Do I need to pray every day?

Prayer is very important part of life. It does not matter to which religion or country we belong, prayer is by default one of our daily activities. When we were kids, the elder members of the family ensured that we pray every day.

The significance of praying is much more than just making kids aware of their religion or making them disciplined. Studies show that praying has immense effect on brain health. Since praying is the only time when we are alone and do self analysis, we become aware of our inner desires and emotions. As during this exercise we ‘wish’ for good things, optimism fills our brain, therefore we feel good. Even if we are guilty or in pain, we ask for forgiveness or seek some desired results. In that case too our emotions and stress are released and we feel relaxed. Let’s see some of the effects of praying:

1-      Praying reduces risk of developing depression

2-      It helps in reducing mental and physical stress

3-      The relaxing effect lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disorders and migraines

4-      Chanting and singing song reduces asthma symptoms as well as improves immunity

5-      Increases sense of happiness and optimism

According to Health Psychology studies, prayer and meditation enhances longevity of a person. This is not the result of religious devotion, but of calm and in-controlled behavior. The feel good factor that is experienced after praying actually benefits your body.

Another interesting finding is that prayer makes one gentle and humble. Wonder why? This is by reducing the ego by affecting that area which is associated with the concerned emotion. Therefore a person who prays daily is more gentle and humble than a person who does not.

It does not matter if you pray for religious or spiritual purpose, as long as you are praying; you are doing a favor to your body. 

Touch Therapy

I always feel secure and safe when I am close to my mother. I am sure the feeling is universal and is experienced by everyone. But I also had similar feeling in school days when one of my favorite teachers walked past me during exams. I always wished her to be in the class during exams as I used to be very scared. It is not the person but the vibes or energy that you receive from them that makes you feel in a certain way.

This energy is used for the treatment of people from several years. The power of positive thinking is used to design a new kind of therapy known a ‘Touch Therapy’. Though it is not a new concept, but is based on ancient healing customs which believes that everyone has a healing hand and power to bestow wellbeing.

Now this is been taken to a new level and exclusive touch therapy centers are being opened. Studies have shown that even heart surgery patients recover faster when they undergo touch therapy before and after the surgery. Not only this, Touch Therapy has been effective in reducing stress, reducing pain, depression, strengthening immune system and also in case of cancer care patients.

This treatment is been preferred by people who have undergone serious medical procedure or are suffering with multiple diseases. Since the medication in such case is high already, they do not want to add more medicine in their diet. So as a better alternative, touch therapy not only helps in reducing the suffering but also increases ones natural ability to self-heal.

One of the interesting researches has shown that women who often hug their partners have lower blood pressure compared to those who do not do so. The conclusion therefore is that we all have healing touch; it just depends on how positive we are in our approach.

Diabetics should avoid sugar- MYTH

It is a general belief that diabetes patients should avoid sugar at all cost. But to your surprise it is nothing but a myth. Diabetes patients can as well enjoy desserts. You do not have to avoid sweet all together. All you have to do is to plan your meal properly. Good news, isn’t it? But don’t be excited so soon. Let’s see how you can plan your meal so that you don’t have to avoid your favorite ice-cream when everyone else is enjoying it.

1-      Choose food with high fiber-

High fiber food takes longer to get digested. Therefore it regulates insulin level in the body naturally. Choose healthy alternatives like; take brown rice instead of white rice, wheat bread instead of white bread, high fiber cereal instead of sugar cereal and most importantly have whole fruit instead of fruit juice. High fiber food not only gives you lasting energy but also keeps you full for a longer time.

2-      Cut down sugar where possible-

You don’t have to avoid sugar; you just have to cut down on sugar where ever possible. For example- Reduce on the consumption of soft drinks, instead of adding two spoon sugar in your tea add only one, consume juice without adding sweetener.

3-      Avoid unhealthy fats-

Always avoid unhealthy fats. You can easily avoid them by not consuming fast food items, red meat, whole cream etc. Include healthy fats like low fat yogurt, peanut butter, nuts etc. Instead of red meat go for fish, skinless chicken etc.

4-      Adjust the calorie intake-

If you want to have dessert, then adjust your calorie intake accordingly. Eating sugar items means increasing consumption of carbohydrates. So you have to cut back on other carbohydrate items. For example, avoid potatoes or if there are two vegetables then take only one, do not consume gravy items. Sugar intake should be with a meal. Do not eat sweet dish as a snack.

5-      Eat of at regular intervals-

The best way to control your sugar level is to have a disciplined life style. Instead of eating three heavy meals in a day, try having six small meals. This will regulate the insulin level in your body. Do not stay hungry for a long time and never skip your breakfast. Skipping breakfast will increase your craving and you end up eating more.

