Emotional Balance Is Essential For Healthy Living

Emotional balance is considered mastered when our mind, body and spirit are in line with each other and we are in a space where we have done our inner work and we feel at peace. We need to pay attention that all situations and life issues are resolved, or at least aired, and pay attention to the feelings that emerge from within us.

Many times our emotional balance is ignored and passed off as stress, discomfort, boredom and distraction; and we try and fix it by all sorts of ways that really just don't work. Some of those fix-it methods are eating, eating comfort foods, shopping, sex, gambling, drinking, over working, and the list can go one, and we never get to the core of why we just can't feel better.

Emotional balance is as important as any other health aspect and some times even more, as it can accelerate our other health issues, in fact it can actually be the cause of other health issues. It is one of the most important aspects to the whole body balance.

When you are out of balance it creates stress and conflict in your relationships; and that is all of your relationships, which include family, employment, road rage, marital, friendships and right down to the shopping clerk. So you can see how emotional balance is as important as physical health, in fact even more so as it effects your physical health. You truly can't improve your physical health with out balancing your emotional.

A regular spiritual practice can greatly assist in centering you and maintaining clarity about those aspects of your life, which are truly important. This can be any kind of spiritual practice including yoga, meditation, qi gong, prayer, EFT; it is something good to practice on a daily basis and preferably in the morning and the evening. Feng sui is great for peace and tranquility in the home and work space, as with the proper placement of objects and de-clutter, it creates a calm soothing energy in your space.

If you feel your emotional balance is off, improving your diet is one positive step you can take, your mind, body and spirit can work much closer together if your food intake is in balance, that means eliminating items such as caffeine, sugar, processed foods, soda, alcohol, cigarettes and eating whole, organic foods.

Work on creating a positive outlook and attitude on life, always look for the good in everything and start being grateful, especially when you feel there isn't anything to be grateful for; you can always find something. When you do this it shifts your energy into balance. You will feel lighter, brighter and much more healthy.

Summer Exercises:

Shed that stubborn roll around your middle with circuit training as it ensures that you work your muscles in a slightly different way while strengthening your body at every angle. Do the exercises as a circuit; moving from one to the next one without rest. Complete a total of three circuits of these five exercises, resting for 1 min after each.

Here are the five exercises:

Squats: Stand with feet wider than your shoulders, toes slightly pointed out. Pretend as if you are sitting on a chair until the top of your thighs are parallel to the ground. Don’t let your knees cross over your toes. Pull your abs in and squeeze your hips as you come up and exhale. Repeat this around 25 times.

Lunge pumps: Stand with your feet apart, wider than the shoulders, abs pulled in, take a step forward, lower your body to kneeling position. Bend your back knee close to the ground; your front knee should never cross over your toes. Exhale as you come up. Repeat this 12 to 15 times for each leg.

Standing bicycles: Stand with feet wider than shoulders, place the hands behind your ears. Move your left leg up and across your body. Bring the right shoulder and elbow down and across your body. Exhale as your knee comes up. Do 25 to 30 reps each side.

Push-up plank and move: Begin in a push up position, hand wider than your shoulder, draw back your navel, walk with your feet towards your hands as far as you can. Then walk your hands out to push up plank position. Repeat the move. Exhale as you bring your feet close to your hands and repeat it for 15 to 20 times.

Crunches with raised hips: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips off the floor, hold this position throughout the exercise. Pull your abs in and hands at your ears. Raise your shoulder blade off the floor and exhale. Don’t drop your hips down until you finish 20 to 30 reps.

Tips:

Always warm-up before workout and cool off with stretches after your workout. Keep sipping water during the workouts.

If you feel tired or fatigued, stop immediately. Remember it’s about working out smarter not harder.

 

Right kind of massage:

Getting a massage has become a popular way to reduce stress and muscle tension. But one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to a massage. There are several different types of massages and it is important to understand the differences among them and the relief each can provide.  Here are some of the common types:

* Craniosacral massage: Treatment focuses on imbalances or blockages in the head, neck and spine areas.

* Deep tissue massage: Targets deep muscle tissue through direct pressure and friction on muscles using heavy strokes.

* Neuromuscular massage: Concentrates on painful areas in muscles. A massage therapist uses deep massage techniques to locate and release tender points in muscles.

* Rolfing: Focuses on the connective tissue that forms a web of support throughout the body. Practitioners often apply pressure in an attempt to realign connective tissues, which they believe become out of alignment by everyday stress.

* Swedish massage: Most common form of massage that concentrates on soft tissues near the surface of your skin. Therapist uses long, smooth strokes and kneading movements along the skin, working all areas of the body.  

* Sports massage: Designed for athletes to focus on the specific muscle groups used in a particular sport. A sports massage therapist might use a combination of Swedish and deep massage to attend to muscle pain or stiffness.

 

Flabby, unfirm hands are quite an ugly sight:

Flabby, unfirm hands are quite an ugly sight. Here’s a simple program for creating tighter arms in the comfort of your home. The muscles being focused on are the triceps (back of the arm) and the biceps (front of the arm just below the front of the shoulder).   You’ll be performing a tri-set, which means three exercises in a row without any rest. Select a weight that’s challenging, focus on impeccable form and concentrate on the muscle you’re working. The triceps are a larger muscle than the biceps, so there are two triceps exercises and one biceps exercise. 

Tricep dips
* Take two benches or chairs, sit on one.
* Place palms on the bench with fingers wrapped around the edge.
*  Beginners should start with feet on the floor and knees at a 90-degree angle. As you progress, move your feet out further until your legs are straight with a slight bend in the knees. Then use another chair/bench and place both feet on the other bench.
*  Slide your upper body off the bench with your elbows nearly but not completely locked.
*  Lower your upper body slowly toward the floor until your elbows are bent slightly more than 90 degrees.
*  Contracting your triceps muscles, extend your elbows returning to the starting position stopping just short of the elbows fully extending.
*  Inhale while lowering your body.
*  Exhale while returning to the starting position.
Perform 12-15 repetitions and immediately go to the next exercise.

Dumbbell Double Biceps Curl

* Stand straight with a bit of distance between your feet. Your back too should be straight.
*  Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at each side and palms facing forward. Contracting the biceps muscles, raise the weights toward your shoulders stopping just short of the weights touching the shoulders.
*  Slowly return to the starting position.
*  Exhale while lifting the weights.
*  Inhale while returning to the starting position.
*  Your upper arms should remain stationary throughout the exercise.
Perform 12-15 repetitions and immediately go to the next exercise.

The Head Triceps Extension

*  Stand with a dumbbell in your right hand. You can hold your left elbow if you need support. 
* Press the weight over your head until your right arm is almost straight with a slight bend in the elbow at the top position.
*  Do not allow the weight to touch your head or neck area.
*  Slowly bend your elbow, lowering the weight until your arm forms a 90-degree angle behind your head stopping before the weight touches your back.
*  Contracting the triceps muscles, slowly return to the starting position.
*  Exhale while returning to the starting position.
*  Inhale while lowering the weight.
*  After completing the set on the right side, repeat on the left side.
*  This exercise is not to be performed with very heavy dumbbells. The technique is more important than the weight.
You can also perform this exercise while seated on a bench.
 
All three exercises are considered one cycle. Beginners should perform one cycle on three alternate days of the week. Intermediates should perform two cycles on alternate days of the week and pros — three cycles. Wait one minute between cycles before repeating.  To get best results this specialty arm workout should be incorporated into your exercise schedule which includes weight training and cardiovascular exercises.  

 

Remove ugly splits successfully:

The hair splits when the cuticle is damaged and the fibres of the cortex unravel. This makes the mane dry, brittle prone to tangling and split ends. Perming, colouring, insufficient conditioning, or too much brushing or back combing, especially with poor quality combs or brushes can cause hair to split. Spiky rollers and hair pins, excessive heat and irregular trims can also cause aggravate the problem.

Split ends can not be mended, the only long term cure is to have them snipped off. What is lost in the length will be gained in quality. Frequent shampooing too isn’t recommended as this in itself is stressful to hair and causes split ends to extend up the hair shaft. Never have the dryer too near to your hair, or set it on a high temperature. Try conditioners and serums that are designed to temporarily seal split ends and give resistance to further splitting.

A trim once in two or four weeks should keep the problem at bay.
But before you head to the salon, here are something you should know.

* Do not comb wet hair.
* Use a good shampoo and avoid frequently changing your shampoo.
* Make sure you drink a lot of water as water contains minerals.
* Henna is recommended once a month.
* Oil your hair with a combination of almond oil and castor oil mixed and warmed together. After this, use turban therapy (the method of wrapping a towel soaked in warm water around the head) on the scalp, that will help penetrate the oil well into the roots.

 

Pamper your feet:

Apart from just looking ugly, neglected feet can also make life difficult for you. Here’s how you can avoid cracked feet.

Causes

Dry skin is one of the main causes of cracked feet. The sole of our feet has comparatively lesser number of sebaceous glands in comparison to any other body part. The skin in this area lacks the capacity to keep itself soft and this calls for more care.

Mild Cracks

Cracks appear when the area becomes very dry and starts peeling. If care is taken at the onset, it will save you a lot of trouble.

* Soak your feet in warm water, scrub off the dead cells and massage your soles with olive oil. This will increase blood circulation and the area becomes soft.

* Go for a professional pedicure which includes a treatment with paraffin wax, aromatic oils and minerals. This treatment activates the sebaceous glands, moisturises the feet and softens them.

* For an effective pedicure at home, soak your feet in warm water, scrub off the dead cells with a mixture of oatmeal and yogurt. Wash your feet clean after 10 minutes. Massage your feet with a rich vitamin E cream. Cover feet with a cling film and dip them in warm water. This helps the cream penetrate into the skin more easily.

Deep Cracks

Stop abusing your feet and try this enzyme pedicure.

* Clean the area with a chemical-free soap. Soak your feet in warm water till the skin becomes soft. Scrub off the dead skin gently with a pumice stone.

* Make a rich fruit pack with mashed banana, papaya or strawberry and apply a very thick layer on the feet. Cover the feet with disposable plastic socks. This cuts off the air supply to the feet, makes the area soft and kills bacterial infection.

* Leave this pack on for three-four hours. Remove the cover, massage gently and wash off with warm water followed by a cold rinse.

* Use a hydrating foot cream to moisturise the feet.

General care

* After a bath massage your feet with a moisturiser.
* Always wear good footwear with soles that are not hard.
* Don’t walk bare foot on hard surfaces.
* Wash your feet clean after spending time outdoors.
* Apply a foot cream at night.

