Are you weakening your immune system by committing these 5 mistakes?

As the novel coronavirus continues to wreak havoc, nations around the globe are taking strong measures in a bid to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Among city lockdowns, quarantines and depressing news on the television, it is understandable if you are feeling overwhelmed and down. This is why it is important to pay attention to our immune system to fight this battle against the pandemic.

In addition to eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, pay attention to these common mistakes that could be putting a strain on your immune system.
 
​You are stressing out
While a global pandemic is a reason in itself to put everyone on the edge, if you get overwhelmed and impacted with tiniest of changes around you, it is time to change that habit. When you are stressed and panicking, your body releases cortisol into your bloodstream. This, in turn, may actually suppress your immune system and make you more susceptible to illnesses.

What can you do? If you feel that a particular situation is stressing you out, the best thing you can do is remove yourself from the situation, distract yourself and do some meditation to calm your nerves.
​ 
Sedentary lifestyleBeing on lockdown isn’t necessarily an excuse to skip a workout. Infact, if you weren’t following an active lifestyle before the COVID-19 outbreak, it is time to pull up your socks and start exercising. The internet is flooded with workout sequences that you can easily do at home. If nothing else works, you can always start with some stretching and yoga.

However, it is important to remember that just as a sedentary lifestyle can threaten your immunity, overdoing the same can also take a toll on your immune system. So, try and find a balance between being a couch potato and working out like an Olympic athlete.

​You are 'Netflix'ing and chilling your sleep away
We understand that the lockdown has given you ample time to bing on long-pending series and movies. However, it is also important to maintain a proper sleep schedule and get at least 6 to 8 hours of shuteye. This is because your body builds up the strength to fight inflammation and infection as you sleep.

While the duration of sleep varies from person to person, the bottom line is you need to be well-rested and put a pause on that web series when your body starts showing signs of exhaustion. Our advice? Steer clear of any technology at least an hour before you hit the sheets.

​Smoking
Yes, in case you didn't know, smoking isn't doing your body any good. So, in addition to toasting your lungs, it is also messing up with your immune system and leaving you more prone to catching flu and other viral infections. For the uninitiated, nicotine can increase your cortisol levels which can you leave you more susceptible to infections.

Moreover, lighting up can also lower the levels of protective antioxidants in your blood. According to Harvard Health Publishing, the best way to kick the butt is to go cold turkey, when compared to gradually reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day.

​Binge drinkingIn case you did not know, drinking and spraying alcohol all over your body will not kill the COVID-19 virus. Not only this but occasionally overdrinking can also wreak havoc on your immune system as it disrupts your gut flora and leads to inflammation of the liver.

It is important to understand that consuming any amount of alcohol is injurious to your body. This is why we strongly advice against the consumption of same, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

  

To Protect Against Congenital Heart Defects, Fathers-to-Be Should Avoid Alcohol Six Months Before Conception

Aspiring parents should both avoid drinking alcohol prior to conception to protect against congenital heart defects, according to research published today (October 2, 2019) in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Drinking alcohol three months before pregnancy or during the first trimester was associated with a 44% raised risk of congenital heart disease for fathers and 16% for mothers, compared to not drinking. Binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks per sitting, was related to a 52% higher likelihood of these birth defects for men and 16% for women.

‘Binge drinking by would-be parents is a high risk and dangerous behavior that not only may increase the chance of their baby being born with a heart defect, but also greatly damages their own health,’ said study author Dr Jiabi Qin, of Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Dr Qin said the results suggest that when couples are trying for a baby, men should not consume alcohol for at least six months before fertilization while women should stop alcohol one year before and avoid it while pregnant.

Congenital heart diseases are the most common birth defects, with approximately 1.35 million babies affected every year. These conditions can increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease later life, even after surgical treatment, and are the main cause of perinatal death. Alcohol is a known teratogen and has been connected with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Around one in four children with FASD have congenital heart disease, indicating that alcohol might also be implicated in these disorders.

Previous studies investigating the link between alcohol and congenital heart disease have focused on prospective mothers, with inconclusive results. This is the first meta-analysis to examine the role of paternal alcohol drinking.

The researchers compiled the best data published between 1991 and 2019, which amounted to 55 studies including 41,747 babies with congenital heart disease and 297,587 without. The analysis showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between parental alcohol drinking and congenital heart diseases.

Dr Qin said: ‘We observed a gradually rising risk of congenital heart diseases as parental alcohol consumption increased. The relationship was not statistically significant at the lower quantities.’

Regarding specific defects, the study found that compared to abstinence, maternal drinking was correlated to a 20% greater risk of tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four abnormalities in the heart’s structure.

The authors noted that this was an observational study and does not prove a causal effect, nor does it prove that paternal drinking is more harmful to the fetal heart than maternal drinking. The data cannot be used to define a cut-off of alcohol consumption that might be considered safe.

Dr Qin said: ‘The underlying mechanisms connecting parental alcohol and congenital heart diseases are uncertain and warrant further research. Although our analysis has limitations — for example the type of alcohol was not recorded — it does indicate that men and women planning a family should give up alcohol.’

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement 

 

Frequent drinking more harmful than binges

Alcohol lovers, take a note. Drinking small amounts of alcohol frequently is linked with a higher likelihood of atrial fibrillation than binge drinking, says a new study.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder and raises the risk of stroke by five-fold. Symptoms include palpitations, racing or irregular pulse, shortness of breath, tiredness, chest pain and dizziness.

