6 Habits that give you a paunch

We  list out the things that contribute to your burgeoning waistline.

We tend to overlook on certain habits that affect our life. We list down seven such habits that give you a belly pudge and how you can get rid of the unwanted fat gathering around your increasing waistline...

Skipping meals
When you skip meals, you end up overeating later and the fat inevitably finds a way to your midsection. Make it a point to eat small to medium-sized meals every three to four hours daily. We have to trick our body into having smaller meals every two to three hours to keep our metabolic rate high, not making us feel hungry and binge later.

Binge drinking
When you binge-drink, you are inviting flab to settle down on your mid-section. Alcohol contains lots of calories and you often tend to feel hungry while you are drinking. If you want to go out drinking with friends, make sure you opt for red wine — it helps fight paunch. The consumption of alcohol in moderation is fine during weight maintenance. You can choose to have wine as it is a rich source of antioxidants.

Crazy about crunches
Sit-ups tone the muscles and does not affect the layer of fat covering them. Doing 50 or 100 crunches will not make your jeans fitting loose. Instead of doing 50 crunches a day, it is advisable to jog or brisk walk in the park or on the treadmill for half an hour daily to get rid of the belly pudge. Only doing too much of crunches will not help. A proper combination of a good workout along with diet will help you to lose the fat faster.

Consuming 'lite' products
Remember that opting for sugar-free sweets, yoghurt, low-fat snacks or diet sodas will not help in the long run. These artificial sweeteners trigger your metabolism to increase the storage of fat.

Staying away from bread
Whole-grain breads and cereals allow insulin to rise and gradually reduce the chances of adding fat to your belly. Make it a point of include wild rice, whole wheat bread  and oatmeal in your meal plan once a day. Bread made from whole wheat and other processed grains have usually more fibre and are usually no different from homemade chapattis. It is healthy to have some amount of carbohydrates to help in the digestion process.

Fatty foods: a big no-no
Not all kinds of fats are unhealthy. Monounsaturated fats are good for you. Nutritionists opine that if you consume one-quarter of an avocado either in your sandwich or salad, you will lose the fat around your belly soon. Good fats are essential for your body. For example, you can have nuts, healthy oils like sunflower and olive oil. Avoiding them completely will not benefit your body completely.

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Secret to longer life could be in this new pill

WASHINGTON: A new pill that prevents ageing and keeps people healthier for longer may be a step closer, scientists say. 

Activating a protein called sirtuin 1 extends lifespan, delays the onset of age-related metabolic diseases, and improves general health in mice, a new study has found. 

The findings point to a potentially promising strategy for improving health and longevity. 

Sirtuin 1, or SIRT1, is known to play an important role in maintaining metabolic balance in multiple tissues, and studies in various organisms have shown that activating the protein can lead to many health benefits. 

Also, drugs that increase SIRT1 activity have been found to slow the onset of ageing and delay age-associated diseases in several animal models. 

Researchers led by Dr Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute on Ageing at the National Institutes of Health tested the effects of a small molecule that activates SIRT1, called SIRT1720, on the health and lifespan of mice. 

The animals were fed a standard diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg SRT1720 beginning at 6 months of age for the remainder of their lives. 

Researchers found that SRT1720 significantly extended the average lifespan of mice by 8.8 per cent. Supplementation also reduced body weight and fat percentage, and it improved muscle function and motor coordination throughout the animals' lives. 

In additional studies focused on the effects of SRT1720 on various metabolic variables, researchers found that SRT1720 supplementation led to decreases in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels, which might help protect against heart disease, and improvements in insulin sensitivity, which could help prevent diabetes, researchers said. 

Supplementation also had anti-inflammatory effects in various tissues, an important finding because low-grade chronic inflammation is thought to contribute to ageing and age-related diseases, they said. 

"Here, we show for the first time that a synthetic SIRT1 activator extends lifespan and improves healthspan of mice fed a standard diet," said de Cabo. 

"It illustrates that we can develop molecules that ameliorate the burden of metabolic and chronic diseases associated with ageing," said de Cab. 

The study appears in the journal Cell Reports. 

Skin Ageing: Factors that cause it

Here are a few factors that will cause your skin to age premature and make you look older:

-Apart from your increasing your weight, sugar is also responsible for boosting ageing. When your blood sugar is high, it causes a process called glycation which harms elastin and collagen in our skin. This leads to the wrinkling of the skin.

