Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, which is essential for various functions and it is not produced or stored by the body, so it is important that the food contains adequate amount of it. It plays a vital role in heart, eyes, skin, and prenatal health and immunity. Long-term non-availability of vitamin C can lead to various symptoms, which though are not immediately threatening, can turn dangerous in the long run.

Bruised skin: Easy bruising is one of the early symptoms of vitamin C deficiency. There could be capillaries which appear superficial and have an increased tendency to bruise and bleed. There could also be unexplained reddish purple marks on the skin in people who have low levels of vitamin C.
Bleeding gums: Another major indicator of vitamin C deficiency is swollen gums that tend to bleed easily. This again is related to their role in collagen formation and if not identified and treated in the early phases, it can lead to severe gum inflammation, periodontal disease, and even loss of teeth.
Slow wound healing: Vitamin C has an important role to play in connective tissue formation, and if there is less of vitamin C in the body, collagen formation is delayed. This can lead to prolonged and delayed healing of wounds, even simple ones like cuts and bruises. The added role of vitamin C as an immune booster also leads to reduced healing when there is vitamin C deficiency.
Nosebleeds: Frequent unexplained nosebleeds is another sign of vitamin C deficiency. Reduced amounts of vitamin C make the capillaries fragile causing them to bleed easily.
Dry skin: While weather does determine if the skin is dry or normal, vitamin C also does. The decreased levels of collagen can lead to an unhealthy skin which can turn red and can be dry and can also lead to keratosis pilaris, which is an accumulation of melanin pigments in the skin. Good amounts of vitamin D helps as a good anti-ageing agent and reduces wrinkles and retains moisture. It also has sun protective effects and antioxidant properties.
Unexplained weight gain: Vitamin C plays a vital role in fat metabolism and therefore deficiency leads to weight accumulation, especially around the waist. It helps oxidise fat and so helps in weight regulation.
Lowered immunity: Vitamin C deficiency affects the body s susceptibility to infections, making it prone to more severe and frequent infections. People catching a common cold very frequently could be suffering from vitamin C deficiency.
Emotional health: Vitamin C is also a mood regulator, so inadequate amount can lead to depression. Try eating a juicy orange and see yourself feeling better!

Vitamin C - 8 Reasons Why Your Body Needs It!

There are three main types of eating disorders. These are bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge eating. Anorexia nervosa is an exaggerated fear of gaining weight all the way to the point when the patient becomes abnormally thin. Bulimia nervosa is eating too much and then vomiting it out on a regular basis. Binge eating is when an individual eats an excessive amount of food in one go. All three types of eating disorders have adverse effects on pregnancy. 

Here is how eating disorders affect pregnancies:

1. Unplanned pregnancies: Women with eating disorders are much more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy. This is true both for women who had eating disorders in the past as well as women who have eating disorders at the moment. In a study by University College London and King's College London consisting of 11000 women showed, only 28% of women reported that they had an unplanned pregnancy without suffering from any eating disorder as compared to the 41% who did have an eating disorder at some point in their life. The reason for this is that women tend to think that they do not need contraceptives due to an irregular menstrual cycle, which is one of the consequences of eating disorders during pregnancy. 

2. Happiness about their pregnancy: The same survey of 11000 women conducted by University College London and King's College London reported that 71% of women were happy about their pregnancies. However, the number would have been a lot higher if there were fewer women with eating disorders. It has been said that 10% of women were unhappy to discover they were pregnant, if they had an eating disorder in the past as compared to 4% who never had an eating disorder.

3. Consider pregnancy a 'personal sacrifice': It has also been said that women who have had or have eating disorders during or before their pregnancy tend to consider pregnancy as a 'personal sacrifice' much more often than women who have no history or eating disorders.

Even though mostly, eating disorders affect pregnant women mentally rather than physically, it is crucial that women try to fix this problem before their pregnancy so they actually can enjoy having a baby.

How Eating Disorders Affect Pregnancy?

