Western diet may be bad for teens!

Western diet may have a negative impact on adolescents’ mental health, according to a new

Western diet may be bad for teens’ mental health (Getty Images)

study.

In the study of 1600 14-year-old adolescents, Dr Wendy Oddy, from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Western Australia, found that a typical Western diet increased a child’s chance of developing emotional and behavioural problems.

During the study, Oddy identified two distinct dietary patterns that influenced the well-being of an individual.

The Western dietary pattern was linked to hamburgers, pies, sausage rolls, confectionery, red meat, refined grains, full-fat dairy food, as well as dressings and sauces such as ketchup.

However, the healthy dietary pattern consisted of red, yellow and leafy green vegetables, fresh fruit and legumes, wholegrains and fish.

"We then adjusted the analysis to take into account things you would expect to be associated with mental health, like family functioning, family income, single mothers, biological fathers not living at home, parents who smoke and parents’ education," the Age quoted Oddy as saying.

The researchers found that Western diet makes an individual more likely to be withdrawn, anxious, aggressive and delinquent.

Oddy said that although teenagers were generally getting enough of the "good" foods from the healthy diet, they were also getting a lot of the other less healthy foods from the Western diet.

"There’s a lot of snacking that’s going on in between meals and a lot of drinks that are readily available and are being consumed as snacks," she said.

And now, the Chi-Gong workout

Ever tried chi-gong? Ever even heard of it? No, it’s not a tea or percussion instrument, but a 2000-year-old series of bodily movements and

Chi-Gong (Getty Images)

breaths that calm the spirit and the mind.

It has also been shown to strengthen the immune system, reduce stress, and improve balance and posture (all important as we get older).

The most important goal of chi-gong is to learn how to breathe correctly, which involves breathing from the tan tien - a point 2 inches below the navel.

In each exercise, breathe in slowly. Focus on a point on the wall in front of you, with your chin parallel to the ground -- this will help maintain balance. Your eyes should never drop during any exercise. Repeat each move three times before moving on to the next.

Loosening the neck: Sink to the ground with your elbows and knees slightly bent and your chin parallel to the ground. Turn your head to the right as you inhale, and exhale as you come back to the middle. Then, turn your head to the left and repeat the sequence.

Picking the fruit: Exhale as you reach for imaginary fruit, and inhale while bringing the fruit down. Reach for the closest fruit first, and then progressively move up the imaginary tree. Keep your knees bent and your back straight.

Relaxing your shoulders: Lift your shoulders first, then elbows, then wrists. Roll your shoulders back; your elbows go out and your hands angle toward the middle -- as if you’re grabbing a pole -- with your hands sliding down to the level of your waist. Feel the energy as your hands pass down your body.

Reaching heaven: Inhale and clasp your hands at the level of your navel, and then raise your arms as if you’re reaching toward heaven. Lean to the right as you exhale, and then inhale as you come back to the center. Use the same technique as you lean to the left. Finally, bring your hands down in front of your navel as you exhale.

Bow, bend and stretch: As you inhale, bow forward from the waist while your hands slide down your thighs and onto your knees. Bend at your knees and squat with your hands on the insides of knees. (Do not exhale until you come back up; this really works the control of your breath.) Then, stretch your legs as you let your torso hang to the floor, keeping your knees slightly bent. As you slowly rise up, exhale, allowing your head to be the last part of the body to rise up.

Polishing the mirror: With your pelvis tucked under and back straight, use your shoulders to circle your arms and squat down as you rotate your arms in one direction -- as though you are cleaning a mirror. After repeating three times (or more), repeat with your arms moving in the opposite direction. Inhale as you squat down, and exhale as you rise.

Standing meditation: Clasp your hands over your tan tien (that’s 2 inches below the navel) and breathe, focusing on the movement of your belly. Keep your legs bent and spread, and your hips tucked under with a straight back. Do this for about 2 minutes -- that’s the maximum most people can focus

Climate changes can affect children

Climate changes could severely upset the mental health of children worldwide, warn medical experts. Extreme weather events, drought, financial

Climate changes can affect children (Getty Images)

strain and changes in work, migration patterns triggered by climate change, will cause people to be increasingly vulnerable to post traumatic stress disorder and depression, said Helen Berry, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH).

