Nutrition is important

You know how important nutrition is and how it affects the body as a whole. But perhaps you don’t think about how the food you consume is digested in your body. This is an important process, because the digestive system is responsible not only for the breakdown of food, but also for the absorption of important nutrients and their entry into the body.

This is often forgotten, but according to research, this stage of digestion often becomes a catalyst for the development of many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract-leaky bowel syndrome, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome( IBS), Crohn’s disease, etc.

What are digestive enzymes?

Digestive enzymes, some of which are naturally present in the body and produced by the pancreas, help the body break down the food consumed into small digestible particles. But key enzymes can also enter the body in a different way: together with food and plant ingredients.

Such enzymes perform a different function. They help the body absorb the essential nutrients we need to stay healthy. When you eat few nutritious foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and greens, and consume a lot of highly processed foods, your body does not receive the necessary digestive enzymes.

This creates problems, because without these enzymes, the body spends too much energy on digesting what it eats, resulting in a decline in strength, exhaustion and, worst of all, inflammatory processes. Inflammation is a factor in the development of many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

What is leaky bowel syndrome?

A lack of digestive enzymes can cause leaky gut syndrome — another unfortunate consequence of chronic inflammation in the digestive system. Leaky intestines can be caused by a variety of factors, including stress, medications, poor nutrition or poor food quality, alcohol, smoking, and even hormonal changes.

You’re probably wondering what the term “leaky”actually means? In fact, in a healthy gut, nutrients are absorbed, and in an unhealthy one, nutrients are “leaked”, which in turn causes an inflammatory reaction in the body.

6 steps to gut healing

General recommendations for treating leaky gut syndrome (and promoting gut health in general) start with nutrition.

• • First remove gluten and dairy products from the diet, as these proteins can be difficult to digest for your body, which will negatively affect the already inflamed mucous membrane of the digestive tract.

• • Another tip is to cut down on alcohol and sweets, as they also disrupt the bowel. Drink no more than four glasses of alcohol a week and make sure that your daily intake of refined sugar does not exceed 40 grams.

• • Adding foods and dishes with natural digestive enzymes to your diet is a great strategy for improving digestion and fighting leaky intestines. Avocado contains lipase, an enzyme that helps digest fats, and pineapple and papaya are rich in amylase, which breaks down starch. Bananas and kiwis also contain digestive enzymes. Ginger also makes digestion easier.

• • Some dietary supplements, including probiotics, live bacteria and yeast, can also help treat leaky intestines. Taking a quality probiotic supplement will help to balance the microbiome (the habitat of bacteria), as well as improve digestion and absorption of nutrients by your body. Look for supplements with a large number of colonies of microorganisms (more than 20 billion CFU).Try Kombucha (Kombucha) – a drink rich in probiotics. You can buy a ready-made drink or prepare it at home yourself. Non-dairy kefir, bone broth and sauerkraut are additional sources of food-based probiotics.

• • L-glutamine is an amino acid with proven efficacy in the treatment of leaky intestines or malabsorption. Add 1-2 grams of glutamine to your favorite morning smoothie – this is another simple way to improve the functioning of the digestive system.

• • Finally, taking supplements with digestive enzymes can improve the condition of the intestines with a serious violation of the absorption of nutrients from food. Choose an enzyme that contains amylase, lipase, and protease. Some digestive enzymes also contain hydrochloric acid, or HCl, which promotes further digestion of food.

The health of the body as a whole directly depends on the state of the intestines. Digestion, immunity, energy levels and hormonal balance.

If you care about the restoration of the intestine, the balance of microflora and the saturation of the intestine with nutrients, you can see the positive impact of this approach on the entire body.

The effect of massage on the muscles

A person has more than 400 skeletal muscles, they make up from 30 to 40% of the total weight. In this case, the weight of the muscles of the limbs is 80% of the total weight of the muscles. Skeletal muscles cover the entire human body, and when we talk about the beauty of the human body, we first of all mean their harmonious development and location.

