Lifestyle

While increasing physical activity, eating healthfully, and meeting new acquaintances are all positive behaviours, new CU Boulder study indicates that adding gardening can have a significant effect.

The first-ever randomised, controlled trial of community gardening, funded by the American Cancer Society, revealed that individuals who started gardening ate more fibre and received more exercise, two recognised strategies to lower the risk of cancer and chronic illnesses. Additionally, they saw a notable reduction in their stress and anxiety levels. The Lancet Planetary Health journal reported the findings.

“These findings provide concrete evidence that community gardening could play an important role in preventing cancer, chronic diseases, and mental health disorders,” said senior author Jill Litt, a professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at CU Boulder.

Filling the research gap

Litt has spent much of her career seeking to identify affordable, scalable, and sustainable ways to reduce disease risk, especially among low-income communities.
Gardening seemed an ideal place to start.

“No matter where you go, people say there’s just something about gardening that makes them feel better,” said Litt, who is also a researcher with the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.
But solid science on its benefits is hard to come by. Without evidence, it’s hard to get support for new programs, she said.
Some small observational studies have found that people who garden tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and have a healthier weight. But it has been unclear whether healthier people just tend to garden or whether gardening influences health.

Only three studies have applied the gold standard of scientific research, the randomized controlled trial, to the pastime. None have looked specifically at community gardening.

To fill the gap, Litt recruited 291 non-gardening adults, an average age of 41, from the Denver area. More than a third were Hispanic and more than half came from low-income households.

After the last spring frost, half were assigned to the community gardening group and half to a control group that was asked to wait one year to start gardening.

The gardening group received a free community garden plot, some seeds and seedlings, and an introductory gardening course through the nonprofit Denver Urban Gardens program and a study partner.

Both groups took periodic surveys about their nutritional intake and mental health, underwent body measurements, and wore activity monitors.

A fiber boost

By fall, those in the gardening group were eating, on average, 1.4 grams more fibre per day than the control group–an increase of about 7 per cent.

The authors note that fiber exerts a profound effect on inflammatory and immune responses, influencing everything from how we metabolize food to how healthy our gut microbiome is to how susceptible we are to diabetes and certain cancers.

While doctors recommend about 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day, the average adult consumes less than 16 grams.
“An increase of one gram of fiber can have large, positive effects on health,” said co-author James Hebert, director of the University of South Carolina’s cancer prevention and control program.

The gardening group also increased their physical activity levels by about 42 minutes per week. Public health agencies recommend at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, a recommendation only a quarter of the U.S. population meets. With just two to three visits to the community garden weekly, participants met 28 per cent of that requirement.

Study participants also saw their stress and anxiety levels decrease, with those who came into the study most stressed and anxious seeing the greatest reduction in mental health issues.

The study also confirmed that even novice gardeners can reap measurable health benefits of the pastime in their first season. As they have more experience and enjoy greater yields, Litt suspects such benefits will increase.

Blooming relationships

The study results don’t surprise Linda Appel Lipsius, executive director of Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), a 43-year-old nonprofit that helps about 18,000 people each year grow their own food in community garden plots.
“It’s transformational, even life-saving, for so many people,” Lipsius said.

Many DUG participants live in areas where access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables is otherwise extremely limited. Some are low-income immigrants now living in apartments–having a garden plot allows them to grow food from their home country and pass on traditional recipes to their family and neighbours.

The social connection is also huge.

“Even if you come to the garden looking to grow your food on your own in a quiet place, you start to look at your neighbour’s plot and share techniques and recipes, and over time relationships bloom,” said Litt, noting that while gardening alone is good for you, gardening in the community may have additional benefits. “It’s not just about the fruits and vegetables. It’s also about being in a natural space outdoors together with others.”

Litt said she hopes the findings will encourage health professionals, policymakers and land planners to look to community gardens, and other spaces that encourage people to come together in nature, as a vital part of the public health system. The evidence is clear, she said.

Evidence shows that a person’s sense of purpose, or the degree to which they feel a sense of direction and objectives in their lives, may be associated with health-protective effects such as greater physical functioning and decreased risks of cardiovascular disease or cognitive decline.