“Mental health problems aren’t just collateral damage from climate change, they could well be one of the most profound effects,” warned Berry. “Climate change amplifies existing risks, particularly for children,” she added. Despite the risk, this is an area that has received little attention.

The impacts will be more severe for children, because they will be exposed to climate change for longer over their lifetime, said Lyndall Strazdins of NCEPH from the Australian National University. Children are also less mentally prepared to deal with the stress from climate change related trauma such as bush fires, which are set to increase by up to 75 per cent by 2050, said Strazdins.

“All of these factors interact and could result in a great increase in severe mental health problems,” she said. Climate change can affect people in a number of different ways, says Berry. It can act directly on mental health through trauma exposure, for example a cyclone caused by increasing temperatures, or it can act indirectly via disease and community changes, said a ScienceAlert release, authored by Fiona MacDonald.

“A number of studies have revealed that children are already anxious and fearful about climate change. They need to be at the centre of the debate – yet the impact of climate change on children and the costs to future generations is not being discussed,” said Strazdins.

Berry presented these findings at the Australian Science Media Centre briefing last week.

Fitness training: 5 elements of a rounded routine

Is your program complete? Here's help covering the bases.

From MayoClinic.com

1. Aerobic fitnessWhether you're a novice taking the first steps toward fitness or an exercise fanatic hoping to optimize your results, a well-rounded fitness training program is essential. Use the five primary elements of fitness training to create a balanced routine.

Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio or endurance activity, is the cornerstone of most fitness training programs. Aerobic exercise causes you to breathe faster and more deeply, which maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. The better your aerobic fitness, the more efficiently your heart, lungs and blood vessels transport oxygen throughout your body—and the easier it is to complete routine physical tasks and rise to unexpected challenges, such as running to your car in the pouring rain.

Aerobic exercise includes any physical activity that uses large muscle groups and increases your heart rate. Try walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing, water aerobics—even leaf raking, snow shoveling and vacuuming. Aim for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 1 hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity— preferably spread throughout the week.

2. Muscular fitness

Muscular fitness is another key component of a fitness training program. Strength training at least twice a week can help you increase bone strength and muscular fitness. It can also help you maintain muscle mass during a weight-loss program.

Most fitness centers offer various resistance machines, free weights and other tools for strength training. But you don't need to invest in a gym membership or expensive equipment to reap the benefits of strength training. Hand-held weights or homemade weights—such as plastic soft drink bottles filled with water or sand—may work just as well. Resistance bands are another inexpensive option. Your own body weight counts, too. Try push-ups, abdominal crunches and leg squats.

3. Stretching

Most aerobic and strength training activities cause your muscles to contract and flex. For balance in your fitness training program, it's important to stretch those muscles, too. Stretching improves the range of motion of your joints and promotes better posture. Regular stretching can even help relieve stress.

Before you stretch, warm up by walking or doing a favorite exercise at low intensity for 5 to 10 minutes. Better yet, stretch after you exercise—when your muscles are warm and receptive to stretching. Ideally, you'll stretch whenever you exercise. If you don't exercise regularly, you might want to stretch at least three times a week after warming up to maintain flexibility. Activities such as yoga promote flexibility, too.

4. Core stability

The muscles in your abdomen, lower back and pelvis—known as your core muscles—help protect your back and connect upper and lower body movements. Core strength is a key element of a well-rounded fitness training program.

Core exercises help train your muscles to brace the spine and enable you to use your upper and lower body muscles more effectively. So what counts as a core exercise? Any exercise that uses the trunk of your body without support, including abdominal crunches. You can also try various core exercises with a fitness ball.

5. Balance training

You can be strong, flexible and aerobically fit, yet still have poor balance. Training can help you maintain and improve balance. This is important since balance tends to deteriorate with age, which can lead to falls and fractures. Try standing on one leg for increasing periods of time to improve your overall stability. Activities such as tai chi can promote balance, too.

Cover all five elements

Whether you create your own fitness training program or enlist the help of a personal trainer, make aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, stretching, core exercise and balance training part of your overall exercise plan. It isn't necessary to fit each of the five elements into every fitness session, but factoring them into your regular routine can help you promote fitness for life.

