HOW TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE & STRESS LEVEL NATURALLY WITH BREATHING EXERCISE.

 

HOW  TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE & STRESS LEVEL NATURALLY WITH  BREATHING EXERCISE.

Blood pressure is thought to have no cure , but once you understand  why high blood pressure happens, you will start learning how to lower high blood pressure . High blood pressure , is not something that happens to you. It is something that your body creates with every heart beat, and if you understand why it is created , you can start taking measures to reduce it.

Let us look at the basics to understand why breathing is going to work. Breath is a barometer for the nervous system . As the nervous system becomes imbalanced, breathing changes, becoming shallow, tense, and jerky. This change is then registered by the mind and begins to create internal distress, which sustains poor breathing, which promotes a state of distress.In this way, an internal cycle begins and is reinforced. Stress then takes on a life of its own, even persisting after the original stressor has been resolved. Learning to breath correctly with  awareness is the only way to break this powerful cycle.

The natural methods you will learn are equally powerful to prevent high blood pressure from developing as they are to reduce high blood pressure naturally. Breath & breathing patterns are closely linked to the way that the automatic nervous system regulates blood pressure, that is why relaxing breaths can help control blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure depends on the situation , resting blood pressure for one who is upright should be around 120/80, if you are lying down it will be less because blood flows easier as it does not have to overcome gravity. If you are exercising , you are creating a tremendous demand on your body , you are demanding increase of blood flow & nutrients delivery, so you have to increase your heart rate & blood pressure , it is appropriate. During exercise your blood pressure may go up to 220 & this is normal. 

Stress increases the demand on the body, exercise is also a stress. Stress is basically a balance between your SYMPATHETIC (left side of the brain)  & PARASYMPATHETIC nervous system (right side of the brain).

 Sympathetic is also known as "fight flight" mode, this part of nervous system takes over when triggered by a stressor, the breath becomes rapid and shallow and is moving primarily in the upper part of the chest. Although this state is useful for moments when we must act quickly or when we are in danger, too much time spent here reinforce  stress and can open the door to chronic illness and prolonged mental and emotional imbalance.

Parasympathetic nervous system supports rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation, this is known as "feed , breed or rest digestion". This response is triggered , in part, by deep diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing exercises and relaxation practices help us to access this state. 

Both  Sympathetic & Parasympathetic are the automatic portion of your nervous system, it is a resource allocation system, blood delivers resources , and these decide where the blood goes , like when you are exercising then most of the blood should go to your muscles , as there they are needed to perform the work, so your sympathetic nervous system sends most of the blood to the muscles. Then , when you relax then your sympathetic back-off & allow your parasympathetic to get some of the blood to your vital organs so that you can digest food , make immune cells & so that you can heal tissue. These systems are like see-saw, when one increases, the other decreases. When you have stress , it is going to increase your heart rate, blood pressure , cortisol , blood glucose etc. 

There are different types of STRESS - exercise is a physical stress & what most people have and suffer from is emotional stress. We can say that exercise is an appropriate stress , but emotional stress is sort of imaginary stress , it does not demand a lot of physical exertion but your nervous system responds in just that way - it will increase your heart rate, blood pressure , cortisol , glucose level, even if you are sitting and getting stressed due to any reason what so ever . Basically emotional stress is thoughts about the unwanted, focusing on something that you do not want, you like to be different then you have emotional stress. Most of the stress we are not aware of , because we have done it so much that it became a habit & we learnt to live with it, causing lot of sympathetic activation.

HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) -

It means your heart rate varies, when you breath in, your heart's beat is up, when you breath out it slows down. Body is so incredibly intelligent - when you breath in there is more oxygen in the lungs , so the body speeds up the heart rate to send more blood there to pickup the oxygen because that is more efficient . When you breath out there is less oxygen, so we slow down the heart rate, not wasting resources.

When there is coherence in your nervous system between your brain & your heart then your heart rate variability is going to be coherent , it will form a smooth pattern. If you measure your average heart rate at 65 beats , then if you have a healthy heart variability it means when you breath in then your heart rate is 70 & when you breath out it is 60, this turns out to be the best indicators of  overall health that we know of. People who are not healthy have an incoherent pattern , when you are frustrated, angry then there is just no pattern , every heart beat is sort of chaotic and mismatched. 

The best part is , this you can influence, you can learn & practice and get it better. The way to do that is by paying attention to your breathing pattern. Most people if you observe, they breath in about 2 seconds & breath out in about 1 second, ie about 20 breaths per minute, this breathing pattern is also called surface breathing, or shallow breathing. So, there is not enough time for the body to relax, there is not enough time for the body to kick in the parasympathetic , we only get sympathetic with breath in , but no time for parasympathetic to engage due to less exhalation time. 

But if we slow the breathing down, if our inhalation time is 4 seconds & exhalation time is 5 seconds, where inhalation is deep & exhalation is bit longer, in this pattern of breathing we have about 6 breaths per minute , now we create a balance between the sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous system. It is not that one thing is good and the other is bad, it is like everything else in the body there needs to be in balance. This pattern can be attained by practice, the first thing is we need to pay attention to our breath , when we slow our breathing pattern & pay attention to our in-breath and out-breath, we change our focus , it may look a small thing but it is the biggest thing to happen, because when you focus on your breath then at the same time you can not focus on things that are unwanted , try it - if you are stressed due to any reason then you pay attention to your breath, then for just a fleeting moment you did not thing about that other thing and that is an incredibly powerful principal as you are now no longer doing that thing that keeps you in your state of  emotional stress , and if you do enough of that then you can brake the pattern. 