Massage increases the overall performance of the muscles. According to experimental studies, the performance of tired muscles after massage can increase by 5-7 times.

After a strong physical exertion, a ten-minute massage is enough to not only restore the initial working capacity of the muscles, but also increase it. This reaction of muscle fibers to massage also contributes to the irritation of special nerve fibers contained in the muscle bundle.

Under the influence of massage in the muscles, blood circulation and redox processes improve: the speed of oxygen delivery and removal of metabolic products increases. As a result, sensations of stiffness, soreness and swelling of the muscles are eliminated.

The effect of massage on the nervous system

The nervous system performs the most important function of the human body — regulating.
neural connections that are formed in the cortex of the cerebral hemispheres in response to various external stimuli.

Massage has an effect on the peripheral and central nervous system. When massaging the skin, the nervous system is the first to respond to mechanical irritation. At the same time, a whole stream of impulses is sent to the Central nervous system from numerous nerve-terminal organs that perceive pressure, tactile and various temperature stimuli.

Under the influence of massage, impulses arise in the skin, muscles and joints that excite the motor cells of the cerebral cortex and stimulate the activity of the corresponding centers.

The positive effect of massage on the neuromuscular apparatus depends on the type and nature of massage techniques (the pressure of the masseur’s hands, the duration of the passage, etc.) and is expressed in an increase in the frequency of muscle contraction and relaxation and in skin-muscle sensitivity.

We have already noted the fact that under the influence of massage improves blood circulation. It, in turn, leads to an improvement in blood supply to the nerve centers and peripheral nerve formations.

The results of experimental studies have shown that a severed nerve is restored faster if regular massage of damaged tissues is performed. Under the influence of massage, the growth of axons accelerates, the formation of scar tissue slows down and the dissolution of decay products occurs.

In addition, massage techniques help to reduce pain sensitivity, improve the excitability of nerves and the conduction of nerve impulses along the nerve.

Effects of massage on the respiratory system

Various types of chest massage (rubbing and kneading the muscles of the back, neck and intercostal muscles, the area of attachment of the diaphragm to the ribs) improve respiratory function and relieve fatigue of the respiratory muscles.

Regular massage, carried out for a certain period of time, has a beneficial effect on the smooth pulmonary muscles, contributing to the formation of conditioned reflexes.

Also read: Why do you need massage? Part I

Massage and the skin

The skin makes up about 20% of the total mass of the human body. Its importance for the normal functioning of internal organs is difficult to overestimate. It protects the body from adverse external influences (mechanical, chemical, microbial).

The most complex processes that take place in the skin complement, and sometimes duplicate, the functions of some internal organs.

A healthy skin surface is involved in the process of respiration, metabolism, heat exchange, removal of excess water and waste products from the body.

The effect of massage on the skin:

1. Through the skin, irritation is transmitted to the Central nervous system, which determines the response of the body and its individual organs.

2. Massage helps to remove dead cells of the epidermis from the skin surface, which, in turn, improves the work of the sebaceous and sweat glands.

3. During the massage, the blood supply to the skin is improved and venous congestion is eliminated.

4. The temperature of the massaged area increases, which means that metabolic and enzymatic processes are accelerated.

The massaged skin becomes pink and elastic due to the increased blood supply. Its resistance to mechanical and thermal influences increases. When stroking, the movement of lymph in the lymphatic vessels accelerates and congestion in the veins is eliminated.

These processes occur not only in the vessels located on the massaged area, but also in those located nearby. Such a suction effect of massage is explained by a decrease in pressure in the massaged vessels.

By increasing the skin-muscle tone, massage affects the appearance of the skin, making it smooth and elastic. The acceleration of metabolism in skin tissues has a positive effect on the overall metabolism in the body.

Effect of massage on joints, ligaments, tendons

Under the influence of massage, the supply of blood to the joint and nearby tissues improves, the formation and movement of synovial fluid accelerates, and as a result, the ligaments become more elastic.