 

Aloe Vera has many uses:

Aloe Vera has many uses. Externally, it is applied for burns and sprains. Internally, it can be taken for jaundice, constipation, loss of appetite and gas formation in the stomach. In burns, the juice or the pulp of the fleshy part of the leaf is applied externally. For sprains, the pulp or the juice may be gently rubbed over the affected part two to three times. 

For all these ailments the juice or pulp of this plant is given. You can add a pinch of salt or sugar to the juice, which is bitter. For treating children with aloe juice, you can add honey, sugar, or jaggery to it. For a patient suffering from jaundice, the juice or pulp should be given by adding jaggery or sugar (salt should not be added).

The dose: Both pulp and juice of the aloe should be given in a dose of one teaspoonful  (5 ml) thrice a day, preferably on an empty stomach. Keep a growing aloe in your kitchen windowsill handy as it is a great first aid treatment for burns. Aloe Vera will stop the pain almost immediately and even help in healing if a little of it is freshly applied after a few hours.

 

Goodbye to bad and unhealthy skin

If you want a healthy glowing skin first learn how to look after it and clean well.

Determine your skin type
There is no magic potion that can make ugly spots and pimples disappear overnight. But there are ways to rejuvenate the skin and bring it back to good health. Experts agree that taking regular care of your skin is the only way you can avoid problems and delay the ageing process.  So cleanse, tone, moisturise and nourish your skin everyday. Within a week you will feel the difference. The skin has tremendous powers of self-regeneration when properly cared for and it is never too late to start.

Cleansing
Irrespective of the skin type, a thorough cleansing is a must. A film of dirt, stale sweat, oil deposits, stale make-up and other pollutants cover the skin and these are potent skin irritants. Cleanse your skin, according to your skin type. Splash your face with water then massage with a gentle face wash and work it up to a lather for about 30 seconds. A light massage will boost the supply of blood to the surface of your skin. Rinse until the soapy trace is removed. Pat dry your skin with a soft towel to absorb residual water from the surface of your skin.

Toning
Toning is again necessary for all skin types. It should follow immediately after cleansing. This helps in refreshing the skin. A good toning method is to keep cotton wool pads soaked in a bowl of skin tonic  (any toner) in the refrigerator. After cleansing the skin, wipe with the skin toning pads and then pat the skin briskly with your finger tips. This stimulates the blood circulation. Gentle stroking movements can also be followed.

Moisturising
The most important part of the skin care routine is moisturising. Smooth your skin with moisturising lotions.  Dot lotion onto your face, then massage it with your fingertips using light, upward strokes. This will leave a protective film on the skin, allowing make-up to be easily applied and ensuring there is a balanced moisture content.

Nourishing
Nourishing is a way of supplying emollients to the skin so that it can hold moisture better and perform its other functions. Use nourishment cream with Vitamin A to relieve dryness and maintain skin elasticity.

Facials
One should go in for a facial at least once a month. But before going in for a facial it is advisable to sit with the beautician to determine the skin type, its sensitivity and the damage on the skin. Facials must suit the skin type. Facials meant for tightening the skin is not meant for youngsters.  Avoid facials that involve bleaches and scrubs. Scrubs sometimes leave the skin with ugly tiny grains making it rough. You know that your facial is going wrong is when the skin feels extremely dry and patchy, so watch out for those symptoms.

Hair
Hair care depends on the type of hair and differs from person to person, but one important tip for everyone is to keep the scalp free of oil and dirt. People with extremely oily hair can wash it everyday, those with normal hair can wash hair twice or thrice a week, and people with extremely dry hair should go in for a deep conditioning treatment before washing the hair. Oiling hair twice a week is advisable for people with extremely dry scalp, while those with an oily scalp should oil their hair once in 15 days.

 

Fruit Pulp

Our faces are usually the first to show the effects of seasonal changes. We then spend a small fortune on various products to restore our skin to its natural healthy glow. Often we don’t get the desired results despite using the best of products. Believe it or not, but your own fruit basket is filled with pure, natural ingredients which are not only good to eat, providing health and vitality on the inside, but are also beneficial externally. What’s more, fruit facials are being recommended like never before because of their gentle, non-abrasive properties.

The best way to look after your skin is to ensure you cleanse, tone and moisturise on a daily basis. Once a week treat your skin to a home facial to give your skin a boost of essential nutrients. And nothing works better than fruits.

First cleanse your skin, then exfoliate with a gentle face scrub and apply a fresh fruit or vegetable pack. To do this, gently scoop out the pulp, mash it and spread it on the face and body. Leave it on for 10 – 15 minutes, remove with lukewarm water, tone and moisturise. Try the following natural solutions:

Skin types

Dry: Mashed banana or thinly sliced slices melon.
Mature: Mashed avocado or apple pulp.
Oily: Thin slices of cucumber or pear pulp.
Normal: Peach pulp or thin slices of zucchini
Blemished: Believe it or not shredded cabbage works wonders!
Dull skin: Papaya pulp restores natural radiance.

How do they work?

* Apples help to reduce skin inflammation, and are a good source of vitamin C, and peptin which tones and firms the elastin and collagen fibres. These are essential for skin turgidity.
* Bananas stimulate cell production and are a good source of potassium, vital for nerve function.
* Avocado contains essential fatty acids which stimulate cell renewal and deeply nourish the skin. They contain the anti-oxidant vitamins C and E, which fight free radical damage as well as high levels of potassium and vitamin B6.
* Cabbage contains a substance called S-Methylmathionine which promotes healing. It also has a cooling, soothing effect on the skin and is a good source of vitamin C, which stimulates cell renewal.
* Zucchini are a good source of beta-carotene and vitamin C which all help in repairing environmental damage.
* Cucumbers are 96.4 per cent water and are therefore refreshing and cooling. They also have a neutralising effect on surface oil.
* Papaya contains a substance called papain which helps to break down the build up of superficial dead skin. They are also a good source of the anti-oxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene.
* Peaches are exceptionally rich in vitamin C, providing one-third of the daily requirement if eaten. They stimulate the production of fresh new skin, restoring radiance to the complexion.
* Pectin is present in abundant quantities in pears. It firms and tones the skin, and is an excellent source of the all important vitamin C and potassium.
* Pears and bananas are most suitable for sensitive skins as they rarely cause allergic reactions. However, all of these face packs can be used by even the most sensitive skins as they are all gentle in their action and non-irritating.
* So save your pennies on costly products, get yourself down to the market and let Mother Nature work her magic!

Caution: If you are allergic to a particular fruit or vegetable please do not use it as this will cause irritation.

 

Copper Benefits:

Our skin, bones and brain benefit greatly from copper. Here’s how it can be beneficial to us:
 
Helpful component
Many are aware of the importance of iron in preventing anaemia, but few know that copper,  also plays a critical role. Without small amounts of copper circulating in the body, iron cannot be absorbed from the intestinal tract or released from its storage sites in the liver and elsewhere.
   
The healing agent
Copper is an essential ingredient in the making of melanin — the pigment that is responsible for your skin and hair colour. It is also necessary in the formation of collagen. Copper deficiency leads to white patches.

Strong bones
 Copper compounds are used in the treatment of numerous conditions characterised by arthritic changes, osteoporosis and inflammations.
 
Brain and nerve power
Copper is needed to build and maintain myelin, the protective sheath of nerves. It is also needed for the development of the brain from the embryonic stage.
 
Required dosage
The required copper intake, as per WHO standards is 0.4 to 2.0 mg per day for children and 1.5 to 3.0 mg per day for adults. It should not exceed 10mg a day.

Dietary source
The best source of copper for vegetarians  lies in whole grains, nuts, raisins, lentils, chocolates, all cereals, potatoes, dark green vegetables, papaya, apples etc. Shellfish and red meat should be consumed by non-vegetarians.

 

Grow younger year after year

How old would you be, if you didn’t know how old you were? Most of us ‘feel’ atleast 10 years younger than we look.  But the mirror seems to reflect a different picture.  Being in the field of alternative medicine, I have a particular interest in foods and herbs that can hold back the ageing process. And what’s more, these foods are all around us.

By choosing to eat correctly, you can recapture many of your faculties that traditionally slip away with age. The way food and herbs fight disease, is by strengthening the immune system and combating free radical activity.  Free radicals are the terrorists within the body that cause cellular damage and precipitate the ageing process. Antioxidants found in fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and vitamins douse free radical activity and prevent needless ageing. Here are some basic strategies to keep you young:

Take C0Q—10: As you age, your heart grows steadily weaker. Its pumping action becomes laboured as its machinery gets damaged by free radicals.  Consequently, this leads to heart failure.  Whilst we cannot stop the ageing process, we can control the rate at which we age.  Much research documents that C0Q-10 restores energy production by heart muscle and improves heart function.

It has antioxidant properties that protect fat molecules from becoming oxidised. It protects arteries by preventing the oxidation of blood cholesterol.  It strengthens the heart muscles thus preventing heart failure. Unfortunately, your body’s production of C0Q-10 begins to decline around the age of 30.
A prolonged deficiency affects heart function. Therefore, if you want your heart ticking, it is wise to take C0Q-10 supplements for its heart strengthening properties.

Lose weight if you are overweight: The heavier you are, the older you will feel and look. Being overweight also predisposes you to type II diabetes and a whole lot of other diseases like heart disease, osteoarthritis, cancer which are manifestations of premature ageing.  Being 20 per cent above ideal body weight can make you more susceptible to type II dabetes. But the silver lining is that by just losing 7 per cent of your body weight you can reduce diabetes by 50 per cent and bring about better blood sugar control. Losing excess body weight has an amazing effect on insulin resistance. In other words, if you are an overweight, Type II diabetic and on antidiabetic medications, then by just losing a few pounds you can reduce medication and lower blood sugar effectively.

Take an antioxidant supplement everyday: Antioxidants are substances that neutralise  free radicals, which play a significant role in the ageing process.  Raw fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants.  Therefore, it is wise to begin your day with a glass of freshly squeezed vegetable juice or fruit juice.

Control stress: As it causes needless ageing. While stress is all  around us and is not necessarily bad, it is in the way we handle stress that causes ageing.  Stress related medical and emotional problems have dramatically increased over the last few decades.

Stress, if handled incorrectly, can produce undesirable results. A student coming down with flu during the  exams, an executive losing his job and suffering a recurrence of herpes.  A person experiencing palpitations and difficulty in breathing when under fear are examples of stress affecting the body. 
Under such stressful situations the inherent equilibrium in our body gets disturbed. When this disturbance persists over a period of time, we begin to age.

