Is Sunlight essential for health?

Is Sunlight essential for health? Yes. Absolutely! This will be my answer, if someone asks me this question.

Since ancient times, Sun has been worshipped as a god and giver of life and energy to mankind. We find numerous examples of sun worshipping rituals in many ancient civilizations such as Indian, Egyptian and even Greeks.It is not without reason, that humans have worshipped sun for long. Even scientifically, we are aware that Sun is the nearest star to our earth and the heat and light emitted by sun is the main reason which allows life to flourish on earth. We are at such a distance form sun that we are neither too close nor too far unlike some other planets. It is the combination of this heat and light given by sun which gave rise to living organisms on earth.

During cold winters, the appearance of sun brings much needed warmth to our bodies. Our bodies function optimally at a core temperature of 37 degree Celsius. It has been seen that people who are not exposed to sunlight for long develop skin diseases and also suffer from deficiency of Vitamin D. This Vitamin D is very important for normal development of strong bones in our bodies. Its deficiency leads to diseases like brittle bones, osteomalacia and rickets in children. Moreover, the sunlight has a component which protects from different types of skin cancers. No wonder, then people living in areas having exposure to sufficient sunlight have fewer incidences of such diseases.

The various health benefits that sunlight offers are:

1. Synthesis of vitamin D which protects from Rickets, Osteomalacia and other bone diseases.

2. It helps to accumulate Melanin which protects from skin cancers.

3. It helps in better absorption of calcium which is necessary for bones and teeth.

4. Its helps to boost the immune system of our body.

5. The infra red component of sun rays relieve pain and help in relaxing the muscles.

6. It has also been proved that adequate exposure to sunlight helps in kidney related diseases.

7. Sunlight promotes growth of hair.

If we take a look at the plants and animal kingdoms, we would find the same results. The forest areas in places where there is sufficient heat and moisture leads to growth of many different species of flora and fauna. The plants wither if they do not get sufficient sunlight. Similarly, many animals are known to go for long sleep or hibernation to avoid harsh winter months when sunlight is scarce. The same effect is seen on humans as well. This is the reason we use metaphors like “warm and sunny” to express happy feelings and words like “ coldness “ to describe feeling of sadness and despair.

But there are couple of things one should be careful about when taking the sun bath. It is important to take in sun as is needed depending upon your body’s requirement. Moderate exposure is good for health, but over exposure can lead to disastrous effects. In fact, it is ideal to take sun soak early in the mornings when the sun has just risen. Do not ever go out in sun during afternoons when sun is very hot. And stop soaking in the sun – if you feel burning or itching sensations. Thus, taking care of these precautions will help you to reap maximum benefits from the life giving rays of the sun.

Walking for Health

With the advancements in medicines and life saving drugs and technology, our average life spans are increasing and we are all living longer and thus it becomes all the more important for us to keep ourselves fit and healthy even during our last stages of life. This can be done by maintaining a regular routine of exercise, proper diet and healthy lifestyle. This is where Walking as an exercise comes into picture.

Of all the exercises recommended by doctors and physicians for maintaining good health – Walking is by far the best. It is one exercise that can be done by all age groups and people with almost all kinds of ailments. Early morning walking is considered most therapeutic by all schools of medicine. It is perhaps the only exercise which has simply no side effects. It can be done at our own pace and there is no need for any special equipment. There are many benefits of an early morning walk such as :

1. Helps to maintain weight by burning the extra calories.

2. Considerably reduces the risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure.

3. Lowers the risk of strokes and breast cancers.

4. Helps to control Type 2 diabetes.

5. It also makes you feel better by preventing depression as it helps heart to circulate blood faster.

6. It strengthens the bones and joints thus making them more flexible.

7. It has also been proved to be useful for people suffering from arthritis and back pain.

8. Helps to improve sleep by lowering the stress levels.

9. Helps to maintain a better posture and improves looks as person feels more confident and healthy.

But there are some things which should be kept in mind while walking. First, to get maximum benefits, incorporate it into your daily routine. As per the doctors, one should walk a minimum of thirty minutes for at least three days a week. But in case you are suffering from some kind of disease, it is much better to consult the doctor before starting out. In any case, do not walk till you are tired. Walking is supposed to rejuvenate you and not tire you out. So, start with baby steps and then increase slowly.

It is also important to choose the proper location for walking. There is no point in walking amidst heavy traffic and taking in all the poisonous fumes and toxic gases. If possible walk in a park, otherwise choose an area which is full of greenery and away from the main traffic roads.

The yoga gurus recommend walking barefoot on green grass early in the morning before the sunrise. It is supposed to be good for your eyesight. But even if you are not walking barefoot, it is important to face the sun while going for the walk and allow sun rays to fall on your back while returning. There is a very solid rationale behind this. According to yoga discipline, the rays emitted by the sun for the first half an hour of sun rise are most beneficial for us. Hence, we should take then straight on our front body. After that sun begins to get hotter and thus it is better to take them on your back.

Thus inculcating morning walk into our daily routine provides the necessary positive energy and strength to our body and helps us to keep fit and healthy for years to come.

Health Benefits of Meditation

What is meditation?

Meditation is normally understood by people as a spiritual practice. Although true, it is only half the truth. Meditation is far more important and a useful practice than is generally thought of. When we talk about meditation, we instantly think about people sitting in lotus positions with closed eyes chanting some mantras or sitting in quiet contemplation.

This is not a complete picture. Meditation is simply put -- a way of life. In ancient Hindu scriptures, lot of stress is given to it and it is considered a part of a daily ritual in addition to physical and breathing exercises that is Yoga and Pranayams.

Meditation has long been used by our ancestors especially in Indian way of life as a means of salvation. But no one ever tried to look at the beneficial effects it has on our body related to our physical health. Recent developments from some quarters in trying to introduce Yoga to western countries have resulted in lot of scientific research into the effects of mediation on our health. The results have been astonishing to say the least.

Its Benefits

Now it is an established fact that meditation in all its forms has a positive and beneficial effect on people’s physical health in addition to their mental and emotional wellbeing. It has long been proven that meditation helps to calm and control our mind and makes us better equipped to handle emotional and mental stress. By practicing meditation daily, people have bettered their lives across the whole world.

But now more promising news is on the way. It has been scientifically proved that people who practice meditation daily – have lower instances of heart attacks, do not suffer from high blood pressure and are less prone to anxiety and stress related diseases. In our body, many stress related hormones decrease during meditation practice and stabilize at lower levels as the meditation is practiced daily.

The Health benefits

1. It increases mental and emotional strength.

2. It reduces stress and calms the mind.

3. It helps in lowering core body temperature (thus helping longevity)

4. It helps to control our blood pressure.

5. It reduces risk of heart attacks and heart related diseases.

6. It helps in controlling drug addiction by reducing stress.

7. The meditation techniques have also proven useful in chronic pain related ailments such as arthritis. As the person practices meditation, his overall stress reduces and thus they feel less pain as against others who are more stressed .It is not that it relieves pain, but it helps people to deal with pain more effectively. It is actually all about keeping your mind over body. If we can control our minds, we will feel lesser pain.

8. The pregnant women who practice pranayams – the breathing exercises, feel lesser pain than those who don’t. It is again due to much calmer mind which helps women to deal with their labor pains.

9. And since people feel more in control of themselves, they respond better to traditional methods of treatments and pain management. In fact, the patients with diseases such as cancers, tumors etc are also known to respond better to treatments if they are practicing meditation.

This is the reason why meditation is considered a Way of Life as it helps us to not only perform better in our daily life , but also in dealing with stressful and difficult situation in our life with better control.