Everyday heart triggers

What are the things that go tick-tock and take your ticker to explosion point? The most commonly known ones are of course fried food, lack of

Everyday heart triggers (Getty Images)

exercise .

But does it mean that if you don’t eat fried food, and hit the gym everyday, you are free of heart disease? What if hitting the gym is the very thing triggering your heart? According to the recent Saffola Life Heart survey, over an alarming 49.1 per cent of the Indian population is ‘high risk’ and 29.8 million are already affected by coronary disease. While, according to the survey, Kolkata has the lowest risk, people in metros like Mumbai and Chennai, and industrially advanced states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu have highest heart risks with factors like commuting, changing dietary habits pointing the way. So what is it we in the city are doing wrong?

Long commutes
Yoga: The stress builds anxiety. Chanting something, deep conscious breathing or the Hridayamudra help heal the heart.
Cardio: Daily stress all adds up. Reading or listening to music take your mind off the stress and soothes.
Endo: If your commute involves a brisk walk, it is good. If it is more than one hour it cuts down your sleep time, is a sedentary activity and adds to hypertension. Listen to music — it lessens stress.
Psych: Long commutes can result in high blood pressure, anger and resentment. The key is to take your mind off it — enjoy music or the view around to relax.

Road rage
Yoga: Accumulated stress is triggered off. When angry, you breathe at 80-90 breaths/minute. When calm, it’s 10-11/minute. The faster your breath rate, shorter your life span.
Cardio: Sometimes in a rage, your heart attacks. Whenever there is excessive adrenaline secretion it causes constrictions in the artery and leads to a greater wear and tear of interior linings. This leads to faster atherosclerosis. Try shavasana to be calmer.
Endo: Road rage could be a sign that you have hypertension. Get blood pressure checked. You need to change your overall lifestyle.
Psych: Emotional stress affects the heart. Don’t allow the other person to ‘control’ you. Being ‘cut off’ doesn’t mean the person is trying to undermine you. Don’t react.

Long working hours
Yoga: The issue is not so much working hours as the package deal; deadlines, competitiveness, etc. For every one hour, take two minutes off to stretch, go for a small walk.
Cardio: Long work hours (upto 10 hours) are fine as long as you enjoy your work; 14-15 hours is overwork. If you don’t enjoy your work, change your job before a heart attack.
Endo: Can be counterproductive because typically such jobs encourage sedentarism with high mental stress, which increases metabolic stress. For optimum heart health, two good four-hour sessions is the maximum allowed, anything more is risky for heart health.
Psych: It’s a package deal. Improve your time management skills, delegate, intersperse work with recreation or fitness activities, have a support system at the workplace.

Yo-yo diets
Yoga: Have small meals in a day. Eat whatever you want, but in small quantities and only when hungry. Suryanamaskars and Kapalabhati Kriya also do wonders.
Cardio: Reduce the quantity of carbohydrates and fats both. Have proteins and fruit, but have a high fibre content. Consult a dietician tailored to your traditional way of eating.
Endo: We are a fasting and feasting country — the crazier the diet, the better. Suddenly dropping carbohydrates and increasing proteins can negatively impact metabolic function by turning them into saturated fat.
Psych: Over time, such diets cause depression or fatigue. When carbohydrates are low, your organs don’t get enough energy and begin to burn muscle tissue from even vital organs. This can result in kidney/liver failure, heart attacks and stroke.

Eating dinner on the sofa while watching television
Yoga: It’s the worst thing to do to your system as violence or sadness on TV is ingested with food. Sitting at the table is fine, but it’s best to sit cross-legged on the floor. Vajrasana post-dinner for 5 to 10 minutes aids digestion.
Cardio: Scientifically, I cannot say how one eats or where affects the heart.
Endo: TV dinners are killer dinners — they are full of calorific excess. Traditionally, sitting on the floor cross-legged is good for digestion.
Psych: People eat more while watching TV. If it’s a regular habit, the risks of obesity-related heart concerns are higher.

Having chips/fries/papads with food
Yoga: It adds up. But, if you have a little bit, it’s okay as long as you are regular with all your exercises.
Cardio: If you are having a fried papad with khichri and not having other fried foods, what is the harm? It is better than junk food home delivered daily!
Endo: There is no such thing as ‘little bit’ of fried food. Fried food fries our endothelium and kills us faster. Eating out in any form attacks the system.
Psych: Oil-based food as side dishes are fine occasionally but regular intake increases bad cholesterol.