There are more antiageing strategies in this universe than one can think of. But the secret to the fountain of youth lies within each one of you rather than in global remedies. It is your commitment to your body that decides your state of health. It takes more than a New Year resolution to improve your health. Nevertheless, it is a beginning.

 

Eye Care:

Fundamental rule
Listen to your eyes. Whether they are sore, tearing, itchy or tired, they are sending you a message. Listen to them. If your eyes hurt when you have been working at the computer for too long, stop and take a break. Be receptive to your eyes.

Palming
A simple technique called palming can refresh your eyes when they are feeling tired( Remember the first rule! ).

The term 'palming' was coined by William Bates, the author of 2 books on vision improvement (The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses/With Eye Chart) and (The Cure of Imperfect Sight by Treatment Without Glasses).

You just close your eyes and cover them with your palms, resting them on your cheek bones. Make sure you do not put pressure on your eyeballs. Relax and think of pleasant images. A variation is to imagine the 'blackest' black that you can. But the important thing is to keep your mind relaxed. There are more eye exercises available on the Vision Improvement Site.

Computer work
Nowadays, people spend a lot of time in front of the computer screen. Thus it is even more crucial to give your eyes adequate rest. Here are some things you can do:
 

If possible, do computer work without wearing your glasses. I know this is difficult for most people but this is enormously beneficial. I can only see the screen about 8-10 inches away, so I move the monitor nearer and shift my chair forward. Now my eyes don't feel as tried as before. 
 

Look up across the room or out of the window every few minutes. Take a few deep breathes before continuing your work. 
 

Stop work after every 40 minutes or so. Get up from your seat and take a walk around the place. Palm for a few minutes before going back to face the computer screen again. 
 

Whenever possible, make use of your distant vision. Extended periods of time spent at the computer can really spoil one's eyesight, as you may have noticed. Seek out opportunities to see things that are far away.

Reading
When you are reading, do try to read without wearing your prescription glasses. Most people will find they can do so at a comfortable distance. Put the material you are reading far away just so that the letters can be seen clearly. Gradually, the distance at which you can read will increase.

 

Hair Care:

All the hair you’ll ever have on your head is determined at birth. That’s because hair grows from a root in your scalp and the number of roots cannot be changed.

Each hair grows from the root to a certain length depending on your unique genetic makeup, then slows down, then stops naturally. At some point, it’ll die and be shed. You lose about 100 hairs every day from this life cycle. The lost hair will be replaced by a new-growth shaft.

You can help make your hair grow longer by taking good care of each shaft: gentle brushing, using a mild shampoos, giving your self gentle scalp massages regularly, and limiting coloring and perms. You can increase the volume of individual hairs, and thus make your hair appear more full, with protein shampoos and conditioners that coat each shaft.

Your hair is mostly made of water. To be shiny and supple, your hair needs to be adequately hydrated. You lose water from the sun, too much processing, and blow- drying. Oil from your scalp coats each shaft and acts as a barrier against evaporation.

Your hair also needs proper blood circulation to remain strong, which can be increased with brushing and scalp massage. If you wear your hair pulled back in a French Twist or ponytail, give your hair a break once in awhile by letting it hang freely. Those styles put a lot of pressure on the hair, especially at the front hairline. Also, don’t use any uncoated elastic bands in your hair! Elastic grabs at the shaft and will break it.

 

Obesity:

How is it treated?

The FDA is calling the nation’s obesity problem an “epidemic” and released a report in 2004 with goals and actions focusing on a campaign entitled, “Calories Count.” Recommended actions include:

• enhancing the food label to display calorie count more prominently and to use meaningful serving sizes
• initiating a consumer education campaign focusing on the "Calories Count" message
• encouraging restaurants to provide nutritional information to consumers
• stepping up enforcement actions concerning accuracy of food labels
• revising FDA guidance for developing drugs to treat obesity
• working cooperatively with other government agencies, non-profits, industry, and academia on obesity research

Obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Weight loss reduces risk factors for complications associated with the excess weight, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. There are several treatment options for the management of overweight and obese individuals, including diet therapy, changes in physical activity, behavioral therapy, drug therapy, surgery and a combination of these.

The initial goal of weight loss therapy is to decrease body weight by about 10%. Once this goal is met, then further weight loss can be attempted. This weight loss will not occur overnight, but you can see a difference over mere weeks if you stay with your program. Once the weight is lost, maintenance of the loss needs to be implemented to ensure that the weight stays off.

Diet Therapy

Lifestyle modifications such as increasing physical activity and decreasing calorie intake are recommended instead of "dieting." Crash diets should definitely be avoided. The best approach to changing your diet is to talk to your doctor to find out what is best for you. Your doctor can provide you with dietary guidelines or refer you to a dietician for further help. Dietary guidelines will differ for each person depending on height, weight, concurrent health conditions, and desired amount of weight loss. A diet must be established that will allow for weight loss and be easy to comply with. Maintenance of your program is the key to keeping the pounds off.

Exercising is important to any good weight loss program. An aerobic exercise program reduces weight loss regardless of any changes you make in your diet. Adding 45 minutes of aerobic exercise a day is the equivalent of losing 400-800 Calories depending on your intensity. Minimally, that would result in losing one pound per week. Even if you can only exercise three times per week, that would still help you lose almost 2 pounds per month or 20 pounds over a year! Remember that this is without any changes in your diet. Dropping 500 Calories a day from your diet (the equivalent of one large French fries) will double your results.

Weight training and calisthenics also help you to reduce weight not by direct loss but by decreasing fatty tissue and increasing lean body mass. This will increase your metabolism and burn more calories while at rest.

Obese patients should start slowly with low-intensity walking or swimming and advance intensity as tolerated. If you have cardiovascular disease or other conditions that may make exercise very difficult, talk you your physician before you begin.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavior modification is common to all weight loss programs. Modification includes strategies that aid individuals to overcome barriers to comply with dietary changes and physical activity. Most behavioral modification programs encourage self-monitoring of both diet and exercise to increase one's own awareness of the activities. Modification strategies may also include stress management, social support, and stimulus control.

Combining behavioral therapy, diet therapy, and increased physical activity should be considered as initial "therapy" for weight loss. This combination should be continued for at least 6 months before proceeding to drug therapy.

Drug Therapy

After all other modes of losing weight have failed, you should talk to your physician about your options with drug therapy. Medications can be used to stimulate weight loss by either decreasing the appetite or inhibiting the absorption of fat from the intestines. Also, certain antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) may suppress the appetite by regulating levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Serotonin is thought to induce a feeling of hunger and fullness. Click on the links below to learn more about available prescription medications that can aid in weight loss.

Many health food and supplement stores promote various "natural" or herbal products for weight loss. Even though they claim to be effective and "natural," these products can be associated with certain harmful side effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stringent rules pertaining to the safety, efficacy, and quality that pharmaceutical manufacturers must follow in order to market drugs in the U.S. Manufacturers of herbal supplements do not have to follow these same rules to sell their products. For this reason, there is limited research evaluating supplements' safety and efficacy in the human body. As a result, anyone who chooses to take these substances does so at their own risk.

The most important thing to remember is that weight loss takes time and effort, and is a lifelong process. Also, it is important to set reasonable goals. Sensible weight loss does not occur overnight and it takes major changes in your lifestyle before significant changes in weight may be observed. Permanent weight loss can be reached by continued lifestyle changes.

 

Obesity:

Definition of Obesity

Obesity refers to an increase in total body fat. The easiest and most widely accepted method of determining whether you are obese is by measuring your Body Mass Index, or BMI. To calculate your BMI, follow these steps:

1. Multiply your weight in pounds by 705; divide by your height in inches; divide this number by your height in inches a second time.

2. You may also use an online BMI calculator at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Go to http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.

A normal BMI = 18.5-24.9; overweight = 25.0-29.9; obese = 30 or greater; and morbidly obese = 40 or greater.

Why Should I Care About Obesity?

Obesity has become an epidemic in the U.S. and other developed countries. As many as one-third of all Americans are obese based on the BMI criteria. In addition to body image issues, obesity causes significant health issues. It is the second leading cause of preventable death (after smoking), and is associated with type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, arthritis, gallstones, and certain types of cancer.

Description of Obesity

Often referred to as a disease, obesity is actually a sign of what may well be a spectrum of different kinds of disorders – genetic or environmental. In fact, there is no single definition of obesity. It may be simply an extreme degree of overweight - but a person can be overweight without being obese. A 250-pound, 6' linebacker, for example, may be overweight according to ordinary standards, but may actually have a below-average amount of body fat. In contrast, a person in a normal weight range but with very sedentary habits, could have a small muscle mass, be storing excess fat, and thus be classifiable as obese.

About one-half of all Americans are above their ideal weight, as determined by standard tables, and for the majority of them, the excess weight is in the form of body fat, not muscle mass. Of this group, half exceed their ideal weight by 20 percent or more. Hence, they are classified as obese.

Obesity has become epidemic in the U.S. and other developed countries. More than 58 million Americans are overweight, and that includes at least 1 in 5 children.

Two principal risk factors that lead to obesity, poor nutrition and lack of physical activity combined, are the second leading cause of preventable death (tobacco is first). Obesity is associated with significant increases in risk for type II diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, degenerative joint disease and psychosocial disability. Certain cancers - colon, rectum and prostate in men; uterus, biliary tract, breast and ovary in women - are more prevalent in the obese.

Causes and Risk Factors of Obesity

Until recently, obesity was considered the result of a sedentary lifestyle and the chronic ingestion of excess calories. This may be the principal factor for many individuals, but there is evidence of strong genetic, metabolic, and environmental influences in the development of obesity. Certain illnesses, such as Cushing’s syndrome or hypothyroidism, and medications, such as glucocorticoids, can also cause obesity. However, less than one percent of all obese patients have an identifiable secondary cause of obesity.

Diagnosis of Obesity

A physical examination, including a measurement of weight and height, is usually sufficient to diagnose obesity. A complete medical history, including age of onset, family history, eating and exercise behavior, smoking, alcohol use, and previous weight loss experience are all important.

Your physician may order blood tests, including fasting levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides, to determine whether any obesity-related conditions are present.

Treatment of Obesity

Successful programs for weight loss reduction and maintenance should be started and followed under the care of a physician and/or a nutritionist. A weight-loss program may include:

• Exercise (the Surgeon General has called for 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week)
• A low-fat, high-complex carbohydrate, high fiber diet
• Behavior modification to change eating behavior
• Social support
• Medications

Although several diets (such as Atkins or South Beach) have become quite popular as effective ways of losing weight, none of them has been proven to be vastly superior in rigorously conducted, large-scale clinical trials. The key (and only) reason for the success of any dietary plan is that it make you consume fewer calories than what you are expending.

