Kunal Kemmu is among the more prominent contemporary Bollywood actors. He has worked in several Bollywood movies in a decade. The actor has come a long way since his days for the movie Sir when he was a child. The actor is best known for his role in the Golmaal franchise. He has also portrayed notable roles in Kalyug, Traffic Signal, and Kalank. The Go Goa Gone actor often shares pictures of his jacked physique.

Also read:Kunal Kemmu: The Most Popular Songs Picturised On The Actor

Also read:Halloween: Soha Ali Khan's Daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu Plays Peekaboo

Also read:Diwali 2019: Bollywood Couples Who Dazzled With Their Diwali Looks

Also read:Golmaal 3 Completes 9 Years, Here Are Some Of The Funniest Scenes

To maintain his physique Kunal Kemmu follows a light exercise routine. He also follows a diet plan accordingly. Kunal Kemmu workout depends on the roles he chooses. He combines exercises. The actor is admired for his fitness regime and eating habits.As for the diet plan, Kunal Kemmu is quite versatile and likes to try all kinds of food. On the work front, the actor recently appeared in Abhishek Verman's Kalankwhere he starred alongside Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, and Sanjay Dutt.

Published: November 07, 2019 19:00 IST

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Kunal Kemmu: The Kalank actors diet and fitness regime - Republic World - Republic World

When trying to lose weight, what to eat and what not to eat are two of the biggest questions we are faced with. And, let's get one thing straight right now, starving yourself is never an option. Starving yourself will slow down your body's metabolism, make you moody, cause depression, and can even end up permanently damaging your organs.

Now that we've established that, let's circle back to the first two questions again: what should you eat and what should you stop eating if you want to shed a couple of pounds in a healthy manner? 36-year-old Rahul Mann tells us that in his case (105 kgs to 85 kgs), following a low-cal diet plan and an active gym routine, helped turn the fat into ripped muscles very effectively.

Last year, in December, I was getting ready to go for a wedding, when I suddenly realised that both my shirt and trousers were so tight-fitting that they'd tear any minute now. And, I wasnt the only one who noticed this. My friends noticed it too and started mocking me. I weighed 105 kgs at this point, and decided to lose weight and get fit that instant, he informs.

Consequently, Mann came home and made the below weight loss plan to trim from 105 kgs to 85 kgs in 3 months.

To lose weight and get in an optimal shape, I started jogging and cycling along with weight training at the gym, he says.

But this was phase one of my weight loss plan, for phase two, I switched my regular meals with a low-cal diet comprising limited carbs and fats and a very high protein intake, he adds.

ALSO READ: Carb cycling: the new trend in weight loss

I divided my diet into five meal plans and indulged in absolutely zero cheat meals while trying to lose weight during those three months.

Early Morning: A glass of warm water with honey and lemon, followed by an apple

Breakfast (Meal 1): 8 boiled egg whites with oatmeal

Mid-day snacks (Meal 2): Fruits and nuts OR sprouts with fat-free yogurt

Lunch (Meal 3): A big bowl of vegetable salad with 8 boiled egg whites and 2 whole eggs

Evening snack (Meal 4): A handful of nuts (pre-soaked almonds and walnuts) + a glass of freshly squeezed juice

Dinner (Meal 5): 150 grams of boiled chicken breast with a bowl of boiled dal, salad and fat-free yogurt

ALSO READ: 9 diet-friendly foods with ZERO calories to help you lose weight

A dedicated weekly workout routine helped me get ripped in the process as well. I would exercise for around two and a half hours a day, six days a week. This time was split in the following morning and evening breakdown:

Morning:

Evening:

Id begin this routine by sipping on a cup of strong black coffee and 4-5 dates or a banana as pre-workout snacks - 40 minutes prior to going to the gym."

"This is what my weight training schedule looked like:

Monday: Chest and triceps

Tuesday: Back, biceps and abs

Wednesday: Legs and shoulder

Thursday: Chest, triceps and abs

Friday: Back and biceps

Saturday: Functional training and abs

After getting done with this workout, Id take another scoop of protein powder to feed my muscles. I also ensured that I drank 3-4 litres of water, daily to stay hydrated.

ALSO READ: Here's how drinking water at regular intervals can help you lose weight and increase your metabolism

I have been able to maintain my weight and shape by sticking to the same diet regime but now I enjoy a cheat meal once a week. I have also reduced the duration of my cardio workouts now, but maintain the same weight training regime.