It has to be developed as habit and momentum , it has to be a life style. When you regularly practice this , then it becomes a skill and you maintain that skill then you reconfigure the tissue in your brain , your neuro-pathway become different, it becomes wider . Emotional stress is a habit & if you develop a skill or a momentum that is opposite of that habit then the unwanted habit goes away. You can practice the slow breathing pattern ones or twice a day for 10-15 minutes, and continue to do it until you see results, but once you see result do not stop, else the habit will go away . Set your goals for at least 6 months, then it will be your habit & you will keep doing it for ever, it becomes your norm. 

The benefits to this is endless , your sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous system is what is your health is , it determines how you function . If you do this on a regular basis it is not that only your blood pressure goes down , you are rewiring all of you - your cortisol , insulin resistance will go down , your circulation will improve , your digestion will improve , you will get more nutrients out of your food you eat , immune function will improve , you will feel better, even your fertility will improve , you will heal better , also those suffering from Hidrosis (sweating hands due to stress) will go away. your focus gets better, your memory gets better as you are sending more blood and oxygen to your brain, and the list of benefit gets endless.

We can learn to cultivate specific skills for proper breathing that will help us in all aspects of our life. We might think of this set skills as "yogic breathing" , or simply healthy breathing .  We start inhaling gently with count of 4 & then exhale gently with count of 5, & repeat . This is a little deeper breath than the normal shallow breath , but it is not filling your lungs with full capacity , it is not deep breathing. This breathing should  initiate or breath from your belly , the best way of doing it is to put one hand on your belly and as you breath in you will notice your belly expanding , in the first part of your breath your belly is expanding and then slowly and gently allow the breath to rise into your rib cage and expand your lungs and chest just a little bit , then you relax and let it out very very slowly. Always breath through your nose , keeping in mind that there should not be any sound, at no point you should breath hard enough to make a sound both in & out. This process has to be very smooth. Do not use your shoulders or make them tensed  by raising them while breathing in, because that is a stress response , always keep your shoulders relaxed.

HOW TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE NATURALLY - FACTS & MYTHS.

                                    

                         
HOW TO LOWER BLOOD  PRESSURE NATURALLY - FACTS & MYTHS.

If you have high blood pressure , hypertension, you may have probably been told to lower your blood pressure. Most health consultants may tell you to lose weight & belly fat , exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, reduce sodium, limit alcohol, quit smoking, reduce caffeine, reduce stress, monitor your blood pressure (BP) and to see your doctor, and get support to cope with having high blood pressure. They say doing these things will help your heart health & reduce heart disease, but are these tactics the best ways to lower your high blood pressure ? Let us try to understand each of these tactics & how much are these actually help.

Today , in this blog we will try to understand  the root cause & how to lower blood pressure naturally without medication, and if and which of the techniques to lower blood pressure really work.

NORMAL BP : 120/80 this is optimal for most people but there are some natural variations. BP over 180 is a crisis , but during exercise your BP can get up to 220 & this is totally normal. 

1. Lose weight & watch your belly fat : belly fat is not causing anything but it is the result of something destructive, namely INSULIN RESISTANCE , if you reduce insulin resistance then you lose weight and your BP typically comes down. The right way to reduce insulin resistance is low carb, intermittent fasting, keto diet , these reduce your craving , reduce your hunger & your satiety level goes up ,you eat less because your insulin level is going down. So, it is not the weight that cause high BP , but the fact is you are decongesting your body. 

2. Exercise Regularly : This is a great advice , but what's the mechanism ? Why does this works ? Exercise is the number one stimulant for the brain , your brain is what ultimately manages blood pressure, BP is variable , it is controlled and managed every moment of your life , if we can get the brain into better balance then it will manage your BP better. Exercise is 90% of the signals of activation that keeps your brain alive , so when you exercise its like you turn-up the dimmer switch all the way to your brain as a result it has all the power to inhabit the stress, stress is what raises blood sugar .

3. Eat A Healthy Diet : This also is a great advice, but what is a healthy diet ? Diet that is low in carb. 

4. Reduce Sodium : This is the biggest misconception about blood pressure , probably most people are aware of this myth. Let's assume you start with a balanced blood pressure , then you eat bunch of salt ( sodium / Natrium ), sodium binds to water or sodium is pulling water to it & makes the blood increase in volume , therefore your blood pressure goes up, but what most people do not take into consideration is the most powerful principles of your physiology  known as PRESSURE DIURESIS, by which the extra fluid from your body is removed , your body already has this mechanism to do that ,where a relatively small increase in blood pressure resulting from increased blood volume, DIURESIS will get rid of the extra sodium & water through your kidneys and lower the increased blood pressure , unless something is over riding the PRESSURE DIURESIS mechanism.  Kidneys actually filters out about 250 litres of fluid per day , but you get rid of  only about one and a half litres of fluid per day , the balance fluid is reabsorbed in the body along with sodium , sodium is a precious nutrient,Sodium is the most important signalling mineral in the body. But  because of this advice of REDUCE SODIUM many people are with sodium deficiency. Only if you have a kidney failure then you should restrict Sodium intake, other wise need not worry. But it is always better to have salt in moderate quantity in cooked food & avoid taking raw salt directly. 

5. Limit Alcohol :  If its a must for you then one to two drinks in a day may reduce your blood pressure as it makes you relax & reduces stress , but with larger doses it makes blood pressure worse. With increased doses you get fatty livers and insulin resistance. But then you should take alcohol off for at least 2 days in a week. 