It is very important to discuss all medications you are taking with your physician.

Current guidelines recommend drug treatment for individuals, especially those with other obesity-related health conditions, who have failed to respond adequately to dietary and behavioral modifications. A limited number of medications are available for the treatment of obesity. Concerns about side effects have diminished enthusiasm for appetite-suppressant drugs, particularly fenfluramine, which carry serious risks and have been withdrawn from the market. Individuals who have taken either should be evaluated by a physician.

Phentermine remains available, but is approved only for short-term use. Sibutramine (Meridia) is approved for longer-term use, but may cause an increase in blood pressure and should be used with caution and only with regular medical monitoring.

Orlistat (Xenical) is a medication that blocks the absorption of dietary fat and is also approved for longer-term use. However, it causes unpleasant side effects (greasy stool), and you also need to supplement your diet with fat-soluble vitamins.

Although surgery (such as gastric bypass) is the last resort for the treatment of obesity, it can be extremely effective. However, it should be performed at an experienced surgical center, because such operations can carry significant risks, especially in the post-operative period. Consensus recommendations are to limit surgical therapies to patients with morbid obesity (BMI > 40).

 

Heart Attack:

Heart attack and stroke are life-and-death emergencies -- every second counts. Not all these signs occur in every heart attack or stroke. Sometimes they go away and return. If some occur, get help fast! Today heart attack and stroke victims can benefit from new medications and treatments unavailable to patients in years past. For example, clot-busting drugs can stop some heart attacks and strokes in progress, reducing disability and saving lives. But to be effective, these drugs must be given relatively quickly after heart attack or stroke symptoms first appear. So again, don't delay -- get help right away!

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort.

Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.   

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.   

Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.    

Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness 

 

Heart Attack:

Heart attack and stroke are life-and-death emergencies -- every second counts. Not all these signs occur in every heart attack or stroke. Sometimes they go away and return. If some occur, get help fast! Today heart attack and stroke victims can benefit from new medications and treatments unavailable to patients in years past. For example, clot-busting drugs can stop some heart attacks and strokes in progress, reducing disability and saving lives. But to be effective, these drugs must be given relatively quickly after heart attack or stroke symptoms first appear. So again, don't delay -- get help right away!

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort.

Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.   

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.   

 

Blood Pressure:

One in every four adults has high blood pressure, and many don't know it. About 90 percent of middle-aged will develop high blood pressure in their lifetime, and nearly 70 percent of people with high blood pressure do not have it under control.

High blood pressure is also called hypertension. It has few symptoms, but many effects, including a very high risk of heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular problems. Everyone should have their blood pressure checked regularly. If the top number is higher than 140, or the bottom number is higher than 90, a person has high blood pressure and needs a doctor's advice about lowering it.

If the numbers are slightly lower (120 to 139, or 80 to 89), a person has borderline high blood pressure and should talk with a doctor.

Many factors make blood pressure go up, including genes that we inherit from our parents, as well as what we eat and drink, how much we weigh, how often and how hard we exercise, and whether we smoke. Blood pressure also tends to go up as people get older, although many young and middle-aged adults have high blood pressure.

To bring blood pressure down, or keep it from getting too high, doctors often recommend exercise, a diet low in salt and fat, moderate or no alcohol use, no tobacco smoking, and weight control. You can't control your genes or your age, but there are things you can do to prevent or reduce high blood pressure even if you have genes that might make you more likely to have it.

Medication can also lower high blood pressure, but it often takes trial and error, or a combination of medicines, to bring down blood pressure once it has gotten high.

Genetics research, such as that led by the University of Michigan, is trying to find out which genes, and gene variations, are linked to high blood pressure — and use that information to develop tests and treatments for blood pressure problems. The Tecumseh Blood Pressure Study is crucial to this effort; the families taking part have agreed to let U-M researchers study their health, lifestyle and DNA to look for patterns and links to blood pressure.

 

Vitamin supplements

A person who doesn’t require vitamins is a rare find. Our food production methods (over farming, use of pesticides) coupled with the burgeoning fast food industry and poor cooking methods (over cooking, deep-frying) play a key role in depriving our bodies of important nutrients. When nutrient deficiencies interact with high levels of stress and little or no exercise, they result in lifestyle diseases like type II diabetes, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure etc.

It is clear from the growing incidence of lifestyle diseases that the food that we eat today does not provide us with optimum nutrients required to maintain a positive state of health. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide adequate nutrients if they are picked when ripe and eaten immediately. Today that is not possible as they are picked before they are ripe and then treated with chemicals to “appear” ripe but do not have the nutritional value of ripe vegetables. These “fresh” fruits and vegetables lose further nutrients as they travel from the farm to your kitchen. 

Once in the kitchen, we overcook, deep fry, mishmash our food and even reheat the leftovers thus creating nutritional disasters. Such food has not more than 25 per cent nutrient value left in it. Therefore we cannot think of getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals only through food. Micronutrient deficiencies over a period of time reflect in terms of falling hair, lack lustre skin, weight gain, uncontrollable hunger, sugar cravings, low energy levels, mood swings, skin rash etc. 

The polishing of  rice into “polished white rice” and the refining of wheat into ‘maida’ has threatened our body into multinutrient deficiencies. Such food not only fails to nourish us, but also robs us of other nutrients in order to get metabolised, creating a shortage of chromium, B-complex, magnesium, zinc in the body. As we age, our capacity to assimilate nutrients decreases due to inadequate hydrochloric acid.

Frequent intake of antibiotics upsets the intestinal flora creating a shortage of beneficial bacteria.
 Many people don’t like taking vitamin and mineral supplements, as they want to get everything from their diet. I truly wish this was possible, but this route just doesn’t work in this modern world. Today we are exposed to more environmental pollutants than ever before. This causes more free radical generation in our body and our food does not give us enough antioxidants to defend ourselves against these toxins. Therefore the need to take vitamins, minerals and anti oxidants like vitamin A, C, E, selenium.

Antioxidants: The best way to get antioxidants is to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables as your primary source of antioxidants and also take supplements containing vitamin A,C,E and selenium. Choose fresh fruits over canned juices. Avoid boiling or overcooking your vegetables. You must steam, stirfry, lightly cook or eat them raw.

Consume Omega 3 fats: These reduce the damage caused by pollutants. These fats are found in the alsi seeds, fish, soyabeans, pumpkin seeds, and almonds. Avoid cooking in oils that go rancid easily. PUFA based oils derived from sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cottonseed, and corn get rancid easily and should be avoided. Olive oil is richest in MUFA and doesn’t go rancid easily. Other MUFA based oils are those derived from mustard seeds, tilseeds, and groundnut.

Antioxidants help to rev up your immunity and decrease your chances of falling prey to disease. Those who exercise regularly also need to take supplements of antioxidants as exercise generates more free radicals. All this business of living in today’s modern, toxic world creates the need for supplementation. Without optimum food intake combined with appropriate vitamin supplements we cannot expect to live a healthy life.

 

Study suggests some deodorants can harm lungs

Certain deodorising products, including air fresheners and toilet bowl cleaners, contain a chemical compound which scientists say may be harmful to the lungs. Stephanie London and her colleagues at the National Institute of  Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) examined 953 adults exposed to various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and found that one compound called 1,4 dichlorobenzene (1,4 DCB) may cause modest reductions in lung function, reported science portal EurekAlert.

VOCs are a diverse set of compounds emitted as gases from thousands of commonly used products, including tobacco smoke, pesticides, paints, and cleaning products. VOCs are also released through automotive exhaust. The researchers found that of the common VOCs analysed, which included benzene, styrene, toluene, and acetone, only the compound 1,4 DCB was associated with reduced pulmonary function.

1,4 DCB is a white solid compound with a distinctive aroma similar to mothballs. It is typically used as a deodorant in products such as room deodorisers, urinal and toilet bowl cleaners, and as an insecticide fumigant for moth control.  “Because people spend so much time indoors where these products are used, it’s important that we understand the effects that even low levels might have on the respiratory system,” said researcher Leslie Elliott.

 

Aerobics:

Warm Up Before and Cool Down After
A good aerobics teacher will incorporate a warm-up and cool-down session into the class. Slow, gentle stretching before and after helps reduce your risk of injury and muscle soreness. It could be time  to dance on over to a different class if your teacher is big on bouncing but light on stretching.

Go at Your Own Pace
The beauty of exercising to music with a group and being led by a teacher is that you tend to work harder and longer than you would on your own. That's good -- but not if you overdo it. Bouncing and straining to keep up with the class can lead to injuries. Aerobics class is not a competition. Go at your own pace. Allow your strength and flexibility to build gradually.

Watch Your Form
Good form brings better results and fewer problems. Tuck in your pelvis a little so your lower back is elongated. This protects your lower back when standing. Make sure your knee is aligned over your ankle, and no farther forward, when doing a lunge. Don't do moves that require you to lock or hyperextend your knees or elbows. Remember to monitor your breathing.

Look Straight Ahead
Looking down at your feet can cause neck and/or back pain. Pain has no place in an aerobics class or any other fitness activity. You're overdoing it if you're feeling the burn.

Wear the Proper Shoes
Don't wear just any pair of athletic shoes to aerobics class. Running shoes and tennis shoes, for instance, don't provide the cushioning and support you need. Look for shoes that cushion the ball of the foot, with good arch support that minimizes pronation (inward rotation) of the foot. Some cross-training shoes work well, so shop around.

Don't Bounce on a Bad Floor
Dancing on concrete, hardwood or linoleum-covered floors is asking for trouble. They're too hard. Dancing on a floor with too much padding isn't good either, because it allows too much rotation and pronation of the legs and feet. Ask your aerobics teacher about the floor you're dancing on. You know you've got a problem if she or he ducks the question or makes excuses.

 

Cellulite:

Cellulite is a form of fat that builds up in the body especially near the thighs, buttocks, upper arms and stomach. The skin looks like an orange peel — lumpy and dimpled. Cellulite also causes sagging of the skin and on excess formation, the entire shape of the part in which it accumulates loses its natural shape. It’s common in ladies who are obese and the formation generally takes place during pregnancy and menopause.

Getting rid of cellulite is very difficult. In beauty parlours heavy duty vibrators and vibrating belts are used to break the same. One must follow a strict regimen — treatment, diet and exercise. Deep massage, taken twice a week followed by a steam or sauna bath or a warm water immersion bath also helps. Naturopaths recommend sitting alternately in hot and cold water bath tubs (3three minutes hot water and one minute cold water) three times in every session.

