross training helps add variety to exercise programs. Research on exercise adherence indicates that many individuals drop out of exercise programs because they become bored or injured. This helps build long-term exercise adherence and discipline.

Cross training can include activities that develop muscular fitness, as well as aerobic conditioning. This means that while some muscles work, the others can rest and recover.

Depending on your current workout schedule and the amount of time you have, aim to cross train at least once or twice a week in place of your usual routine or as additional workouts.

With cross-training, you can do one form of exercise each day, or more than one in a day. You can easily tailor cross-training to your needs and interests; mix and match your sports and change your routine on a regular basis.

Read more from the original source:
Mandira Bedis Dussehra workout is all the fitness inspiration you need today - The Indian Express

Omoni Oboli is a Nollywood actress, scriptwriter, filmmaker, author, businesswoman, wife and mother.

But despite this long-running list of obligations, she manages to make time for her fitness and health which is evident in her toned figure.

She recently shared her secrets for staying healthy in spite of a busy schedule with Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa.

For Oboli, diet is the first thing to consider. In her words, One of the first things is your diet. You have to watch what you eat, how you eat, when you eat. You have to be disciplined.

Next, she stressed the importance of exercising, adding that this is more than just working out.

You have to exercise. For me, exercise is not necessarily about weight loss, it's about staying healthy. We just have too many body parts and you have to oil them, that's what exercise should be about. It should be a lifestyle. It should be about wanting to stay healthy", she stated.

ALSO READ: 5 important tips that will keep you on track with your fitness resolutions

Apart from making time for her health, Oboli also finds time for her hair. The proud 'naturalista' (a woman who rocks her natural hair that is not permed) shared her tips for growing and maintaining healthy natural hair like hers.

To have great natural hair, she recommends loving ones hair. Just take care of your hair and it will take care of you right back. Are you loving your hair? It's a living organism, it wants love. So if you are loving it, it will love you right back by growing, Omoni said.

She goes on to talk about washing, deep conditioning, hydration and henna (a one-of-a-kind ingredient that smooths, softens and strengthens natural hair).

In Obolis words, How often are you washing your hair? How often are you doing deep conditioning? Our hair is kinky so it can be quite tough to handle and if you don't deep condition, it breaks. It's not soft enough for you to manage. You have got to deep condition. I henna my hair quite a bit."

For naturalistas, I would say consider using henna once a month,once in six weeks or once in two months depending on your schedule and make sure you hydrate your hair a lot, in the morning, at night. Make sure you have a spray bottle of water and maybe a little bit of conditioner and spray on your hair so your hair stays hydrated and it's not dry because when its dry its brittle and it breaks. Once your hair breaks, you wont see growth. So just take care of it and it will take care of you right back, she concluded.

See the original post:
Here is Omoni Obolis secret to staying fit and healthy in spite of a busy schedule - Pulse Nigeria

IT used to be something most of us did every night without too much thought.

But now it seems we have become a nation obsessed with sleep from how much we are getting and when we get it, to the quality of it. More has been revealed about the importance of shut-eye on our long-term health.

7

Data recorded by FitBit shows the average amount of sleep we currently get in the UK is seven hours and 49 minutes a night, with an average bedtime of 11.27pm.

But busy lifestyles mean many struggle to nod off and stay rested.

Much like our diet, the type of person we are is often reflected in our sleeping habits.

Here, sleep psychologist and FitBit expert Hope Bastine tells JENNY FRANCIS what your kip says about you and how to get a good 40 winks.

7

What it is: Like those who binge-eat food, you are all or nothing when it comes to sleep. You often go through stints with much less than six hours a night, getting into bed late because you have binge-watched that box set or stayed out with friends until the early hours. But then it all catches up with you and you binge on sleep, bagging yourself way over ten hours.

