Eat your fruits right
Friday, September 06, 2013 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments

There's a right time and place for everything, including eating fruits.

So much has been said of the virtues of fruits that it seems like one can hardly go wrong with them. In fact, many people regard fruits as desserts or an after-meal snack. The notion that this is the best way to consume fruits is further strengthened by the fact that many restaurants do serve fruits or fruit desserts after the main course.

Unfortunately, regarding fruits as an after-meal snack is not a great idea. The nutrients from the fruits may not be absorbed properly. Ideally, fruits should be consumed alone or with other fruits, with at least a half an hour gap between the main meal and the fruit meal. The sugars, nutrients and fibre in the fruit require time to be completely absorbed by the digestive system. When fruits are consumed alone, all these goodness is easily processed and absorbed into the body. Hence, you get the optimal benefits from the fruits you eat.

On the other hand, if you eat fruits close to a meal, especially after a huge meal, the digestive system requires more time and effort to absorb the nutrients from the fruits. When held in the stomach for too long with other foods, they will rot and ferment in the gut. This can lead to symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, burping, feelings of nausea, diarrhea etc.

If you wish to enjoy a fruit snack after your meal, do wait at least 30 minutes before doing so. Those with diabetes and any other illnesses that are accompanied with digestive problems should wait longer.

Ideally, one should consume fruits either one hour before a meal or two hours after. A recommended schedule would be to have some fruits between breakfast and lunch, another round between lunch and dinner, and perhaps a last light fruit snack after dinner, preferably before 9pm to avoid overworking the digestive system. Heavy fruits like banana and avocado should be avoided at night, as well as watermelon, which albeit having great hydrating and detoxifying properties, would cause you to require more frequent toilet breaks.

Why not consume fruits on an empty stomach in the morning? This would work if you intend to have a fruit meal as breakfast. However, diabetic people would have to take care to avoid fruits high in fructose (fruit sugars) like apples and mangos. These can cause sugar levels to spike and failure to secrete sufficient insulin to counter this.

Can one mix fruits with non-fruits then, such as yogurt and cereals? That is generally fine as long as the meal isn’t a very large one (which could hinder the digestive system’s efficiency), and if you don’t have existing digestion problems. The rule of the thumb is not to eat fruits with other food that will be hard to digest.

Sources:
http://www.boldsky.com/health/wellness/2013/best-time-to-eat-fruits-033559.html
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4970/The-Major-Rule-for-Eating-Fruit.html
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-12/diet/30453950_1_fruits-right-way-meal
http://rawfoodswitch.com/fruits-vegetables-nuts-and-seeds/why-eat-fruit/


Jog in the day, or at night : which is better?
Monday, August 26, 2013 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments




It's been often asked which is better: to jog in the day or at night? Given that for most people who are working, it is well almost impossible to jog in the daylight hours. Of course there are the run hour joggers, who would sacrifice their break to get a good run. But even then, often they may run in the city area where the air may not be fresh. In fact I recalled many years ago in the Indiana University campus in Indianapolis US, I first encountered people running during the lunch hour. Certainly at that time it wasn't the trend in Singapore to run during the midday.

I guess there are few office workers who are fortunate enough to be able to get out of the office by 5pm and be all dressed for the run by 6pm or earlier. Most people get home around 7pm or later, have dinner and - well the daylight is well gone.  So moonlight runners are what many are compelled to do if they want to keep their jobs and keep their health.

There are of course the early birds who get up at 5am and hit the tracks by 5.30am or 6am for a good one hour exercise. They take a bath and is all freshen up and ready to take on the world by the time they sit at their office desk at 8.30am. But what time do they have to sleep to get up so early? One pal told me he gets into bed by 9pm, which leaves him with little time to spend with their family and certainly not much of TV.

Some runners will swear that it all depends on your biological clock. If you're an early riser then by all means do the jog at sun rise; and if you are a late sleeper, then go for the evening run. Having done both running at dawn and in the late evening, I find it more relaxing to do so under the moonlit sky. Reason: the day is behind me and I don't have to worry about rushing home, get a bathe and hit the road to get to the office on time. Besides, it is very nice and cool to run at night. Just be a little more safety conscious and don't ask for trouble by running into the darkest corners and risk getting mugged.

