Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

• Glucose decreases
• Sodium decreases
• Total cholesterol decreases
• Triglycerides decrease
• HDL cholesterol increases
• LDL cholesterol decreases
• VLDL cholesterol decreases
• Cholinesterase increases
• Catecholamines decrease
• ATPase increases
• Hematocrit increases
• Hemoglobin increases
• Lymphocyte count increases
• Total white blood cell count decreases
• Thyroxin increases
• Vitamin C increases
• Total serum protein increases

Psychological Benefits of Yoga

• Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
• Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
• Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
• Social adjustment increases
• Anxiety and Depression decrease
• Hostility decreases
• Concentration improves
• Memory improves
• Attention improves
• Learning efficiency improves
• Mood improves
• Self-actualization increase
• Social skills increases
• Well-being increases
• Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
• Self-acceptance increase
• Attention improves
• Concentration improves
• Memory improves
• Learning efficiency improves
• Symbol coding improves
• Depth perception improves
• Flicker fusion frequency improves

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga books tell us that Yoga, as we all know, is aimed to unite the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yogis view that the mind and the body are one, and that if it is given the right yoga kit and tools and taken to the right environment, it can find harmony and heal itself. Yoga therefore is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment. This is one of the foremost reasons why people want to start Practicing Yoga - to feel fitter, be more energetic, be happier and peaceful.

Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is consists of Ancient Theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted to look at the Health Benefits of Yoga - from the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama), and Meditation. The information on Yoga Poses & Benefits are grouped into three categories-physiological, psychological, biochemical effects. Furthermore, scientists have laid these results against the benefits of regular exercise.

Physiological Benefits of Yoga

1. Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
2. Pulse rate decreases
3. Respiratory rate decreases
4. Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hypo reactors)
5. Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
6. EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
7. EMG activity decreases
8. Cardiovascular efficiency increases
9. Respiratory efficiency increases
10. Gastrointestinal function normalizes
11. Endocrine function normalizes
12. Excretory functions improve
13. Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
14. Breath-holding time increases
15. Joint range of motion increase
16. Grip strength increases
17. Eye-hand coordination improves
18. Dexterity skills improve
19. Reaction time improves
20. Posture improves
21. Strength and resiliency increase
22. Endurance increases
23. Energy level increases
24. Weight normalizes
25. Sleep improves
26. Immunity increases
27. Pain decreases
28. Steadiness improves
29. Depth perception improves
30. Balance improves
31. Integrated functioning of body parts improves

Sitting too much could be deadly

Here's a new warning from health experts: Sitting is deadly. Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods — even if you also exercise regularly — could be bad for your health. And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place — at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV — just the overall number of hours it occurs. In an editorial published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Elin Ekblom-Bak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences suggested that authorities rethink how they define physical activity to highlight the dangers of sitting. While health officials have issued guidelines recommending minimum amounts of physical activity, they haven't suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.

Research is preliminary, but several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die. "After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals," Ekblom-Bak said. She explained that genes regulating the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down.
Even for people who exercise, spending long stretches of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day — but still spend a lot of time sitting — might get more benefit if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single bout.
That wasn't welcome news for Aytekin Can, 31, who works at a London financial company, and spends most of his days sitting in front of a computer. Several evenings a week, Can also teaches jiu jitsu, a Japanese martial art involving wrestling, and also does Thai boxing. "I'm sure there are some detrimental effects of staying still for too long, but I hope that being active when I can helps," he said. "I wouldn't want to think the sitting could be that dangerous."
Still, in a study published last year that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, independently of whether or not they exercised. "We don't have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is bad," said Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, who led the Canadian study. "But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary behavior, the better." Figures from a U.S. survey in 2003-2004 found Americans spend more than half their time sitting, from working at their desks to sitting in cars. Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible to offset those effects.
"People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits," Ekblom-Bak said. "But when they're in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible," she said. "Don't just send your colleague an e-mail. Walk over and talk to him. Standing up."

BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS

No Breakfast:
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
Overeating:
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
Smoking:
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
High Sugar Consumption:
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development..
Air Pollution:
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
Sleep Deprivation:
Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.
Head Covered while Sleeping:
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.
Working Your Brain During Illness:
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
Lacking in Stimulating Thoughts:
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
Talking Rarely:
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain, and talking rarely also harm your brain.

Control Your Blood Pressure

Garlic: Garlic is very effective in lowering blood pressure. Take 2-3 raw garlic cloves a day. It slows down the pulse rate and relieves the symptoms of dizziness, numbness and shortness of breath and formation of gas within the digestive system.
Gooseberry: Gooseberry is also very effective in controlling high blood pressure.
Lemon: Lemon is also very effective food in controlling high blood pressure. It helps in maintaining capillary fragility.
Grapefruit: Grapefruit is useful in preventing high blood pressure.
Watermelon: Watermelon also safeguards against high blood pressure. The seeds of watermelon also can be dried and roasted and taken in liberal amounts.
Rice: Rice is low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-salt content is very good for people suffering from high B.P. who have been advised salt-restricted diet. Particularly brown rice having calcium soothes and relaxes the nervous system and helps relieve High B.P symptoms.
Potato: Boiled potatoes are very valuable in lowering high B.P. Boiled potatoes absorb very little salt and thus are very useful. Potatoes are rich in Potassium and not sodium salts and magnesium present in potato is also beneficial.
Parsley: Parsley is very useful in high blood pressure. It helps maintain the blood vessels. Parsley can be taken as a beverage by simmering 20gms of fresh parsley leaves gently in 250 ml of water for a few minutes. Drink this several times a day.
Vegetable Juice: Raw vegetable juices, especially carrot and spinach juices, taken separately or in combination, are also beneficial in the treatment of high B.P If taken in combination, 300 ml of carrot juice and 200 ml of spinach juice should be mixed to make 500 ml and taken daily. If taken separately, one glass should be taken twice daily, morning and evening.
Cut down on these: Cut down on salt, cholesterol, fat, tea, coffee and alcohol intake to keep a tab on high blood pressure.
Don't repress your feelings: Don't repress your feelings, talk about them to friends and exercise regularly.

Cigarette Smoke Can Affect Children's Behavior

The study conducted by German scientists said that the babies who are still in the womb and the children at 1 year of age who are exposed to cigarette smoke will be able to make a problem of their behavior during the school years later. The study also published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Greater risk will occur in children when they are in the womb who has been exposed to cigarettes smoke because it will affect the behavior problems during their childhood. The scientists revealed that the children in the womb for mothers who smoke will have a 90 percent risk of abnormal behavior problems. Whereas children after birth and exposed to cigarette smoke has a 30 percent risk of their behavior problems.
Based on a list of questions that have been given by scientists to conduct research has produced data that revealed a hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, and social interaction problems were due more because of the impact of cigarette smoke than other factors such as external social and environmental factors. Seeing the risk of cigarette smoke is greater in children who were conceived by pregnant mothers so the researchers suggest that mothers who are pregnant for consideration so as not smoking for the sake of their children's future. However, because of the environmental conditions as much as possible to avoid environmental tobacco smoke. We know that the cigarette smoke is very detrimental health for adults, can be imagined when it exposed to children or infants.