As a result of overloads and microtraumas in the joints, there may be immobility, swelling, wrinkling of the joint bags, changes in the composition of synovial fluid.

With the help of massage, leading to an improvement in the nutrition of joint tissues, you can not only get rid of these painful phenomena, but also prevent them. In addition, a timely massage prevents damage to the cartilage tissue, leading to the occurrence of arthrosis.

Under the influence of massage, you can increase the amplitude of movements in the hip, shoulder, elbow, and intervertebral joints.

What is massage?

Massage is one of the oldest practices for improving the body. Massage effect on various areas of the body helps to solve a large number of problems.

During a massage session, the flow of lymph, interstitial fluid, blood improves, tissues receive more oxygen, trace elements, vitamins, as a result of which the muscle performance is restored and improved. Another influence – the metabolism, skin respiration in the affected area increases.

Effects of massage

Massage can have a tonic effect on a person. During the procedure from receptors in tendons, muscles, ligaments there is an increase in the flow of nerve impulses in the brain. This leads to the activation of the reticular formation of the brain, which has a tonic effect on the person. To enhance the tonic effect, the massage is carried out briefly and at an energetic pace. For a tonic effect on the body, the following massage techniques are used: deep kneading, pounding, patting.

To eliminate excessive neuromuscular and psychological stress, the soothing effect of massage is used. A calming effect develops with rhythmic and prolonged stroking of the entire body. The calming effect is due to the release of endorphins (natural pain suppressors) and the development of the inhibition process in the Central nervous system, which is achieved by rhythmic and prolonged irritation of receptors located in ligaments, muscles, tendons. Holding a massage for a long time at a slow measured pace gives the development of a calming effect.

The normalizing effect is due to the regulation of nerve impulses in the brain. Massage normalizes the processes of excitation and inhibition of the brain. During a massage session, a focus of positive arousal is formed in the area of the massaged muscles, which can inhibit the already existing pathological focus of arousal in the brain.

The normalizing function of massage is used in various injuries to restore the injured area and prevent the development of muscle atrophy. To normalize the functions of the body, segmental massage of individual reflexogenic zones is used. Massage makes it possible to improve the neuromuscular apparatus, reduce muscle and tendon tension and improve the overall condition of the body as a whole.

At the heart of any massage technique is the strengthening of lymph and blood circulation, which activates many vital processes. It is especially important now that under the influence of warming movements, harmful toxins and metabolic products are removed from the body: thus, we become more protected against aggressive environmental conditions.

By stimulating certain reflexogenic zones, it is also possible to directly increase the body’s resistance to infections. These bioactive points are located all over the body: on the head and face, neck, back and limbs. When the pressure is properly applied, inflammation is reduced, pain is eliminated, and the work of the Central nervous system is normalized, the functioning of internal organs and blood pressure is restored.

In addition, massage affects the production of hormones that resist diseases. For example, serotonin contributes not only to a good mood, but also to rapid healing of tissues, and reducing cortisol preserves the integrity of cells responsible for fighting the virus.

Also read: Why do you need massage? Part II

What is essential oil?

Essential oil is an aromatic-concentrated liquid extracted from different parts of plants.
They are obtained from flowers, herbs, shrubs or trees.

Types of essential oils

The effect of essential oils on the human body or a certain organ, implies a kind of result of a chemical reaction that occurs through inhalation. Thus, the essential oil, consisting of hundreds of different components, getting into the human blood, begins to interact with hormones, enzymes. As a result, a person can acquire different sensations in the form of relaxation or excitement, calmness or a surge of energy.

Types of essential oils by their effect on the human body

Cleansing: orange, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, tuberose, sage, etc.

Stimulating: bergamot, bigardia, geranium, Jasmine, ylang-ylang, cardamom, Mandarin, rose, sandalwood, etc.

Tonic: Basil, Bay, clove, ginger, cinnamon, lemon, mint, lemon balm, nutmeg, palmarosa, fir, rosemary, citronella, etc.