Though there are several expensive creams and lotions available across the counter claiming to break cellulite, nothing can beat a good massage.
Skin brushing with cotton gloves, both in the morning and evening is also a very valuable treatment. This technique helps in removing toxic wastes directly through the skin and helps in stimulating lymphatic circulation. The procedure is very simple. Put on cotton gloves made with a thick cloth and apply friction on the whole body, starting gently and then using a firmer action as you get used to the treatment.

Start the friction from the soles of the feet and then come up to the legs, back and front, with sweeping strokes. On the thighs, all around, use small circular movements first and then sweeping movements from the lower part to the upper part of the thigh, extending gradually to the buttocks. Then apply friction on the hands starting from the palms to the shoulders using straight and circular movements.

Now, apply friction on the stomach with clockwise, circular strokes, extending gradually to cover the chest and neck. Take a dry cotton towel and holding the ends of the same in both the hands, apply friction across the back and also in criss-cross movements. Lastly, take a warm shower for 30 seconds followed by a cold shower for 30 seconds, repeating thrice at least. After bathing, keep yourself warm.

Diet should be strictly vegetarian consisting of fruits and raw salads. The following vegetable cocktail is rather useful.

100 ml beetroot juice
50 ml celery juice
50 ml cucumber juice
20 ml lemon juice
Mix the above four juices and drink it everyday, half an hour before breakfast.
One hour of brisk walking is recommended along with regular yoga practice.

 

Anti-Aging

Feeling like it’s time to correct years of sun damage, or do you just want to prevent wrinkles before they start? No matter what your goal is, here’s how to make your skin look fabulous

With all the recent advancements in skin creams, lately it seems as if the skincare industry has gone the way of rocket science (in fact, one creator of the pricey ‘cult’ cream Crème de la Mer used to work for NASA). Where once women made do with a dab of Pond’s Cold Cream, they now want anti-ageing products and lifestyle advice to help defy lines and wrinkles from a very young age. According to Nuala Briggs, skincare expert and founder of Harley Street’s Skin Therapy Clinic in London this is the right course of action – ‘you’re never too young to start taking care of your skin and protecting against sun damage with SPF creams’, she says. How, we wish we had listened to our mums and worn sunblock during all those summers as a kid.

Touch the mid-30s and everyone wishes that time stood still. Their biggest mistake? Taking their skin for granted when it was at its best. According to beauty expert Colleen Kirk, who has worked on famous faces like Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Vanessa Willams and Cher among others, abusing the skin at a younger age is the biggest beauty sin one can ever commit. She says, “When we are in our late teens and 20s we think we are invincible. We take our natural beauty for granted and wake up a little too late. Thankfully, with modern day beauty treatments, there is help even at late stages. But skin care should ideally start as early as your teens.” Here are some tips on age defying treatments.

Technology in skincare

One of the biggest advancements in skincare is the use of technology to make products that are powerfully intensive and help prevent further damage to the DNA so that your skin retains its youthful glow. These days new products are available in the market that are used on a seasonal basis. Says Coleen, “These are time defying intensive serums. They are meant to be used for 14 nights every season and they repair the skin, cutting down years.”

Stop wrinkles

The skin starts ageing right from the age of five. A good skin care regime right from your teens can make sure that you delay the onset of signs of aging and promote healthy skin. As skin ages, it loses its ability to restructure itself. An early skin care regime of proper cleansing and moisturising will be helpful in your early 20s. Protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays is the most important aspect of caring for your skin. It not only protects you from cancer but is also required for a youthful appearance. After all, skin is the body’s largest organ and needs to be taken care of just like your heart. Never step out of the house without a sunscreen.

Tips:

I’ve been fortunate enough to be blessed with naturally beautiful skin. I never give it the attention it deserves. In fact I eat all kinds of junk food, drink aerated beverages and also enjoy heavy food.

Marooned on an island: The only beauty products I would want are a good moisturiser, a perfume and kajal. I don’t step out of the house without kajal.

Never forget to: Remove my make-up. I take as much time in removing it as I do in applying it. That’s the one important thing I always bear in mind.

Hair care: A warm oil massage once a week is necessary. I also pamper my hair with moisturising hair packs.

Home remedies: There’s nothing in particular that I follow, but I believe in the magic of fruits. I rub papaya and banana pulp on my skin regularly.

Favourite colours: Though I love vibrant colours, when it comes to make-up, I use neutral, earthy tones. I love light browns and beige. The best part is they go with all kinds of outfits and look good any time of the day.

Activate the Anti-Aging Process

The aging process begins when we enter the world and the effects of aging are evident in our bodies through out our lives.  Beginning in our 20's, the signs of aging start to become noticeable. Genetically programmed chronologic aging causes changes in collagen and elastin, the connective tissues that supply firmness and elasticity to the skin.  The genetic program of individuals is different, so the loss of skin firmness and elasticity occurs at different rates and different times in one individual as compared to another.  As skin becomes less elastic, it also becomes drier and underlying fat padding begins to disappear.  With the loss of underlying support by fat padding and connective tissues, the skin begins to sag; it appears less supple and wrinkles form.

Although wrinkles, lines and age spots are formed by the natural effects of getting older, one way to prevent them from appearing early on in life is to avoid direct sunlight and use sunscreens with SPFs 15 or higher.  And, although most of us have some form of sun-damaged skin, there are ways to regain healthy, smooth skin. After many years of research, scientists, dermatologists and plastic surgeons have discovered that a variety of natural ingredients and vitamin extracts significantly help slow down and even reverse the signs of aging skin.  These ingredients are now found in many physician developed and physician recommended anti-aging skin care products, which are specified below.

Vitamin A (Retinol) - Topical Vitamin A has been suggested to help build collagen fibers within the skin in addition to its more superficial exfoliating property. This is the basis for its use in minimizing the appearance of fine wrinkle lines.  Vitamin A or Retinol is the main ingredient found in TYK Young Again, M.D. Forte, DDF and  SkinScience products.

Vitamin C - Vitamin C or ascorbic acid acts as an antioxidant and is considered vital in wound healing because it aids in stabilizing collagen. When applied topically, vitamin C can reduce fine lines and wrinkles and may lessen the severity of sunburns.  This healing ingredient is found in SkinCeuticals, Cellex C and Obagi Cffectives skin care products.

Vitamin E - Vitamin E is another antioxidant that shows to have anti-inflammatory effects on the skin. When applied topically, vitamin E has been shown to improve moisturization, softness and smoothness and also provides modest photo protection.  Vitamin E is found in Cellex C, Exuviance and MD Forte products.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) - AHAs are designed to smooth fine lines and surface wrinkles, to improve skin texture and tone, to unblock and cleanse pores, to improve oily skin or acne, and to improve skin condition in general. AHAs are the main ingredients found in MD Forte, TYK Young Again, Super Skin and SkinScience products.

Glycolic Acid - Glycolic acid is the most active and beneficial of the Alpha-Hydroxy-Acids (AHAs) in skin care.  Once inside the cells, the acid triggers new formations of collagen to plump cells and the ground substances in the skin to reduce wrinkles on the skin's surface. Glycolic acid is proven to be very effective in the treatment of acne as well as in cosmetic uses.  Glycolic acid is found in products by Gly Derm, MD Forte, Z. Bigatti and Super Skin.

Idebenone -Idebenone is the synthetic variant of the natural compund ubiquinone. Both powerful antioxidants, idebenone and ubiquinone shield skin from environmental damge, improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reduce dryness and smoothe skin texture.

N-6 furfuryladenine (kinetin) -  The nature-identical plant growth factor, furfuryladenine, retards the aging of plant cells as well as in vitro human skin fibroblasts. This natural, anti-aging ingredient has been proven to reduce wrinkles and fine lines and is exclusively found in Kinerase creams and lotions. This is a proven alternative for people with sensitive skin or people who are sensitive to products containing Retinol and Vitamin C.

Copper Peptides - Copper Peptides are the latest scientific breakthrough in skin rejuvenation. Copper has been found to naturally firm the skin, enhance elasticity, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Copper is the main ingredient in products by Neova and Osmotics.

Pal-KTTKS - Pal-KTTKS is an effective ingredient for reducing fine lines and wrinkles. It's found to promote a smoother, younger complexion quickly, without with out expensive and painful chemical peels, surgery or injections. This patented peptide solution is found in StriVectin-SD.

Green Tea Extract - Green tea's anti-inflammatory and anti-growth qualities are found in many skin care products designed to reduce the appearance of puffiness, wrinkles, fine lines and large pores.  Green Tea is found in the Dr. Brandt skin care line, Z. Bigatti and Gly Derm products.

TNS - The biotechnology of the skin's natural healing process has arrived with the first tissue repairing complex containing growth factors found in normal, healthy skin.  Unlike anything else currently on the market, TNS is the next level of skin rejuvenation that delivers dramatic results, for smoother, softer, younger looking skin.  TNS is found in SkinMedica's TNS Recovery Complex.

Many customers ask which anti-aging product is best and we always respond by saying that there is no "best" product.  Since every individual's skin is different, the results of using anti-aging products will be different as well.  We recommend that you consult with a skin care professional prior to use of any new skin care product to determine your skin type, skin condition and possible sensitivities to active ingredients.  Your skin care professional may recommend specific products, or you can try a few on your own based on your consultation.  If you are not happy with the first product you try, try another one.  It's important that you choose a product and skin care regimen that makes you feel 100% comfortable with the look and feel of your skin.  

Customers also inquire about when they should expect to see results from using anti-aging products.  Again, we respond by saying that results will be different for each individual, generally due to the condition of one's skin prior to use.  However, across the board, we say not to expect a miracle, as there is no anti-aging product on the market that provides overnight results.  Whether you are trying to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness or age spots, the process is gradual and takes anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks depending on the severity of your problem areas. After allowing the products time to take effect as well as following product directions, you can be sure to notice significant improvement in the appearance of your skin.

To see the quickest results, you will have to undergo professional cosmetics procedures.  While procedures such as laser treatments, injections and dermabrasion produce the fastest, most noticeable improvements, they are all are somewhat painful or uncomfortable and very costly.  In addition, pre and post treatment plans are required to achieve maximum results, which consist of using skin care products, that are also proven to be safe, effective, painless and less expensive alternatives to professional cosmetic procedures.

Please note that with the use of any new skin care product, it is highly possible that your skin will react to the ingredients.  You may experience irritation, redness, dryness or a mild breakout, which should only last for the first 3-5 days of use.  If you experience any of these reactions for a longer period of time, please discontinue use and consult a skin care professional.  It is also recommended that prior to using any new skin care product to consult with a skin care professional.