If you are feeling lethargic, it s time that you get sufficient amount of vitamin B12 in your regular diet. Vitamins are wonderful gifts of nature to keep your organs and body healthy and active. Your brain stops functioning properly in case of vitamin B12 deficiency. Not just that, it has a wide range of health benefits. It keeps you moving and energetic in life. In fact, for a healthy life, you must make it an indispensable part of your existence. Most of us often forget to take vitamin rich diet and depend on junk food a lot. This dependency on fast foods leads to vitamin deficiency. According to a report, about 40% Americans are tested with low vitamin B12 levels. 

This is not good for a healthy life. Thus, it is advisable that you take care of your diet. But prior to that, you must know why vitamin B12 is so essential. Well, here s all that you get from vitamin B12:

Provides energy: Vitamin B12 is needed for energy supply. It generates energy in your body and takes away lethargy from you. Your cells stay happy and healthy with the intake of vitamin B12. It balances your life by providing you the right amount of energy.
Saves your heart: The cardiovascular system requires vitamin B12 for proper functioning. It removes a harmful protein homocysteine from the bloodstream. This compound can damage arteries and cause inflammatory and heart diseases.
Strengthens your bones: Researchers have found that patients with osteoporosis have greater amounts of homocysteine in the blood. They have lower amounts of vitamin B12 in their bodies. Thus, sufficient intake of vitamin B12 protects bones. They help in calcium absorption and keep bones healthy.
Prevents nerve damage: Vitamin B12 safeguards your nerves by keeping them away from toxins and free and harmful radicals in the bloodstream. They form a covering on the nerves called myelin sheaths. Nerves get damaged completely or partially without these covering.
Keeps you away from depression: It regulates your mood by the production of a chemical called serotonin. Deficiency of vitamin b12 makes you feel lonely, irritated or frustrated always.
Protects health of brain: Researchers believe that Alzheimer s patients have poor B12 levels in the blood. This vitamin helps in protection of nerve cells and their coverings. They also protect the myelin sheaths of brain cells. An adequate amount of vitamin B12 in the body keeps you away from dementia.

Vitamin B12 - How Important It Is For Your Diet?

Surya Namaskar literally translates to  bowing to the sun.  It is a combination of 12 yoga asanas, where the body, mind, and soul are brought into complete synchrony. They are done in sets, some do 12, some 15, while some 30 depending on their endurance. Scientifically too, there are multiple benefits from Surya namaskar. Read on to know the most prominent ones.
International Yoga Day 2021 will be celebrated on Monday, June 21, 2021. Since 2015, International Yoga Day is observed on June 21 to spread awareness among the masses about the importance of Yoga and its effects upon human health.

Stretching and flexibility: The 12 asanas which are part of the Surya Namaskar ensure that every part of the body is exercise. The flexibility that comes with it is to be experienced to be believed. This is extremely beneficial for the bones, joints, and ligaments of the entire body and spine.
Improves internal organ functioning: The various stretching improves blood flow to the organs and improves their functioning. The result is a better functioning digestive system and kidneys, which help in better absorption of nutrients from food and thorough elimination of metabolic wastes. Detox happens naturally, with the release of trapped gasses and improved enzyme secretion.
Weight loss: One of the best-proven ways to lose weight is to do the 12 asanas regularly on a daily basis. It is a perfect workout involving the complete body and is great for losing weight around the belly. It also is proven to improve the thyroid gland functioning, which plays a significant role in metabolism and leads to weight gain.
Bone health: Traditionally, it is done during the early morning hours, at sunrise, which ensures the body gets the required amount of vitamin D. This is essential for good bone health.
Stress buster: Stress release happens in multiple ways. Deep focused breathing is one of them. During the asanas, control over breathing is very essential and so stress control is ensured. Various muscles and bones get tense with stress, and thorough stretching helps relieve the stress buildup. The mind is also calmed during the workout, and so stress relief is further enhanced.
Cure for insomnia: People who are not able to sleep should do Surya Namaskar on a regular basis and ensure sound sleep regularly. Both stress relief and the perfect workout ensures good sleep is guaranteed.
Helpful in menstrual cycles: Women who have cramps during their menstrual cycles have shown very good improvement with the inclusion of this exercise. It also is shown to benefit people with irregular menstruation via the improved circulation. Pregnant women doing Surya Namaskars are more likely to have a normal delivery.
Glowing Skin: With the release of toxins and stress, a glowing skin is but natural.
This is not all; try the Surya Namaskar and see for yourself.

