How to quickly fall asleep in 5 easy steps

Sleeplessness is a major health problem in America with 30 to 35% have brief symptoms of insomnia and 10% suffering chronically.

Many people get addicted to sleeping-pills and alcohol to induce themselves to sleep which poses more health problems. Follows these 5 natural tips to fall asleep in a jiffy.

#1 Meditation - Meditation takes away the restlessness and the worries from our mind which are a major source of insomnia. Try meditating for 20 minutes everyday to see the resus.

#2 A warm cup of milk - Studies show milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan, and melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Having a warm cup of milk an hour before bedtime helps in drifting off to sleep more easily.

#3 Avoid caffeine after 12 PM - Excess caffeine increases irritability and triggers the sleepless cycle again. One key remedy to ease or cure insomnia is to limit or stop caffeine intake after 12.00 p.m. As a healthier alternative, I switched to herbal teas like chamomile or peppermint.

#4 Practice Yoga - Yoga not only releases Endorphins - the happy hormone, but also acts as a pain reliever and takes away the restlessness and stress from the body.

#5 Turn off your gadgets - Gadgets, especially smartphones, emit a blue light that disturbs our sleep cycles and make it harder to fall asleep in the night.

  How to quickly fall asleep in 5 easy steps -Slide Show

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The secret ways to beat a common cold without pills

Amazing alternative therapies to get relief from coldDo you...

Amazing alternative therapies to get relief from cold

Do you dread the season changes that bring along a host of infections and the loathed common cold? What if we told you that there are some unusual ways to beat the cold instead of popping the pill?

ASAPScience recommends these easy yet fun ways to beat your cold.

1) Eat an Anti-Inflammatory diet - It slows down the movement of chemical compound Neutrophil, which helps in preventing congestion in the lungs.

2) Feed a cold.Starve a fever - This adage is not entirely true as you need to eat  nutritious food both during a fever and a cold. It increases your immunity by increasing gamma interferon.

3) Eat fruits - Not just oranges but apples and other fruits also supply you with Vitamin C that helps fight off the cold and lead a generally better life.

4) Eat Garlic - Garlic can be useful not only to scare away vampires but to ward off your cold too because of its antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

Try these fun ways to beat cold along with being active. Trick your mind into believing you are perfectly fine and you won’t even realie when the cold leaves you.

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Twist your way into a healthier life with Kati Chakra Asana...

Twist your way into a healthier life with Kati Chakra Asana

Kati Chakra asana literally means to rotate the waist. But this simple Yoga pose has many hidden benefits that are not visible to the naked eye.

#1 The Step-by-Step Guide - 

It is important to listen to your body while doing any Yoga pose and it holds true for this pose too. Keep your movements slow and graceful. Make sure you do not jerk your body or you might end up injuring yourself. If you align your movements with your breaths then you will reap more benefits.

#2 Strong Abs - Since the pose works on the abdominal muscles of the body, this pose is really efficient in making the abdomen strong and reducing belly fat.

#3 Good for the spine - Working desk-jobs and having a sedentary lifestyle wrecks havoc on our joints and spine. Many people suffer from curvature of the spine (Scoliosis), Spondylosis and other back problems. All of which can be taken care of by practicing Yoga and Kati Chakra Asana in particular. It massages the muscles of the back and the spinal joints to relieve tension and pressure to keep stress away.

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Yoga with a twist

Our body is intricately connected through different bones and muscles. Sometimes we need to do specific exercises to work on specific areas but there are certain Yoga poses that are so versatile that they work both on the upper and lower body simulatenly.

One of these poses is Kati Chakra Asana, or the Standing Twist exercise. Imagine of Elvis Presley were a Yogi, this pose would have been his favourite.

#1 The Step-by-Step Guide -

• Stand tall and erect with your feet together
• As you breathe in, stretch your hands to the front, palms facing each other, parallel to the ground.
• Are your palms at shoulder-width distance from each other?
• Exhale and gently twist from the waist to the right and look back over the right shoulder.Tip from Sri Sri Yoga experts: Keep your feet glued in their place – this gives you a better twist!
• Checkpoint: Are your palms at shoulder-width distance from each other?
• Exhale and gently twist from the waist to the right and look back over the right shoulder.

#2 The benefits - Kati Chakra asana is a dynamic pose with myriad of benefits. Some that are tangible and some that work through the deep layers of the body.

• It helps in proper spine alignment and improves flexibility in the back. This happens because the rotating motion contracts and stretches the muscles of the back and releases tension and stiffness.
• It relieves constipation. Sounds weird but it is true. It is best to practice this pose in the early morning hours to get relief from constipation.
• It is good for arms and legs.

It is great for diabetics. Diabetes often gets worse with a sedentary lifestyle and Kati Chakra Asana can be a great tool to keep weight in check and flush toxins out. Something that all people suffering from diabetes need to do.

Yoga with a twist - Slideshow

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The only guide you need if you want to get started with Sun Salutation.

I once saw my sister-in-law’s yogi girlfriend and the way she bent all her joints to touch weird extremities and decided to never pull off such strange yoga poses. That was before I came to know about the benefits of Sun Salutation.  

After that I tried getting my inspiration from various yoga video and magazines but had my head all muddled up till I found this definitive guide that made me understand and practice the sequence really easily.

#1 Prayer Pose -  This pose resembles a praying human, as it requires us to join our palms in the praying position in front of our chest and keep our feet flat together on the mat.

#2 Raised Arms Pose - In this pose we lift our arms up and stretch the whole body.  It is essential to keep the biceps close to our ears and keep the gaze up towards the sky.

#3 Hand to Foot Pose - This pose entails us to bend forward and try to touch our feet. This pose is very extremely beneficial to our spine and blood circulation. This pose is also not advisable for people with spinal problems.

#4 Equestrian pose - This low lunge yoga pose will make you feel as if you are riding a horse, as is suggestive of its name. The back knee rests on the ground and the head and gaze are lifted. The other leg is situated ahead in between the two feet in a 90 degree angle.

#5 Stick pose - If you thought that yoga could never give you a good cardiovascular workout, try out the Dandasana. This is yoga’s very own plank routine that strengthens both the spine and the muscles.

#6 Eight Points Salute -  In this pose gently bring your knees down to the floor and exhale. Take the hips back slightly, slide forward and rest your chest and chin on the floor. Raise your posterior slightly.

#7 Cobra Pose - Snakes do not have to be scary, especially when they are on the yoga mat. This yoga pose resembles a serpent in a hissing position and give us a good massage to our spines along with increasing mobility in the back.

#8 Mountain Pose - Also known as the downward dog position, the mountain pose requires us to breathe out, lift the hips and the tail bone up, chest downwards in an ‘inverted V’ (/\) posture.

#9 Equestrian pose - Then you very gentle step up to the front of the yoga mat and breathe in to bring the right foot in between the two hands that are resting on the floor.

#10 Hand to Foot Pose - Breathing out keep the left foot forward, and keep the palms on the floor.

#11 Raised Arms Pose - Breathe in and gently roll your spine up each vertebra at a time. This pose is extremely beneficial for the lungs and opens up the Heart Chakra.  

#12 Palm Tree Pose  - Also known as Tadasana, this pose resembles a tall palm tree that is erect. This is the last pose of Sun Salutations and invigorates the whole body with new energy.

The only guide you need if you want to get started with Sun Salutation. -Slide Show

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The Art and Joy of Mindful Cooking When was the last time you...