6. Quit Smoking : Why does it works ?  because smokers block their oxygen carrying capacity - when they breath in the carbon monoxide that blocks the red blood cells , they don't have the ability to carry oxygen as well as in case of a non smoker, now the body has to increase its effort at fuel delivery , increase heart rate , increase blood pressure to deliver more blood because each unit of blood has less oxygen . So if you quit smoking then you have more access to oxygen & your BP goes down.

7. Reduce Caffeine : Caffeine is a form of stress , it has the same effect on the body as adrenaline , it fits into the same type of receptors. In most cases caffeine will have a direct effect on blood pressure , but in a healthy person it is not a problem because it doesn't create the circumstances behind blood pressure , it is a temporary signal that while you have caffeine your blood pressure will be few points higher but it does not create a problem in itself unless you have weak adrenaline or your stress level is such that you can blow it out of proportion by adding little bit of caffeine. For most people it is a temporary effect and do not contribute to any root causes .

8. Reduce Stress : Stress is the perception that the body needs more resources and it is going to increase blood pressure and heart rate to deliver more fuel to the body to deal with the stress, that is a good thing, but here "reduce stress" means avoiding stressful situations, but in today's world if you are active , the world will come to you in some way or the other, it is difficult to avoid such situation, it is not what the world does but how you react or respond to the situation, in that case stress is a perception , unless you learn to change that perception & undo what your response is to the stress. This can be done by doing some meditation & relaxation and breathing exercises. Reducing stress is not about avoiding things but what you can do is change your response to it and help your body reset. 10-15 minutes of meditation , breathing & relaxation exercises daily will do wonder.

9. Monitor Your Blood Pressure : This is not a bad advice, rather it is good to monitor your BP , the best way is, if you see your BP has gone up, then do some breathing exercises & you will see that it has come down.

10 . Get Support group :  some suggest join a group where you can interact with people in similar condition so that you can "cope" with your condition. I think this is very unfortunate , this is based on our perception that all these conditions are permanent , chronic & incurable, because they do not address the root causes so they believe it is incurable, so the best thing is to cope with it & find groups where there is sympathy and feel that you are not alone. 

 If we look into the above reasons , we find that almost everything has to do with 2 things, which are the root cause :

A. INSULIN RESISTANCE .

B. INCREASED NEED TO DELIVER FUEL, that is why the body raises the blood pressure.- smoking,  anemia , stress.

When we understand that there are certain simple mechanisms that create all this problems , then we can undo those mechanisms and there is no reason to "cope". 

If you are given the choice of restoring function in the body or coping with the condition , then 99 out of 100 would want to restore health, feel good & address and handle the root cause.

A POWERFUL BREATHING TECHNIQUE - INCREASES LUNG CAPACITY & IMPROVES IMMUNE SYSTEM.

 A POWERFUL BREATHING TECHNIQUE - INCREASES LUNG CAPACITY & IMPROVES IMMUNE SYSTEM.

Considering the general health condition of a considerable portion of world population especially those living in cities , irrespective of their age,  people in some way or the other get easily effected by change of season , pollution , various type of viruses / infections , become allergy prone with frequent cough & cold issues, have respiratory problem & get into other health issues, mainly due to poor IMMUNE SYSTEM . 

Especially in this present pandemic situation , this POWERFUL BREATHING technique will boost your LUNG CAPACITY and IMMUNITY. This technique is a "must do" for those who are exposed like POLICE,  DOCTORS,  HEALTH WORKERS , ESSENTIAL SERVICE WORKERS, & those who are in frequent actual dealings with general public.

This is a simple practice , this is not relevant to people who are doing some other powerful breathing process like- SHAKTI CHALANKRIYA, it is not necessary for them to do this. But, those of you who do not know any powerful process , this will help , it will enhance your lung capacity & it will enhance your immunity and above all  if you can do it today and can do it for next five days and suddenly one day you are not able to do it , this means definitely you got some respiratory problem, it may not be this particular WUHAN VIRUS  but it could be anything else, it doesn't matter what it is, you should have yourself checked. 

What it involves is that - ensure that your stomach is not too full, you must be some what hungry , even if you are not totally empty stomach.  You have to sit in a cross legged posture  whichever way you can, what ever your body permits and then use both the arms to push it up in such a way that your rib cage lifts off the diaphragm region fully pushed up, and now you have to fully stretch your tongue out with your mouth fully open and then breath as powerfully as possible without jerking the abdomen , but powerful pushing in and pushing out both INHALATION & EXHALATION 21 times, and when it is done then you role up your tongue upward, push it as further back you can , do not use your hands, and still with your mouth open again breath the same way - INHALATION & EXHALATION as powerfully as possible, but must get the sound by making a constriction in your throat (see demo video). The sound must be there,  it is important that you form a constriction at throat , at the pit of the throat & make the sound fully inhaling & fully exhaling as powerfully as you can, but without jerking the abdomen another 21 times with tongue rolled up. After this is done , then close your mouth & INHALE fully through your nose and simply sit there with the fullness of  breath for one minute, then exhale through your nose with your mouth closed making a sound at the pit of the throat by creating a constriction and then sit quietly for sometime with your eyes closed & do normal breathing, then you can do your normal work.  

If you are beyond a certain age or your breathing is not that good then hold breath for at least 30 seconds. If you are not able to do 1 minute, a minimum of 30 seconds you stay there. When the day you are not being able to do it you must understand there is some problem with your respiratory system & you must go for a check up. 

