Dr. Usha Upreti

1. Boost immunity

It’s important to take care of our health throughout the year but during the winter months it becomes even more essential. Eating well, getting enough sleep and staying active are all important during winter to help keep you and your family healthy and to support your immune systems. Supplements containing herbs and nutrients such as echinacea, garlic, vitamin c, and zinc will help to support healthy immune function.

2. Keep moving

While it’s a little harder to find the motivation to exercise when it is cold outside, remember that keeping active during winter is essential to support our health and wellbeing. Moving your exercise indoors during winter will help to keep you warm as well as fit and healthy. Be sure to spend time warming up before you start your exercise as it can take a little longer for your joints to loosen up in the cold weather.

3. Eating well

As winter sets in it can be tempting to start eating more of those warm comfort foods that are often high in fat, salt and sugar. Instead, find comfort in foods such as warming and nourishing soups and stews full of flavour and healthy vegetables. Be sure your diet includes winter fruit and vegetables packed with vitamins and minerals such as sweet potato, green leafy vegetables, beetroot, kiwi fruit, mandarins, bananas, garlic and ginger.

4. Weight management

Ditching the exercise as well as the salads during winter can often lead to weight gain. While it may only be a small weight gain, it begins to add up as you get more and more winters under your belt! although it’s tempting to hide behind those bulky winter clothes, by sticking to your healthy diet and exercise routine all year round, you’ll be much healthier in the long run and won’t dread the next swimming season with the kids!

5. Sleeping well

Proper sleep (eight hours for an adult) can help keep the body's immune system healthy and fight off colds. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes as these substances can affect the quality of your sleep. Regular, moderate exercise, relaxation techniques and establishing a regular sleep routine may help to promote improved sleep.

6. Skin health

The cold weather can affect our skin and contribute to conditions such as dry, itchy skin, chill blains and eczema. This may be due to the reduced humidity, drinking less water than you would during summer or possibly due to reduced circulation which may decrease the flow of blood and nutrients to the skin. Using moisturisers daily may help to keep the skin moist and supple whilst supplements containing vitamin e or garlic help assist blood circulation. If any of your family suffers psoriasis or eczema, try taking fish oils. These provide omega-3 which can help manage these itchy skin conditions. And don’t forget the sunscreen, it is important to remember we can still get sunburnt when the weather is cold!

7. Keeping bugs at bay

Although we can do a lot to support our health and immunity during winter it is not always possible to avoid catching a cold or flu. The viruses that cause colds are spread by sneezing, coughing and hand contact. Wash or sanitise your hands regularly and avoid close contact with someone who has a cold. Keep household surfaces clean as well as kids’ toys when someone in the family has a cold. If you are ill, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, including water, hot tea and soup. Avoid alcohol and caffeine and get plenty of sleep. Supplements such as vitamin c, zinc and echinacea may help relieve the symptoms and reduce the duration of a cold.

8. Stress and healthy mood

While stress is a part of everyday life, and some stress helps us to meet challenging situations, excessive amounts of stress may be linked to negative effects across a range of areas. Stress can lower the resistance to nasty bugs by depressing the immune system. Importantly, stress increases your need for dietary magnesium which is important for muscle and nerve function. Many of the b vitamins e. G. B1, b5, b6 and b12 are also needed for a healthy nervous system. The herb st john's wort may help to relieve nervousness, irritability and help support emotional balance. It may also be beneficial to help promote healthy mood balance but speak to your doctor or healthcare practitioner before starting a supplement like this.

9. Circulation

During winter our hands and feet can often feel cold. Our hands and feet are at the extremities of our bodies which means they are the furthest from the heart which is pumping blood around our body to help keep us warm. Vitamin e and the herb ginkgo help to support peripheral blood circulation, thereby alleviating cold hands and feet. Keep moving with gentle exercise to help improve circulation to the extremities of the body and don’t forget your socks and gloves! if you can’t seem to keep your hands warm (and it’s not bothering you excessively) take solace in the old saying “cold hands, warm heart”!

10. Stay hydrated

Don’t forget to keep drinking water! as the weather cools down and our thirst decreases it is easy to forget to drink enough water. You still need to aim for about two litres/day of water during winter as it is essential for our body to function. If you struggle with plain water (like we do sometimes) try herbal tea. There are so many flavours available now that you’re sure to find some you enjoy.

