Folic acid

Photo Courtesy: American Pregnancy Association

In 1988 folic acid was added to bread, pasta, cereal, cookies and crackers as required by federal law. Folic acid is a form of vitamin B, to be specific vitamin B9.

Folic acid can be easily found in natural foods such as – leafy vegetables, okra, beans, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, broccoli, tomato juice, orange juice, eggs, animal liver and kidney.

Folic acid deficiencies include – extreme tiredness, lack of energy, mouth ulcers, muscle weakness, heart problems, psychological problems such as depression, confusion and neural tube defects.

CDC implores women to consume 400 mcg of folic acid for those considering reproduction in order to prevent birth defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida.

A research study finds that folic acid reduces incidents of neural tube defects in infants.

Make wise choices and have a balanced diet! 💚

Burnout – A quick guide

Photo Courtesy: Luis Villasmil

Burnout has started to become more recognized over the years. The term burnout was coined by Dr Herbert Freudenberger in his book Burnout in 1974. He defined it as — ” the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce a desired result. “

Burnout is well recognized and has a medical diagnosis by ICD-11 and WHO. Occurs when our brain and body responds to prolonged stress and feel discouraged and exhausted. It impacts our ability to perform, become highly – critical of oneself and overwhelmed/ irritable.

Here are 5 signs that can help you identify burnout:

1. Inability to sleep adequately/ insomnia/ trouble sleeping

2. Exhaustion

3. Feelings of negativism, or cynicism relating to job

4. Lack of accomplishment and sense of ineffectiveness

5. Brain fog

If you or someone you know is experiencing these signs, I would suggest to take time and seek for early identification and eliminate those stressors. Early intervention is always a good idea.

Stay healthy and happy!

Keeping Cool in Angry Times

Photo Courtesy: Google Images

It seems nearly impossible. I am absolutely with you when you say this… because it is really tough or even impossible. At the same time, you do not want to say something and regret later.

Anger is an emotion that is characterized by antagonism or a strong feeling of being upset or being annoyed because of something wrong or bad.

Anger can be used as a way to express negative feelings or help in focusing and finding solutions. However, excessive anger can be problematic not only physically but psychologically too.

While some of you can manage anger, others who are “hotheaded” experience anger at a higher intensity than average. It could be due to numerous factors such as — low tolerance toward frustration, genetic or sociocultural.

So here are 3 ways to help you cool your head when angry:

Relaxation : simple breathing from your diaphragm. Take a deep breath in – hold – release lungs 🫁, you can pair it with visualization of a calming picture. 🖼️ Here is one for you.

Restructure your Thoughts : when we are feeling something too intense, logic goes out of the window. But if we think logically it sometimes defeats anger. Try reminding yourself that it could be a rough spot here and shift your perspective. 💭

Use Humour : as a child you would sometimes burst in laughter when angry. Rage diffuses in a number of ways and one among is silly humor. You can of course find a way to diffuse your own anger. 😸🤭🐶

Now that you know how to do it here is a Pro Tip: Give yourself a break! ☕ A study suggest that taking a break for 5-60 minutes refreshes your brain.

Inside out is an amazing movie to understand about your emotions.

Why Shower Daily? 🚿

Photo Courtesy: Jared Rice

First thing in the morning except weekends begins with a shower. Right after we wake up, we hit the washroom and shower.

Here are 5 reasons to let you know that it’s totally worth the effort-

1. Taking a lukewarm shower reduces muscle tension and improves elasticity.

2. Improves and increases blood circulation.

3. Removes the toxins and washes off the sweat, decreases the risk of a number of infections.

4. Improves breathing as an automatic reflex action of taking a cold water shower.

5. May help in reducing stress by reducing cortisol.

And, a brownie point for smelling good and feeling refreshed! If you still doubt all of this here is a study for you!

May this motivates you to shower often! 🧖‍♀️🧖‍♂️

Why rejection hits hard?

Photo Courtesy: Jakayla Toney

Rejection is one invisible wound that hurts a lot. Honestly, no one wants to feel that way, but sometimes in one or the other way we face it.

Rejections involves a response. It often evokes feelings of hurt, anger, guilt, shame, loneliness or social anxiety. A big part of its impact comes from perception of the rejection.

While some rejections can be categorized as minor but devastating because it makes us vulnerable. There are rejections which may have a debilitating impact such as when we fired at job, when our partner or a friend leaves us.

The answer is our brains 🧠. Evolutionary psychologists suggests that when we were hunter gatherers who lived in tribes. As we could not survive all alone, being excluded from tribe was considered a death sentence. As a result, we developed an early warning mechanism to alert us when we were at danger of being excluded or left out by our tribes — and that was rejection. People who experienced rejection as more painful over the years it passed on along their genes.

Scientists who have studied brain MRIs to study people who have undergone rejection show similar brain activity as those who were experiencing physical pain.

So, while we know why rejection hurts, important part is the need to overcome it before it takes a toll on us. Guy Winch in his Ted talk speaks about how it is essential to work on battling negative thinking and changing our responses to failure will not only heal psychologically but build a stronger resilience.

What do you do when you encounter rejections?