It is always good to stay Connected

Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field, which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. And he is your board and your fireside.

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

— Khalil Gibran (Friendship IXX)

Gibran’s words sum up the universal truth about friendship. The best of friends always laugh, dance, cry and help each other through thick and thin. Friends, in a way, counter stress.

"The answer to all my problems is just a call away, whenever I am low I just need to call up my best friend and speak to her about it," says Sheena Sippy, a 25-year-old, executive producer. She adds, "The best part about her is that she is a great listener and knows exactly how to bring a smile to my face."

Spending time with a good friend is said to help one rejuvenate. Research also reveals that friends have immense therapeutic value.

For instance, in 2004, researchers at the Ohio State University conducted a study to understand the physiological mechanisms by which social support improves health. They looked at the effect, social contact had on wound-healing in stressed hamsters. Results showed that skin wounds healed nearly twice as fast in the hamsters paired with a sibling. These animals also produced less of the stress hormone cortisol than unpaired hamsters.

Assistant professor of psychology Courtney DeVries, after the research concluded, "Stress delays wound-healing in humans and other animals, and social contact helps counteract this delay."

Television actor Vir Das says, "Family and friends are the two constants in my life. Though I am a celebrity, they do not treat me like one. They keep me grounded and are definitely my weakness as well as my strength." With work and hectic lifestyles, it gets really difficult to spend time with friends. But just sitting and talking about unrelated things with friends can brighten up your day and lift your mood.

Often it is not the amount of time but the quality of time that you share with these friends. Here are ways one can find time to kick it with friends:

1. Exchanging daily pleasantries: Kalpana Raman, college student says, "The best thing about college is friends. Usually we hang out in between lectures or during the end of the day, randomly gossiping and chatting. We actually feel uncomfortable, if we do not catch up on a particular day." Even at work, lunch and tea breaks help you bond with your colleagues.

2. Weekend breaks: Partying, movies, clubbing, coffee are all but an excuse to get friends under one roof and have a great time together. It is a great form of recreation.

3. Hanging out with old friends: Meeting old friends happens rarely but they bring along a sense of nostalgia and sometimes take you into another world altogether. The memories can make you cry, laugh and also relieve you from stressful situations.

4. Going on a holiday with friends: Ryan D’souza, a Mumbai-based banker says, "I have this group of close friends and we plan a holiday every six months. We just take off to some remote place in the outskirts of the city, even if that is a village. Sometimes our holidays are as short as two days, but it really helps us unwind."

5. Online networking: Internet and networking sites have made it possible to stay connected with friends and also discover new friends who share similar passions and ideas. Group chats, blogs, online communities and networking sites bring friends together virtually.

‘I do breathing exercises’

Q How do you deal with stress?
When I am really stressed, I do breathing exercises like pranayama. Otherwise I also do yoga every morning.

Q What stresses you out the most?
Work overload really distresses me. I cannot handle doing too many things at a time.

Q Does your job stress you out?
With my job it happens all the time.

Q How do you manage to find a balance between work and regular life?
I have just started acting and I am slowly getting into the flow. As a model I have learned to do things on my own.

Q Does spending time with your family or friends help you relax?
Sometimes when it gets too much, then I go to my hometown in Delhi where I catch up with my folks and friends.

Q Are there times when you just need to get away from it all?
At the end of the day, I really feel I need to go on a holiday. But somehow my work commitments make it impossible.

Q Is there any unique technique you use to deal with stress?
Hitting the gym.

Q Does spending time with you family or friends help you relax?
My family is in Pune, spending time with them helps me relax.

Relax the body, mind and soul

To unwind at home, you can listen to soothing music, have a regular pre-bed routine, drink milk, eat regular meals and avoid spicy food. Yoga and exercise are great stress busters too. But if you’re in the mood for a proper pampering, go for one of these de-stressing treatments.
A salt scrub contains natural sea salt infused with pure essential oils of rose, vetiver (khus khus) and sandalwood. This is good to stimulate and strengthen the skin, and calm the mind.
Aromatherapy massage is a gentle nurturing treatment with pure essential plant and flower oils. It promotes superb physical and mental well being, and creates a deep sense of relaxation.
A traditional Thai massage, also known as yoga massage, combines assisted yoga postures, gentle rocking and rhythmic compressions with targeted point pressure and a variety of stretching movements. This massage revitalises both body and mind.
Reflexology is a holistic treatment which uses acupressure points on the feet to help restore and maintain the body’s natural equilibrium. This encourages the body to work naturally to restore its own healthy balance.
The Himalayan honey and rose facial is a stimulating and refreshing facial using a blend of sandalwood and rose essential oils. Pure Himalayan honey is massaged into the skin and a mask of cooling cucumber is applied.
Earth stone therapy draws on a rich tradition of employing stones of contrasting temperatures for therapeutic purposes. The therapy uses heated stones and chilled marble rocks combined with oil and massage. This assists with circulation and alleviates sore muscles while providing a sensuous experience.
In Shirodhara, luke warm herbal oil is poured in an even stream on to the forehead to pacify and revitalise the mind and the body.
Hatha yoga postures along with breathing (Pranayama) and meditation techniques are very potent tools to de-stress the body, mind and emotions. This has somato-psychic effects whereas meditation techniques like Yoga Nidra relax the mind and emotions directly.
(By Mark Sands)
(The writer is the spa manager of Ananda Spa in the Himalayas)