"Our study suggests that drinking less often may also be important to protect against atrial fibrillation," said study author.


For the study,  researchers examined the relative importance of frequent drinking versus binge drinking for new-onset atrial fibrillation. 

The analysis included 9,776,956 individuals without atrial fibrillation who underwent a national health check-up in 2009 which included a questionnaire about alcohol consumption. 

Participants were followed-up until 2017 for the occurrence of atrial fibrillation.

The number of drinking sessions per week was the strongest risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation.

Compared with drinking twice per week (reference group), drinking every day was the riskiest, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.412, while drinking once a week was the least risky (HR 0.933).
Binge drinking did not show any clear link with new-onset atrial fibrillation.

"Our study suggests that frequent drinking is more dangerous than infrequent binge drinking with regard to atrial fibrillation," Choi said.

The number of drinking sessions was related to atrial fibrillation onset regardless of age and sex.
Repeated episodes of atrial fibrillation triggered by alcohol may lead to overt disease, the research notes.

In addition, drinking can provoke sleep disturbance which is a known risk factor for atrial fibrillation.
There was a two per cent increase in the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation for each gram of alcohol consumed per week.

Compared to mild drinkers, those who drank no alcohol, moderate, or high amounts had 8.6 per cent, 7.7 per cent, and 21.5 per cent elevated risks, respectively, the study said.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement  

Binge Drinking in Teenage May Raise Anxiety Later

Are you a heavy drinker? Take note. Alcohol exposure early has lasting effects on the brain and increases the risk of anxiety in adulthood, say researchers.

A study showed adolescent binge drinking, even if discontinued, increases the risk for anxiety later in life due to abnormal epigenetic programming.

"Epigenetics" refers to chemical changes to DNA, RNA or specific proteins associated with chromosomes that change the activity of genes without changing the genes themselves.

"Binge drinking early in life modifies the brain and changes connectivity in the brain, especially in the amygdala, which is involved in emotional regulation and anxiety, in ways we don't totally understand yet," said a Prof.

"But what we do know is that epigenetic changes are lasting and increase susceptibility to psychological issues later in life, even if drinking that took place early in life is stopped," said the Prof.

For the study, adolescent rats that underwent an assessment for anxiety were exposed to ethyl alcohol for two days on and two days off or to the same protocol using saline for 14 days.

The rats were allowed to mature to adulthood without any further exposure to alcohol.

The rats exhibited anxious behaviour later in life, even after the binge drinking regimen stopped in late adolescence. They also had lower levels of a protein called Arc in the amygdala.

Arc is important for the normal development of synaptic connections in the brain.

Rats with less Arc also had about 40 per cent fewer neuronal connections in the amygdala compared with rats that weren't exposed to alcohol.

The decrease in Arc levels is caused by epigenetic changes that alter the expression of Arc, and an enhancer RNA, which modifies the expression of Arc. These changes are caused by adolescent alcohol exposure, said the Prof. 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

                                                                           FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

Diabetic and struggling with weight loss? Things to know about diabetes and alcohol use

Repeated binge drinking can take a serious toll on your health. Studies have shown that heavy alcohol consumption puts you at a higher risk of certain health problems such as liver disease, heart ailments, stroke, brain damage, cancer, etc. Drinking too much can lead to weight gain because alcohol contains a lot of calories. Yet, when you have diabetes, it can be a little more complicated. Hence, people with diabetes are advised to be particularly cautious when it comes to drinking.
 
First of all, alcohol prevents the liver from performing its job, including regulating blood sugar. Alcohol can also interact with some diabetes medications. It can also worsen some complications of diabetes. If you’re living with diabetes and want to know whether it’s safe to consume alcohol, or how much is okay, read on below.

What you need to know about diabetes and alcohol use

Alcohol and your weight: Studies have shown that losing weight can help prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. A research published suggested that weight loss may even help reverse type 2 diabetes. However, researchers  suggest that alcohol intake may weaken long-term weight loss in people with overweight or type 2 diabetes. Their study showed that participants in the Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (ILI) group who abstained from alcohol consumption over the four-year period were able to lose more weight than those who drank any amount during the intervention. Moreover, since alcohol is very high in calories it can make it difficult for people to shed those extra pounds. Hence, diabetes who are trying to lose weight should be encouraged to limit alcohol intake.

Alcohol and your blood sugar levels: Drinking alcoholic beverages can cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels. For instance, consuming moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugar to rise, heavy drinking can actually make your blood glucose levels drop within a few minutes of taking. 

Alcohol and your appetite: Alcohol can have a significant impact on your appetite and eating habits. It stimulates your appetite, making you overeat. This may affect your blood sugar control.

Alcohol and your liver: The liver stores glycogen, a form of glucose that the body reserves for future use. But drinking alcohol impairs the liver from doing its job. When you drink, your liver has to compromise with its function while trying to remove alcohol from your blood instead of working to regulate blood glucose.

Alcohol and your blood pressure: People with diabetes are more like to have high blood pressure, and having these conditions together can worsen both the diseases. Alcohol can lead to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Perhaps, being diabetic raises your risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and other health issues.

If you are living with diabetes, it is always safe to check with your doctor to determine whether drinking alcohol is safe for you.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                             https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                       FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com