A recent study lead by a researcher at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) discovered that those with greater levels of purpose may have a decreased risk of dying from any cause, and that this link holds true regardless of race/ethnicity or gender. The study findings, published in the journal Preventive Medicine, reveal that this link is somewhat stronger in women than in males, but there was no significant difference by race/ethnicity.

“Having a purpose in life has been known to improve many health outcomes on average,” says study lead author Dr. Koichiro Shiba, assistant professor of epidemiology at BUSPH. “In another study I led, we found that the effect of purpose on lowering all-cause mortality may differ by socioeconomic status. In this study, we extended the prior evidence and found that the beneficial effect of purpose persisted regardless of gender and race/ethnicity.”

For the study, Dr. Shiba and colleagues at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan) utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative study of US adults ages 50 and older. The team assessed self-reported sense of purpose among more than 13,000 people, based on the “purpose in life” of the Ryff Psychological Well-being Scales, a widely used tool that measures different aspects of well-being and happiness. The researchers also examined mortality risk over an eight-year period beginning between 2006-2008.

The results showed that people with the highest sense of purpose indicated the lowest risk of death (15.2 percent mortality risk), compared to people with the lowest sense of purpose (36.5 percent mortality risk).

The team also gathered data on additional factors that can influence health, such socioeconomic status, other demographic characteristics, baseline physical health, and depression, and found that an increase in these factors was also associated with increases in a higher sense of purpose.

Dr. Shiba speculates that the stronger observed purpose-mortality association in women may be attributable to gender difference in the use of healthcare services, “one of the postulated pathways linking purpose and health,” he says. “Evidence suggests men tend to underuse necessary healthcare services, due to social norm. However, future study investigating the mechanisms underlying the gender difference is warranted.”

These findings can help inform future policies and other efforts to improve health and well-being.

“This evidence on effect heterogeneity tells us whether population-level purpose interventions can promote people’s health not only on average, but also in an equitable manner,” Dr. Shiba says. “Although evidence suggests purpose interventions would not lead to widening racial disparities in mortality, policymakers should also be aware of other sources of heterogeneity, such as SES and gender. Even though people may view purpose as a ‘psychological’ factor, its impacts on health cannot be explained solely by processes that operate in our mind and biology. We need to consider how the psychological factor interacts with our social world and ultimately impacts our health.”

According to a new study, aerobic exercise can lower the likelihood of cancer metastatic spread by 72%.

According to the researchers, the quantity of glucose (sugar) absorbed by internal organs increases during severe aerobic activity, reducing the amount of energy accessible to the tumour.

Two TAU Sackler Faculty of Medicine researchers led the study: Prof. Carmit Levy from the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry and Dr. Yftach Gepner from the School of Public Health and the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute. Prof. Levy emphasises that the new study has resulted in a very important discovery by combining scientific know-how from different schools at TAU, which may help prevent metastatic cancer – Israel’s leading cause of death.

The paper was published in the prestigious journal Cancer Research and chosen for the cover of the November 2022 issue.

Prof. Levy and Dr. Gepner: “Studies have demonstrated that physical exercise reduces the risk for some types of cancer by up to 35 percent. This positive effect is similar to the impact of exercise on other conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. In this study we added new insight, showing that high-intensity aerobic exercise, which derives its energy from sugar, can reduce the risk of metastatic cancer by as much as 72 percent. If so far the general message to the public has been ‘be active, be healthy’, now we can explain how aerobic activity can maximize the prevention of the most aggressive and metastatic types of cancer.”

The study combined data from healthy human volunteers investigated before and after jogging with an animal model in which mice were trained under a stringent exercise schedule. Human data from an epidemiological research that followed 3,000 people for nearly 20 years revealed that participants who reported frequent high-intensity aerobic activity had 72 percent less metastatic cancer than those who did not engage in physical activity.

The animal model had a similar result, allowing the researchers to uncover the underlying process. They discovered that aerobic activity dramatically decreased the growth of metastatic tumours in the lymph nodes, lungs, and liver by sampling the internal organs of physically fit animals before and after physical exercise, as well as after the injection of malignancy.

The researchers hypothesized that in both humans and model animals, this favorable outcome is related to the enhanced rate of glucose consumption induced by exercise.

