Mobile phone calls may cause a rise in blood pressure; yoga may lower it; and despite the need to cut back on sodium to lower blood pressure, hypertensive individuals may have an increased desire for saltier foods.

These are the findings of new studies to be discussed at the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension (ASH) in San Francisco, starting May 15 – 18, 2013.

Members of the medical community from across the globe will discuss the about high blood pressure, considered as the “silent killer,” and which affects approximately one billion people worldwide.

During the conference, more than 200 new studies about hypertension will be shared, with the goal of increasing the understanding of hypertension and one day curing it altogether.

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Yogacharya Sandeep, a yoga instructor and a yoga psychologist, is from Bihar Yoga Bharathi, a yoga educational institution, dedicated to the study and practice of yoga, in the gurukul tradition.

He has developed specific corporate training programs to meet the requirements of the modern professionals, customised modules for schools and also personal training programs. A few modules are on stress management, improving productivity, managing work life balance, healing spondylitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, managing acidity etc.

Yogacharya Sandeep answered Sify readers’ queries related to the above in an exclusive chat. Read the transcript below.

How many times kapalbhati can be done.

First of all why are you opting for Kapalbhati? Are you inspired or do you really need it? Kapalbhati is a heating pranayama which boosts up the blood circulative system and thereby you experience extreme heat in the body, and you are not aware your body can withstand this amount of heat.So my advice would be not to opt for Kapalbhati without expert guidance. All the best!! : )

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In today’s rushed world with its many stresses and challenges, meditation becomes a powerful tool of coping.

To say that our lives are rushed and stressful will be stating the obvious. As our ambitions grow, so will life’s trials and tribulations. The question then becomes not of how to slow-things down but of how to deal with the challenges that life throws at us. And time and again, meditation has proven to be a powerful tool in reining in the daily drama.

Meditation – The awareness of ‘Now’

Meditation is the art of bringing your mind to a state of ‘stillness’ or ‘emptiness’ – free of all thoughts, emotions, events to just experiencing the ‘now’ moment.

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Admiring those glowing faces in beauty cream advertisements, we often wonder if we too could have a skin so young and beautiful. Well, it’s not a far-fetched dream anymore! Now even you can flaunt healthy, radiant skin that draws attention. And the good news is: no chemicals and no pricey beauty packages. Just a simple four-letter word – yoga – and a long-lasting glow on the face is yours to keep.

But before we talk about the solution, let’s first understand where skin problems such as wrinkles and dark spots stem from.

Some women start wrinkling premature, primarily due to stress or unhealthy lifestyle practices such as smoking, alcohol, drug addiction and wrong food habits.

Acne is common among women of all age groups. Sometimes, it could occur due to hormonal changes in the body. In this case, there’s nothing to worry about because it heals itself with time.

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Aerobic exercise influences the way our bodies break down estrogens to produce more of the `good` metabolites that lower breast cancer risk, according to a new research.

Observational studies suggest physical activity lowers breast cancer risk, but there are no clinical studies that explain the mechanism behind this, said Mindy S. Kurzer, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul.

Kurzer and her colleagues conducted the Women in Steady Exercise Research (WISER) clinical trial, which involved 391 sedentary, healthy, young, premenopausal women. They randomly assigned the women to two age-matched, body mass index-matched groups: a control group of 179 women and an intervention group of 212 women.

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Got yourself a gym membership? That’s great! Now before you get on that treadmill, make sure you check out your current fitness levels.

Joining a gym to get into shape is always a good idea. However, many people make the mistake of simply joining and starting off on arbitrary exercises without getting proper counselling first. This can lead to frustration over lack of optimum results.

A good gym will take you through a series of steps before creating a workout plan for you. So if you’re planning to join a gym, ensure that your fitness trainer checks you for the following before recommending exercises for you:

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Motion sickness can be defined as sickness induced by motion (as in travel by air, car, or ship) and characterized by nausea – also called kinetosis. It can be caused by contradiction between external data from the yes and internal cues from the balance centre in the inner ear. According to medical dictionaries, “ Motion sickness occurs when the inner ear, the eye, and other areas of the body that detect motion send conflicting messages to the brain. One part of your balance – sensing system (your inner ear, vision, and sensory nerves that help you keep your balance) may indicate that your body is moving, while the other parts do not sense motion.”

Yoga – the Ancient Health formula:

Yoga seemed to have answers for every health issue. Yoga is one of the oldest holistic health care systems, not just because of its fundamental healing approach, but also because of its many benefits for physical, mental and spiritual well being.

Yoga asana Postures help to improve stability, body balance, fight vertigo, improve digestion; treat nausea and dizziness help people with chronic motion sickness.

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Fitness expert, Namita Jain answers readers’ questions on fitness. Get your doubts cleared and see them featured on our FAQ page every Thursday.

This week’s answers:

Dear ma’m, i’m Myesha from Dhaka, Bangladesh. My age is 21, height 5 feet 1.5 inch and my weight is only 36 kg. Its highest range is 39 kg. This 36-39 range has been fixed for me since last 5-6 years! My physical structure looks very,very,very bad because of my thinness. I usually take healthy and delicious food daily. But it actually doesn’t work for me. Now please, please, please give me a solution of having a perfect and beautiful body according my age.
myeshafarzana

Dear myeshafarzana,

I suggest you consult a physician to rule out any medical concerns. Many
people have trouble gaining weight. It is not a good idea to eat mega-meals at fast food joints or high- in- fat foods to gain weight. An effort like this will increase your body fat, putting you at risk for health problems. Rather work on improving the quality of your diet. Focus on eating healthy, growing strong and staying fit. Try eating five to six small healthy meals per day. Include 2 to 3 servings of fruits and vegetables in the day. Drink juice and smoothies made with milk, nuts and fresh fruit. Snack on dried fruit and banana and high-fiber savories.

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A paunch or big belly doesn’t have any takers in the world of glamour. Or in the world of health! The truth is that belly fat puts you at high risk for many dangerous diseases and must be dealt with immediately.

Getting a toned body is hard work that requires dedication and commitment. And the one area people complain most about is the abdomen. While cosmetic concerns are the primary reason most people do hundreds of crunches and avoid foods that add to the tummy, there are greater health repercussions associated with a big belly. Which is why the belly has always been considered one the unhealthiest spots to have excess fat on the body.

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Ever felt the urge to kick and punch someone? Why not do it as a workout?

The origins of kickboxing

Kickboxing was originally a stand up combat sport, influenced highly by the martial arts. The true roots of the sport date back a couple of thousand years; although today the training routine and workout has been adopted by fitness lovers everywhere. As the name suggests, this routine emphasises on kicking and punching and leads to enhanced discipline.

Kickboxing has been growing in popularity since the 1970s and has evolved into an offshoot of aerobic or cardio exercise. It usually begins with a generic warm up of stretches, push-ups and the like. This is followed by movements like knee strikes, kicks and punches. Some instructors use punching bags and skipping ropes as well. A cool down ends the session.

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