Relaxing: Valerian, oregano, Jasmine, lavender, frankincense, myrrh, juniper, chamomile, etc.

Harmonizing: orange, geranium, oregano, Jasmine, Mandarin, Mimosa, marjoram, rose, sandalwood, etc.

Fortifying: Basil, verbena, vetiver, Angelica, cedar, cajaput, lemon, lavender, mint, lemon balm, rosemary, etc.

Refreshing: orange, immortelle, lemon, lavender, mint, fir, etc.

Stimulating: immortelle, verbena, clove, coriander, lemon, lavender, nutmeg, juniper, mint, rosemary, black pepper, eucalyptus, etc.

Soothing: bigardia, vanilla, geranium, Jasmine, Melissa, chamomile, dill, etc.

Properties of essential oils

Most essential oils have similar properties, but each has its own exceptional qualities:

The antibacterial property is inherent in most types of essential oils. With this property, essential oils can affect different types of bacteria and fungi. These include oils of thyme, clove, oregano, anise, Basil, bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, juniper, lemongrass, etc.

Anti-inflammatory properties are also characteristic of many types of essential oils. Due to this property, essential oils are able to provide rapid regeneration of the skin in case of damage, reduce the permeability of blood vessels. Bright representatives are oils of chamomile, yarrow, bergamot, ylang-ylang, lavender, juniper, tea tree, etc.

Antiseptic properties are characteristic of many types of essential oils. It helps to effectively fight bacterial and viral infections. They are oils of marjoram, tea tree, nayoli, anise, orange, bergamot, clove, lavender, juniper, mint, petitgrain, patchouli, eucalyptus, etc.

Analgesic property, helps to eliminate various problems associated with headache, insomnia or nervous exhaustion. Such properties have oils of peppermint, lavender, blue spruce, immortelle, Jasmine, balsamic fir, etc.

Antioxidant property, helps to slow down the signs of aging, improve blood circulation and lymph flow, stimulate cellular respiration. These include oils of Dahlia, millennia, Siberian juniper, fir, etc.

Oils that contain unique phytohormones, which are similar in structure to human ones, slow down the aging process. Among them, there are oils of sandalwood, Jasmine, rose, myrrh, patchouli, neroli, etc.

Promote weight loss oils that have regulating and burning properties. The effect of them will be noticeable if you apply the courses locally, arranging a massage session, taking a bath or wrapping the problem areas. These include lemon, grapefruit, cinnamon, bergamot, tea tree, nutmeg, etc.

Regulate insomnia oils that have warming, soothing properties. These include oils of Melissa, frankincense, rose, mint, cypress, bergamot, sage, sandalwood, juniper.

Get rid of insects oils or mixtures of them that have a specific aroma that is not liked by midges or mosquitoes. The best types to eliminate annoying pests are: lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, mint, vanilla, cloves, geraniums.

How to use essential oils

Essential oils are not just banal aromas, but real biologically active substances.

When using essential oils, learn the precautions and basic rules. First of all, choose a suitable essential oil for yourself, the smell of which you really like. Essential oil is a concentrated product, then you can not apply it to the skin in its pure form, you can get a chemical burn.

Base oils – coconut, jojoba, avocado, argan, etc. – will help to ensure a comfortable application. Before use, add a few drops of essential oil to the base oil taken as a base, and only after mixing, apply to the skin or hair.

In the care routine, essential oils can be introduced by adding a few drops to the base, for example, a face cream or base oil.

Aromatic oil bath. Before adding essential oils to the bath, you must first mix them with any base oil, milk or sea salt. This way you will avoid skin irritation and allergic reactions. The following proportions are suitable: for 1 teaspoon of base oil, add no more than 4 drops of essential oil, for example, tea tree. Or per 100 g of sea salt (milk) – up to 15 drops of a mixture of lavender and marjoram. It is allowed to stay in such a bath for no more than 15 minutes.

