Shraddha Kapoor: I"m a Shy Person

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She is known for portraying outgoing and expressive characters on-screen but actress Shraddha Kapoor said that in real life she is a reserved person.

 

The 26-year-old actress made lukewarm debut with Amitabh Bachchan’s Teen Patti in 2010 but she got fame two years back with her stint as a budding singer in Aashiqui 2, opposite rumoured boyfriend Aditya Roy Kapur.

 

Shraddha, however, feels that fame has not changed her reserved-self much and she becomes a bundle of nerves whenever she is in public eye.

 

“I am a shy person in real life. I am not very social person. The only people I open up to are my family and close friends. Over the years, I have become more vocal but at the core I am a reserved girl. Many a times I think that I should change myself and become more expressive. People keep telling me to be a certain way as I am an actor but if I don’t have anything to say I can’t. I come out as a shy, nervous person and a little out of place because I need time and my space to become comfortable with someone,” Shraddha told PTI.

 

The Ek Villain star said that feels lucky that all those people in the industry whom she wanted to go up to and speak to, recognised her because of her work.

 

The finest example of this was her recent meeting with Mr Bachchan. “I am much more comfortable around Mr Bachchan now. We met at Piku‘s success bash and he met me so warmly. It was amazing. Back when I did Teen Patti, I was so nervous to face him,” she said.

 

Categories: bachchan, nbsp, people, person, Real Life, shraddha, shraddha kapoor, shy person, teen patti

Is Social Media Making us Anti-social?

 

With a billion Facebook users worldwide, over 250 million twitter members, and new social networks emerging every week; social media has never been so popular. But is social media actually making us anti-social?

 

Yes – Jamilia

So often I see groups of friends out together in a bar or restaurant but instead of chatting to one another, they are all tapping away on their phones. It seems such a shame that rather than enjoying one another’s company, they are talking to people that aren’t even there. I find it really rude if I’m out with a friend and they whip out their phone mid-conversation. I’ve even been out for a meal with friends and they insist on taking photos of the meal to put online – it’s ridiculous!

 

I think children in particular are losing important social skills because of so-called ‘social’ media. Instead of playing with friends, they all seem to prefer sitting in their bedrooms using their computers. Not only are they missing out on real-life friendships but they are missing out on fresh air and exercise too. In addition, it seems that social media is very competitive – it’s all about how many ‘likes’ or ‘re-tweets’ people can get. I don’t think this obsession with gaining approval from others is healthy and it would be much better to invest time in real-life friendships which are much more supportive.

 

It seems ironic that so many people are happy to spend hours typing messages to people they don’t even know over the internet but then say they don’t have the time to visit their relatives. Real-life relationships are being sacrificed at the expense of virtual friendships that simply are not fulfilling or built to last.

 

 

No – Jan

My granddaughter taught me how to use Facebook and quite honestly, my social life has never been so busy since I started catching up with my friends online. Thanks to Facebook, I’ve had invites to lots of different social occasions in real-life that might not have happened without social media. At the age of 62, it can be hard to track down old friends but social media has made it really easy. I can talk to people that I was at college with and even keep in touch with friends who have moved to the other side of the world. Without social media my circle of friends would be so much smaller.

 

Social media provides a great support network for people of all ages too. When I was going through a difficult time recently I was able to find people on the internet who had experienced similar challenges in life and they provided the help and support I needed. Without social media, I would have felt very alone. I’m sure there must be lots of young people going through difficult times who can find help through the internet too.

 

The best thing about social media is that it gives me a way to chat to friends and relatives on a weekly basis who I probably wouldn’t get chance to call or visit. It keeps the lines of communication open with people that I might otherwise drift away from. Social media has definitely made me more sociable – in the real world as well as the virtual world.