My only tip would be: stick on your target. Motivate yourself and work hard!

Disclaimer: The diet and workout routines shared by the respondents may or may not be approved by diet and fitness experts. GQ India doesn't encourage or endorse the weight loss tips & tricks shared by the person in the article. Please consult an authorised medical professional before following any specific diet or workout routine mentioned above.

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How to lose weight like this guy who lost 51 kgs with the help of a simple Indian diet plan

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How to lose weight in 3 months like this guy who lost 20 kgs & built abs by following a low-cal diet plan - GQ India - What a man's got to do

Working out while sick may not sound enjoyable, although a popular urban myth argues that a person can "sweat out" an illness through exercise. While this is not true in the strictest sense, working out while sick may be helpful in some cases.

In general, a person with symptoms in their head and nose, such as those of a head cold, may benefit from working out.

A person with symptoms in their chest or stomach or someone with a fever should avoid exercising, however. If symptoms get worse or working out causes pain, people are best to avoid working out while sick.

In this article, learn more about the benefits and risks of working out while sick.

Typically, it is okay to exercise with the typical symptoms of a head cold. These include symptoms such as:

In some cases, these symptoms may actually improve with exercise. Exercise increases the heart rate and stimulates circulation, which might help the body release fluids.

It is vital to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water when working out, especially if a person is sick.

It is also necessary to consider that different exercises will cause different reactions in the body. In general, it is best to avoid extremely strenuous workouts while sick. Instead, an individual should focus on lighter, movement based exercises that get the blood flowing without pushing the body too hard.

These activities might include:

The idea that a person can literally sweat out their illnesses through exercise is a myth. It may have stuck around for so long because regular exercise keeps the body healthy, and may boost the immune system.

However, as the authors of a 2018 study note, moderate exercise can reduce the risk of common respiratory illnesses, reduce their severity, and even shorten how long the person has symptoms.

These effects appear to have more to do with empowering the immune system to handle the illness better, and not how much people sweat out the illness while sick.

Mild exercise may also temporarily help with some symptoms, such as a runny nose or headache.

It is essential to take certain precautions when it comes to working out while sick. For instance, a fever is a definite sign a person should not work out.

As a clinical review in the journal Sports Health notes, fever increases fluid loss in the body, decreases muscle strength, and makes a person feel more exhausted.

A fever also means the body is increasing its internal temperature to fight off an infection. Exercise raises body temperature, making a person feel even worse.

Symptoms in the ear are another factor to consider. These signs of illness may cause a person to feel dizzy or off balance, which could also pose risks if they are working out.

People experiencing dizziness may want to avoid working out until they are better.

Also, anyone with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea should avoid working out.

Exercise can cause the body to lose water through sweat. Since someone with diarrhea or vomiting is losing a lot of water already, working out may put them at risk for dehydration.

Chest symptoms are another sign that it is best to avoid working out. These symptoms may include:

Finally, even if a person only has mild symptoms, such as nasal congestion and sneezing, but they feel weak or unable to work out, it is important to rest.

Some activities may not be right for the body while a person is sick. The body is trying to recover, and pushing it too hard may make symptoms worse or the recovery time longer.

Workouts to avoid while sick include:

Anyone who chooses to work out while sick can keep the following tips in mind:

Hydration is always important but is vital while the body recovers from sickness. The body is likely already using extra fluid to move toxins. It may also be losing fluid from extra sweating and a runny nose.

Staying hydrated while working out and throughout the course of the sickness may help avoid the effects of dehydration.

Along with hydration, it is essential to find ways to replenish electrolyte salts while exercising.

Even a simple runny nose can use up electrolytes. Adding a sweaty workout to the mix means the person should take extra precautions.

Drinking liquids, such as coconut water, broth, miso soup, or sports drinks, may help restore these electrolytes and keep the body working as it should.

Along with regular exercise, eating a healthful diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to boost the immune system and prevent infection.

The body also needs these healthful nutrients while it is recovering from an infection.

When someone is sick, their body is trying to fight off and recover from an illness. As such, it is crucial to keep exercise light. It may not be the best idea to push the body to its limits, such as doing sprints or heavy weightlifting.

A brisk walk or bike ride may be enough to get the blood flowing without pushing the body too hard.

As a consideration to other people, it may be a good idea to avoid exercising in an enclosed space with shared equipment, such as the gym.

Some gyms even have rules that prohibit people from exercising while sick. Instead, they can choose to exercise at home or outdoors.