Hot inhalations. To implement this method, it is not necessary to purchase a special device-an inhaler. Boil the kettle and pour about 1 liter of boiling water into the prepared bowl. Then add up to 4 drops of essential oil, such as fir or a mixture of several types – fir, mint and rosemary. Use a large towel to create a protective dome over your head and breathe in the fragrant steam for 7 minutes. It is necessary to carry out such inhalations two or three times a day, one of which must be performed before bedtime.

Cold inhalations. A simple method that requires a handkerchief and essential oils. Only 2-3 drops of essential oil are applied to a handkerchief, then inhale its aromapars several times a day.

An oil burner. The simplest and most popular aromatherapy method for the treatment of colds. The aroma lamp is placed in the room in which the patient is constantly located. To implement this method, hot water is added to a glass container, and then 5 drops of essential oil, for example, eucalyptus or mint. The course of medical procedures should be carried out daily for half an hour until full recovery.

Massage. Essential oils are also used in therapeutic massage, but, as in other procedures, they are applied to the skin only pre-mixed with other oils. To do this, you will need 25 ml of any base oil, for example, olive oil, 9-10 drops of rosemary essential oil or a mixture of several essential oils – rosemary, fir and mint. Apply the mixture of oils to the skin of the back, chest and legs with long, pulling movements, while deeply inhaling the fragrant vapors. The procedure can be performed every other day.

To wash the floors, add about 35 drops of lemon, lavender or grapefruit essential oil to a bucket filled with water, and you can also add a couple of drops of tea tree oil. This solution cleans the floor well from various contaminants, while disinfecting its surface.

For washing, essential oils can be added to the washing machine. To do this, you can add 20-25 drops of rose, ylang-ylang, lemongrass, lavender or Melissa oil to the washing powder, which pleasantly aromatize bed linen and towels. For example, lemon essential oil is good at removing oily and greasy odors.

For washing dishes, essential oils with refreshing, antimicrobial properties are suitable, quickly eliminating fat and germs from its surface. For example, a few drops of essential oil of lemon, mint, tea tree, pine, eucalyptus can be mixed with the usual detergent or soda.

For disinfection. For example, tea tree essential oil is suitable, a few drops of which need to be diluted in a tablespoon of vinegar and water. The prepared solution is suitable for disinfection of kitchen shelves and drawers, sponges for washing dishes.

Essential oils that have both disinfecting and bleaching properties are suitable for cleaning sanitary ware and tiles. These include tea tree or lemon oils, which must be mixed with water, detergent, and citric acid. When applying the resulting mixture to a contaminated surface, leave the composition for a short time so that it works better, and only then rinse with water.

For aromatization, essential oils of citrus, flowers or spices are suitable, which will eliminate the unpleasant smell inside the cabinet or drawers of the chest of drawers. Apply a few drops of oil to paper napkins or pieces of wood, and then arrange them on the shelves.

To remove unpleasant odors from the surfaces of cutting boards, use essential oils of lemon, lavender, mint or tea tree, pre-mixed with soda. From the proportions: 10 drops per 100 g of soda.

Causes of headaches

If you often have a headache, you should definitely think about the reason. Among the causes of headaches among young and middle-aged people, the pain of muscle tension takes the first place.

Concentrated static load on the muscles of the head and neck, associated with many hours of sitting at the computer, leads to muscle spasms and tension pain. Localization of such pains is often in the area of the crown and forehead.

When the pain is localized in the back of the head or temples, we can assume the presence of high blood pressure.

In addition to tension pain, pain associated with infectious pathology can be distinguished. The breakdown products of pathogenic agents and the body’s own cells have an effect, causing swelling of the membranes of the brain, which leads to pain.

Headaches can obviously be associated with head injuries resulting from traumatic situations. This includes concussions, and bruises.

High blood pressure is also a cause of headaches. An increase in pressure in the bloodstream leads to a compensatory expansion of the vessels of the brain, thereby increasing blood flow to the head. At the same time, the outflow does not have time to remove the fluid, so there is swelling and pain.

