Sleep
Importance of sleeping in human life
Half of our life we spend sleeping and we really don’t bother to even think on it. We rarely think what actually happens with our body. Sleep is nothing but the way to rest our body, during which we are relieved from stress. It is a natural process. While in sleep we have lessened movement of the skeletal muscles and slowed-down metabolism.
Amount of sleep:
The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age. If we don’t feel sleepy through out the day means we got enough sleep. Scientifically small babies require more sleep around 15-16 hours. The young people sleep for 8-9 hours and the adults require 7-8 hours sleep. However it’s much dependent on that particular individual’s body requirement also. While some feel comfortable with say 8 hrs of sleep another person may require 9hrs also.
Factors affecting sleep at night:
1) Environment: A distracting sleep environment such as a room that's too hot or cold, too noisy or too brightly lit can be a barrier to sound sleep. And interruptions from children or other family members can also disrupt sleep. Other influences to pay attention to are the comfort and size of your bed and the habits of your sleep partner. If you have to lie beside someone who has different sleep preferences, snores, can't fall or stay asleep, or has other sleep difficulties, it often becomes your problem too. So be sure that the there are no such disturbances.
2) Illness: A number of physical problems can interfere with your ability to fall or stay asleep. The pain of backache, stomachache can cause problems. So consult doctor for medicines in such case.
3) Mental Condition:If we have stress in our mind before going to bed it will cause hurdle in sleep. So forget your burden by watching light comedy movie or some books. This will help to reduce tension.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Masa Part II
Sleep
Importance of sleeping in human life
Half of our life we spend sleeping and we really don’t bother to even think on it. We rarely think what actually happens with our body. Sleep is nothing but the way to rest our body, during which we are relieved from stress. It is a natural process. While in sleep we have lessened movement of the skeletal muscles and slowed-down metabolism.
Amount of sleep:
The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age. If we don’t feel sleepy through out the day means we got enough sleep. Scientifically small babies require more sleep around 15-16 hours. The young people sleep for 8-9 hours and the adults require 7-8 hours sleep. However it’s much dependent on that particular individual’s body requirement also. While some feel comfortable with say 8 hrs of sleep another person may require 9hrs also.
Factors affecting sleep at night:
1) Environment: A distracting sleep environment such as a room that's too hot or cold, too noisy or too brightly lit can be a barrier to sound sleep. And interruptions from children or other family members can also disrupt sleep. Other influences to pay attention to are the comfort and size of your bed and the habits of your sleep partner. If you have to lie beside someone who has different sleep preferences, snores, can't fall or stay asleep, or has other sleep difficulties, it often becomes your problem too. So be sure that the there are no such disturbances.
2) Illness: A number of physical problems can interfere with your ability to fall or stay asleep. The pain of backache, stomachache can cause problems. So consult doctor for medicines in such case.
3) Mental Condition:If we have stress in our mind before going to bed it will cause hurdle in sleep. So forget your burden by watching light comedy movie or some books. This will help to reduce tension.
Importance of sleeping in human life
Half of our life we spend sleeping and we really don’t bother to even think on it. We rarely think what actually happens with our body. Sleep is nothing but the way to rest our body, during which we are relieved from stress. It is a natural process. While in sleep we have lessened movement of the skeletal muscles and slowed-down metabolism.
Amount of sleep:
The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age. If we don’t feel sleepy through out the day means we got enough sleep. Scientifically small babies require more sleep around 15-16 hours. The young people sleep for 8-9 hours and the adults require 7-8 hours sleep. However it’s much dependent on that particular individual’s body requirement also. While some feel comfortable with say 8 hrs of sleep another person may require 9hrs also.
Factors affecting sleep at night:
1) Environment: A distracting sleep environment such as a room that's too hot or cold, too noisy or too brightly lit can be a barrier to sound sleep. And interruptions from children or other family members can also disrupt sleep. Other influences to pay attention to are the comfort and size of your bed and the habits of your sleep partner. If you have to lie beside someone who has different sleep preferences, snores, can't fall or stay asleep, or has other sleep difficulties, it often becomes your problem too. So be sure that the there are no such disturbances.