Most importantly, listen to the body. If a person feels exhausted just a few minutes into working out, it is probably time to stop.

It may be inconvenient, but it is much better to give the body a chance to recover and then go back to the usual exercise routine.

Choosing to work out while sick or not is an individual matter in most cases.

Light to moderate exercise may help boost the immune system to avoid sickness, and when someone is already sick, it may also help increase circulation to reduce some symptoms of a head cold.

It is important to avoid heavy or very strenuous exercise. People with more severe symptoms, such as those with a fever or a heavy cough, should also avoid exercise.

Overall, it is important to listen to the body and to stop working out if a person feels exhausted or too ill.

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Working out while sick: Should you rest or sweat it out? - Medical News Today

Weight loss: Highly popular for quick weight loss, fad diets have gained massive popularity past few years. But are they safe and effective? Read here to know the truth about fad diets and what you should do to achieve healthy, sustainable weight loss.

Weight loss tips: Avoid white sugar for healthy weight loss

Fad diets for weight loss: People who want to achieve quick weight loss resort to fad diets. Some of the most popular weight loss diets of all times are keto diet, low carb diet, paleo diet, Mediterranean diet, vegan diet and intermittent fasting. Apart from intermittent fasting, most of these diets are restrictive in nature, that is, they involve giving up on food groups or certain foods. In this article, we are going to talk about these popular fad diets and if they are the worth the hype around them.

Before you go ahead with taking up any of these popular fad diets, it is important to set a goal first. If it is quick weight loss, then following keto or low carb diets in the right manner can probably help you. But, if your goal is to achieve sustainable weight loss that you can maintain in the long run, then you should give a second thought to these diets.

Fad diets can make room for irritability, mood swings and cravingsPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read: Celeb Trainer Vinod Channa Tells Us Why We Shouldn't Follow Fad Diets; Follow This Instead

In the long term, these fad diets may do harm more than good. Here are some reasons why fad diets may not be the best for you.

Also read: Manage Your Nutritional Requirements During Intermittent Fasting: Here's How

Well, weight loss can be achieved by simply sticking to home-cooked food and regular exercise. Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar and lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho are a few of the many health experts who don't believe in fad diets. They believe that these diets are nothing but a result of the food industry trying to make profits.

1. Consume a healthy and balanced diet. You need to include all food groups in your diet included fats, carbs, protein and fibre. Avoid processed, packaged, junk and deep-fried foods.

3. Avoid white sugar as it is nothing but empty calories. You might crave desserts and sweet foods and the best thing to do is to switch to healthy sugar alternatives like dates, honey, coconut sugar, sugarcane and jaggery for a healthy weight.

Avoid white sugar for good health and weight lossPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read: Craving Sugar? Try These Simple Tricks To Say Goodbye To Sugar

4. Exercise regularly. Make sure your workout routine involves both cardio and weight training/strength training exercises. While the former helps in burning calories, the latter helps in losing bad fat and gaining muscles.

5. Do not take stress. Not only will it hamper your weight loss goals, it will also negatively affect your health. Manage your stress by changing your attitude towards stressful situations and do yoga, meditation, etc.

6. Sleep well because a good night's sleep is an essential prerequisite to weight loss and good health. Lack of sleep can make room for cravings and overeating. It can also lead to hormonal imbalance. For a healthy weight loss, getting minimum of seven to eight hours is sleep is important.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Fad Diets For Weight Loss: Are They Worth The Hype? Follow These 6 Tips For Healthy, Sustainable Weight Loss - Doctor NDTV

High blood pressure happens when the force of blood pushing against a persons artery walls is consistently too high. Over time, the force and friction of high blood pressure damages the delicate tissues inside the arteries. This can lead to deadly cardiovascular complications. Fortunately, making simple dietary tweaks can lower a persons reading and according to experts there is a diet one can follow to help keep blood pressure readings normal.

What a person eats could majorly affect their chances of getting high blood pressure.

A healthy eating plan can both reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and lower a blood pressure that is already too high.

For an overall eating plan, experts agree that the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet can help with the condition.

READ MORE: High blood pressure: Add this oil to your diet to lower your reading

The DASH diet contains foods that are low in saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol and high in fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy foods.

The DASH diet includes whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts and how low amounts of fats, red meats, sweets and sugary beverages.

The diet is also high in potassium, calcium and magnesium, as well as protein and fibre.