Prof. Levy: “Our study is the first to investigate the impact of exercise on the internal organs in which metastases usually develop, like the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes. Examining the cells of these organs we found a rise in the number of glucose receptors during high-intensity aerobic activity – increasing glucose intake and turning the organs into effective energy-consumption machines, very much like the muscles. We assume that this happens because the organs must compete for sugar resources with the muscles, known to burn large quantities of glucose during physical exercise. Consequently, if cancer develops, the fierce competition over glucose reduces the availability of energy that is critical to metastasis. Moreover, when a person exercises regularly, this condition becomes permanent: the tissues of internal organs change and become similar to muscle tissue. We all know that sports and physical exercise are good for our health. Our study, examining the internal organs, discovered that exercise changes the whole body, so that the cancer cannot spread, and the primary tumor also shrinks in size.”

Dr. Gepner added: “Our results indicate that unlike fat-burning exercise, which is relatively moderate, it is a high-intensity aerobic activity that helps in cancer prevention. If the optimal intensity range for burning fat is 65-70 percent of the maximum pulse rate, sugar burning requires 80-85 percent – even if only for brief intervals.

For example: a one-minute sprint followed by walking, then another sprint. In the past, such intervals were mostly typical of athletes’ training regimens, but today we also see them in other exercise routines, such as heart and lung rehabilitation.

Our results suggest that healthy individuals should also include high-intensity components in their fitness programs. We believe that future studies will enable personalized medicine for preventing specific cancers, with physicians reviewing family histories to recommend the right kind of physical activity. It must be emphasized that physical exercise, with its unique metabolic and physiological effects, exhibits a higher level of cancer prevention than any medication or medical intervention to date.”

According to a national poll, youths who correctly answered more COVID-19 exam questions reported less stress, anxiety, and unhappiness, as well as less loneliness and FOMO.

Washington State University researchers polled 215 youths aged 14-17 throughout the United States in July 2020, during the early months of the epidemic, for the study, which was published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies.

“Knowledge was a good thing. The teens who did better on our quiz tended to report lower depression, anxiety and stress — just across the board,” said corresponding author Chris Barry, a WSU psychology professor. “This is a one-time snapshot, so we don’t really know cause and effect, but one presumption is that having accurate information was connected to feeling a little bit more ease during that time.”

Participants were initially asked to answer true or false questions on COVID-19, such as how the virus spreads and the health dangers it poses, by Barry and co-authors Zeinab Mousavi and Brianna Halter. While there were some low results on the exam, the majority of participants performed well, with an average score of 15 out of 18 accurate, and 21.9% correctly answered all of the questions. The participants were then asked a series of questions on their well-being as well as their usage of social media.

While virtually all of the kids, 98.1%, utilised social media in some form or another, those with strong COVID-19 understanding who checked social media less frequently reported the lowest levels of worry.

“There are so many factors with social media,” she said. “For instance, it’s good that you are staying connected with your friends and getting some information, but maybe at a certain point it is making some things worse, giving you more anxiety, rather than helping you cope with the situation.”

The researchers also surveyed the teens’ parents to assess the level of lockdown measures the adolescents were under. They found that the more restrictive quarantine measures were associated with negative well-being for the teens, but that teens’ perceptions of the lockdown were particularly important for well-being. This indicates that perhaps the more that adolescents understood the reason for such measures, or perceived there to be some benefits, the more positive they felt in general, said Barry.

The findings underscore the need for parents and educators to give teens information especially in times of crisis, he added.
“In thinking about adolescent development in general, one of the things that we recommend from a developmental psychology perspective is open communication, so for the pandemic, that means honest, accurate information,” Barry said.

He further urged that parents not only recognise the stress and feelings of isolation that may accompany quarantine, but also assist teenagers in making the best of the situation. For example, if their children miss out on cancelled events, parents might assist them in finding alternative methods to connect with friends or participate in recreational activities. They should also aim to highlight any possible benefits of the experience.

“In an unusual situation like lockdowns, mindset matters,” he said.

According to new research published today in the peer-reviewed journal Arte by the American Heart Association, the cardiovascular effects of cigarettes and e-cigarettes are strikingly similar, and these harmful effects on blood vessel function are likely caused by airway irritation caused by inhalation of a foreign substance, rather than a specific component of cigarette smoke or e-cigarette vapour (aerosol) (ATVB).

