Bottle Gourd is found to be a health friendly vegetable food. This can be used as cooked food or as juice, as necessary. The food is very light on stomach and it also aids in quick digestion. The nutrient contents of bottle gourd appear to have multiple useful effects on human health. The nutrients contents of bottle gourd include vitamin A, B complex, vitamin C, folic acid, and fatty acid. 100 gm. of bottle gourd contains water 96.10 gm, fiber 0.6 gm, protein 0.2 gm, fat 0.1 gm, carbohydrate 2.5 gm, and energy 12 kcalorie.  The low calorie content bottle gourd indicates that there is little chance to gain weight and become fatty by eating bottle gourd. But the people who are vulnerable to cold or allergic to cold should avoid eating bottle gourd.

Bottle gourd is useful to stabilize health. Bottle gourd is able to preserve and stabilize body moisture content, when eating bottle gourd regularly. The adequate water content of bottle gourd helps to maintain the body water balance. It is also effective against the loss of water caused due to attack of diarrhea. Bottle gourd supports to improve the kidney functions. It is also helpful to prevent urinary infection. Bottle gourd is an ideal vegetable for those who are suffering from diseases associated with high blood pressure. The vegetable aids in controlling body temperature. Bottle gourd is very useful for those who are suffering from sleep disorder.

The above description about the many properties of bottle gourd indicates the usefulness of gourd as a suitable and effective food item especially for those who are on a low calorie diet, suffering from stomach and digestive problems, urinary track problems and the like.

Obesity or excess body weight appears to be a threat to human health for various reasons. Excess body weight means accumulation of excess fat in the body resulting in heart diseases, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, etc.

A short account of excess body weight and health risks or various health hazards associated with excess body weight is presented below:

Excess body weight or obesity is the main cause for osteoarthritis. This excess body weight cause problems in knee, wrist or backbone. Sometimes the bones are detached and put pressure on nerves. This may need surgical operation also. Besides, obesity or excess body weight may cause the problem like carpal tunnel syndrome due to gout, increase in blood uric acid level, or pressure on nerves.

The elasticity of abdominal muscle becomes weak as a result of obesity and increase the risk of hernia. This risk may be extended also to stitching after any surgery.

The veins in the legs get swelled and become blue (varicose vein) due to excess body weight.

The risk to develop gall stones is higher in case of people with excess body weight.  The risk is more in case of women beyond 40 years of age with obesity. Besides, the cause of food coming up through esophagus (reflux) is also due to excess body weight. Accumulation of fat in kidney or fatty liver is a common problem of people with excess body weight. Researches also indicate that excess body weight is also responsible for cancer of intestine.

The people with excess body weight are more vulnerable to diabetes as compared to others. Moreover, the manifestation of complications associated with diabetes appears to be more in case of people with obesity.

The people with excess body weight have more nose-noise at night. The main cause of respiratory obstruction (sleep apnea) is obesity. Besides, the people with excess body weight get tired with little labor.

The excess body weight is the cause for developing cyst in the uterus as well as for loss of fertility in women. Besides obesity appears to be associated with breast cancer as well as cancer of ovary.

Various skin related problems like transformation of skin color to black, infection in skin folders (Candida infection) and deposit of water in lymph nodes are the problems of people with excess body weight.

It has also been proved that the gaining of overweight or excess body weight cum obesity is also associated with various psychological problems.

Under the above backdrop Researchers and Scientists around the globe are advocating more intensely to maintain appropriate body weight in order to manage the obesity and health risks and reduce the risks of excess body weight and intensity of different fatal diseases associated with excess body weight or gaining overweight.

Regular physical activity including walking is an essential part to maintain good and sound health. Physical inactivity tends to increase the risk of non-communicable diseases and affect general health. An estimate indicates that physical inactivity is the main cause for approximately 21-25% of breast and colon cancers, 27% of diabetes, and 30% of ischemic heart disease.  The estimate also shows that the physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality and causes 6% of all deaths.  The risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and breast and colon cancers can be reduced by regular physical activity.  The regular physical activity vis-à-vis walking thus can keep you healthy and save your life. Expert opinion suggests that adults should do at least 150 minutes per week of physical activity of moderate intensity such as walking, cycling, or sports. 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity per day for children and adolescents are suggested as well.

Click the link below to see the “Health Benefits of Walking”.