2) Illness: A number of physical problems can interfere with your ability to fall or stay asleep. The pain of backache, stomachache can cause problems. So consult doctor for medicines in such case.
3) Mental Condition:If we have stress in our mind before going to bed it will cause hurdle in sleep. So forget your burden by watching light comedy movie or some books. This will help to reduce tension.
Masa Part I
Brazilian kids face double language woes
BY HIROYUKI KOBAYASHI AND RIE YAMADA THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
After seven years of struggling to learn Japanese in Shiga Prefecture, 10-year-old Victor, a third-generation Japanese-Brazilian, expressed his anxieties about a different language before returning to his homeland.
"What I worry about the most is writing (Portuguese)," Victor, standing beside piles of suitcases at Kansai Airport in Osaka Prefecture, said in rudimentary Japanese. "I'm also worried about being unable to go on to the next grade unless I pass tests."
He was surrounded by fellow Japanese-Brazilians from across Japan who lost their jobs amid the economic slump and were catching a cheap flight to Brazil via Dubai.
Victor is one of many "double limited" foreign children raised in Japan with a weak command of both Japanese and their native languages.
The boy came to Japan at age 3 with his mother, who worked at an auto parts factory in Shiga Prefecture. But because of the late working hours of both his mother and aunt who lived with them, Victor had little time to learn Portuguese from them.
His former elementary school teacher in Shiga said Victor's mother was concerned about the boy's inability to speak Portuguese well.
"In order to master another language, you need to be able to express abstract concepts of a certain level in your own language first," the teacher said. "Without that foundation in your mother tongue, you cannot develop abilities to think. You end up with half-baked proficiency in both languages."
According to an education ministry survey on 90 Brazilian schools in Japan, 722 students returned to Brazil over a two-month period from December 2008, and 160 students transferred to Japanese public schools.
Moreover, 598 children stopped going to school altogether.
In the city of Hamamatsu, which has the largest Brazilian population at 15,000 in Japan, Santos, an 18-year-old fourth-generation Japanese-Brazilian, inspects vehicle doors at an auto parts factory by day and studies Japanese and other subjects by night. It's part of a "re-education" program sponsored by the city for Brazilians over the regular school age. Santos came to Japan with his parents when he was 1 year old, and ran into language problems immediately after entering a public elementary school.
Although he attended a Brazilian junior high school, he also had a hard time following classes in Portuguese.
"Speaking is OK. What's difficult is writing kanji," said Santos, who is now studying fourth-grade Japanese.
The government has started taking action to help more of these children transfer smoothly to public schools. Under a program that started last fall, the government pays up to 20 million yen ($221,000) to 39 nonprofit organizations and Brazilian schools to teach the Japanese language and customs to these children.
BY HIROYUKI KOBAYASHI AND RIE YAMADA THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
After seven years of struggling to learn Japanese in Shiga Prefecture, 10-year-old Victor, a third-generation Japanese-Brazilian, expressed his anxieties about a different language before returning to his homeland.
"What I worry about the most is writing (Portuguese)," Victor, standing beside piles of suitcases at Kansai Airport in Osaka Prefecture, said in rudimentary Japanese. "I'm also worried about being unable to go on to the next grade unless I pass tests."
He was surrounded by fellow Japanese-Brazilians from across Japan who lost their jobs amid the economic slump and were catching a cheap flight to Brazil via Dubai.
Victor is one of many "double limited" foreign children raised in Japan with a weak command of both Japanese and their native languages.
The boy came to Japan at age 3 with his mother, who worked at an auto parts factory in Shiga Prefecture. But because of the late working hours of both his mother and aunt who lived with them, Victor had little time to learn Portuguese from them.
His former elementary school teacher in Shiga said Victor's mother was concerned about the boy's inability to speak Portuguese well.
"In order to master another language, you need to be able to express abstract concepts of a certain level in your own language first," the teacher said. "Without that foundation in your mother tongue, you cannot develop abilities to think. You end up with half-baked proficiency in both languages."
According to an education ministry survey on 90 Brazilian schools in Japan, 722 students returned to Brazil over a two-month period from December 2008, and 160 students transferred to Japanese public schools.