Cigarette smoking and e-cigarette vaping are both known to increase endothelial dysfunction, which is the inability of large blood vessels to open adequately to provide adequate blood flow to the heart and other tissues.

This has the potential to be an early indicator of cardiovascular disease. Endothelial cells line the inside of all blood vessels and control blood vessel opening, material exchange between the bloodstream and surrounding tissues, and immunological and inflammatory responses.

“The goal of this project was to determine why a growing number of inhaled tobacco products, including combustible cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and e-cigarettes, all impair endothelial function despite fundamental differences in these products,” said the lead researcher of both studies Matthew L. Springer, Ph.D., a professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco.

“Thousands of chemicals have been identified in tobacco smoke, some of which are also present in e-cigarette aerosols, either as an original ingredient or as a chemical reaction product of the heating process. We sought to find which specific component of smoke or e-cigarette vapor may be responsible for interfering with blood vessels’ ability to function efficiently.”

Springer and colleagues conducted two experiments in rats and humans to investigate the effects of smoking and vaping on cardiovascular function.

Rather than a particular smoke ingredient, cigarette smoke inhibits endothelial function owing to vagal input from the airway.

In the rat study, the ability of blood vessels to expand was studied before and after exposure to smoke from four types of traditional combustible cigarettes: conventional nicotine, reduced nicotine, conventional nicotine with added menthol, and reduced nicotine with additional menthol.

Menthol is contained in many tobacco products, and it may minimise the irritation caused by smoking, especially in new smokers, as well as play a crucial role in promoting nicotine addiction.

The study’s findings revealed that blood vessel dilatation was reduced after smoking all four types of cigarettes, with the magnitude of the reduction varying from 20-46% depending on the cigarette type. Although nicotine was not necessary for vascular function impairment, higher nicotine levels were linked with a greater decrease in FMD than lower nicotine levels, and menthol products were related to a lesser decrease in FMD than non-menthol products.

Springer stressed that the discovery that menthol reduced the severity of flow-mediated dilation impairment should not be taken as menthol is a useful component in smoking and vaping products because the impairment was still significant and menthol has additional adverse consequences.

The rats were also given two of the primary gases found in both smoke and e-cigarette aerosol, as well as clean carbon nanoparticles, to see how they affected blood vessel dilatation. Despite being fundamentally different chemical and physical components of smoke, the gases and carbon particles displayed identical impairment effects to whole tobacco smoke.

“Because flow-mediated dilation was impaired by whole smoke, gas phase components of smoke, and plain carbon particles, with no single constituent uniquely responsible, we then explored whether the mechanism involved a common irritation response from the airway involving the vagus nerve,” Springer said.

The vagus nerve is an important part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates involuntary organ activities. It regulates digestion, heart rate, respiratory rate, vascular dilation, inflammatory reactions, and pulmonary functions like cough reflex and mucus formation.

Researchers tested this idea by exposing anesthetized rats to smoke after cutting the vagus nerves. They discovered that stopping nerve signals from reaching the rest of the body from the rats’ lungs fully avoided any vascular functional impairment caused by smoke.

Endothelial dysfunction may be triggered by a vagus nerve-dependent process caused by respiratory irritation and pulmonary sensory nerves, according to these studies.

“We were surprised to discover that it’s not a specific foreign material being inhaled that causes harmful cardiovascular effects – it’s the fact that some kind of irritant is being inhaled in the first place, regardless of what it was,” Springer said. “All inhaled products are likely to have similar harmful effects on vascular function.”

Springer stated that because there is no single toxin that accounts for vascular damage, regulatory bodies cannot rely on forbidding specific chemicals to minimize the negative consequences of inhaled products.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products funded this research, as did the National Cancer Institute at the NIH and the Elfenworks Foundation (in memory of Deb O’Keefe) and the Roy E Thomas Medical Foundation.

Chronic e-cigarette/vaping use impairs endothelial function on the physiological and cellular levels

The second study was conducted at different locations and included people who said they smoked combustible cigarettes on a regular basis, people who said they used e-cigarette products on a regular basis, and people who said they didn’t use any nicotine products at all. Researchers measured endothelial function and performed cell culture studies to investigate the association of chronic e-cigarette use on levels of vascular impairment in all subjects at a specific point in time.

Nitric oxide production, a vital component for correctly functioning blood arteries, and endothelial cell permeability, which shows how easily chemicals can leak out of blood vessels, were among the measures taken.