Alleviate neck pain with asana

Yoga can be the answer to your stiff neck problem. However, before you do anything, consult a doctor. Specific yoga exercises will help strengthen muscles and increase flexibility in the neck region. Even exercising your neck gently speeds nutrients to the area.
Neck Stretches

* Start in seated position.* Sit up tall, reaching up through the top of the head.* Draw shoulders back.* Exhale, drop the chin towards your chest, keeping elbows and shoulders pulled back.* Inhale, raise the head back to the centre.* Do this five times, then exhale, drop the chin and stay in this position for three breaths, breathing through the nose.* Inhale, raise the head back to centre.* Exhale, slowly drop the right ear towards right shoulder.* Inhale, raise head back to the centre.* Do this five times, then at last, exhale, drop the ear towards the right shoulder and stay in this position for three breaths.* Inhale, raise head back to the centre.* Repeat on the left side.
Half-Circle

Rolling your head around in a full circle can actually cause more damage, so avoid it. However, half circles in the front can be done instead. For this, first drop your chin to your chest. Move your chin towards the right shoulder, and then back to your chest. Then move your chin towards the left shoulder and back towards the chest. Repeat this movement three to five times.
Press

Place the palm of your hand against the back of your head and gently press while resisting with your head. Hold for a count of 10. Repeat with your palm on your forehead. Now place the palm of your right hand against the right side of your head and press, again resisting the movement with your head. Repeat on the left side. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles of the neck and makes them less prone to strain.

(By Sandhya Gupta)

Diet

Salads should be a must-have in your day-to-day menu. Not just because of their fibre content, which aids in bowel movement, but also for the benefits they bring to the skin. If you are looking for a glowing, smooth and toned skin, there’s no substitute for the naturally colourful ingredients of salad.
Cucumber: This most basic component for salad cleanses and relaxes the skin. Two slices of cucumber placed on each eye soothes the eyes too. It’s also beneficial for the liver.
Tomato: It helps detoxify the skin and has a cooling effect on the body. It’s far better to use real tomatoes for seasoning curries instead of using tomato sauce with loads of preservatives added.
Carrots: Its colour acts as a detoxifier. Carrots also increase the metabolic rate of the skin. Rich in vitamin A, carrots are good for the eyes too.
Beetroot: Like carrot, beetroot also de-toxifies, increases the metabolism of the skin and adds a pink glow to the skin.

Get the most from food

Beyonce Knowles loves her food but always makes sure she has a balanced diet. Some food experts believe, carbs and proteins produce acid, which must be balanced or neutralised with fruit and vegetables. Eat: Neutralise acid by eating leafy green vegetables, including spinach, parsley and cabbage. Avoid tea, coffee, soft drinks, sugar, flavourings, artificial sweetener and preserved meat, which are all said to be very acidic.
My top tip: Eat a rainbow of food —raw is best, or steamed is better than boiled as it retains the vitamins and minerals.