Moreover, 598 children stopped going to school altogether.
In the city of Hamamatsu, which has the largest Brazilian population at 15,000 in Japan, Santos, an 18-year-old fourth-generation Japanese-Brazilian, inspects vehicle doors at an auto parts factory by day and studies Japanese and other subjects by night. It's part of a "re-education" program sponsored by the city for Brazilians over the regular school age. Santos came to Japan with his parents when he was 1 year old, and ran into language problems immediately after entering a public elementary school.
Although he attended a Brazilian junior high school, he also had a hard time following classes in Portuguese.
"Speaking is OK. What's difficult is writing kanji," said Santos, who is now studying fourth-grade Japanese.
The government has started taking action to help more of these children transfer smoothly to public schools. Under a program that started last fall, the government pays up to 20 million yen ($221,000) to 39 nonprofit organizations and Brazilian schools to teach the Japanese language and customs to these children.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sunnies Sunglasses
Purchase a 12 month subscription to Vacation the Nation today and receive a free pair of Sunnies Sunglasses with your very own soft leather case.* To get your free Sunnies follow these 3 easy steps.
1. Purchase a copy of Vacation the Nation, New York's #1 Travel magazine.
2. Fill out the application card (found in the center of the magazine)
3. Mail the card and $21. 95 US to the address provided
*This is a limited time offer only. Application and funds must be received no later than Dec 1st 2004. Canadian residents should add $3 US for shipping. Offer not available for residents outside of North America.
1. Purchase a copy of Vacation the Nation, New York's #1 Travel magazine.
2. Fill out the application card (found in the center of the magazine)
3. Mail the card and $21. 95 US to the address provided
*This is a limited time offer only. Application and funds must be received no later than Dec 1st 2004. Canadian residents should add $3 US for shipping. Offer not available for residents outside of North America.
Monday, February 1, 2010
7 Easy Ways to Lose Weight Without Starving or Breaking a Sweat
Weight loss requires two things: burning calories through exercise and cutting them through smart food choices and portion control. In theory, you could create a calorie deficit by spending hours at the gym, but that's not realistic-or much fun. And who wants to live on lettuce leaves? Instead, try these seven everyday moves to drop pounds effortlessly.
1. Fidget
James Levine, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, has spent a decade studying the role that everyday movement, or NEAT (nonexercise activity thermogenesis), plays in metabolism. His discovery: People who tap their feet, prefer standing to sitting, and generally move around a lot burn up to 350 more calories a day than those who sit still. That adds up to nearly 37 pounds a year!
2. Keep most meals under 400 calories
Study after study recommends spacing out your meals at regular intervals and keeping them all about the same size. Eating meals at regular intervals has been linked to greater calorie burning after eating, better response to insulin, and lower fasting blood cholesterol levels. When you eat regular meals throughout the day, you're less likely to become ravenous and overeat.
3. Take yourself off cruise control
Increase the intensity of your everyday tasks, from vacuuming to walking the dog, recommends Douglas Brooks, an exercise physiologist and personal trainer in Northern California. "Turn on some music, add in some vigorous bursts, and enjoy the movement," he says.
4. Drink 8 glasses of water per day
Water is not just a thirst quencher--it may speed the body's metabolism. Researchers in Germany found that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cold water increased their subjects' metabolic rate by 30%, and the effect persisted for 90 minutes. One-third of the boost came from the body's efforts to warm the water, but the rest was due to the work the body did to absorb it. "When drinking water, no calories are ingested but calories are used, unlike when drinking sodas, where additional calories are ingested and possibly stored," explains the lead researcher, Michael Boschmann, MD, of University Medicine Berlin. Increasing water consumption to eight glasses per day may help you lose about 8 pounds in a year, he says, so try drinking a glass before meals and snacks and before consuming sweetened drinks or juices.
5. Step it up--and down
Climbing stairs is a great leg strengthener, because you're lifting your body weight against gravity. In addition to taking the stairs at every opportunity, try stepping up and down on the curb while you're waiting for the bus or filling your gas tank, says Brooks.