International Yoga Day - 8 Ways Surya Namaskar Is Good For Health!

Yoga is a great way to get rid of diseases and health conditions from heart problems to sciatica and depression. There exists a body of research suggesting that yoga is the best healing therapy for improving spine alignment and joint health. But on the flip side, research also suggests that yoga can t cure cancers though it can help one deal with chemotherapy.

But you can certainly try yoga for these diseases and conditions



Digestive disorders: There are a number of asanas and pranayamas like the child pose or bala asana and kapalbhati pranayama, which can alleviate indigestion, gas and flatulence. These also help in bowel movement. The Boat pose which is done by stretching your legs and arms straight out parallel in front of you and then raising legs so toes are above eye level is very good for stomach disorders and so is the downward dog pose.
Heart disease: Bhujangasana or cobra pose stretches the chest, massaging organs inside, including heart, and allowing more blood flow to it, thus stimulating and strengthening heart muscle. Kapalbhati pranayama is also very good for the heart since it increases the absorption of oxygen in the blood. Yoga is proven to be an excellent heart risk improvement practice according to current research too.
Depression: Anulom vilom pranayama is extremely effective in tackling anxiety and depression. It slows down breathing and is effective against hypertension too when done regularly over a long time. The deep breathing done while doing this pranayama helps slow heart rate and allows the lungs to absorb more oxygen.
Diabetes: Surya namaskar or the twelve sun salutation poses help control diabetes as it promotes the production of insulin. The corpse pose is good too.
Headaches: Migraines and headaches are common problems that can be handled using yoga. Poses like Sirsasana that increase the flow of oxygen to the brain can alleviate migraines easily.
Thyroid disorders: Yoga asanas like shoulder stand, inverted pose, plough pose and the fish pose all help in making the thyroid gland work optimally again. The cobra pose and Ujjayi pranayama also work wonders by re-balancing metabolism and working on the throat reflex pathways to cure thyroid imbalance. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.
Body pain: More than 50 percent adults will face body pain due to a number of reasons in their lifetime. Simple stretching or yoga stretches can both help in the prevention of body pain. Tadasana is very good for aligning the vertebral column and getting rid of body pain. Surya namaskar stretches are very helpful too.

7 Common Diseases That Yoga Postures Help In Managing It

4 Simple ways to lose your baby weight naturally

Having a baby brings about a number of changes in your life, including a change in the way you look. The nine months see you putting on additional weight, which you try to shed off once you deliver. To help you get back into shape, here are some very effective and simple ways that you can follow:

Losing weight doesn't mean you need to get started on a vigorous exercise regimen; even a simple walk around your apartment block can help you to lose your baby weight. Whether it's going up and down the stairs for 15 minutes or pushing the stroller for about 30 minutes, such activities can bring your body's calorie-burning capacity back on track.

Breastfeed to burn about 600-800 calories everyday

Breastfeeding is not only good for your newborn but also for you. Breastfeeding your child can help you to lose weight considerably as it's a great way of burning off all the baby fat.

Lift weights to speed up your body's metabolism

Lifting weights can aid in improving your body's metabolism, thereby helping you to lose your baby weight effectively. By adding weight training to your fitness regimen, you're in fact helping yourself to build muscle mass and losing weight in the process. To do this, you don't need any gym equipment, for instance, you can do lunges while taking your baby around in a stroller. Or do them while holding your child close to your chest.

Always snack healthily

Having healthy snacks in place of high-calorie sugary foods can help you to get back your post-pregnancy shape. Studies show that yogurt and low-fat milk can help in weight loss as the calcium content present in these two foods block a hormone that assists the body in storing fat. Moreover, consuming foods high in fiber like raisins and figs can help in improving your digestion.

Get adequate sleep

Sleeping is another way in which you can shed off those extra kilos. Try to sleep whenever you get the time as it'll help to keep you from binging on junk foods as well as keep your energy levels in check.



4 Simple ways to lose your baby weight naturally

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