Eating foods that are lower in salt and sodium also can help in reducing blood pressure.

DONT MISS

Cut down on salt

An important part of healthy eating is choosing foods that are low in salt and other forms of sodium.

Using less sodium is key to keeping blood pressure at a healthy level. The recommended daily amount of salt intake is that it should not be more than 2.4 grams of sodium.

This equals to 6 grams of table salt a day.

For those who suffer with high blood pressure, your GP may recommend having less than that.

Choosing the right foods to help with lowering blood pressure

For those who have high blood pressure, paying close attention to food labels is key.

Sodium is found naturally in many foods. But processed foods account for most of the salt and sodium one consumes.

Processed foods that are high in slat included regular canned vegetables and soups, frozen dinners, lunchmeat, instant and ready-to-eat cereals and salty chips.

Its strongly advised that one should check food labels to help choose which products contain less sodium.

Alongside eating a healthy diet, the NHS recommends regular exercise to prevent or reduce high blood pressure.

It states: Being active and taking regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition. Regular exercise can also help you lose weight, which will also help lower your blood pressure.

"Adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.

"Physical activity can include anything from sport to walking and gardening.

Limiting alcohol intake, losing weight, cutting down on caffeine, stopping smoking and getting a good nights sleep are also recommended.

Read more:
High blood pressure: What is the best diet to follow to help lower readings? - Express

For decades, NIH had awarded special grants to teaching hospitals and academic institutions so these research centers could hire trained staff like nurses and dieticians, and maintain beds for participants in clinical trials. These centers conducted rigorous, highly controlled feeding studies and other research that profit-driven industries like drug or food manufacturing wouldnt benefit from funding. They also attracted young researchers who didnt have enough resources to recruit and pay staff or rent out a facility.

There are certain kinds of research that is done nowhere else, like nutritional research, said David Nathan, director of the clinical research and diabetes centers at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. Pharma doesnt support that because there is no drug to be sold.

Before the elimination of these clinical research center grants, Mario Kratz, an associate professor in epidemiology and medicine at the University of Washington, said he could conduct a well-controlled dietary intervention study in which all food was provided to participants over four months for about $12 a day per person. Now, because he has to pay for the facility and research staff salaries, the cost has shot up tenfold.

Theoretically, investigators could request this higher amount from NIH directly to pay for a specific research project. However, most NIH grants are effectively capped at $500,000 a threshold that has not increased in a decade and are no longer sufficient to cover the costs of most clinical feeding studies.

It has made it impossible for me and my colleagues to propose these types of studies, said Kratz, who also works at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where he studies dietary interventions and cancer prevention. Its now cost-prohibitive. I think nutrition feeding studies were an unintended casualty.

Clinical nutrition research faced another potential blow earlier this year. NIH leadership in May proposed closing the only metabolic research unit at NIH headquarters in Bethesda, Md. The unit that was on the chopping block has a kitchen for preparing and measuring meals, private rooms where people can stay overnight for extended periods of time and be observed, as well as specially trained research staff, including nurses who prevent people from smuggling food in or out of patients rooms a crucial role, considering high-calorie contraband could throw off a studys results.

It housed a recent high-profile clinical trial that was the first to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between ultraprocessed foods and weight gain. For the study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism in May, researchers designed two diets that had the same levels of calories, carbs, fat and protein. The only significant difference was whether the foods were unprocessed or considered ultraprocessed: spinach salads with chicken, apples, bulgur and homemade dressing were designated the former; foods like canned ravioli and white bread were the latter.

The participants had no underlying health problems and were randomly assigned to one of the diets for the first half of the study, and to the other for the second half. The study was a month long and levels of exercise were held constant.

The results were a breakthrough: Those on the ultraprocessed foods diet on average ate 500 more calories each day, causing weight gain, compared with those eating unprocessed food, who lost weight on average. Previous research looking at this question had shown that processed food was associated with weight gain, but this study showed definitely that processed food caused weight gain.

Around the same time the landmark study was published, NIH proposed closing its metabolic research unit, sparking pushback from the scientific community. In a letter to the agencys leadership in June, the American Society for Nutrition and The Obesity Society argued the closure would imperil important research. The proposal indicates that nutrition research is not considered a prominent area of scientific pursuit at NIH, ASN wrote.

NIH said there is no current plan to close the research unit.