 

Categories: anti social, life friendships, Media, nbsp, people, Real Life, social, Social Media, social nbsp

Fitness Expert Proves You Can Gain Muscle on Ketogenic Diet

 

Fitness expert Mike Roussell, PhD, recalls, ‘The other day, I was on a phone call with a good friend and fellow strength coach, Joe Dowdell, CSCS, of Peak Performance in New York City. I told him my current deadlift personal record stood at a respectable 420 pounds but that I aspired to pull a 500. He told me it was “doable.” Great. Then I threw him a curveball worthy of Dodgers southpaw Clayton Kershaw. I wanted to add 80 pounds to my deadlift … while following a ketogenic diet. Joe let out a big sigh. Staying on a ketogenic diet means eating so few carbohydrates that when your glycogen stores empty, your body cashes-in on a process called “ketosis” for energy. The carbohydrate threshold to stay in ketosis will vary by individual, but the guideline for most folks is fewer than 50 grams of carbs.’ But how can you eat so few carbs and still build your muscle wellness?

 

‘I was dead-set on eating fewer than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day,’ Roussell details. ‘How low is that? One medium banana would place you over your daily limit! Wait, don’t carbs stimulate muscle growth? How could this work in the long term? More important, can I add 80 pounds to my deadlift without eating much carbs? These questions and more piqued the scientist in me. So I set out to find the answers not only by poring over the scientific literature but through real-world application on the gym floor as well.’ The question is, then, did he do it?

 

‘Carbohydrates create anabolism largely by setting off a cascade of hormone-driven events,’ Roussell explains. Chief among these events is secretion of a hormone called insulin from the pancreas. Many people realise that insulin regulates blood glucose levels, but insulin is not a one-trick pony. It is so multifunctional that many experts believe it to be absolutely integral to muscle synthesis—among other things. For example, one of insulin’s many roles is driving amino acid uptake; in other words, it gets amino acids out of your bloodstream and into your muscles. Thus, carbohydrates and the ensuing insulin response obviously have a great deal to do with muscle growth.’

 

Roussell comments, ‘It’s clear that carbohydrates are anabolic. It’s time to circle back to my original deadlift conquest. Was building strength and muscle possible while on a ketogenic diet? Dowdell’s sigh notwithstanding, I found that the answer is an emphatic yes! Don’t get me wrong, being ketogenic while training hard was no cakewalk. In three and a half months, I packed 80 pounds into my deadlift and pulled a new PR of 500 pounds on my first attempt. It turns out that while carbohydrates are anabolic, I am still able to achieve an anabolic feat in the nearly complete absence of carbohydrates. The human body is an amazing machine, possessing the ability to make intelligent adaptations to a variety of situations.’

 

So how did Roussell’s body adapt? ‘In a chronically low-carb environment, the body doesn’t follow the normal biochemical rules because it has to change,’ Roussell notes. ‘It becomes much more efficient with muscle glycogen, it up-regulates gene expression of certain enzymatic machinery needed for maximum performance, and it adapts as needed to excel in the presence of far fewer carbohydrates and much less insulin. Quite simply, my adventure in carbohydrate-less anabolism was to prove that you can perform at a high level on minimal carbohydrate—at least in the short term. Carbohydrates are not required to flip the protein synthesis switch, but perhaps there are other ways to make the overall anabolic process more efficient and effective. Does that mean everyone should adopt a ketogenic diet? I don’t think it is for everyone (and perhaps not for the long-term), but it’s still interesting to see what your body can achieve through thick and thin.’

Categories: carbohydrates, fitness expert, gaining muscle, Insulin, ketogenic, ketogenic diet, Long term, Muscle, muscle growth, Real Life, roussell

Gender Identity Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment

There are many well-known phrases that make bigger implications than we realise – such as boys will be boys – but what happens when boys want to be girls, or vice versa? Gender Identity Disorder (GID) can play a huge role in an individual’s sexual health, and overall wellbeing, with people feeling that their body does not match who they are on the inside. Also known as gender identity confusion, gender dysphoria, transgenderism and transsexualism, the condition can cause some people to use clothing and cosmetics to explore this identity, while others may choose to change their appearance with hormones or even surgery.

 

According to noted wellness writer Maria Trimarchi, ‘Mental health professionals believe there are three components that make up our gender identity: our sexual orientation, behaviour and mannerism preferences, and core gender identity (that gut feeling we have about the gender we identify with). In most of us, these three components and our anatomy align as male or female. For some, however, these components don’t all match up. The cause of gender identity disorder is still being debated. Theories suggest it is caused by genetic abnormalities, endocrine problems like a testosterone or oestrogen imbalance in the womb, social factors like parenting or some combination of issues.’ But at what age do parents begin to see symptoms of GID in children?