Increased vessel permeability leads to the leakage of larger molecules and may contribute to edema, or swelling caused by excess fluid in tissues, inflammation, heart disease, and other diseases such as cancer.

“Because the combustible cigarette smoke and e-cigarette aerosol that people inhale doesn’t have direct contact with the blood vessels, and the blood does, we took blood serum (the clear liquid in the blood that remains after it clots) from every participant and put it in contact with endothelial cells in a culture dish to evaluate how the different serum samples affected the functional behavior of those cells,” Springer said.

“This enabled us to investigate the effects on endothelial cells of substances in smoke/aerosol that are absorbed through the lungs and enter the bloodstream, and also any other circulating molecules that the body might produce in response to inhaling the smoke and/or aerosol, including proteins involved in the inflammatory response.”

The study recruited 120 adults between the ages of 21 and 50 who were free of cardiovascular disease. People who smoked more than 5 combustible cigarettes per day for a year or longer; people who used electronic cigarette devices 5 or more times per week for 3 months or longer; and people who did not now smoke or vape were eligible to participate.

The study discovered that both long-term vaping and cigarette smoking generate blood alterations that impact endothelial function, albeit in different ways.

* Endothelial cells submerged in blood serum from people who smoked regularly and those who vaped regularly generated less nitric oxide, indicating that the endothelial cells were functionally compromised.

* Condensed e-cigarette aerosol did not directly inhibit nitric oxide synthesis, indicating that the chemicals in the blood that affected nitric oxide generation did not come directly from the aerosol and were instead created by the body in reaction to inhalation.

* Blood serum from participants who regularly vaped, but not those who regularly smoked, increased endothelial cell permeability, allowing more substances to pass through the cells and causing them to behave more like those in leaky blood vessels, which can cause tissue edoema.

* Blood serum from participants who regularly vaped also caused endothelial cells to produce molecules that cause oxidative stress, which is the imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants.

* When compared to persons who did not routinely smoke or vape, people who used e-cigarettes or smoked combustible cigarettes had changes in circulating indicators of inflammation, blood clotting factors, and cell adhesion.

* Certain inflammatory indicators were enhanced in the blood serum of those who smoked combustible cigarettes on a regular basis, but not in those who used e-cigarettes. Other inflammatory indicators were raised in the blood serum of those who vaped regularly but not in those who smoked combustible cigarettes.

“The distinct patterns of these heart disease risk biomarkers in blood serum of frequent users of combustible cigarettes and e-cigarette products indicate that, despite the similar physiological effects, e-cigarette use and smoking trigger fundamentally different molecular responses.

Our findings suggest that vaping, although not smoking combustible cigarettes, causes changes in the blood that increase the potential for leakage in the blood vessels and that both smoking and vaping cause changes in the blood that lead to endothelial dysfunction and an increased risk of future cardiovascular events in otherwise healthy people,” Springer said.

The study also discovered that flow-mediated dilatation was significantly smaller (by more than 5%) among those who used e-cigarettes on a regular basis and those who smoked combustible cigarettes on a regular basis compared to people who neither smoked nor vaped. Previous research has linked a 2% decrease in artery dilation to a 15% increase in heart disease risk, indicating that smoking and vaping have a clinically significant influence.

“It’s important for regulators, clinicians, and the public to realize that vaping is not harmless,” Springer said.

“Smoking and vaping can have similar harmful cardiovascular effects but each condition causes some potentially harmful effects that the other does not. These differences indicate that dual product use, meaning smoking combustible cigarettes and also using e-cigarette products, may actually be worse for vascular health than either smoking or vaping alone.”

Also Read: Study finds cutting on carbs may lower risk of diabetes

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Detoxification is an important aspect of today’s lifestyle in order to live an optimum and healthy existence. It usually refers to blood purging, which is achieved by the liver cleaning the blood of impurities. A body cleansing programme can dramatically enhance health, therefore we’ve developed a list of 5 efficient tips that are quick, safe, and simple to execute.

1. Fasting and eating clean

To filter out the liver from harmful toxins and give rest to your organs regularly practice fasting. One popular way to jumpstart your body’s detoxification process is to practice intermittent fasting. Consume clean food products such as fresh vegetables and fruits.