6-      Exercise-

This is one thing which most of the people are lethargic about. Weight management is the best way to control diabetes. Exercise regularly for half an hour. Along with a control diet, exercising is equally important.

So the fact remains that you don’t have to avoid your favorite food. All you have to do is to plan your meal. Treat yourself on avoiding a high calorie meal because you deserve it. Please do not avoid exercising as it is necessary to regulate your insulin level. Eat healthy and enjoy your favorite food. 

Color your mood

Colors play such important role in our lives. The wonderful texture of the food makes it look yummier. A black and white movie when re-launched in color print forces people to watch a familiar movie again. On one hand a beautiful girl in a red dress can turn so many heads, on the other, long black locks becomes a center of attraction in a party.

But the importance of color does not end with its ability of increasing our appetite or making someone look more attractive. Its influence extends to a limit where they can influence our mood as well as health.

Green and blue colors sooths people in hot summer days. These colors relax your brain and have cooling effect. It is believed that bed room should not be painted red as it gives you disturbed sleep. On the other hand color studies shows that detail-oriented tasks when done in a room painted red, shows better results. Let us see how different colors can influence us:

1-      White- White is always associated with peace. Mostly this color is found in religious place where the atmosphere by default is peaceful and enlightened. One of the main reasons behind this is that white reflects light which makes the place brighter.

2-      Green- It is a symbol of life and energy. As green color is familiar to us through plants and trees, so our mind experiences similar feeling when we see green color.

3-      Blue- Just like Green, Blue is also a color which sooths us. We associate Blue with sky and water, therefore the effect is also cool, soothing and calm. Blue promotes creativity and also helps in lowering your blood pressure.

4-      Red- Red is color of passion. In many cultures, Red is believed to be the color of God. You would have seen Red color been used mostly by sports teams and sports companies, or by those companies which manufacture energy drinks, speed cars or advertisement firms. This is because Red is associated with energy, enthusiasm, speed, heat, power etc.

5-      Gray- Gray is a gloomy shade and so is used very carefully in painting rooms. It’s a sensitive color which can either depress you even more, or can recharge you with new enthusiasm if used carefully.

6-      Purple- It is a very relaxing color and promotes sleep. Color studies advices patients suffering with insomnia to use purple sheets as it comforts the patient and helps him to find some sleep.

7-      Yellow- This color is associated with sun and fire. Yellow stimulates proper functioning of nervous system, endocrine and liver function.

So do not include just any color randomly in your surroundings. It is important to understand colors because may be your work gets affected just because you have a wrong color in your work area. Or maybe your son feels sleepy in the study room due to the effect of purple curtains.

Colors are vital for our life, so paint your life with wonderful colors and watch their colorful effect.

Sing for your heart

As a child I was always very timid. I would never volunteer for any individual performance or responsibility. In a question answer session, I would not reply even after knowing the correct answer until my teacher asked me in particular. But one activity was always fun for me as I would not have to be conscious- Group singing. I would sing my heart out. It used to be so much fun when the pitch flowed from low to high and vice-versa. That feeling is something which I cannot explain in words.

Singing always gives pleasure to a person due to the release of endorphins which relaxes the body by reducing stress. The effect of singing is similar to that of chocolate, except for the consumption of extra calories.

Researchers have shown that Singing boosts immunity along with increasing life expectancy. Singing has also shown effective results in case of lung cancer patients since it is a wonderful exercise for lungs, heart and vocal cords.

Many a times you would have heard the experienced singers suggesting people to sing from the belly. The reason behind this suggestion is that, when a person sings from belly, the diaphragm which helps in controlled breathing is put into function. Hence we can inhale more air, keep it inside for a longer time and push it through our vocal cords in a much forceful and effective manner. In short, the whole process promotes our immune system and keeps our heart and lungs healthy.

Singing also acts as stress buster. It brings you in good mood by releasing endorphins which makes you happy by lowering your stress levels and blood pressure.

Though singing is not a complete workout but you would be surprised to know that many people prefer Singing over Yoga. I agree that with Yoga you have to put lot more effort, but the benefits of singing have certainly made people to do this.

In many places group singing and choir singing is been promoted so that people could reap its benefits. Group singing is more like Group Meditation because the heart rates sync up together during group singing.

I have sung for heavens

I have sung for thee

Let me sing a song

That is meant just for ‘Me’!

All the songs are meant for you. The only thing you have to do is to sing your heart out and feel the pleasure that is beyond words. The pleasure you feel is not only the happiness inside, but also the positive change that your body can experience.