There has been discussion about relocating the capabilities of this unit, the agency said in a statement. This would require a great deal of additional planning, communication, and coordination to ensure that the important research done there would not be adversely affected.

Kevin Hall, an intramural researcher at NIH focused on nutrition and obesity and the lead author of the ultraprocessed food study said in an interview that the agency in 2017 also shrunk the number of beds in the metabolic ward from 10 to seven to make room for other research.

NIH has just one other similar metabolic facility at a branch in Phoenix, which studies determinants for obesity and diabetes. That facility has 15 beds.

Having fewer beds means it takes researchers much longer to run such highly controlled trials, because they have to stagger their overnight patients. Halls processed food trial, for example, took roughly eight months to complete, even though it included only 20 participants.

Hall thinks the nutrition field needs more of these in-patient trials to settle some of the thorniest debates over nutrition. Otherwise, researchers dont know with certainty what people actually ate, he said.

"You're not studying the diet at all, Hall said. You're studying the effect of the advice.

BY THE TURN of the 20th century, the Department of Agriculture had begun exploring how proper nourishment could help both farmers and an increasingly urban population. Nutritionists identified milk and fruits and vegetables at the time luxury products as protective foods for good health. They made great strides in understanding vitamin deficiencies, helping to largely eliminate diseases like rickets, scurvy and pellagra in the United States by World War II.

Still, by 1940, with the looming possibility of Americas entry into the war, 40 percent of recruits were deemed unfit to serve because they were underweight or malnourished. President Franklin D. Roosevelt convened an emergency conference that led to the first federal diet recommendations and an expansion of USDAs school lunch program and food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Nutrition wasnt thrust into the national spotlight again until the late 1960s and 1970s, after a CBS News special on hunger in America raised alarm. Sen. George McGovern, a Democrat from South Dakota, formed a special committee to respond to the large number of poor people who were malnourished. The Nixon administration exactly 50 years ago this winter also organized a White House conference to lay the foundation of national nutrition policy based on need, not agricultural subsidies, wrote one organizer.

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How Washington keeps America sick and fat - Politico

High blood pressure means a person's blood pressure is consistently too high and that their heart has to work harder to pump blood around their body. It is easy to ignore high blood pressure as the condition doesnt reveal any symptoms initially, but, if left untreated, it can lead to heart and circulatory diseases such as heart attack or stroke. Lifestyle factors strongly influence a persons risk of developing high blood pressure, with poor diet being a key contributor.

Salty foods are particularly risky, as Blood Pressure UK explained: Salt works on your kidneys to make your body hold on to more water. This extra stored water raises your blood pressure and puts strain on your kidneys, arteries, heart and brain.

As the health body explains, an adult should eat no more than six grams of salt a day, but most people eat much more than this.

The problem often lies in hidden salts, which are found in processed foods such as bread, biscuits and breakfast cereals, and prepared ready meals or takeaways.

While it is important to cut down or avoid processed foods altogether to lower blood pressure, certain dietary choices have been shown to lower a persons reading.

READ MORE:High blood pressure: Five exercises proven to lower your reading

Studies suggest including pumpkin seed oil in ones diet can help to lower blood pressure and promote good heart health.

Animal studies investigating the effects of pumpkin seed oil on high blood pressure have shown that pumpkin seed oil may reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels major risk factors for heart disease.

Research also suggests that pumpkins ability to increase nitric oxide generation in a persons body may be responsible for its positive effects on heart health.

Nitric oxide is a compound in the body that causes blood vessels to widen, and narrowing blood vessels is the primary cause of high blood pressure and its associated risks.

DON'T MISSHigh blood pressure: A certain tasty treat could help lower your readings[TIPS]High blood pressure: Add this supplement to drinks to lower your reading [TIPS]High blood pressure: Add this juice to your diet to lower your reading[TIPS]

Pumpkin seed oil can be taken in supplement form and Holland Barrett recommends taking one to three 1000mg soft gel capsules daily, preferably with meals.

Certain snacks have also been linked to lowering a persons blood pressure, including walnuts, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

In a randomised, controlled trial, researchers examined the effects of replacing some of the saturated fats in participants' diets with walnuts.

They found that when participants ate whole walnuts daily in combination with lower overall amounts of saturated fat, they had lower central blood pressure.

Saturated fats can raise cholesterol levels, and too much cholesterol in a persons blood can build up on the sides of a persons arteries, narrowing them and increasing their risk of a heart attack or stroke.