At the end of the day, whichever is your choice, what's important is to hit the tracks, get at least 30 minutes of exercise, to stay healthy. Don't you think so?


Focusing and finding meaning in life
Friday, August 23, 2013 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments

Can you make it through this article in entirety without tending to your Facebook notifications from your phone, switching to another tab on your internet browser or thinking about what’s for lunch/dinner/supper later?

Virtual cookies for you if you can, but I’m betting you aren’t going to get them.

Being physically present, but mentally elsewhere, a state known as autopilot, is a common problem these days, especially given the omnipresence of social media and multimedia entertainment. While one may argue that getting a little break or harmless day dreaming can help to inspire new ideas, in truth, this is a major cause for procrastination. Spending too much time in your imaginary paradise can in the long run lead to anxiety (from not completing your work) and depression (at reality, or failure to achieve).

More importantly, if you don’t focus on things that matter, they will be just be random things that you bypass in life on a daily basis, rather than adding value to your life. Do you sometimes find that you have trouble remembering and describing things, names and faces that should matter? Maybe it’s because your mind is on a bazillion other things.

The common excuse of “I can’t focus” is in fact, just an excuse.

When performing tasks, our brain’s reflex response to our usual mode is the focus mode. If you’re in the middle of doing your work, and possibly multi-tasking with something else inessential or in Lala-land, and you heard someone yell “Fire!”, chances are, you’d drop whatever you’re doing, stick your head out of your dream world and concentrate on finding out what this fire is about. It’s unlikely that you’d start fiddling with your Facebook, unless you’ve made certain that the situation is not dangerous for you.

The fact is, many of us are capable of focusing on the things that matter. We are just not using this ability to its full potential. If we could just utilize this ability to give strict attention to the task at hand, imagine how much we could achieve, and how much more time we can enjoy for guilty pleasure.

Certainly, telling oneself to focus is easier said than done, and the common recommendation of rewarding oneself after the task is done may often lead to thinking about this reward in the middle of work instead, which becomes counter-productive.

Meditation is a tried and tested solution to help focus the mind and even alleviate stress and anxiety. Here are three simple ones that anyone can do, any time, anywhere.

Walking meditation.

This conventional meditation method is recommended by recommended by Catherine Kerr, director of translational neuroscience at Brown University's Contemplative Studies Initiative.

All you need is an empty space, the more spacious, the better, preferably with nobody and nothing to get in your way. With no shoes on, but preferably with socks, simply walk at a slow or medium pace, focusing your attention on your foot. Yes, this will be a challenge for us fast-footed Singaporeans, but you’ll soon get used to it. Instead of merely walking mindlessly or thinking of something else, concentrate on the feel of your fet interacting with the ground i.e. when your heel touches down, when your sole is flat on the ground, when your toes point back upward.

If your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back into focus mode on your feet.

Doing this helps you notice when your attention drifts our of focus, and to bring it back into focus. With more practice, you will soon become more aware and in control of your attention.

Once you become comfortable with pulling in and out of your attention-deficit mode and focus mode, you can try it outside, on your way to school, work, supermarket or just about any time.

Reflect on things that matter

 Amit Sood, author of "The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living," and director of research and practice at the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Programme, suggests making paying tribute to the people who matter to you the first thing you do when you wake up.

With your eyes shut, think of the first person you feel grateful too. Bring that person's face in front of your eyes and focus on one part of their face that you really like.

Send them a "silent gratitude”, as Sood calls it, or "just a note of thankfulness that this person is in your life. Do this for a second, third, fourth and fifth person – perhaps someone who has died. Picture them happy; try to imagine the colour of their eyes.

If you are finding it difficult to focus or remember certain facial aspects of said person, perhaps too much is getting in the way when you’re spending time with that person. In that case, if it isn’t too late, this is a sign that you should spend more time with him or her, and give them more of your attention.

You can also extend this beyond people to things like places, travel locations that you have been to before or even TV programmes that you have watched, even your favourite idol (Just don't get too obsessive).

These “silent gratitude”s not only help to train your ability to focus, but also enables you to connect with people and things that you have not really been in touch with. Quoting Sood - “you start feeling like you're not missing out on life.”

Giving in to distractions is part of human nature, so if you find it difficult to gain focus, don’t feel distressed or try to pressurise yourself into focusing. Be compassionate and slow but steady, and you will eventually regain the ability of being in control.