Late night snacks
Yoga: After 8 pm, the entire digestive system moves into rest-mode. It is not geared to operate at peak level.
Cardio: Snacking is a Western habit because they have dinner at 7 pm. You can’t have dinner at 10 pm and snack; you’ll pile on cholesterol.
Endo: Untimely bingeing is responsible for obesity in India. ‘Serial snacking’ is where women watching TV serials put on 7-8 kgs snacking. Eat well, eat less — it is not the type of food that matters — but eat right, eat on time.
Psych: Snacking before going to bed leads to indigestion. Our biological timing system governs our daily cycles. It is important that they stay co-ordinated else it affects.

Speaking loudly/shouting
Yoga: When you shout, you are not hurting others but giving yourself hypertension. When angry, do shitali pranayam. Instant deep breathing reduces anger immediately.
Cardio: Shouting harms you first. It can be a sign of the initial stages of high BP and you should get it checked.
Endo: Shouting leads to overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and hypertension increases, creating adrenaline flow that harms hearts.
Psych: Cultivate speaking softly as people react to the tone of your voice. You are creating stress for yourself and others. Assertion works better than aggression.

Drinking/dancing in clubs
Yoga: Alcohol is not good for you everyday. Dancing can be cathartic, but not in a smoke-filled closed atmosphere.
Cardio: Alcohol in moderation is okay, it’s excessive alcohol that is harmful as it’s all about carbohydrates and calories. Dance can destress. The mantra is modertion.
Endo: Rhythmic dancing is good for health, though loud music can be counterproductive. Alcohol is bad as it’s addictive.
Psych: Drinking has become a common negative way of coping with stress. This can lead to dependency.

Sex life or lack of it
Yoga: The entire system is in a state of excitement which increases the heart rate, breath rate and BP. Too much sex lays unnecessary stress on the body. Yoga maintains hormonal balance and stabilises breath rate, and the heart rate.
Cardio: A healthy sex life is good. A recent study has shown that heart risk is high in people with extra-marital affairs. Guilt adds up and affects the heart.
Endo: Normal sexual activity is healthy — a lack of sexual life will lead to depression. A couple of days a week is normal and an abnormal amount of sex is abnormal.
Psych: A recent study shows that sex twice or more a week reduces risk of heart attack by half for men. At least once a week, is good. Immediately before orgasm, levels of hormone oxytocin rise by five times, releasing endorphins, which raises immunity. People who have more sex handle stress better.

Smoking
Yoga: Smoking or passive smoking are both not good for your heart. Yoga is a system that believes in breaking habits. Complete yoga helps you make a lifestyle shift.
Cardio: No way should smoking be tolerated. Cigars, pipes, hookahs, beedis, cigarettes are all equally harmful. Nicotine enters the blood and damages the coronary artery.
Endo: Smoking affects the entire system and should be banned.
Psych: Smoking leads to anxiety, restlessness and reduces tolerance levels, leading to hypertension.

Waking up early/late
Yoga: Early in the morning, oxygen levels are high, the air is purer, there is more calmness in the air. It soothes the heart. It is not the number of hours of sleep you have but the quality of sleep that matters.
Cardio: Sleep has no impact on the heart. Some people are refreshed with five hours sleep. Six hours sleep is optimal. The heart doesn’t rest, but during sleep it is the closest it gets.
Endo: We need six to eight hours of good sleep. Above 10 hours, and BP goes down.
Psych: Getting up late very frequently can be a result of chronic fatigue or depression.

Gymming or overgymming
Yoga: Exercising with machines injures muscles and is not beneficial in the long run. Yoga works on your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels while gymming works only on the physical body.
Cardio: Ot’s foolish for a middle-aged person to hit the gym and start working out with weights and doing heavy exercises. If you are in your 20s, then you can do it. Above 30, you need to consult a doctor first and get prescribed physical activity appropriate to your heart’s status.
Endo: Maximum physical exercise advisable is 45 minutes — above that, doesn’t help to lose weight, and also puts unnescesary strain on your body. For optimum heart health you need to relax and take it easy. Smile more.
Psych: Gymming is good as regular exercise helps prevent obesity and increases endorphins. But obsessive gymming can lead to hypertension and weakness.