2. Avoid packaged drinks or juices

Store-bought or packaged drinking juices frequently have a lot of added sugars along with preservatives, flavour enhancers, and colouring agents which are very harmful to the liver and overall health. Switch to fresh fruit juices, which are loaded with essential fibres that aid digestion.

3. Purify your body with water

Try to start your day with a glass of warm water with freshly squeezed lemon. This detoxifying drink has the potential to flush out toxins from the body. You can also add grated ginger to the whole mix. It is important to keep yourself hydrated all the time.

4. Get adequate sleep

A good sleeping pattern affects the whole detoxification process majorly as the mind also needs time to detoxify. A lot of people underestimate the relevance of enough sleep time or night-time sleep. The brain tends to flush out toxins as you sleep, make sure that you get enough amount of sleep at night.

5. Cleanse up your body well

If you don’t have a full-fledged gym at home for your regular workouts, don’t worry because you can use common household items for the same purpose.

We have compiled a list of inexpensive home products that you can utilise to lose weight. Most likely, you already have everything you need at home and may begin right away.

Water bottles or soup cans

Because an eight-ounce water bottle weights roughly one-and-a-half pounds, you can use one in each hand for some lighter arm workouts. Although cans are lighter, they can also be used as lightweights.

A sack of sugar or flour

If you’re thinking of doing some weight lifting, you could get any of these sacks and put them in your “home gym,” where you can conveniently use them.

A towel

Towels can be used for more than merely wiping away sweat after a workout. To make a DIY resistance band, simply draw it straight between your hands.

Vacuum Cleaner

To get some at-home sledge pushes, pile some weight on top of your vacuum cleaner and move it around the room.

A backpack

To add some extra poundage to your bodyweight moves, fill a backpack with cans and bottles. Wear it for squats, lunges, pushups, or when you’re running up and down the stairs.

Also Read: Ultrasound scan can diagnose prostate cancer: Research

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Yoga  asanas can help you live a healthy and fit life, but you must practise it consistently. At least one hour of deep meditation per day can make a big difference in your body.

Yoga is very important for the physical and mental development of the body, but due to irregular sleeping schedules and an unbalanced work-life, individuals don’t have much time to practise yoga or focus on their body, and doing regular desk jobs for more than 8 hours per day can result in backaches, shoulder and neck pains, and a stiff body, which can lead to serious health issues in the future.

So here are the Top 5 Asanas that an individual can perform at their workplace to relieve their stress, reduce body aches and energize their body for a fit and healthy lifestyle:

Chair Savasana

Savasana, helps the body to relax and the mind to get fresh after a long working day, just sit with your back straight, put your hands on your thighs, close your eyes and take deep breaths and let your body absorb all the positivity of this asana.
Chair Pigeon

Sitting for a long duration causes an imbalance in your hip and the lower spine area, to get rid of that ‘Chair Pigeon’ pose can help. Simply put your left ankle on your right knee, with your back straight and sit tall, make sure your ankle and the knee, are in a straight line. Take deep breaths 7-10 times. To intensify the exercise (if you can), just bend forward a bit while you inhale and exhale in the Chair Pigeon position.
Wrist and Finger Stretches

After long working hours in front of the computer, some stretches can help ease up the stiffness, this is by far, the easiest and most relaxing exercise. One simply needs to stretch his arms in front and make a fist of it, revolve the fist in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. You can also move the arms out and move your palms in an upward and downward direction to ease up the tension on your hands, fingers and wrist. This exercise can be performed after every 2-3 hours.

Seated Cat-Cow

Sitting on a chair for a long duration can create back aches and neck pains, to get relief from that stress ‘The Seated Cat Cow’ position can help. Simply put your hands on your thighs, with your chin up to the ceiling (if possible) or one can look parallel to the ground level, with your back straight, ensure you must not take support of the chair. As you exhale, round your back, pull your abdominals into your spine and tuck your chin under your stomach and be as round as your upper back can be. Try to touch your toes while extending your hands towards the ground. This is called the cat pose.
As you inhale, go back to the position where you started, with your back straight and chin up to the ceiling and allow your belly to move forward. This is called the cow pose.
Inhale-exhale 10-12 times after every 3-5 hours to relax your back and neck.