Severe headaches and age over 40 ia a sign to visit an ophthalmologist. And get tested for glaucoma. With increased intraocular pressure, irritation of the ocular nerve occurs, which is transmitted to other nerves, causing a headache.

Cervical osteochondrosis is the cause of headaches. Muscle spasm, which occurs compensatorily to stabilize the cervical vertebrae, is the cause of this pain. Having “goosebumps”, spots in the field of vision, is the so-called vertebral artery syndrome, in 80 percent of cases observed in osteochondrosis.

The intensity of the headache is perceived by everyone depending on the individual sensitivity. The pain threshold correlates with the level of endorphins produced by the pituitary gland in response to stress. The higher the level of endorphins, the easier a person can tolerate pain. The level of endorphins increases, for example, if a person regularly trains.

At the same time, people who often suffer from infectious diseases have reduced levels of endorphins and each headache, accompanied by each subsequent disease, is more and more difficult to bear.

Recommendations for the prevention and treatment of headaches

Methods of headache prevention are selected depending on the listed reasons. The right way of life and thoughts, the acquisition of emotional stability can be recommended for everyone.

In acute headache with osteochondrosis, fixation of the cervical spine and massage are indicated. In the case of high blood pressure, it is necessary to carry out systematic treatment of hypertension in order to stabilize it.

To avoid pain of tension, it is necessary to limit work at the computer, every 40 minutes to do intervals, conducting cervical and eye exercises.

In all cases of headache, moderate physical activity, staying in the fresh air, and regular ventilation of the room are indicated. For people who often suffer from infectious diseases is recommended to increase immunity.

To keep your health strong in winter, you need to follow some rules in your lifestyle, daily routine and diet. Let’s look at what recommendations Ayurveda gives about this.

It is important to increase the energy of the body, because the lack of heat and sunlight significantly reduce our energy reserves.

In winter, you should work moderately, get enough sleep and rest, eat in accordance with the winter recommendations of Ayurveda, dress warmly and do not forget about movement.

Recommendations for lifestyle, daily routine in winter

Slow down

We are not in a hurry, we do everything in a measured and gradual manner, we go to bed at the same time (no later than 22 hours). You can get up a little later than usual, as the sun rises later in winter. In winter, nature itself gives us more time to rest, so we rest.

Do exercises

You should not forget about regular physical activity, which is so important. These should be smooth and even loads.

Special attention should be paid to the benefits of so called “fire breath”. Breathing through the right nostril also helps to warm and improve blood circulation. It is enough to do this for two to three minutes.

Use oils

We warm and moisturize the body with oil. Cotton wool dries, so it is useful in winter every morning before taking a shower to moisten the body with oiling. It is best to use sesame oil. To slightly heat it place it in a bowl of hot water. Then apply from top to bottom in this sequence: first the neck and shoulders, then the arms and chest, stomach and back, thighs, shins and finally the feet.

Winter is a period in which you should not forget about immunity. In addition to oiling the whole body, you can also increase the immunity of Ayurveda in winter by rubbing sesame oil into the feet before going to bed. This massage has a positive effect on the biological points located on the feet, and the oil itself is absorbed into the blood and also brings a positive effect for the body.

To enhance the effect, after rubbing the oil, it is recommended to wear socks.

Eat and drink hot

It is also useful to drink tea with ginger and lemon, masala teas, add pepper and ginger to food.

Ayurveda pays much attention to nutrition, as food can significantly affect the balance of energy in the body, human health and his psycho-emotional state. Proper nutrition in winter according to Ayurveda will help to maintain the normal balance and increase the health and endurance of the body.

Wear bright

It is better to dress in bright and warm colors. It can be: yellow, red, orange. Such colors warm energetically and emotionally. Clothes should be warm, be sure to wear a hat and scarf, as the heat goes through the head faster (this is our Central energy channel).

Adhering to these recommendations, you can avoid seasonal colds, keep a good mood and cheerfulness.