Life Style
Spend time with nature to shun depression
Sydney: A 30-minute walk in the woods each week can help reduce depression and high blood pressure while enhancing mental health, a study has found.
The findings showed that people who made long visits to green spaces had lower rates of depression and high blood pressure and those who visited more frequently had greater social cohesion.
Visits to outdoor green spaces of 30 minutes or more during the course of a week could reduce the prevalence of depression by up to 7 per cent and high blood pressure by 9 per cent.
Further, spending more time outdoors may especially benefit children.
“Kids who grow up experiencing natural environments may benefit developmentally and have a heightened environmental awareness as adults than those who don’t,” said lead researcher Danielle Shanahan from University of Queensland in Australia.
Visiting parks has been long known to be good for our health, but there has been almost no guidance on how much or how frequently people need to engage with nature, and what types or characteristics of nature need to be incorporated in cities for the best health outcomes.
“The study finds specific evidence that we need regular visits of at least half an hour to ensure we get these benefits,” added Richard Fuller, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland.
More support and encouragement of community activities in natural spaces would encourage people to spend more time in green space, the paper suggested.
The study, published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, examines the associations between the duration, frequency and intensity of exposure to nature and health in an urban population.
Health
These three drinks can be a blessing for your gas and acidity problems
ily foods, spicy dishes, fried fares… Done it all and regretting it? If you’re suffering from acid reflux, you probably know what to eat and what to avoid. But is there anything to relieve you from such digestive issues? Well, there are certain drinks for acidity to improve your digestive health, if you consume them regularly.
Ready to find out? Let’s go!
In an Instagram video, nutritionist and health coach Neha Ranglani has suggested that to calm your acid reflux, you need to help your food get digested well. This can be done by improving your stomach acid production and healing your stomach cells. And these drinks that she has suggested, can help with just that, allowing you to digest your food well without the burn.
Here are 6 drinks for acidity:
1. Cucumber juice
Cucumber is a favourite salad ingredient in summer because of its cooling properties. Consuming cucumber juice can be really beneficial for relievingacid reflux because it is highly nutritious as it provides your body with both fibre and water which is needed for better digestion and has a low calorie volume. What’s more? It can also keep you full and help you avoid reaching out to junk foods!
2. Lemon water
Lemon can do you a world of good! Being rich in vitamin C and B and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium—drinking lemon water regularly will not only help you burn fat but will resolve your digestive issues such as acidity. Moreover, lemon water contains laxative properties that can help improve your bowel movements and clear toxins from the body, keeping you hydrated.
3. Ginger water
Ginger aka adrak, is a very well known ingredient that has been used for ages to help relieve acidity and gas. Also, if you are facing digestive issues due to overeating or undigested food, consuming ginger water can help in emptying your stomach. You can also consume it by adding it to soups, subzi or curry, and even tea. Remember that you’re not allowed to consume ginger in excess amounts.