 

Facials are good

Contrary to what most people think, having a facial at a beauty salon is not a luxury. Professional facials help in a deep-cleansing routine that you cannot possibly do for yourself at home. Facials involve:

• Steaming, which helps to open out pores
• Cleansing to remove black heads and white heads.
• This is followed by a mask for skin rejuvenation.
• Then finally a skin dehydration treatment with a moisturiser.

Our skin regenerates cells about every three weeks, leading to an accumulation of dead cells. Facials help get rid of them. So a facial once a month would help you maintain healthy and glowing skin.
It's a good idea to mark a day off during the week to get a home facial. Follow these simple instructions for an exhilarating home facial:
• Place a head band or scarf just above the forehead along the hairline and tie it at the nape of your neck. This is to protect the hair.
• Start by cleansing the skin thoroughly. Choose a cleanser according to skin type. Apply on face and wipe off with damp cotton wool.
•  While the face is still damp, apply a facial scrub for deep pore cleansing. If suffering from pimples or eruptions avoid using a scrub.
• If you have a normal to dry skin, apply a nourishing cream, wet your hands with water and massage the cream into the skin using outwards and upwards strokes.
• Wipe skin with damp cotton wool or a clean, moist face towel.
• Avoid applying cream if skin is oily but nourish neck area.
• Apply a face mask leaving out area around the eyes.
• Soak two cotton wool pads in rosewater and place these on eyes. Lie down, and relax as the mask dries off.
• After 20 to 30 minutes wash off face mask with water.
• Wrap an ice cube in a clean cloth and rub this on face.
• Do not apply ice directly on the skin, or keep it on one spot for long.

Laser Resurfacing

Cosmetic laser resurfacing, also called "laser peel", is a procedure that smoothes the facial skin by using a laser to refinish damaged areas and shrink fine wrinkles. It also corrects areas of uneven pigmentation. The result is a fresher, smoother complexion.

In laser resurfacing, a beam of laser energy is used to vaporize the upper layers of damaged skin with accurate precision. As new cells form during the healing process, a smoother, tighter, younger-looking skin surface appears.

You may be a good candidate for laser resurfacing if you have any of the following conditions:

·  Fine lines, especially around the eyes
 

·  Vertical lines around the mouth
 

·  Facial scars caused by injury or accident
 

·  Scars caused by acne
 

·  Areas of uneven pigmentation, such as "age spots"
 

·  Line on the cheeks caused by sun damaged.

To achieve maximum results from the laser procedure mentioned in this article, Physicians often recommend that a skin care regimen consisting of products that contain anti-aging active ingredients like Vitamin A,E,C, Glycolic Acids, Alpha Hydroxy Acids, etc. be started approximately two months prior to the procedure and should continue post-treatment as directed by your Doctor. These products and skin care regimens are also proven to be effective, painless and inexpensive alternatives to laser procedures and other professional cosmetic procedures.

Our most popular anti-aging skin care regimens are from TYK Young Again, M.D. Forte, GlyDerm, SkinMedica, SkinCeuticals and Obagi.

Please note that before beginning any skin care regimen or use of new skin care products, it is recommended you consult with a skin care professional.

Sun Safety:

Excessive sun-exposure can lead to loss of moisture from the skin, dark patches and even premature aging. The skin needs physical protection against harmful rays which is provided by sunscreens. A few tips on buying and using sunscreen lotions:
• A good sunscreen should provide protection against the sun's UVA and UVB rays.
• Check the SPF or Sun Protection Factor on the label. This is denoted by a number and is related to duration of sun-exposure. If your skin is more sensitive, choose a sunscreen with SPF of 20 and above.
• Apply the sunscreen about 20 minutes before sun-exposure. This gives the skin time to absorb it.
• Carry your sunscreen while holidaying by the sea or in the hills. Reflective surfaces, like water and snow actually increase the effects of UV radiation.
• Reapply sunscreen if you stay in the sun for a long time. It's a good idea to carry one in your handbag.
• Rubbing a mix of papaya, cream and sugar into the skin before your bath is also said to remove skin tan.
• Juice of ripe tomatoes when applied over tanned body parts helps in getting rid of the tan!

To avoid tan and an oily face during summers avoid being under the harsh rays of direct sunlight as much as possible. It would also help to use a good sunscreen on your face with SPF (sun protection factor) ranging from 20 to 40. If your job demands that you remain outdoors for a major portion of the day, reapply sun tan half way through the day (but do wash away the grime that would have settled on your skin before reapplication). Avoid usage of an oily cream on your face, as more than doing good it could be harmful. Avoid creams especially during the nights since it clogs the pores.

The sun and your skin

These lectures are not meant to replace your physician and are simply provided as a free educational service to all our visitors. If you feel that you have a skin problem, please see your doctor.

Many people, especially redheads with freckles, blondes and those with a fair complexion who burn easily or tan poorly on sun exposure should be warned about the dangers of damage to the skin from sun exposure.  Unfortunately, these warnings often come only after considerable damage has already been inflicted on the skin.

The effect of sunlight over the years is to weather or to prematurely age the skin. While the brown splotches, thinning, wrinkling, drying, and exposure of many prominent tiny blood vessels at the surface in these sun exposed areas are of primarily cosmetic importance, certain scaling red spots, called ACTINIC KERATOSIS, are in some cases, of more serious significance. These can, in a small number of cases, become skin cancers.

An actinic keratosis can be said to be "going to college" to learn to become a skin cancer. Fortunately, natural skin defense mechanisms assure that the "drop out rate" is high. If they look like they are going to graduate and become skin cancers, they will have to be treated with local destructive techniques. These techniques may include surgery, freezing with liquid gases, certain acids, electrosurgery, and recently through the applications of certain externally applied medications containing anticancer drugs such as 5-fluorouracil.

When an area of sun damaged skin forms a skin cancer (such as a BASAL CELL OR SQUAMOUS CELL SKIN CANCER), they are usually only invasive into the local area where they are growing. For this type of cancer to spread to other areas of the body by the blood stream or lymph channels is unusual. Just like a "bad spot" on an apple, they can be cut off and the rest of the fruit is still good. Because of the mild character of these cancers in early stages, they are the form of cancer best able to be cured by early diagnosis and treatment.

SUNLIGHT IS A FORM OF X-RAY

The damage to the skin which results from sun exposure, like x-ray, will accumulate with exposure over the years. The effect is forever stored in the memory of the skin and cannot be erased. The effect of sun damage today is only seen in years to come.

IF YOU STOP ALL FURTHER UNNECESSARY SUN EXPOSURE YOU WILL PROBABLY STILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP SKIN CHANGES IN THE FUTURE. BUT IF YOU CONTINUE TO INSULT THE ALREADY DAMAGED SKIN BY ADDITIONAL IMPROPER SUN EXPOSURE YOU WILL CERTAINLY MAKE MATTERS WORSE.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TREATMENT OF SUN DAMAGED SKIN

1. A patient with sun damaged skin should visit his or her clinician at least once a year for a thorough examination of the skin in light exposed areas.

2. A patient who has had a skin cancer with a sun damaged skin should keep all follow-up visits until the cancer is pronounced cured. After that, since he or she has a better than average chance of getting another skin cancer, he or she should be seen at least once a year for a similar examination.

3. Any skin growth in a sun exposed area which does not heal, bleeds, or keeps growing in size should be examined.

4. Avoid needless sun exposure whenever possible. Plan your recreational and nonessential outdoor activities for before 10 in the morning and after 3 in the afternoon. This is especially true in the months from April through October. Between the hours of 10 and 3, even the best sun protective lotion will not give adequate protection against the damaging rays. They are like wearing only underwear to keep you warm in Antarctica.

5. Use a sun protective lotion on all sun exposed areas from April through October.

6. Wear hats and protective clothing whenever possible in addition to using the sun protective lotions to shield the skin from the sun.

 

Skin Enemies:

Every day, your complexion works to defend itself from a host of aggressors - discover the most common and find out what you can do to save your skin

UV Light
We should all know by now that excessive sun exposure can be skin ageing and dehydrating - if you've ever been to a Mediterranean island and noticed the sun-damaged, prune-like faces of the local fishermen, you'll understand what we mean. However, the good news is you don't have to end up looking like said fishermen, so long as you take action to protect your skin in the sun, and that doesn't just mean on the beach, as UV rays reach you even on cloudy days in the city; apparently, 90 per cent of sun damage occurs on a daily basis. Experts recommend an SPF of 15+, worn every day of the year, to protect your skin from ageing UVA rays. Fair skin types should be looking at sun protection of 25+, and all skin types should take into account the sun's intensity before choosing a suitable sun protection product.

Pollution and the Environment
The environment in which we live has become a threat to our skin, and pollution is a significant enemy, coating our skin in grime and clogging our pores. And wherever there are motor vehicles there is pollution, so don't think that by living the rural life you are immune. Take action by using a good moisturiser containing UV protection and antioxidants, and by wearing make-up which acts as a barrier and prevents any nasties reaching your skin. At the end of the day, cleanse thoroughly to remove every last trace of make-up and dirt. Continually moving from centrally heated to air conditioned atmospheres can also be a source of complexion confusion, which is why skin often acts differently from season to season. Struggling to maintain its moisture levels and pH balance, skin will eventually become dry and dehydrated, so treat it in a similar way to how you dress to suit the temperature outside - use a richer moisturising cream or barrier product when it's cold, and a lighter lotion when the weather is warmer.

Stress and Lack of Sleep
Everyone suffers from the occasional bout of stress, but when emotions spiral out of control, your skin is among the first organs to suffer. Dryness, sensitivity, spots and excess oil are the external signs of internal stress, while constant frowning can lead to deep-set facial creases and lines which only surgery will be able to rectify, so it pays to learn how to wind down and chill out at the end of a hard day. Switch on the answer phone and try a little meditation, yoga, an aromatherapy bath or treat yourself to a massage or the latest blockbuster; all are effective de-stressers that are easy on the pocket and relatively simple to incorporate into the most hectic of weeks. Plenty of sleep is essential for good skin, as burning the candle at both ends will inevitably result in a tired and drawn complexion. If your sleepless nights are not due to all-night clubbing sessions, try cutting out caffeine after 6pm, and have a hot bath containing a few drops of lavender essential oil, followed by a milky drink. Take a book to bed and read until you feel tired (nothing work-related though), and you should be in la-la land in no time at all...