 

There are five steps to diagnosing GID: diagnostic assessment, psychotherapy, real-life experience, hormone therapy and surgery. Trimarchi explains, ‘The process begins when a person consults a mental health professional, who performs sessions of psychotherapy and formulates a diagnosis. To become a candidate for gender reassignment surgery, a person must first be diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) or gender dysphoria. The International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) lists gender identity disorder as a disorder and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V) lists gender dysphoria.’

 

The reason why diagnosis is important is because there is a wide range of variables that fall under the GID umbrella, and prospective candidates for gender reassignment surgery must work with a mental health professional for the right diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is complete, there are three phases left for patients who wish to undergo surgery:

 

1. Hormone therapy

 

2. Real-Life Experience, or the Real-Life Test

 

3. Surgery to change genitalia and other sex characteristics

 

Trimarchi notes, ‘Not all transgender people need all three phases of therapy; each path to gender reassignment is tailored to the person…Before a patient can begin hormone therapy or breast surgery, a mental health professional must write a letter of recommendation to the physician providing medical treatment. In addition to the letter, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s Standards of Care require several eligibility and readiness criteria for hormone therapy.’ To undergo hormone therapy, you must:

 

• Be 18 years of age


• Understand what the medical ability of hormones, as well as their social benefits and risks


• Have either a minimum of three months of psychotherapy or a documented three month real-life experience


• Show stable or improved mental health


• Demonstrate ability to take hormones in a responsible manner

 

Trimarchi details, ‘The Real-Life Experience immerses the individual into life as his or her preferred gender. The candidate is required to maintain full or part-time employment (or attend school full or part-time), legally change his or her first name to one that is gender appropriate and prove that people other than the therapist and doctor know his or her desired gender. After 12 months of continuous and successful hormone therapy and Real-Life Experience, the individual is eligible for genital surgery. Two letters of recommendation, usually one from the mental health professional and one from the hormone-prescribing physician, are required for surgery.’

Categories: diagnosis, gender dysphoria, gender identity, gender reassignment, health professional, Hormone Therapy, identity disorder, life experience, Mental Health, Real Life, treatment

Strength and Weight Loss in a Month: 30 Day Squat Challenge

There are many benefits to making squats part of your fitness routine. Squats are strengthening exercises, and also aid in your weight loss wellness. However, if you really want to bolster your wellbeing, you should try the 30 day squat challenge. Award-winning wellness writer Hope Gillette explains, ‘The 30 day squat challenge is exactly what the title implies: one month (30 days, no using short months!) of nothing but squats. Of course, you can do the 30 day challenge along with other exercises, but the purpose of the routine is to tone your legs, booty and lower body while you strive to reach an increasingly difficult goal.’

 

So how do you do the 30 day squat challenge? Gillette instructs, ‘On day one, do 50 squats consecutively. After that, each day you do squats increase the number of repetitions by five, and then rest (do NO leg exercises) every fourth day. The day after each rest-day, you should add 10 more reps than the last day you did your squats. The final eight days of exercise, increase reps by 20 instead of 10. At the end of 30 days, you should be doing approximately 250 squats.’ Still not sold on squats? Here’s why they’re so important:

 

1. Squats are Multifunctional: Gillette asserts, ‘Squats are one of the best functional exercises out there, promoting balance, mobility, fat burning, and body-wide muscle development. A complete workout in a simple movement.’

 

2. Squats Help You in Real Life: ‘Functional exercises are the ones that help you perform real-life activities,’ notes Gillette. ‘And squats are one of the natural movements people have been doing since they could walk upright.’

 

3. Squats Help You Tone All Over: Gillette enthuses, ‘Squats are the perfect exercise to shape your buttocks and legs as well. They also help with abdominals and lower back muscles.’

 

4. Squats Aid in Muscle Mass and Weight Loss: ‘Doing squats helps increase your muscle mass (the more muscle you develop, the more fat you burn), which can help the body burn 50-70 more calories a day,’ says Gillette. ‘So gaining 10 pounds of muscle through functional exercises like squats will help the body burn 500-700 additional calories.’