This is a simple practise that anybody could do. Please click on the link below 👇 for the DEMONSTRATION video : https://youtu.be/hurzStM6u4Y

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT - 5 EFFORTLESS WAYS .

 

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT - 5  EFFORTLESS  WAYS .

If you understand the basic inner functioning of your body then staying fit or losing weight will never be at all complicated for you. My effort is to try to tackle the most important health & fitness issues  of the day in a natural , simple & safe way.

In this blog we will try to understand the truth about how to lose weight once and for all . Weight loss fails because people do it wrong due to some misconception. Eating less and going hungry doesn't work. You must address the reason you are hungry. If you do it right it won't be a struggle and you won't gain it back. Just because there is no such thing as instant weight loss tips, or quick fixes does not mean that weight has to be painful. The willpower only consists being willing to learn how it really works and choosing the right foods and eating patterns.

Millions of people try to lose weight and only end up gaining all back, why does it happen to 98% of the people ? Do they do not have strong enough intention or willpower or are they lazy ?  NO, it is because they are doing it wrong & then they are being lied to and told that you need to eat less & exercise more , & still if it does not work, then you are made to believe the reason of not working is - you do not have the willpower , the motivation , the character or what ever it is. After some time these people do not have anything alternative , so start doubting themselves, feel guilty and shameful , thinking "there is something wrong in me". But that is not how it works, the OBESITY epidemic is exponential , but it is not because the earth has been overwhelming with bunch of people who do not have a will power, it is because we have changed the way we eat & we have changed the way we live. There is hope , there is nothing wrong with your will power or your character , what needs to change is your understanding what the real problem is. 

We need to understand the 5 BASIC SECRETS :

                           

1) Don't ever go on a DIET - because it did not work last time and it hasn't worked for millions of people trying it over & over , diets don't work - when you go on a diet at some point you plan to go off a diet. The very idea that you are going to go ON something implies that you are going to get OFF it, then you will be right back where you started, & that's why we have such YO YO dieters. The problem is when you think eating less & exercising more , then you are going to get hungry and you can only  keep it up so long & then you fail , feel guilt , shame & end up stop trying , as a result you have fear of failure & you are afraid of going on diet next time as you are afraid of getting hungry , because that's what happened last time you tried.

Number one misconception that we have to get over is "CALORIES IN & CALORIES OUT". Yes, We all understand the first law of thermodynamics - energy remains constant in a closed system, but  we need to understand that Calorie is not calorie, they behave differently , they change your behaviour, some calories are going to stimulate hunger , some calories are going to satiate hunger - they are going to trigger different hormones , trigger different behaviour, you already know this - 500 calorie of stake is not the same satisfaction as 500 calorie of potato chips , you know there is a difference, your body responds differently. This concept of "Calories in & Calories out" is like doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results.

It is OK to do a cleanse  for a week or 2 - 3 weeks once in a while , but should never go on a diet. We are talking about a life style change , that once you start implementing it , you only make changes that you plan to keep up for the rest of your life. Otherwise you are going to go ON & then OFF, and end up where you started.

                    

2) Address the ROOT CAUSE -  If your body is behaving in a certain way , there is a reason for that , there is a reason that you are hungry, there is a reason the food impacts you differently,  & those reasons that change your behaviour differently are called hormones . The hormone imbalance is the root cause , you can not keep the hormone imbalance & override it with willpower. 

The hormones here in question are primarily are INSULIN, CORTISOL, LEPTIN & GROWTH HORMONE. 

Insulin is a fat storing hormone, when you eat food your blood sugar goes up , insulin is released to take the blood sugar out of the blood stream , sugars & carbohydrates trigger the most blood sugar , so they trigger the most insulin , as a result they have the strongest tendency to store fat. Insulin promotes the conversion of carbohydrates to fat & prevents the conversion of fat into energy. If we want to get into fat burning you can not do it by exercising & eating less , you have to reduce insulin dominance , insulin resistance in your body .

Cortisol is another hormone , it is a stress hormone , that is when you have lot of stress your body does everything it can, it burns every bridge possible to get your blood sugar up , it perceives that there is an emergency when you are stressed & then you need more of the short term fuel called carbohydrate & blood sugar , but when your blood sugar goes up & you are not moving because you are sitting as you are stressed throughout the day , so there is no outlet for that blood sugar so the insulin has to put it back in to the cell & now we see cortisol drives insulin & insulin resistance.

Leptin is a satiety hormone , it regulates how full you feel & how safe your body feels in using energy , so when you are leptin sensitive then leptin signals that we have had enough & it is safe to burn off some for energy , but when you are leptin resistant then you are not sensitive, that is your brain is not sensing the message , then even though you have eaten enough but still you are not satisfied , but even worse is, it does not feel safe to burn some of that energy that you ate & that you have stored, you are still in eating mode & fat storing mode. It is Insulin that primarily turns off the sensitivity to leptin.

Growth Hormone is a fat burning hormone , it is also a muscle building hormone. It is primarily triggered by fasting that is when you don't eat , then the body feels there is no food so let's burn some fat , but insulin pretty much turns off the growth hormone . When we eat frequent meals or eat lot of food that triggers insulin then growth hormone will be always low . 

An imbalance in these hormones make you hungry. Hunger is not that with which you can fight for too long , certainly not for rest of your life. So if you are hungry , your body is screaming for food, the more you try to deny the need , the more the body is going to scream & it is not sustainable.  Calorie restriction diet is not sustainable , your own common sense  & experience will verify that. 