Sitting Tadasana

The classic tadasana, which anyone can do while seated in a chair. Raise your hands over your head, keeping your elbows close to your ears, and stretch your hands as far as you can, drawing your thumbs towards the back of your head. Take deep breaths 3-5 times while keeping your legs under your hips and your back straight. This asana relaxes the muscles in the arms and shoulders that become tense after spending a long time in front of a computer.

Consistently performing these asanas at your workplace will help you relieve stress and create a physically and mentally fit physique.

Also Read: Ultrasound scan can diagnose prostate cancer: Research

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Scientists have discovered why eating late at night is associated with weight gain and diabetes. The link between eating time, sleep, and obesity is well-known but poorly understood, with studies indicating that over-nutrition can disturb circadian rhythms and modify fat tissue.

The link between eating time, sleep, and obesity is well-known but poorly understood, with studies indicating that over-nutrition can disturb circadian rhythms and modify fat tissue. For the first time, new Northwestern study suggests that energy release may be the chemical process by which our internal clocks manage energy balance.

From this understanding, the scientists also found that daytime is the ideal time in the light environment of the Earth’s rotation when it is most optimal to dissipate energy as heat. These findings have broad implications from dieting to sleep loss and the way we feed patients who require long-term nutritional assistance.

The paper, “Time-restricted feeding mitigates obesity through adipocyte thermogenesis,” will be published online today, and in print tomorrow (Oct. 21) in the journal Science.

“It is well known, albeit poorly understood, that insults to the body clock are going to be insults to metabolism,” said corresponding study author Dr. Joseph T. Bass, the Charles F. Kettering Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He also is a Northwestern Medicine endocrinologist.

“When animals consume Western style cafeteria diets — high fat, high carb — the clock gets scrambled,” Bass said. “The clock is sensitive to the time people eat, especially in fat tissue, and that sensitivity is thrown off by high-fat diets. We still don’t understand why that is, but what we do know is that as animals become obese, they start to eat more when they should be asleep. This research shows why that matters.”

Bass is also director of the Center for Diabetes and Metabolism and the chief of endocrinology in the department of medicine at Feinberg. Chelsea Hepler, a postdoctoral fellow in the Bass Lab, was the first author and did many of the biochemistry and genetics experiments that grounded the team’s hypothesis. Rana Gupta, now at Duke University, was also a key collaborator.

In the study, mice, who are nocturnal, were fed a high-fat diet either exclusively during their inactive (light) period or during their active (dark) period. Within a week, mice fed during light hours gained more weight compared to those fed in the dark. The team also set the temperature to 30 degrees, where mice expend the least energy, to mitigate the effects of temperature on their findings.

“We thought maybe there’s a component of energy balance where mice are expending more energy eating at specific times,” Hepler said. “That’s why they can eat the same amount of food at different times of the day and be healthier when they eat during active periods versus when they should be sleeping.”

The increase in energy expenditure led the team to look into metabolism of fat tissue to see if the same effect occurred within the endocrine organ. They found that it did, and mice with genetically enhanced thermogenesis — or heat release through fat cells — prevented weight gain and improved health.

Hepler also identified futile creatine cycling, in which creatine (a molecule that helps maintain energy) undergoes storage and release of chemical energy, within fat tissues, implying creatine may be the mechanism underlying heat release.

The science is underpinned by research done by Bass and colleagues at Northwestern more than 20 years ago that found a relationship between the internal molecular clock and body weight, obesity and metabolism in animals.

The challenge for Bass’s lab, which focuses on using genetic approaches to study physiology, has been figuring out what it all means, and finding the control mechanisms that produce the relationship. This study brings them a step closer.

The findings could inform chronic care, Bass said, especially in cases where patients have gastric feeding tubes. Patients are commonly fed at night while they sleep, when they’re releasing the least amount of energy. Rates of diabetes and obesity tend to be high for these patients, and Bass thinks this could explain why. He also wonders how the research could impact Type II Diabetes treatment. Should meal times be considered when insulin is given, for example?

Hepler will continue to research creatine metabolism. “We need to figure out how, mechanistically, the circadian clock controls creatine metabolism so that we can figure out how to boost it,” she said. “Clocks are doing a lot to metabolic health at the level of fat tissue, and we don’t know how much yet.”

Also Read: Study: Tough parenting may genetically predispose kids to depression