10 Things Bangaloreans are doing that's seriously damaging their health!

Dear Bangaloreans,
Do you think you are Healthy? In our day to day activities, we are doing or missing things that have a serious impact on our physical and emotional health. These habits must be corrected immediately to prevent major health challenges in future.

1. SKIPPING BREAKFAST

In our daily rush, we do not leave enough time to have breakfast. When we don't have enough breakfast,  the body is relatively low on glucose and when we start our day, the brain requires maximal energy. There are many studies that have shown reduced glucose level in the morning can cause brain hemorrhage. Additionally, just having sugar can cause sugar crashes that will definitely spoil your day. So eat that fruit, have that fiber!

2. BINGE EATING

It's Saturday night and you have done your gym workout for 5 days and its time to unwind and relax for the weekend. Bring on the burgers, fries, biryani and a milkshake icecream to topi it up! Aah! That hit the spot! Sound familiar,  cardiac problems in relatively healthy people are on the rise and one of the main factors that has been implicated is binge eating. Your body is a complex mechanism of digestive and endocrine system that are interlinked. Your brain is telling you to stop eating but sometimes we over eat.. this can cause knee jerk reactions in the heart especially when you sleep immediately after eating. It is not advisable to significantly alter the quantity of meals frequently and eat at least a couple of hours before you sleep!

3. SMOKING

Did you know that Bangalore has the highest number of smokers in the country? There is not a single person who doesn't know that smoking is injurious to health. Still one in three adults and one in every two adult males consume tobacco in bangalore. Even if you don't smoke, the air pollution is equal to smoking a pack a day. But if you do, the amount of damage done to your body is irrevocable.. So bangaloreans, as much as the weather and the pubs tempt you, kick the butt and kickstart your life!

4. AIR POLLUTION

The brain consumes maximum oxygen compared to any other part of the body to carry out all its functions undisturbed. Bangalore has got one of the most toxic air pollutants in the country with the high congestion of vehicles being the primary reason for air pollution. The dirtiest air is found usually in Peenya junction followed by Silk board, Hosur Road. With the number of vehicles increasing on a daily basis and with the increasing number of bigger vehicles like SUVs,  the pollution is set to get worse. It is therefore advisable to carry a mask and use it in highly contaminated areas. While riding a two wheeler, try using a balaclava inside the helmet to act as a barrier for the dust. To prevent air pollution from your end, take efforts to reduce emissions. Try using public transportation once a week,.
Beat the pollution, embrace health!

5. SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Sleep, the only natural elixir that repairs the body, has given many scientists sleepless nights. Indians, compared to most people in the world, sleep much lesser. On an average, 46% of Indians sleep less than the recommended six hours in a day. Bangaloreans are taking sleep deprivation lightly without realizing the impact on their health. Work, partying, news channels, sports, stress, name it you got it, everything adds to the sleeplessness. Studies have shown that less than the recommended sleep results in a greater than 30% drop in work performance during the day. So bangaloreans, I recommend a slight change in the dictum from "Work Hard, Party Hard" to "Work Hard, Party Light, Sleep Tight"!

 6. EXERCISE
What?!? Are you kidding me? Are you telling me that exercise is actually damaging my health.. Well, the answer is Yes and No! IT's not exercise per se, but exercise that is done infrequently that can damage your heart. Remember the josh on a Sunday night and you promise that I am going to hit the gym from tomorrow but it lasts a couple of days, and you forget about it only to start it again after a few weeks.. And when you do, you go for an all-out workout to compensate for the days you didn't! This is really bad for the heart as you are punishing it more than helping your body.

If you intend to exercise, do not give a break more than a couple if days. If you start after a while, plan it and start slow and progress over time!

Exercise Smart, Stay Fit!

7. SPICE AND SALT

"Hello boss.. Chicken swalpa kara maadi! " seems to be the weekend mantra in Bangalore! While spice and salt make the food taste definitely good, it's not so good for your health.. Higher the salt, more the blood pressure which poses a greater load on the heart to pump the blood. Salt intake gradually increases the resistance of the blood vessels to blood flow. Blood pressure is mathematically cardiac output (amount of blood pumped during each heartbeat) multiplied by peripheral resistance (harder the blood vessels, more the resistance to blood flow). So more the salt higher the blood pressure.

Spice on the other hand is the root cause of all ulcers, gastritis and related problems. Along with stress and multiple other factors affecting your health, spice can cause a deadly cocktail resulting in gastritis.

So, watch the salt and spice intake but don't take my advice with a pinch of salt!

8. TOO MUCH TV

Blockbuster week.. Fast and furious 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and so on.. back to back! Or maybe Rocky! How many of us wouldn't have watched back to back movies? Not surprising, one of the worst things that can damage your body and heart is watch TV for hours on end.. In a recent study, it was found that even people doing daily exercise but watching a lot of TV experience more heart attacks than those who do not sit around watching TV. The same could be said for the use of computers as well. Inert behavior for a long period of time can cause stasis of blood in the peripheral system and when there is a sudden movement can cause a head rush or may precipitate a cardiac event.. So get off that butt and walk for a bit every once in a while!

9. NOT USING DENTAL FLOSS

Come on..You've got to be kidding me! Not flossing can damage my health?? 

Trust me.. It can do a lot worse! Did you know that spaces between the teeth account for more than 65% of the total tooth surface? So if you don't floss, you are actually keeping 65% of your teeth dirty..

So you can forget that date on Saturday! More importantly, the bacteria from the teeth can enter your gum tissue and from there to different parts of the body. Normally, the blood is sterile but if when bacteria enters the blood, it causes a huge reaction and may cause clots to form in the blood. If this clot gets lodged in the heart. it could trigger a cardiac event. In fact, several studies have shown how labelled bacteria from the gum has been found in distant parts of the body including brain, heart, kidneys, etc. In fact, it can even cross placental barrier in pregnant mothers and can infect the womb triggering pre term labor.

So next time, do not forget the floss and your dental checkup!

10. CELL PHONES

When was the last time you forgot your cell phone at home? Our dependence on cell phone has reached a stage where we cant live without phones for even an hour.. forget a day! We all have heard about the side effects of cell phone use. But to summarize, it can affect the nervous system causing tremors, cause fatigue and weakness of the heart by increasing blood pressure, decrease sperm motility and affect the reproductive system apart the significant increase in the risk to the brain.

Keep conversations to the minimum and enjoy family time more than cellphone time!