If we are ever want to get to a place where we are effortlessly living & losing weight , then the only way is to get these hormones in balance , that is with a life style & types of food that we eat , not the amount of food that we eat.

                 

3) Understand what food is , we have completely lost track , we completely lost all concept as a culture of what food is , we think that something we put in our mouth that gives you some sort of gratification for few minutes , that is not what food is . Let us think about it in this way - think of any other animal on this planet that has a widespread problem with obesity & weight control , of course not , elephants & whales are super heavy but they are not obese, they are suppose to be heavy , the amount of fat they have is appropriate for that species ,there are no over weight animals in the wild on a regular widespread basis, because they eat real food , they eat that is appropriate for their species , & because it is a real food it has dense nutrients, because it stimulates & promotes appropriate hormones and it is satiety, then hunger turns on & off appropriately, that is what real food does. We have lost that ability to determine what appropriate hunger & satiety is , we eat too much then slow down our metabolism , because we have eaten food that destroys our hormonal balance. We eat processed food , we eat man made food , the only other animals on the planet that have weight problem are the pets. Natural whole food provided by the planet promotes health & it does not create health imbalances or weight problem or hunger issues. 

Most people today would agree to minimising processed food , but disagree on what real or normal food is , especially about fat , because we have got this fat-phobia, somewhere down the line because of some wrong reasons we decided fat is bad - that was the monumental mistake , because fat is the preferred fuel for the body . So, those who oppose low carb high fat movement & the ketogenic movement , they think a high fat diet is unnatural , they say that it is extremely high fat & low carb diet so it is not sustainable - this is a misconception. Ever since we got the enormous boom in processed food our graph for obesity went on going up. So we need to understand that what they called extremely high fat & low carb food is actually normal food , it is a whole food because it is pretty much as it came out of earth.

                    

4) Take Action - the first action that we need to take is reduce sugar , because when it comes to health, sugar is the root of all evil. It  does the two things that are most detrimental to human health - glucose raises blood sugar & fructose clogs the liver and creates insulin resistance . Glucose speeds up your blood sugar fluctuations , it makes you hungry & fructose is a liver toxin . Table sugar is 50% each of the two worst things that we have ever come across, & what makes sugar toxic is the concentration, because it is a natural molecule , it is the molecule of plant life. When we eat vegetables we get 1-3% of sugar but it is packaged with lots of water , fibre , minerals & enzymes, and the things that we need to break that down.  So, it is the delivery method that is different, & we can never get more than 2-3 tea spoons of sugar that the earth produces, but when we refine it then there is no limit , now we are getting 10-20 times more sugar in a concentrated form & the dose makes the poison . Sugar is extremely toxic.We should never take more than 2-3 tea spoons in a day from all sources of refine sugar.

                    

Next we need to reduce processed foods & carbohydrates, now it depends on the person how far they have to go , if you are not terribly unhealthy , if you are not too insulin resistant , if your hormone system is not much out of balance , then it might be enough you cut out most of the sugars & most of the processed foods & go on and eat some of the other carbs like potatoes & rice , if this works for you then it's great. That means your weight wasn't stubborn on the first place , you were just eating too much of the wrong things that promoted hunger . But for lot of people weight is little more stubborn , so now it is not enough to reduce sugar & processed food, but have to go for low carb high fat diet or even have to go for a ketogenic diet where you are cutting the carbohydrate so low that you are forcing your body to re-evaluate to learn how to use fat for fuel again. In a weight loss process there is no quick fix , you have to take it as a journey , you have to make a commitment of what steps you are going to take , it does not mater whether you want to go slow or fast , that's more of a personality thing , some people are committed to do things really fast , but other people function better if they do gradually. The best way is to introduce it as a life style which you can do for rest of your life.

                

You have to develop new recipes & habits that you can take along with. Part of your action steps has to include EXERCISE , the reason you need to exercise is your brain needs it, your brain controls everything about body , the signals generated by movements feeds the brain , body movement or exercise is the number one signal nutrient , exercise thus promotes better hormone balance , promotes better circulation, detoxification and many more benefits when you exercise. Then you should also do MEDITATION, because meditation is a great way to reset your body , it de-stresses , it puts your body in a healing state . Think of the body as chemical, structural & emotional , with exercise you are addressing some of the structural , with better nutrition & food you are addressing the chemical & with meditation you are addressing the emotional aspect . Thus giving your body a well rounded solution.

               

5) DO NOT SET A WEIGHT LOSS GOAL - it is all right to know where you are & where you want to go , but do not force yourself into a time line because that's going to back fire , the reason that you are not going to use the weight as the goal because it is not the ROOT CAUSE , it is not the problem, weight is the result of the imbalance , it is the imbalance that you want to address. You should set goal in terms of health , set in terms of positive & quality of life , habits you want to develop , how you want to feel doing these things. 

If you set a weight loss goal - by so much weight by such & such date , that is not on which you have control over , if you want it to happen effortlessly in a balance & natural way , then first have to solve the root cause, then your body will naturally do things in proper sequence. What you can do is you measure & track your blood markers & weight but more like a positive observation, if it happens , then it happens, do not set time frame, let it unfold by itself in time. 

               

JUST ONE YOGA ASANA CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

                                                

JUST  ONE  YOGA  ASANA  CAN  CHANGE  YOUR  LIFE.

The 84 Asanas which are the fundamental Yogasanas are 84 ways to make the body into a passage.

It is not necessary for everybody to do 84 Asanas. If you do one, it is enough, usually Hata Yogis... serious Hata Yogis who are taking Hata Yoga as their path to liberation practice only one Asana, just one Asana.