Smoking
Chemicals in cigarette smoke can damage the appearance of the skin permanently. Tobacco smoke restricts blood vessels, reducing the amount of blood flowing to the skin, and therefore depleting it of oxygen and nutrients. Smoking also produces free radicals which trigger an inflammatory response throughout the body, ultimately ageing you faster - in general, people who smoke tend to look up to a third older than those of the same age who do not smoke. The habit also thins, dehydrates and reduces collagen levels in the skin, which is needed for a plump, youthful look. Antioxidants are required, so step up intake of vitamins A, C and E, take nutritional supplements and apply products containing ingredients such as green and white tea and vitamins for an added boost. However, no amount of pills or products will guard against future damage, because every cigarette you smoke depletes the levels of vitamins and antioxidants in your body, so it's time to kick the habit for the sake of your looks and your health. Allen Carr's Easy way to Stop Smoking Clinics have a 90 per cent success rate, and take a unique approach by focusing on why we do smoke, instead of why we shouldn't smoke.

Alcohol
Ever suffered with a red, blotchy or spotty complexion the morning after a full-on night out? It's no wonder post-party skin often flares up, when you consider that a heavy drinking session puts the body's detoxification system into overdrive, and a direct strain on the liver, kidneys and skin, all of which have to suddenly deal with and filter out a huge amount of additional toxins. While you may or may not be regretting that last vodka shot of the evening, your body will be crying out for water, so work on rehydrating your skin both internally and externally by applying a hydrating or detoxifying face mask when you get in or the following morning, and downing a couple of pints of water, both of which should soon get you back on track.

 

THE SEVEN DANGEROUS ACTS

DON'T ACT THE 7 ACTIONS BELOW  AFTER YOU HAVE A MEAL   

Don't smoke- Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).                                             

Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr before meal.                                   

Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.           

Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted & blocked.   

Don't bathe - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease.  This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.      

Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99.. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.    

Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.   

RH negative

What is the Rh Factor?

Rh (Rhesus) is a protein. It is found on the surface of red blood cells in nearly 85 percent of the population. Individuals with this protein are said to be Rh positive. Individuals who do not have this protein are said to be Rh negative.

Expectant mothers are given a test to determine their Rh factor. If the mother is Rh negative, and the child is Rh positive, the mother and child are Rh incompatible. If a mother and child are Rh incompatible, the mother’s immune system may produce antibodies against her baby’s blood.

 

What Happens If I Am Rh Negative?

If you test Rh negative, your doctor will have you take a test which will detect if you have Rh antibodies. This test is generally performed around the 28th week of pregnancy.

 

If the antibody test is negative, expectant mothers are generally given an injection of Rh immunoglobulin. The Rh immunoglobulin is injected into a muscle. The injection will keep the mother from forming antibodies against her baby's blood. A dose of the Rh immunoglobulin is usually given after the birth of a Rh positive baby, as well.

 

If antibodies are detected in the test, you will be given further tests throughout your pregnancy to monitor the level of antibodies you are producing. Steps will be taken to protect your health, and the health of the baby, as needed.

 

In some situations, a blood test may need to be taken on the baby. Blood tests can be taken on a baby while he or she is still in the uterus. This blood is taken from the umbilical cord. Tests on the blood will alert physicians as to the baby’s health and if he or she is in need of a blood transfusion.

 

If you do have a high amount of antibodies in your blood and it is detected during your second (or later) pregnancy, you may have to undergo an amniocentesis. An amniocentesis is a procedure in which a small sample of amniotic fluid is drawn out of the uterus through a needle inserted in the abdomen. This is necessary to analyze the amniotic fluid for bilirubin. Bilirubin will be present in large amounts if the fetus is anemic due to the destruction of his or her red blood cells.

 

Symptoms of Rh Incompatibility

Some of the most common symptoms of Rh incompatibility are:

• Presence of excessive amniotic fluid surrounding the unborn infant
• Slowly or rapidly increasing jaundice
• Prolonged jaundice
• An infant that has floppy or decreased muscle tone
• Delayed motor and mental development

 

Rh Negative Complications?

Possible complications include neurological syndrome with mental deficiency, movement disorder, hearing loss, speech disorder, and seizures. However, complications are becoming rare since the introduction of Rh immunoglobulin. This is one reason why it is important to seek early prenatal care.

 

If you're not sure what your Rh factor is and think you are pregnant, it's important to start regular prenatal care as soon as possible. With early detection and treatment of Rh incompatibility, the risk of complications will decrease. Women who are Rh negative will probably need an injection of Rh immunoglobulin even after a miscarriage or an abortion.

 

THE PROGRAMMING IN GENES

THE PROGRAMMING IN GENES

From what thing did He create him? From a drop of sperm He created him and proportioned him. Then He eases the way for him. (Qur'an, 80:18-20)

The word "qaddarahu," translated as "proportioned" in the above verse, comes from the Arabic verb "qadare." It translates as "arranging, setting out, planning, programming, seeing the future, the writing of everything in destiny (by Allah)."

 

When the father's sperm cell fertilises the mother's egg, the parents' genes combine to determine all of the baby's physical characteristics. Each one of these thousands of genes has a specific function. It is the genes which determine the colour of the eyes and hair, height, facial features, skeletal shape and the countless details in the internal organs, brain, nerves and muscles.

 

In addition to all the physical characteristics, thousands of different processes taking place in the cells and body-and indeed the control of the whole system-are recorded in the genes. For example, whether a person's blood pressure is generally high, low or normal depends on the information in his or her genes.

 

The first cell which forms when the sperm and the egg are joined also forms the first copy of the DNA molecule which will carry the code in every cell of the person's body, right up until death. DNA is a molecule of considerable size. It is carefully protected within the nucleus of the cell and this molecule is an information bank of the human body as it contains the genes we mentioned above.

 

The first cell, the fertilised egg, then divides and multiplies in the light of the program recorded in the DNA. The tissues and organs begin to form: This is the beginning of a human being. The coordination of this complex structuring is brought about by the DNA molecule. This is a molecule consisting of atoms such as carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen.

 

The information capacity recorded in DNA is of a size which astonishes scientists. There is enough information in a single human DNA molecule to fill a million encyclopaedia pages or 1,000 volumes. To put it another way, the nucleus of a cell contains information, equivalent to that in a 1 million-page encyclopaedia. I

 

t serves to control all the functions of the human body. To make a comparison, the 23-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, one of the largest encyclopaedias in the world, contains a total of 25,000 pages. Yet a single molecule in the nucleus of a cell, and which is so much smaller than that cell, contains a store of information 40 times larger than the world's largest encyclopaedias.

 

That means that what we have here is a 1,000-volume encyclopaedia, the like of which exists nowhere else on Earth. This is a miracle of design and creation within our very own bodies, for which evolutionists and materialists have no answer.

 

Bearing in mind that the structure of DNA was unravelled by Francis Crick in 1953, it is truly amazing that the Qur'an pointed to the concept of "genetic planning" in an age when, as we have mentioned previously, mankind's knowledge was very limited. Geneticists were unable to discuss until the end of the 19th century and these remarkable facts act again as proofs that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah.

 

 

THE MENSTRUAL PERIOD

The menstrual period is when the unfertilised egg is expelled from the body. Since fertilisation has not taken place, the walls of the previously readied womb contract and the egg is expelled with the breaking of tiny blood vessels. Following that, the body will then begin preparations to repeat the whole process all over again.

All of these stages are repeated in all women over a specific period. Every month, new egg cells form, the same hormones are secreted-again and again at the same times. Thus the female body is prepared as if it will be fertilised. However, in the final stage, the absence or presence of the sperm changes the nature of the preparations in the body.

During the period in question, the changes in the empty space in the womb can only be identified by an anatomical or gynaecological examination. Yet these changes, only recently identified by scientists, are miraculously indicated in Surat ar-Ra'd:

Allah knows what every female bears and every shrinking of the womb and every swelling. Everything has its measure with Him. (Qur'an, 13:8)

At the beginning of the menstrual period, the mucous on the walls of the womb (the endometrium layer) is 0.5 mm thick. Under the effect of hormones secreted by the egg, this layer grows and reaches a thickness of 5-6 mm. This layer is then discarded in the absence of fertilisation. As we see from the above verse, this monthly increase and reduction in the walls of the womb is indicated in the Qur'an.

 

Natural Weight-Loss Foods: Mushrooms

When you're trying to lose weight, calories are the name of the game. And mushrooms provide a big blast of deliciousness for very few calories. When watching your weight, it's important to take out the fat, not the flavor.

Mushrooms are standard fare in Asian cultures, and Americans are learning to appreciate them for their texture and flavor. They are low in fat and sodium, and they contain a super-powerful flavor enhancer called glutamic acid, the same amino acid (a building block of protein) found in MSG (monosodium glutamate). Besides lending wonderful flavor to foods, mushrooms contribute more nutrition than you might think.

Health Benefits

Mushrooms provide an unusual array of nutrients, not unlike those in meat, making them a particularly appropriate food for vegetarians. Cooked mushrooms are an unexpected protein source, which, even though incomplete, is easily complemented by grains. They also shine in iron, riboflavin, and niacin; offer decent amounts of potassium, selenium, copper, and zinc; and they are full of fiber.

Nutritional Values Button Mushrooms: Fresh, Cooked Serving Size: 1/2 cup pieces Calories: 21 Fat: 0 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 4 g Protein: 2 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g Sodium: 2 mg Riboflavin: <1 mg Niacin: 4 mg Iron: 1 mg Potassium: 277 mg Zinc: 1 mg Selenium: 9 mcg

Selenium is helpful for the body's glutathione peroxidase, which is a potent antioxidant. Another powerful antioxidant, a phytochemical called L-ergothioneine, is plentiful in portabella and crimini mushrooms (crimini are a common, brownish variety of button mushrooms) and is not destroyed by cooking.

When possible, stick to cooked mushrooms. They're higher in nutrients than raw mushrooms; for the same volume, you get two, three, or even four times the nutrients. That's because cooking removes water from mushrooms, concentrating nutrients and flavor. Moreover, hydrazines, which are toxic natural compounds in raw mushrooms, are eliminated when mushrooms are cooked or dried.

Some researchers have found that cooked enoki, oyster, shiitake, pine, and straw mushrooms, as well as the more popular button mushrooms, have antitumor activity. Wood-ear mushrooms exhibit blood-thinning properties that may help prevent the dangerous clotting that contributes to heart disease.

Selection and Storage

All supermarkets stock the white button mushroom, and many have expanded their selection to include the popular shiitake; trumpet-shaped chanterelle; sprout-like enoki; small, brown, intensely-flavored, spongy-capped morel; huge oyster; hearty-flavored portobello; and crunchy, often dried, Chinese wood-ear.