Mobile/internet addiction
Yoga: It crowds your head with many thoughts. In an unspoken way, it messes up your head. Allocate one hour without TV, mobile, internet.
Cardio: I have not read anything that suggests a relation.
Endo: Talking five mins on a mobile can push your BP up by 2-3 ml. After half an hour the warmth you feel in your ears is your BP going up.
Psych: Studies find high-frequency electromagnetic fields cause headache, dizziness, numbness in the thigh, heaviness in chest among mobile phones users

How some people maintain weight loss, others don't

Ever wondered how some people successfully maintain a significant weight loss, while others tend to regain the

How some people maintain weight loss, others don't. (Getty Images)

weight?

Well, researchers at The Miriam Hospital attribute such tendencies to a difference in brain activity patterns.

The researchers showed that when individuals who had kept the weight off for several years were shown pictures of food, they were more likely to engage the areas of the brain associated with behavioural control and visual attention, as compared to obese and normal weight participants.

The findings of the study suggest that successful weight loss maintainers may learn to respond differently to food cues. "Our findings shed some light on the biological factors that may contribute to weight loss maintenance. They also provide an intriguing complement to previous behavioral studies that suggest people who have maintained a long-term weight loss monitor their food intake closely and exhibit restraint in their food choices," said lead author Dr. Jeanne McCaffery.

Long-term weight loss maintenance continues to be a major problem in obesity treatment. Participants in behavioural weight loss programs lose an average of 8 to 10 percent of their weight during the first six months of treatment, and will maintain approximately two-thirds of their weight loss after one year.

However, despite intensive efforts, weight regain appears to continue for the next several years, with most patients returning to their baseline weight after five years.

The researchers used functional magnetic resource imaging (FMRI) to study the brain activity of three groups- 18 individuals of normal weight, 16 obese individuals (defined as a body mass index of at least 30), and 17 participants who have lost at least 30 lbs and have successfully maintained that weight loss for a minimum of three years.

When the participants were shown pictures of food items after a four-hour fast, it was found that those in the successful weight loss maintenance group responded differently to these pictures compared to the other groups.

Specifically, researchers observed strong signals in the left superior frontal region and right middle temporal region of the brain - a pattern consistent with greater inhibitory control in response to food images and greater visual attention to food cues.

"It is possible that these brain responses may lead to preventive or corrective behaviors - particularly greater regulation of eating - that promote long-term weight control. However, future research is needed to determine whether these responses are inherent within an individual or if they can be changed," said McCaffery.

Time for office work-out

If you have a demanding job that requires you to sit for long hours, body transform experts tell you how to get Time for office workout! (Getty Images) some exercise... Desk Workouts The main culprit for weight gain is long hours at work and no gym time. Swap one of your coffee breaks and do these simple desk exercises. A 10-minute session will burn between 50 and 100 calories.All you need is a chair without wheels. Perform these exercises as a circuit or individually throughout the day. Two or three times a week will give you more benefits. A spine twist to target the shoulders, back and abs Sit on a chair with feet flat on the floor. Extend arms overhead with palms facing in, shoulders down. Exhale and twist upper body to right; at the same time, press arms out to sides at shoulder height. Inhale. Return to start. Switch sides and repeat. Do 20 reps, alternating sides. Wall press with leg lifts to target shoulders, chest, core and lower back Face the wall with feet shoulder-width apart and a couple of feet away. Extend right arm at shoulder height in front of you, and place palm on the wall. Lift left leg behind you, about 6 inches off floor and flex your foot. With the back held straight, bend right elbow as you lean body in towards wall. Press into palm to return to start. Then quickly switch sides so that left palm is on the wall, right leg extended behind you. Alternate sides and do for 1 minute. Chair-pose repeater to target the Back, Glutes and Thighs Stand with your back facing the chair, with feet hip-width apart, arms down by sides. Sit back into hips and squat, keeping knees behind toes and back straight, until butt is about 1 inch from the seat. Reach arms up and forward diagonally so there’s a straight line from butt to fingertips. Hold for 20 seconds. Return to start. Do 20 reps. Diet Tip For luminous and toned skin, include foods rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E found in apples, citrus fruits, and whole-grain cereal.