-Did you know, excessive exercising, especially running is known to cause the skin to sag? Known as runner's face, it is caused by the breakdown of collagen. So keep your morning runs short.

-Excessive alcohol leads to dehydration and also lowers the salt content in the body, which is known to be bad for the skin.

-If you have an erratic lifestyle and are not getting enough sleep, this is another reason that will make you look older than your years. Lack of sleep causes dark circles and the skin on your face to look sallow. It makes the skin weak and susceptible, thus making it age faster.

-In winter, the cold dry air saps all the moisture from the skin, making it prone to fine lines and wrinkles. To combat this, apply a moisturiser as soon as you are out of the hot shower.

World's largest oyster discovered

WASHIGNTON: A 14-inch long giant Pacific oyster found off the coast of Denmark has been confirmed as the world's largest by the Guinness Book of World Records. 

The giant mollusc was found in October last year and is still alive and growing, according to Christine Ditlefsen, biologist at the Wadden Sea Centre. 

The Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) measures 35.5 cm (13.97 in) in length and 10.7 cm (4.21 in) in width, Guinness said on its website. 

Roughly the length of a size 11 shoe, this large mollusc has another five oysters attached to it. 

In total, this cluster of oysters weighs 1.62 kg, 'National Public Radio' reported. 

The oyster was found in October last year in Wadden Sea National Park, on Denmark's southwestern coast. 

Its size and shape could be said to resemble a huge plaintain. But when it was found, the Wadden staff compared the oyster to a large and sturdy shoe, the report said. 

"It is 15-20 years old, and probably one of the first Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) that came to our part of the Wadden Sea," said Ditlefsen. 

Get rid of wrinkles and ageing with these food

When it comes to beauty, Indian consumers are more conscious than ever

Ageing, dark spots, wrinkles, and fine lines... these are the last things that a person would like to see on his or her skin.

No wonder, both men and women are willing to shell out a lumpsum to look good and are going all natural in the process. According to experts, the secret lies in the plate and that's precisely why what you eat matters the most.

Food experts recommend people to opt for natural products to maintain a youthful look in a healthy way. And when it comes to these natural products, there are umpteen varieties to choose from.

We give you a list of products that one could choose from to delay the ageing process and to maintain that youthful look.

Leafy greens: Like eggs, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, turnip greens, and romaine lettuce, are great sources of lutein and zeaxanthin. Studies have shown eating foods rich in these antioxidants can significantly reduce risk of AMD (age-related macular degeneration), as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Spinach has a very high ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) score. It is a measurement of a food's ability to destroy the free radicals that cause damage in your body. The higher the ORAC score, the better a food is for you.

Blueberries: These tiny berries are powerhouses of nutrition. They are loaded with antioxidants, which stops premature ageing and help prevent cancer. Wild blueberries also boost your health. A study suggests that anthocyanins in blueberries appear to combat oxidative stress, which is one of the main causes of ageing.

Yellow and orange root vegetables: Put plenty of beta-carotene on your plate. These super-antioxidants are good for your skin and eyes. Good choices include carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and squash.

Broccoli: Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that is found in broccoli, along with other foods including cranberries, onions, and apples. It is a natural anti-inflammatory agent as well, fighting the number two cause of aging. Broccoli sprouts have 30 times more isothiocyanates (yet another antioxidant) than regular broccoli.

Raw, organic eggs: A single egg contains, nine essential amino acids. It's rich in proteins and has naturally occurring Vitamin D. Consuming your eggs raw is the best thing to do as cooking destroys some of the highly perishable nutrients.

Aloe vera: Aloe vera's anti-ageing properties have been known for ages. Scientific evidence suggests that Aloe Vera juice can heal skin and reverse skin ageing. Skin ages because of UV light damage and loss of collagen in the skin. Collagen helps in keeping the skin firm and elastic. Ageing breaks down the collagen matrix in your skin which leads to wrinkles. Drinking aloe vera juice is known to reduce the wrinkle depth and improve skin elasticity due to increased collagen production.

Garlic: Allium is an antioxidant that packs a punch. Garlic, onions, and scallions are loaded with this free-radical fighter that is good for your skin and your immune system