It is difficult for a thinking mind to understand why would somebody spend his whole life trying to sit in a particular way or posture. But if you learn to sit right, if you just learn to hold your body right, everything that you need to know in this universe you can know because, this is known as Asana Siddhi. If you can sit in a posture stable and comfortable for two and a half hours then we say you have attained to Asana Siddhi, that you are in absolute and at ease in a particular posture. That is Asana Siddhi - if you achieve this everything that you need to know one can know internally.

How is this possible ? How can one just by sitting in a particular posture can know everything that you want to know ?

If you have a Television in your home, it is just a box with little bit of electronics in it . But it becomes a world by itself , the whole world can stream into this box simply because there is a receiving mode, if you set the antenna right , if it is properly adjusted then the whole world flows in to your television set . If the antenna is not set right, then the same box having everything but can not do anything. This is how the human being is, an individual human being is who he or she is , is only because of what he or she perceives . Right now you are who you are is only because of what ever you perceived in your life, and you will be what you will be only because of what you are going to perceive in future.

The whole system of Yoga is only interested in enhancing your perception, so if you hold the posture right, if your alignment is right and if  it matches with the Cosmic alignment in some way,  of the 84 alignments, if one gets into these 84 postures or even masters the single posture and approaches the remaining 83 through that, then everything that has happened in this creation till this moment one can know because the memory of that is right here within your system in a codified way, it can be activated and ignited if it touches another dimension outside of yourself.

So, Yoga Asanas are powerful means to connect . Yoga means union , union means two have become one . Two is just this - there are only two in the existence , YOU and the rest of the existence. In the rest of the existence you may identify this one, that one , that one , but essentially there are only two , you and the rest of the existence, because there are two dimensions of experience within you , you do not know what is up & down in this cosmos , you do not know what is forward & backward in this cosmos , you do not know anything, these are all things that we made up for our convenience . The only experiential reality is - there is something called outward & something called inward, these are the two dimensions of experience. So, Yoga means to bring a union between these - INNER & OUTER or You & the rest, when there is no YOU & OTHER, there is only YOU - then it is YOGA.

Asanas are a physical manifestation of approaching this, a physical form of approaching this ultimate union. Because physical body is the easiest thing to work with. If you try to do something with your mind, it will play too many tricks . At least with your body you know, it is doing it right or not doing right, whether it is cooperating or not cooperating. A mind if you push it too hard it will make you believe all kinds of things & dump you the next day. But body is not like that, it is a reliable factor, if you work with it sensibly the Yogasanas will definitely lead to the possibility of the ultimate union. In the mean time by getting into the postures before all the alignment with the ultimate happens, the inner alignment happens which will naturally achieve a chemistry of healthfulness, joyfulness & blissfulness and above all BALANCE. Balance is something that our modern societies have ignored and are paying a huge price for today. Whatever maybe your intelligence, competence , education & qualifications, if you do not have the necessary balance then you will nor succeed and not go far in life. 

So, the most important thing for people who are seeking to be successful, is balance, in what ever field they may be. Only if you have a balance which is not disturbed by external situations will you be capable of making use of the competence intelligence that you carry within you, otherwise the most wonderful qualities that one may have will all go waste simply because of lack of balance, HATA YOGA means BALANCE.

                                                        

FOR FAT LOSS - WALKING OR RUNNING - WHICH IS BETTER ?

                                 

FOR FAT LOSS - WALKING OR RUNNING - WHICH IS BETTER ?

For maximum fat loss which is better Running or Walking ? Both running and walking are great for burning calories , but in this blog myself will try to explain all the reasons why they work & don't. Also find out if you should run or not.

Every year millions of people resolve to lose weight , but every year millions of people gain the weight back, is that because they did something wrong or because they are lacking in character & will power. Lot of people believe in the notion of "no pain - no gain", but is that really how it works for weight loss & fat burning.

The idea of  losing weight & burning fat based on exercise like walking or running is based on the idea that we have to expend energy or use up calories , some of that calorie is stored as fat , so if we expend more energy then we will burn lot of fat, that makes sense, but it is not as simple as that. First let us look into where the energy come from & how is it different if we are running or walking .

The 2 ways the body makes energy are : 

1) OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION, which simply means we are making energy in the presence of oxygen, that is we have enough oxygen supplied that we can send the fuel to MITOCHONDRIA which uses oxygen to oxidise the fuel, this fuel could be fat or glucose. If we have enough oxygen then we can make energy / fuel called ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) it's actually the currency of energy in the cell, we can make 38 units of ATP from one unit of glucose, but fat is a larger molecule so we make more than 38 ATPs. The important part is, it is a very efficient way of making energy  & in the presence of oxygen we can make a lot of it & all of that oxidation is happening in the mitochondria. As this is an efficient way of making energy, so our body prefers this, because at rest & a moderate level of exercise the body prefers to use Oxidative Phosphorylation and prefers to use fat for fuel. At rest & moderate level of exercise we use about 85% of the energy from fat & 15% from glucose, but both of these fuel sources are channeled in to the Mitochondria for the use of oxygen to make ATP. 

2) The alternative way of making energy is known as GLYCOLYSIS, meaning splitting sugars or glucose. When there is shortage of oxygen in our body then the body relies on Glycolysis, this does not happen in Mitochondria, it is a separate mechanism, this happens in the cell in the cytoplasm, but outside the mitochondria, this is not efficient at all, as we can make only 2 ATPs from one unit of glucose. 