Thanda thanda cool cool earthen pots (matka)

For generations, earthen pots or matkas have been used to store water and keep it cool.

Its made by the combination of two types of mud clay 1st is taken from surface of earth and 2nd after digging more than 10 feet deeper in earth. 

Earthen pot not only makes the water chilled during summer but also provides healing elements of earth. More importantly the earthen pot transfers the coolness to the water according to the climatic conditions; which is the special quality of earthen pot that no other container has. The chilled water of earthen pots during summer has no other replacement in quenching the thirst and satisfaction of drinking water.

So go ahead stock on those lovely earthen pots.

Menopause is the time in a woman's life when the menstruation ceases, bringing an end to a woman's childbearing years. There are a number of symptoms that mark this stage, including hot flashes, which are very commonly experienced in such cases. Hot flashes are like a feeling of a red hot flush that may wash over the body and lead to excessive sweating. It occurs in the blood vessels that are closest to the surface of the skin. Yet, menopause is not the only reason why one may experience these hot flashes.

Here are some of the reasons that may trigger these hot flashes:

1. Carcinoid syndrome: This is a disease that may cause hot flashes as a symptom. In this condition, a tumour will usually release varied chemicals into the body, which can create varied symptoms that seem like hot flashes.

2. Hyperthyroidism: Overheating of the body and the system from within is something that many patients suffering from hyperthyroidism may experience. This usually happens when the thyroid glands end up producing too much of the thyroid hormone that brings about many symptoms ranging from depression to weight loss and even hot flashes. In hyperthyroidism, the body goes into a hyper mode, which usually leads to overheating of the same. This gives rise to frequent and often severe hot flashes.

3. Hormonal changes: There are many hormonal changes that may affect various men and women from time to time. A drop in the level of the estrogen hormone is something that many women go through on a regular basis. This may happen due to pregnancy as well. Also, this condition usually brings about symptoms like hot flashes.

4. Eating disorders: The way we eat and nurture our body is the way the body reacts. When there is a case of an eating disorder like dyslexia or bulimia, it may lead to varied symptoms, including hot flashes. This is due to the fact that the body's hormonal levels as well as the nutritional level plunge to an all-time low. In many such cases, hot flashes are the body's way of demanding better nutrition. These disorders can also give rise to related conditions like the hypothalamus disorder.

5. Hypothalamus disorder: Hypothalamus disorder may also cause hot flashes. This is a condition that is caused due to poor eating habits. This disorder is characterised by a major drop in one's nutrition levels and also leads to many hormonal changes. These changes often lead to symptoms like hot flashes and other related complications. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a gynaecologist.

Cancer is one of the most fatal diseases in the world. Stomach cancer is also known as 'Gastric cancer'. Like other diseases, it is crucial that it gets identified in the early stages and gets treated before it reaches the incurable stage. Like other forms of cancer, the exact cause of stomach cancer is still not yet known. However, certain things make stomach cancer more likely to happen.

The possible causes of stomach cancer are given below:

Some of these causes apply to nearly all forms of cancer. However, some of them only apply to stomach cancer.

1. Smoking
2. Obesity
3. Bad diet
4. Stomach surgery for an ulcer
5. Type-A blood
6. Epstein-Barr virus infection
7. Genetics
8. Asbestos
9. Exposure to certain materials in certain industries
10. Helicobacter pylori bacteria
11. Gastritis
12. Anemia
13. Polyps 

Some of the symptoms of stomach cancer are:

Stomach cancer like all other forms of cancer has various stages and it is crucial that it is diagnosed in the early stages so that the progression of it is stymied. At first, the symptoms of stomach cancer include indigestion, loss of appetite, slight nausea, heartburn and the feeling of being bloated after a meal.

However, indigestion and heartburn, doesn't always mean that you have stomach cancer, but if these conditions persist, you should visit a doctor to rule out the possibility of stomach cancer.

The growth of the tumor in your stomach can lead to various serious symptoms too, such as:

1. Stomach pain
2. Heartburn
3. Blood in your stool
4. Weakness or exhaustion
5. Vomiting
6. Diarrhea and constipation
7. Weight loss for no apparent reason
8. Swelling in your stomach
9. Trouble in swallowing
10. Eyes and skin turn yellowish