Dr. Minakashi Bakshi

Working out is more of a habit than anything else. While making a start is the easy part, continuing it for a longer duration to get effective results is the hard thing. The trick is to have the same amount of motivation and enthusiasm going every day.

Here is a list of tricks that will convince you to follow your workout schedule on a daily basis:

1. Compete with others: A goal of getting fit by x date may not be the best motivation. Instead, compete with others. Take part in a CrossFit competition or an obstacle race. There are competitions which take money to enrol. Participating in events like this will help you to be more focused in the endeavour to compete with others.
2. Motivational songs: Songs are a great tonic for people who have just started working out. Get all your favorite songs on your iPod and hit the ground running. Make sure you keep changing songs every alternate day. Listening to the same songs every day while working out can be monotonous.
3. Put personal stuff on the line: You can keep the money, movie tickets or a basketball to your friend’s place on the condition that if you manage to reach your goals, you will take it back. This will convince you to put your best efforts while working out. People tend to work more when they know that personal belongings are on the line. If you are tech savvy, you can bet on apps such as pact and dietet.com. Both these apps work on similar lines.
4. Workout for a cause: Self-motivation is a hard thing to achieve. You can sweat for a charity of your choice. This way you feel accountable to a lot of many people who are counting on you. The fear of letting someone down will convince you to workout daily and put your best efforts every day.
5. Let go of your sleeping clothes: The comfortable pyjamas or the cozy blanket can kill your motivation of getting up early in the morning. One good way to tackle this is to sleep in your workout clothes. This will constantly keep you reminded about the job in hand.
6. Click pictures: The scale reading of your waist can be deceiving. Click pictures instead and compare them every month. This way you will see a visible result, which in turn will motivate you to give your best.
7. Let someone monitor you: Working out alone can be boring. Let a friend or an instructor monitor you for the first few months. This way you will be under constant supervision and answerable to someone in case you miss your workout on odd days.

If you wish to discuss about any specific eye problem, you can consult the doctor and ask a free question.

Health is wealth! This age old adage holds true even today. The usual practice of 3 meals a day needs some tinkering and 5 small meals a day seems like a good way forward. Go to any dietician or any nutritionist and they will vouch for its benefits. So, let us now take a look at the many advantages that come up with this multiple meal plan:

1. Alter the food schedule and instil a sense of discipline: It helps in altering your food schedule. When you spread your meals throughout the day, it allows you to try different dishes without over consuming any one dish. With more opportunities to eat healthy, you can develop proper diet charts and follow it properly across the entire day. Moreover, it teaches you discipline to keep a check on your diet.
2. Keeps a check on binge eating and overeating:  Five meals a day plan can help you control your weight. Intake of small meals prevents binge eating. You don't need to consume in large quantity at once if there are more meals to look forward to throughout the duration of the day. Smaller meals, condition you in such a way that you do not indulge in overeating even if you are outside.
3. Something in every meal: Since you're opting for five meals a day, you will indulge in different types of food items throughout the day right from vegetables, fruits, cereals, eggs, milk-shakes and much more. This will not only keep your palette satisfied, but will also make sure that you get all the right amount of nutrients as nothing healthy will be left out.
4. Goes hand in hand with all the diet charts and plans: Eating healthy and in small portion ensures that you are on course for your diet plan. Five meals a day will give you a chance to screen your nourishment intake and manage it more viably. It also helps in keeping your appetite under check. It maintains a healthy balance between healthy eating and satiating your hunger.

Disregard the three-feast model; it has now become obsolete. Your busy schedule requests that you take a more dynamic approach to your nourishment. Five meals a day is just the right way to ensure that you have your share of proper nutrients every day.

Related Tip: "5 Energy - Boosting Foods to Try"

The acids help the body dissolve the food particles and also break it down to more basic elements. However, when the body produces too much acid, it causes acid reflux which can cause discomfort. Too much acid within the body, which is also known as hyperacidity, can be caused by a multitude of factors.

Known and effective Ayurvedic cures: Ayurveda considers acidity to be a 'Pitta' problem and it can be corrected by following certain simple steps. There are other food ingredients which are also used as remedial tools. Let's have a look at some of the dos and don'ts of Ayurvedic remedies for acidity.

Don'ts for acidity according to Ayurveda:

1. Limit junk food and other foods, which are very heavy in fats and processed items: Most processed foods and junk food usually made in stores contain unhealthy fats. The stomach needs to produce more acid in order to digest them and thus may end up causing acidity.

2. Stop excessive consumption of tea, coffee: Stop consumption of caffeinated beverages such as tea, coffee and other caffeine injected drinks which may encourage the production of more stomach acids.

3. Stop the consumption of alcohol and cooperates: Apart from being generally bad for health as both of these are known contributors of cancers, they can even affect smaller day to day functions and can lead to acidity.

4. Don't consume foods which are high in acidic content: If you tend to like food which is very high in acidic content, it is advisable to limit its consumption. Some examples of this are:

1. Vinegar
2. Curds
3. Pickles
4. Tamarinds
5. Sour citrus fruits
6. Salty fried foods

Dos for acidity according to Ayurveda:
There are multiple solutions for acidity in Ayurveda which have been known cures for generations. Let's take a look at some of these.

1. Do have meals on time: It is best to not skip meals as this can cause the acidity levels within the stomach to rise if it doesn't have any food to digest. It is especially harmful to skip breakfast and then have a heavy lunch to compensate.
2. Do have amla or Indian gooseberry: This is a very effective weapon against acidity and chewing a few morsels will easily cure the problems in your stomach.
3. Pomegranate Juice: Very small quantities of Pomegranate juice on a daily basis will be very beneficial for a bad case of acid reflux.
4. Coconut water: Drink coconut water as it is known to have properties to neutralize the stomach acids.
5. Aniseed: Also known as saunf, you can chew them raw and slowly swallow with water for quick relief from acidity.
6. Jeera: Jeera consumed with warm ghee and then mixed with rice tends to be very good for acidity as well. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a ayurveda and ask a free question.