It is therefore important that people swap out saturated fats for unsaturated fats, such as nuts, as unsaturated fat helps to improve blood cholesterol.

In addition, another way to lower blood pressure and keep cholesterol levels in check is to try to eat fish at least two to three times a week, advises Blood Pressure UK.

The health site said: Oily fish is rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids which may help reduce blood pressure, reduce the tendency of blood to clot, regulate the rhythm of your heart beat and reduce triglyceride levels.

It is also important to exercise regularly to reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, and if a persons blood pressure reading is already high, exercise can help a person lower it.

As Mayo Clinic explained: Regular physical activity makes your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort. If your heart can work less to pump, the force on your arteries decreases, lowering your blood pressure.

Furthermore, becoming more active can lower your systolic blood pressure by an average of four to nine millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) - thats as good as some blood pressure medications, notes the health body.

High blood pressure is measured with two numbers - systolic and diastolic. Systolic is the highest pressure when your heart beats and pushes the blood round your body and diastolic blood pressure is the lowest pressure when your heart relaxes between beats.

As Blood Pressure UK explained: Systolic blood pressure is more important than diastolic blood pressure because it gives the best idea of your risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

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High blood pressure: Add this oil to your diet to lower your reading - Express

NEWNAN, Ga. (WXIA) Lori Wood is an Intensive Care Unit nurse at Piedmont Newnan Hospital in Georgia.

Officials with Piedmont last month honored her with the Piedmont Healthcare President's Award after she made a life-saving decision to help a 27-year-old man who otherwise would have a death sentence.

Jonathan Pinkard has high-functioning autism and last year was rushed to the hospital after collapsing at work, according to a video from Piedmont.

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Jonathan lived with his grandmother until her death in 2012. His mom lives in a rehab facility.

After he was rushed to the hospital, Jonathan learned that he needed a transplant, but because he did not have a support system, he was not eligible for one.

"One of the requirements is that you have to have someone to care for you afterwards," Wood told The Today Show.

Those on transplant lists are required to have a support system to help ensure he follows a healthy lifestyle, including keeping up with a proper diet, exercise and regimen of immunosuppressive drugs so that the new heart would not be rejected by his body.

Wood said that after knowing Jonathan for two days, she asked him if she could become his legal guardian.

"I had to help him. It was a no-brainer," she said. "He would have died without the transplant."

She didn't know anything else about Jonathan when he moved in, but the two bonded very quickly over football and "Family Feud."

Jonathan calls Wood "Mama," he told Today.

She monitors his many medications some 34 each day. She also takes him to his doctor's appointments. In addition, she is helping him to improve his credit score and teaching him the life skills he needs to live independently.

"She treats me like one of her sons," he said. "I am truly thankful for that."

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ICU nurse adopts man with autism so he can receive a new heart - 10TV

They've been called the "sleepless elite".

Barack Obama, Julia Gillard and Elon Musk would get six hours a night. Richard Branson functions on five. Four hours were sufficient for Margaret Thatcher and Marissa Mayer.

And Donald Trump apparently has a measly three.

They're the stories that make you ponder your own sleep habits: "If they can govern a country or run a multibillion-dollar business on under seven hours, why do I feel like I've been hit by a train?"

READ MORE:* Why a strict bedtime is the key to sleep success* Ahem: CEOs who golf too much are worse at their jobs* A lifetime of sleepless nights

And then there are the people in your own life perhaps a friend, a colleague, a boss who proudly proclaim to get five hours a night and still manage to fly up the career ladder.

Meanwhile the rest of us mere earthlings enter a panic every Sunday evening about not getting the recommended seven to nine hours a night.

AP

Former President Barack Obama, Julia Gillard and Elon Musk would get six hours a night.

People who sleep six hours or less a night are referred to by experts as "short sleepers". But do some people really need less sleep than others to function well?

The short answer is yes, according to Sleep Health Foundation chair Dorothy Bruck, but true natural short sleepers are a rare breed, estimated to make up only about one per cent of the population.

That's because most people who claim to be short sleepers are in fact sleep deprived.

The Sleep Health Foundation's 2016 survey found 12 per cent of Australian adults slept less than 5 hours before work days. Of those, three-quarters admitted to having two or more sleeping difficulties or daytime symptoms.

Many people claim they sleep less than six hours without consequences but when researchers look at them closely, they find the opposite.

That leaves a quarter who didn't complain of negative impacts due to short sleep. But Professor Bruck says it's highly likely the majority of these are not doing as well as they think they are.