So, when we have oxygen then we can make 19 times more energy (ATP) than when we do not have sufficient oxygen. This means that GLYCOLYSIS is an emergency way of making energy. This is important when we have crisis ie., when we do not have oxygen or when we have to make a sprint during emergency or when we have to escape from something, then we have a backup method of making energy but it is very inefficient , it costs us to make certain amount of fuel and have to use up a lot of glucose, 100% of this mechanism of Glycolysis comes from glucose, it dose not work for fat.

So, if you plan to run or walk in order to lose weight or fat then you need to understand that which of these 2 mechanism works in running & walking & whats the balance. There is something called AEROBIC metabolism that means with air. When you are walking with an intensity where you are below 120 beats per minute of heart rate, because at that heart rate for most people you are going to be breathing normally , not going to be huffing & puffing , you will be taking deep breaths with a steady rate, this means you will have enough oxygen to provide Mitochondria to stay with OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION, without needing to start in to splitting sugar. Thus the Aerobic metabolism or the aerobic exercise which is all activity where there is less intensity & not huffing & puffing, you will burn the fast maturity of your fuel from fat , especially if you are fat adapted , then there will about 85% burn from fat & 15% burn from glucose, but this glucose is still going to mitochondria for oxidation. If you increase your intensity little bit then the glucose % will go up slightly but still stay in the oxidative phosphorylation. As you further increase your intensity and cross over to ANAEROBIC (heart rate comes to 140-160 beats per minute) and you start huffing & puffing for more air now there is no longer enough oxygen to provide mitochondria with enough oxygen to maintain OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION, so now the body can not rely on this & will start breaking down glucose & start the Glycolysis mechanism & using lot of carbohydrate rather quickly.

Thus we can see that , if you are fat adapted & are doing Aerobic then you are in the fast majority of fuel provided from fat , but as you start Anaerobic then the glucose becomes dominant, the intensity will determine how dominant it becomes, more huffing & puffing means more use of glucose , carbohydrate than fat.

A lot of people think that it is just about calories, "if i burn more calories, run more faster then i will burn more fat", but that's not how it works, the only way to burn fat is with oxygen which is possible in the OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION , you can only burn fat up to the Aerobic threshold then the mechanism adds by shift to GLYCOLYSIS where you burn glucose.

If you wanting to burn that fat and keep that going for hours , then you can go for walk for hours or a leisurely bicycle ride for hours if you are fit and capable , but if you are running and huffing & puffing then we can not keep that up for too long, may be maximum 20-45 minutes depending on how fit you are. So, in walking where you can go for long duration then you can burn lot of fat. In running you will be burning calories but the calories wont be coming from fat as oxygen sets the limit. When we go from Aerobic to Anaerobic then the body shifts from a peaceful to emergency state, thus switching to using the reserve pathway, thus using of glucose and glycogin quickly. As in Glycolysis more carbohydrate is used & look for other carbs, because of the cortisol which is released during high intensity routine, we become carb adopted ,burning more carbs , not fat. So, as we burn through the carb stores, we get hungry and get cravings.

In Aerobic - walking you will not have any extra hunger, where as after running where you go through burning of carbs, after an hour you will probably be ravishing . When we run we trigger cortisol and thus increase in blood sugar and insulin . Insulin we know is a fat storing hormone,  when you run you become hungry and consume more carbs & insulin converts carbs into fat. Every thing about fat burning is about resisting insulin & insulin resistance. Low intensity aerobic exercise is pure fat burning and stays stable till we trigger cortisol.

While we are running we will be burning more calories per unit of time but it dose not really mater as we cannot keep it for long so the total calorie expenditure is not higher, because we are triggering cortisol , you will be more hungry, suppose you have the will power to resist that hunger and do not eat, then what happens is your body has used all the glucose, then the body will try to find the source and have to break down muscles and that is obviously not that you want. 

So between walking vs running , for maximum weight loss, the clear winner is walking. 

However, dose that mean you should never run ? & should always walk as the only exercise ? Of course not, then who should run or what type of person should run - someone who is fit regardless of age, lean, you should be insulin sensitive, you enjoy variety, then can run once in a while, but not regularly. Do not think you will be more healthier if you run or burn more fat if you run. Should do more of your activity AEROBIC.

Who should walk ? If you are already over weight, that means you are pretty much insulin resistant and you are not super fit & your body is not ready for the stress, then should always walk. If your primary motive is health then walking is best for most people. Walking also reduces the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease , stroke & dementia.

DAILY WALKING OR JOGGING - CONFUSED ??

DAILY WALKING OR JOGGING - CONFUSED ??

I find many people are confused whether they should walk or jog daily for general fitness. In this blog I will clear all your doubts about the same, especially if you are in your 50's or above. 

A 30-45 minutes walk every day can boost your metabolism for up to 12 hours after the walk ! Paring a healthy balanced diet with a 30-45 minutes of walk can help you lose some amount of weight without even doing much exercise. Additional benefits of walking include strengthening your bones & improving your attention & memory. Specifically when walking in nature, research has shown 20% increase in attention & memory. Sunshine provides VITAMIN D , breathing PURE AIR calms nervous system, the different COLOURS OF NATURE - GREEN walking or FOREST bathing (Nature Walking) is phenomenally  good for our overall physical & mental heath. It should be made a routine to at least go for a MODERATE / MID-ALTITUDE TREKKING for minimum 10-15 days in a year, considering the missing nature in most of our city life. 

The need to walk is baked into our DNA. We are meant to eat & then move & not eat & just sit on our butts. We are built to WALK. Walking has no age limit, rather you should walk more as you age. 