 

However, before you take up the 30 day squat challenge, you need to watch out for certain risks. Gillette warns, ‘While the principle behind the 30 day squat challenge is very simple, the way you chose to do the squats involved might not be. Keep in mind that you can hurt yourself doing squats if you do not adopt the proper form and you do not follow nutritional and warm up guidelines. You may also be wasting your time with the repetitions, if you don’t know what you are doing. The risks associated with performing squat exercises improperly include knee damage (strains or sprains), lower back strain (very painful and debilitating), stress fractures on the lower back and shins, herniated discs and muscle tears.’

 

So what’s the best way to do your squats? Gillette recommends, ‘Even though squatting is usually more narrow, for the purpose of muscle strengthening, a wide squat—with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart—is ideal. Not only will this stance work the same muscles as a narrower one, it will work the glutes and the quadriceps without putting undue stress on the knees. Try your squat with wide and narrow stance and feel which muscles you are working the most with each variation. You can choose the one that feels best for you or do a combination of both. If you feel too much pressure on your back or knees, modify form.’

Categories: body burn, day squat, functional exercises, muscle mass, Real Life, Squat, squat challenge, Squats, Strength Training, Weight Loss

Five Things You Might Face After Recovering From Cancer

Recovering from cancer is a huge milestone in any person’s life. It means that it’s time to move on and get back to your real life. Right? Not so fast. While yes, recovering from cancer should be celebrated, there are plenty of life-altering changes that cancer may bring. Here are just a few things you might face after recovering from cancer:

 

Saying goodbye to your cancer team

One of the first (and sometimes, hardest) changes is saying goodbye to the people who have cared for you throughout your cancer treatment. A cancer care team becomes almost like a surrogate family, from the nurses who helped you get ready for chemotherapy or other treatments to the reassuring doctors who guided you through your treatments. Fortunately, you can often continue to see doctors from your cancer team for checkups to ensure that you’re healthy and doing well. You can take steps to make the transition easier, like writing a heartfelt letter to your favorite doctors and nurses or even purchasing a small gift, like a fruit basket (note that doctors are often unable to accept expensive personal gifts). Not only will this help you move forward, but your team will love to know how much they are appreciated.

 

Continued pain

One thing that many cancer patients face after their treatments are over and they’ve “graduated” back into real life is continued pain. Chronic pain can be severe or mild and may even continue for the rest of your life. Bone metastasis or peripheral neuropathy can both cause physical pain, as can steroids taken as part of a cancer treatment. You should discuss your pain with your doctors to ensure that it is treated appropriately.

 

Regular doctor visits

Sure, before you got cancer you may have visited the doctor once or twice a year. But after cancer, expect to see your doctors more often until they’ve determined otherwise. It’s not unusual to have monthly checkups at first, oftentimes for a year or more, to ensure that you’re healthy and that the cancer has not returned. Make sure you maintain an open line of communication with your doctor so that you can ask any questions about your health.

 

Battling with bills

Medical bills often haunt cancer survivors, sometimes for years following treatment. Even with insurance, cancer can often cause bills to stack up. Unfortunately, you’ll have to deal with them at some point. If you’re in serious medical debt and you’re not sure what your next steps are, it can be helpful to discuss your debt plan with a professional like Lexington Law, in order to ensure that you’re being treated fairly when it comes to repayment. For more information about debt relief and credit repair you can follow this link.

 

Learning to manage your emotions

Cancer can be emotional, but life after cancer can bring along a whole slew of new emotions, from depression to stress and beyond. If you feel that your emotions are becoming unmanageable, don’t be afraid to discuss your needs with your doctor. Many cancer survivors experience these types of negative emotions after treatment and they can be serious if not addressed early. You may need to see a therapist to talk about what is going on and improve your mental health.

 

Life after cancer can be hard, even while it brings a welcome return to your day to day life. Learning what you may deal with after cancer treatments are complete may help you mentally prepare yourself for changes in your life.

Categories: cancer, cancer survivors, cancer team, cancer treatment, continued pain, health nbsp, life, nbsp, Pain, Real Life, Recovering