Stubbornness runs through the veins of some: Study

People who are stubborn and never seem to learn from their mistakes may have a mutated gene that makes them bull-headed, according to scientists in Germany.
About one-third of the population has this mutation, which may be nature’s way of ensuring that there are always some people who will not give up trying when at first they do not succeed, say the researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany.
"Where would we be without those few individuals who refuse to accept defeat and who continue to soldier onwards when common sense tells the rest of mankind that there’s no use trying?" one of the authors of the study, Tilmann Klein, said in an interview.
About 30 per cent of the population has the mutation, called the A1 mutation, said co-author Markus Ullsperger.
The A1 mutation, the researchers say, leaves people with fewer D2 receptors in the brain that are activated when levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine drop. Dopamine is not only responsible for signalling fun and pleasure in the brain, but the neurotransmitter also helps in learning.
Klein and Ullsperger theorise that the lower output of dopamine means that some people simply are not satisfied when a decision or action turns out to be a mistake. So they repeat their mistakes. People with more D2 receptors in their brains are satisfied the first time around that a mistake is a mistake. They do not feel any desire to repeat it.
The researchers studied a group of 26 men, 12 of whom had the A1 gene mutation for low numbers of D2 receptors. As a part of the study the subjects were shown sets of two symbols on a computer screen, and were asked to select one. The choice was followed by either a smiling face or a frown flashing on the screen. The researchers then tested to check whether the men had learnt to choose the symbol that was the most positively reinforced and avoid the one that was the most negatively reinforced.
According to results of the study, they found that men with fewer D2 receptors had trouble avoiding their mistakes. Brain imaging then was used to confirm that the region called the rostral cingulate zone was involved in learning from mistakes. This particular region was found to be more active in the volunteers with normal D2 levels during the learning sessions, compared to those with the D2 mutation. A brain region key to forming memories, the hippocampus, was also more active in the volunteers with normal D2 levels.
"The fact that nearly 30 per cent of the population has this A1 mutation, we can only surmise that it must offer some genetic advantages," Klein said. "Some individuals persist even in the face of negative feedback, and doggedly persevere as long as it takes until they finally succeed," he said. (IANS)

Run marathon & keep in mind these 10 handy tips

Myth Number 1: Indian food is a good pre-race meal
Fact: Pastas and carbs are the best foods for this long distance running. Pastas consisting of carbohydrates are the most important fuel for energy. It’s stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen and if these stores run low it can often cause tiredness when you’re running. Carbs don’t make you fat. They are actually your major source of energy. A typical marathon training diet is one that is around 65 per cent carbohydrates, 25 per cent protein and 10 per cent fat. The idea behind a carefully orchestrated eating plan is to ensure optimum hydration, nutrition and protein building for a runner whose needs for muscle repair and building is much higher than usual.
Myth Number 2: You don’t really need to train to do a marathon
Fact: While runners and walkers do complete marathons on training that’s often less than ideal, they suffer during and after the event. There are tales of stress fractures, pain, not being able to walk for a week and psychological burnout from those not well-trained. A good training programme takes some time and commitment to be successful.
Myth Number 3: Training on cardio machines at the gym is good preparation for a long run
Fact: It is always better to take the practice on the roads to train up your muscle for two months. A workout for 90 minutes on various machines like treadmills, stationary bikes and stair climbers is not equivalent to a half-marathon which would take almost the same time.
Myth Number 4: You can train with shorter distances if you train faster. You can slow down and go farther on race day
Fact: The marathon takes different physiology to provide energy to go to the 26.2 miles than that of shorter distance races. Those energy systems are best trained by running long and slow. It takes runs longer than 16 miles and slower than marathon race pace to get the physiology of endurance. Training short and fast or even up to 20 miles at a fast pace guarantees that you will "run out of energy" on race day.
Myth Number 5: You don’t want to waste time in the marathon taking in water or other fluids or energy sources
Fact: The body needs water to work. Losing small amounts of fluids leads to devastating losses in work capacity. The exercising body needs a minimum of 236 ml of water every 20 minutes during exercise. This is true in training as well as racing. The replacement can come from sports drinks such as gatorade, energy bars, gels or candy. They need to be the proper concentration to be absorbed making it essential to drink water when using bars or gels.
Myth Number 6: To get faster in the marathon, you need more speedwork
Fact: Marathon performance is usually dictated by endurance, not speed. The endurance to maintain the speed is what most runners need. The body needs to be trained to burn more fat and spare glycogen to have enough energy to get to mile 26.2. Time spent doing short distance speed work takes away from the endurance work the body needs to go the distance. The speedwork that is essential for marathons is miles done at marathon pace.
Myth Number 7: Cold weather is good for runners
Fact: When you are running in cold weather, you breathe through your mouth and the air that hits your lungs is colder and drier. The contrast between the warm air in the lungs and the cold inhaled air can trigger an attack of asthma. Runners generate their own warmth a few miles into the race.
Myth Number 8: Old people can’t run fast
Fact: Try telling that to the 60-year-old gentleman who sprinted past a runner about 25 yards before the finish line. Age is no bar for running these marathons. It’s continuous practice that builds the stamina and makes them run faster.
Myth Number 9: Weight training is not required for marathon training
Fact: Running in a marathon is not the same as running a short distance. It is much more demanding and calls for strong muscles which are the ammunition for completing the run. Strengthening the muscles is important in order to avoid cramps and injury, Hence weight training is vital to develop muscular strength and endurance.
Myth Number 10: It does not matter what kind of running shoes you wear for a marathon
Fact: Good shoes are very important to run a successful marathon. Good running shoes absorb shock ensuring that you do not get injured while running on rough, uneven surfaces, thus protecting you from harm.