Walking is totally free, easy exercise that requires little effort, & benefits not only physical but also your mental well-being. If you are looking for a simple yet very effective way of losing weight & improving your overall health, walking is something just for you.

People who are physically active throughout their life are much less prone to disease than those who have more volume in their hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for verbal memory and learning. A daily 30-45 minutes walk helps avoid serious problems, like coronary heart disease to name one, by lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol levels thus improving blood circulation. Because of better quality and deeper breathing , some symptoms associated with lung diseases can show significant improvement, thanks to walking. Muscle tone and weight loss is also totally achievable through simple walking. 

Find your optimal pace, but do not break into a jog.This sort of speed walking is low impact and does not require any recovery time, which means no sore muscles to keep you from getting out and walk the next day.

Let us now see what happens to your body if you walk every day : 

1. BRAIN BOOSTING EFFECT - a study in the university of Kansas has revealed that low impact aerobic exercises like walking prevent the early onset of dementia and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Over 35 million people around the world suffer from Alzheimer's & sadly it is only going worse. People who are much active throughout their life are less prone to this disease. Walking improves your overall mental well being by reducing stress and releasing endorphins , it stimulates not only the production of chemicals responsible for brain health but also  the growth of neuro blood vessels and cells. 

2.  IMPROVES EYE SIGHT - walking can help fight Glaucoma by relieving eye pressure. Glaucoma develops when too much fluid builds up in the eyes increasing the pressure in the eye, that pressure in turn effect the optic nerve which results in visual impairment . Walking is the best way in reducing the risk of developing Glaucoma. Walking also strengthens and stimulates the visual cortex , the part of the brain that processes the images that eyes sent to it.

3. PREVENTION OF HEART DISEASE - walking makes your heart stronger, according to American heart Association walking is very effective in prevention of heart disease and stroke. A daily half-hour walk helps avoiding serious heart problems like coronary heart disease by lowering high blood pressure & cholesterol levels and in improving blood circulation.

4. INCREASE LUNG VOLUME - walking is an aerobic exercise which means it increases oxygen flow in the blood stream & helps eliminate toxins and waste. It is great for your lungs because of better quality and deeper breathing, some symptoms associated with lung disease can show significant improvement, the stress and medication that lung disease  bring with it weaken the immune system of those suffering from it. Walking is thus an immunity booster.

5. BENEFITS FOR THE PANCREAS - walking is more effective in preventing Diabetes than jogging. In a research it was found that a group of daily walkers demonstrated 6 times greater improvement in glucose tolerance more blood sugar absorption than a group of runners. More efficient use of blood sugar allows your pancreas to produce less insulin , giving it a much needed rest to gather strength.

6. IMPROVES DIGESTION - just half an hour of walking not only reduces the risk of cologne cancer but also improves digestion and bowel movements. Walking is very good for those suffering from constipation , walking improves the chances of surviving cologne cancer even after being diagnosed. This was discovered when 1,50,000 men and women , where activity levels were compared with the number of those who got colon  cancer and died of it.

7. TONED MUSCLES - muscle tone and weight loss is totally achievable through simple walking. In fact just 10,000 steps a day is as effective as full blown workout in a gym, especially if you add some intervals of up-hill walking, just remember to use correct form - keep your spine straight , bend your elbows at 90 degrees angle, swing your arms and stabilize your pelvis, find your optimal pace but do not break out into a jog. This sort of speed walking is of low impact and do not require any recovery time, which means no sore muscles.

8. STURDIER BONES AND JOINTS - walking can provide more joint mobility and prevent the loss of bone density and reduce the risk of fractures. Arthritis foundation recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate walking daily to prevent pain, stiffness and inflammation in the joints. Building strong bones will help you prevent osteoporosis and reduce bone loss.

9. BACK PAIN RELIEF - walk is a real life saver for those experiencing back pain during more challenging  high impact exercises , since walking is a low impact activity it wont cause pain or discomfort like running or HIT would. Walking contributes to more blood circulation within the spinal structure helping movement of important nutrients in to the soft tissues improving posture and flexibility , both of which are vital for a healthy spine , as you walk you make your spine more stable and strengthen the muscles that keep your body upright and a better posture adds few inches to your height.

10. A CALMER MIND - if mind and body are connected as is said , then this point is right on target. The journal on Psychic research published the results of a study on 50 individuals suffering from major depression , it show walking 30-45 minutes a day, 5 days a week, improved their condition significantly, if walking improves depression symptoms in patients then imagine how easily it can help us cope when feeling down or exhausted . Another group of researchers at Iowa State University worked with  hundreds of  stressed college students , walking changed their mood , a joyful walk with their friend or loved one enhanced their happy effect in them.

THE FIT FORMULA :

F = Frequency or how often 

I  = Intensity or how fast

T = Time or how long.

To level up, change one of them at a time. 

FREQUENCY - if you can not go out every day , then go 3-5 times a week. If you can handle only 10-15 minutes of walk then do that regularly to start with, but gradually add extra minutes to it , but make it a regular routine.

INTENSITY - 2 to 3 miles ( 3-5 Kilometres ) an hour is a good intensity, if that's too much for you then set your own pace, but a good rule to remember is you should able to talk while walking, if you run out of breath and your heart beats are crazy then you are going too fast some what like jogging.

TIME -  minimum 30 minutes & maximum 45 minutes a day should be your goal , you can also count steps to keep yourself motivating , 6,000 steps a day is a good amount, if that is initially too much then start with what you can manage right now.

Now, do you think walking is worth giving a shot ?