"Many people claim they sleep less than six hours without consequences but when researchers look at them closely, they find the opposite."

Telltale signs that someone isn't getting enough sleep include guzzling down caffeine or playing catch-up on weekends and holidays. A true short sleeper wouldn't rely on coffee and would continue the same sleep habits regardless of the day of the week because they are naturally efficient when they hit the hay.

It means they manage get the same amount of deep, restorative sleep in six hours or less as the rest of us would in eight hours.

Researchers are still trying to identify what makes somebody a natural short sleeper, but findings are suggesting it is genetic. Studies out of the University of California have identified two types of gene mutations that promote natural short sleep.

Some common traits have also been noted for reasons that are unclear, with short sleepers tending to be more optimistic, more energetic, better multi-taskers and more pain resilient.

But aspiring to become a short sleeper would be a fruitless pursuit. Australasian Sleep Association President Alan Young says that for the vast majority of us, short sleep is not an ingredient for success.

"[Short sleep] is probably a genetic disposition, but for the rest of society who don't have those particular genes it's actually very unhealthy to deprive yourself of sleep," Associate Professor Young says.

"Adults who are sleep deprived have higher rates of absenteeism from work, their work performance is worse and there are higher rates of work accidents."

Negative effects from lack of sleep are wide-ranging, from impaired memory and concentrationto mood swings and irritability. Sleeping six hours or less is also linked to chronic illnesses such as obesity, type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression.

"Don't believe everything you hear because there are people who say they sleep 4-6 hours a night and are perfectly fine, but often their perception of how they are functioning is incorrect," Professor Young says.

"Almost every adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep a night to function at their best You shouldn't be chasing less sleep to give time to do other things."

Professor Young says there are many industries, including health and politics, where people wear short sleep "as a badge of honour"."That really needs to stop," he says.

As it is, inadequate sleep affects up to 45 per cent of Australian adults and Professor Bruck says the "sleep machismo" whereby some people glamourise short sleep is not only unhelpful, it's also "really silly".

"We say sleep is one of the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle along with diet and exercise, but some think sleep is uncool and think soldiering on without sleep is praiseworthy," she says.

"It's actually much better to perform at your best, which is only possible if you get the sleep you need. If you're trying to sacrifice sleep for being successful in other parts of your life, that's a completely ridiculous concept."

Her takeaway message is a simple one: "Sleepiscool."

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Getting by on six hours' sleep? Welcome to the 'sleepless elite' - Stuff.co.nz

WE are all prone to dropping the odd F-bomb while in the middle of painful gym session.

But now it turns out swearing while you exercise could actually improve your workout.

1

A new study, published in the Journal of Psychology of Sports and Exercise, has revealed that shouting expletives increases pain tolerance and triggers an adrenaline response.

And this, in turn, will make you work harder during your fitness session and maximise weight loss.

This revelation comes following a test conducted by researchers at Keele University - who examined the effects of swearing and the effectiveness of the workout.

They carried out two experiments testing participants' performance during a short, intense period on an exercise bike and completing an isometric handgrip test.

Those taking part did the test twice, once swearing during the exercise and once not swearing.

The results revealed that the participants produced more power on the exercise bike and had a stronger handgrip when they were swearing.

The same can also be said when it comes to pain tolerance.

In another case study, Dr Stephens' team asked volunteers to submerge their hand into ice water for as long as they could withstand.

In the first trial, volunteers chose their favourite swear word and repeated it aloud until they removed their hand from the tub of water.

In the second trial, swear words were replaced with common adjectives that would describe household items.

To the researchers surprise, the swear words were more effective at increasing pain tolerance.

Lead researcher Dr Richard Stephen said: "We know from our earlier research that swearing makes people more able to tolerate pain.

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1. Ditch the gym

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"A possible reason for this is that it stimulates the bodys sympathetic nervous system.

"That's the system that makes your heart pound when you are in danger."

Despite this, Dr Stephens also discovered that while swearing increased the physical power exerted and pain tolerance, there was no significant increase in the participants heart rates.

One potential theory is swearing was developed as a tool to withstand pain by triggering the "fight or flight" response.

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Dr Stephens said: "Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon.

"It taps into emotional brain centres and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain.

"Our research shows one potential reason why swearing developed and why it persists."

See the rest here:
Weight loss: Swearing while exercising really DOES help and will blast belly fat faster - The Sun