6. Use grocery bags as dumbbells
Letting someone else load your groceries or carry your suitcase is an opportunity missed for strengthening and calorie burning, says certified coach Beth Rothenberg, who teaches a class for fitness professionals at UCLA. "Carry your groceries, balanced with a bag in each hand, even if you have to make several trips," she says. "And pack two smaller suitcases instead of one big one, so you can carry them yourself."
7. Eat 4 g of fiber at every meal
A high-fiber diet can lower your caloric intake without making you feel deprived. In a Tufts University study, women who ate 13 g of fiber or less per day were five times as likely to be overweight as those who ate more fiber. Experts see a number of mechanisms through which fiber promotes weight loss: It may slow down eating because it requires more chewing, speed the passage of food through the digestive tract, and boost satiety hormones. To get 25 g of fiber a day, make sure you eat six meals or snacks, each of which contains about 4 g of fiber. For to-go snacks, buy fruit; it's handier than vegetables, so it's an easy way to up your fiber intake. One large apple has just as much fiber (5 g) as a cup of raw broccoli.
Weight loss requires two things: burning calories through exercise and cutting them through smart food choices and portion control. In theory, you could create a calorie deficit by spending hours at the gym, but that's not realistic-or much fun. And who wants to live on lettuce leaves? Instead, try these seven everyday moves to drop pounds effortlessly.
1. Fidget
James Levine, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, has spent a decade studying the role that everyday movement, or NEAT (nonexercise activity thermogenesis), plays in metabolism. His discovery: People who tap their feet, prefer standing to sitting, and generally move around a lot burn up to 350 more calories a day than those who sit still. That adds up to nearly 37 pounds a year!
2. Keep most meals under 400 calories
Study after study recommends spacing out your meals at regular intervals and keeping them all about the same size. Eating meals at regular intervals has been linked to greater calorie burning after eating, better response to insulin, and lower fasting blood cholesterol levels. When you eat regular meals throughout the day, you're less likely to become ravenous and overeat.
3. Take yourself off cruise control
Increase the intensity of your everyday tasks, from vacuuming to walking the dog, recommends Douglas Brooks, an exercise physiologist and personal trainer in Northern California. "Turn on some music, add in some vigorous bursts, and enjoy the movement," he says.
4. Drink 8 glasses of water per day
Water is not just a thirst quencher--it may speed the body's metabolism. Researchers in Germany found that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cold water increased their subjects' metabolic rate by 30%, and the effect persisted for 90 minutes. One-third of the boost came from the body's efforts to warm the water, but the rest was due to the work the body did to absorb it. "When drinking water, no calories are ingested but calories are used, unlike when drinking sodas, where additional calories are ingested and possibly stored," explains the lead researcher, Michael Boschmann, MD, of University Medicine Berlin. Increasing water consumption to eight glasses per day may help you lose about 8 pounds in a year, he says, so try drinking a glass before meals and snacks and before consuming sweetened drinks or juices.
5. Step it up--and down
Climbing stairs is a great leg strengthener, because you're lifting your body weight against gravity. In addition to taking the stairs at every opportunity, try stepping up and down on the curb while you're waiting for the bus or filling your gas tank, says Brooks.
6. Use grocery bags as dumbbells
Letting someone else load your groceries or carry your suitcase is an opportunity missed for strengthening and calorie burning, says certified coach Beth Rothenberg, who teaches a class for fitness professionals at UCLA. "Carry your groceries, balanced with a bag in each hand, even if you have to make several trips," she says. "And pack two smaller suitcases instead of one big one, so you can carry them yourself."
7. Eat 4 g of fiber at every meal
A high-fiber diet can lower your caloric intake without making you feel deprived. In a Tufts University study, women who ate 13 g of fiber or less per day were five times as likely to be overweight as those who ate more fiber. Experts see a number of mechanisms through which fiber promotes weight loss: It may slow down eating because it requires more chewing, speed the passage of food through the digestive tract, and boost satiety hormones. To get 25 g of fiber a day, make sure you eat six meals or snacks, each of which contains about 4 g of fiber. For to-go snacks, buy fruit; it's handier than vegetables, so it's an easy way to up your fiber intake. One large apple has just as much fiber (5 g) as a cup of raw broccoli.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)