Why you sleep like this: You are a free spirit and tend to go where the mood takes you, whether in life, or in bed. It is easy for you to get absorbed in what you are doing. Your mind works by telling you that balance in life is about doing something extremely unhealthy and balancing it by then doing something super-healthy which in reality, does not work. You are in need of routine.

How to sleep better:

1. Try to make your bedtime between the same two hours so you slowly start a new sleep routine.

2. Do not set yourself crazy sleep targets such as: I must get ten hours tonight. You cannot catch up on sleep.

7

What it is: Like an intermittent faster, every night you are awake or asleep, times are clustered together. While you might be in bed for seven hours, you will usually sleep for a solid five or so hours without the slightest interruption, but suddenly find yourself awake for a solid two hours at a random point in the night, unable to get back off.

Why do you sleep like this? You are able to switch off but not for long enough and this translates in your sleep patterns. You worry about things, which means while you can rest, your mind wakes you up after around five hours as you feel like there is something you need to remember.

How to sleep better:

1. An hour before you get ready for bed, write down all the big things on your mind from shopping lists to anything you are worried about. This will help clear your mind.

2. If you wake up in the night, get out of bed and do a relaxing activity with the lights low. Reading, writing, sewing, or light stretches. This will help calm you.

7

What it is: Like the person who eats little snacks throughout the day, you grab sleep when you can. It is not unusual for you to have a couple of naps a day, then sleep for a couple of hours in blocks at night. You sleep when you feel tired and are up and about when you are awake.

Why you sleep like this: You are a busy person, have your own sense of rhythm and are comfortable doing what feels right for you. But you could be missing out on vital amounts of shut-eye.

How to sleep better:

1. Start by making your sleep/nap chunks longer, for example two-hour naps at a time. This will be hard at first but once you manage to achieve this, keep upping it until you learn to sleep for longer.

2. Organise your schedule to be more in tune with your circadian (natural) rhythm. Make an effort to be active during the day to keep your body from thinking it needs sleep, and turn down the lights two hours before bedtime to make your body want to sleep when everyone else does.

7

What it is: Much like one of the biggest diet crazes of eating in an eight-hour window, you sleep near exactly to a 16:8 ratio. Awake and alert during the day, and in bed for around eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Why you sleep like this: You like routine and are well conditioned to the environment around you. You try not to over-think things and see sleep as something to enjoy rather than dread.

How to sleep better:

1. Continue to make the best of your energy levels throughout the day by getting regular exercise. This will keep your inner clock awake during the day and tired at night.

2. Stick to a wind-down routine before sleep every night, this can help you fall off even quicker.

7

What it is: Like the One Meal A Day diet, where you wait for the big eating event of the day, you wait for your chunk of sleep. You take ages to nod off, only to finally fall asleep only a few hours before you have to get up. Or you go off without any problems only to wake up at 3am, unable to go back to sleep until the alarm clock goes off.

Why you sleep like this: You are quite an anxious person, and probably suffer from tired-but-wired syndrome. It takes you a while to decompress. You cant switch off as you overthink the Ive got to go to sleep or Ill be tired scenario.

How to sleep better:

1. You need a pre-bed mental activity. Find what works for you, whether it is cooking, puzzles or reading to shut off your brain.

2. Pull back from self-medicating with caffeine and alcohol. Try to cut back on both as much as possible to help your mind reset.

7

What it is: Some nights you might enjoy a wonderful eight hours straight, some nights you will wake up throughout the night. Your sleep is completely unpredictable.

Why you sleep like this: You are a responsive soul and react to the content of your day and the environment you are in. You do not respond that well to change. When you have had a stressful day it leads to a restless night.

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How to sleep better:

1. Tune in to your body and acknowledge when you are stressed, emotional, excited or relaxed. You can work on trying to stop any anxiety or over-excitement in its tracks before you reach bedtime.

2. Start a nightly journal to write down what you have done that day, how you are feeling. And notice routines in your patterns.

More:
From binger to grazer, six different sleep diets and how you can improve your kip - The Sun