When selecting button mushrooms, look for those with caps that extend completely down to the stems, with no brown "gills" showing. If mushrooms have "opened," meaning the gills are showing, they are older and won't last as long. They are perfectly acceptable to use, but they'll have a stronger flavor. The color should be creamy white or soft tan. Avoid those that have dark-brown soft spots or long, woody stems. Growers used to add sulfites to the packages to maintain their white color for longer periods of time, but this practice was discontinued, which is good news for those who are allergic to these additives. Mushrooms like cool, humid, circulating air. So store them in a paper bag or ventilated container in your refrigerator, but not in the crisper drawer. Do not store them in a plastic bag; otherwise they'll get slimy. Mushrooms only last a couple of days, but you can still use them for flavoring even after they've turned brown.

A caution: Picking wild mushrooms can be hazardous to your health. There are too many poisonous varieties that fool even the most experienced foragers. So play it safe and stick to cultivated varieties of wild mushrooms.

Liver damage.....don't always sleep late

 

Take note...don't always sleep late!!




Good rest and sound sleep is very
Important... if u don't sleep well,
The toxic in your body will accumulate..
Affecting your health and your mood...


The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are the main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil.. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our body to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'


Because: Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (de-toxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on her health.


Evening at 11pm - 1am : The de-toxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3am : de-toxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 3 - 5am : de-toxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the de-toxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am : de-toxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.


Morning 7 - 9am : Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 -10am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.

Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.

 

How to lower blood pressure using a natural treatment :

More often than not, stress is a contributory factor to high blood pressure. When we feel relaxed, so is everything actually in our body, including our blood vessels. As we have seen, it's the constriction and restriction of the blood vessels which causes high blood pressure so anything which causes these to dilate or relax is beneficial.

Here are some alternative ways to treat high blood pressure using Herbs, Aromatherapy and Yoga.

1. Herbs :
A) Lemon balm - (melissa officinalis) :

This is a green leafy herb, similar in   appearance to mint and almost as easy to grow. The herb is so-called because it's leaves have a lemony scent. It is known for it's calming and relaxing effects, and has a strengthening effect on the muscles.
It was introduced to Britain in 4th C by the Romans and is also good for digestion, abdominal cramps, stress and nerves. The essential oil is good as an insect repellent but, as with all essential oils, should never be taken internally.
Lemon balm leaves are wonderful in salads or used as marinade for chicken and fish.
This herb should not be used by pregnant women because it relaxes the cervical muscles.

B) Stinging Nettles :

 Stinging nettles have been useful in the treatment of arthritis and are full of vitamin C. They stimulate and cleanse the body and improve heart function.
Believe it or not, they actually make good tea. Pick the top fresh shoots from the plant and follow the instructions on the left to make herbal tea.

C) Hawthorne:

Hawthorne relaxes muscles, stimulates heart metabolism and strengthens heart contractions. It also causes the blood vessels to dilate and improves blood supply to the heart. Hawthorne can be found in English hedgerows and was believed to have magical properties in pagan times. It is usually the berries that are used medicinally.
You should never take Hawthorne without the advice of your GP AND a herbalist. To find a herbalist look at the useful contact listing at the bottom of this article.

Other Useful Herbs:

Fennel, black pepper, ginger, oregano, basil, tarragon and hyssop all contain compounds which can help to lower blood pressure. Fennel and ginger also make delicious herbal teas and combine well with lemon balm.

2. Aromatherapy :
Aromatherapy oils are easy and safe alternatives if they are used correctly. They should never be taken internally or applied neat on the skin, except in the case of lavender and tea tree oil. You can either burn 5-8 drops in an oil burner or make your own massage oil by diluting 5-10 drops in 10ml of almond oil.
Choose oils that have relaxing and calming properties. Try rose, ylang ylang, marjoram, lavender, cypress, chamomille, clary sage and rosewood.

 

3. Yoga :

Yoga can also help to reduce high blood pressure because it stretches, elongates and massages the blood vessels which improves circulation and encourages the blood vessels to remain soft. Stress can also increase blood pressure and yoga, with it's relaxing principles can help combat that. It is worth noting that yoga is also a weight bearing exercises because some of the poses require you to hold up your own body weight. Weight bearing exercise can help to prevent osteoporosis, a disease which affects one third of women and two thirds of men over the age of 50.
Remember that all these are only a few from the natural ways to lower blood pressure. Many other useful information will be published in further articles regarding lowering blood pressure using a natural treatment.

 

Natural Weight-Loss Food: Grapefruit

No, grapefruit is not a calorie-free fruit, as some diets would have you believe. Despite its reputation as a "fat-burner," grapefruit has no special ability to burn away excess fat. But it is low in calories, and its soluble fiber content is decent enough to fill you up, discouraging you from overeating.

So yes, grapefruit can help you lose weight, just not as easily as some would say. And it's nutritious, to boot. Grapefruit is a tart-tasting fruit not everyone enjoys. But for those who do, grapefruit offers a lot of nutrition for few calories.

Health Benefits

Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. Pink and red grapefruit are good sources of disease-fighting beta-carotene. If you peel and eat a grapefruit like you would an orange, you get a good dose of cholesterol-lowering pectin from the membranes -- the same soluble fiber that fills you up by dissolving in water and creating gels. As a member of the citrus family, grapefruit is also a storehouse of powerful phytochemicals such as flavonoids, terpenes, and limonoids. These naturally occurring substances may have cancer-preventing properties.

Nutritional Values Grapefruit, Pink or Red Serving Size: 1/2 fruit Calories: 52 Fat: <1 g Saturated: Fat 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 13 g Protein: 1 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g Sodium: 0 mg Vitamin A: 1,414 IU Niacin: <1 mg Vitamin C: 38 mg Potassium: 166 mg Carotenoids: 2,589 mcg

Pink grapefruit contain a carotenoid called lycopene. Lycopene helps protect cell membranes and may suppress tumor growth, especially prostate tumors.

Selection and Storage

Grapefruit isn't picked unless it's fully ripe, making selection a no-brainer. However, choose ones that are heavy for their size; they're juiciest. And avoid those that are soft or mushy, or oblong rather than round. They are generally of poorer quality -- possibly pithy and less sweet. The difference in taste among white, red, and pink varieties of grapefruit is minimal; they are equally sweet (and equally tart). Store grapefruit in your refrigerator's crisper drawer; they'll keep for up to two months.

4 Top Natural Beauty Tips:

Women all over the world spend millions of dollars on gels, creams, powders, and lotions all in the attempt to maintain or enhance their skin and beauty. Beauty is a universal theme that has been around since the beginning of time and all civilizations have had a natural beauty tip or two. Modern western cultures have taken the idea of beauty to extreme by resorting to plastic surgery, liposuction, injections, and other medically invasive treatments to gain a sense of enhanced beauty. There is no need to spend thousands dollars or resort to surgery, our 4 top natural beauty tips are freely available in this article for everyone.

 

First, natural beauty tip is to drink enough water every day. Drinking eight to ten glasses of water will solve many problems that you may be purchasing creams for. Drinking enough water will hydrate your skin and rid your body of the toxins and chemicals that are damaging your skin and hair. Flush the toxins out and hydrate your body with at least eight glasses and your beauty regime will improve greatly.

 

The second natural beauty tip is to eat fruits and vegetables daily. Fruits and vegetables contain the vitamins and minerals our body needs. When out bodies are fueled with the necessary vitamins and minerals many skin and hair problems disappear. Also, many fruits and vegetables such as carrot, oranges, cucumbers, and apples are known to be good rejuvenators for skin, hair, and nails.

 

Regular exercise is the third natural beauty tip that everyone should know. Regular exercise pumps oxygen to our cells, which in conjunction with water, helps to rid our bodies of those nasty toxins. Exercise does not need to be hours in the gym a walk around the block on a consistent basis will do wonders for your skin and body. Exercise also helps our bodies become more adept at digesting food which will allow the vitamin and minerals from the fruits and vegetables be absorbed into our bodies easier. Regular exercise also helps increase your energy level and sometimes can lift your mood. When you are happy and awake, you can look younger and feel younger. Isn't that what all the beauty products people buy are for? To create a younger you!

 

Finally and most importantly, do not discount the power of a positive attitude toward your beauty regime as well. Happy people are considered more beautiful in western society and having a positive attitude is the fourth natural beauty tip. Having a good attitude has been proven to lengthen your life span and boost your immune system, when we feel good we look good as well.

 

Natural beauty tips are really everywhere. There is no need to resort to a thousand dollar an ounce cream to achieve the same results you can get from eating right and exercise. Beauty really starts from within and following our 4 natural beauty tips can save you money.

 

Understanding miscarriage

What is a miscarriage?

Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy in the first 20 weeks. About 15 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, and more than 80 percent of these losses happen before 12 weeks. This doesn't include situations in which you lose a fertilized egg before you get a positive pregnancy test. Studies have found that 30 to 50 percent of fertilized eggs are lost before a woman finds out she's pregnant, because they happen so early that she goes on to get her period about on time. If you lose a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy, it's called a stillbirth.

What causes a miscarriage?

Between 50 and 70 percent of first trimester miscarriages are thought to be random events caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilized egg. Most often, this means that the egg or sperm had the wrong number of chromosomes, and as a result, the fertilized egg can't develop normally.

In other cases, a miscarriage is caused by problems that occur during the delicate process of early development — for example, when an egg doesn't implant properly in the uterus or an embryo has structural defects that don't allow it to continue developing. Since most healthcare practitioners won't do a full-scale workup after a single miscarriage, it's usually impossible to tell why the pregnancy was lost. And even when a detailed evaluation is performed — say after you've had two or three consecutive miscarriages — the cause still remains unknown in about half of cases.

When the fertilized egg has chromosomal problems, you may end up with what's sometimes called a blighted ovum (now usually referred to in medical circles as an early pregnancy failure). In this case, the fertilized egg implants in the uterus and the placenta and gestational sac begin to develop, but the resulting embryo either stops developing very early or doesn't form at all. Because the placenta begins to secrete hormones, you'll get a positive pregnancy test and may have early pregnancy symptoms, but an ultrasound will show an empty gestational sac. In other cases, the embryo does develop for a little while but has abnormalities that make survival impossible, and development stops before the heart starts beating.

Once your baby has a heartbeat — usually visible on ultrasound at around 6 weeks — your odds of having a miscarriage drop significantly.

What kinds of things might put me at a higher risk for miscarriage?

Though any woman can miscarry, some are more likely to miscarry than others. Here are the most common risk factors:

• Age: Older women are more likely to conceive babies with chromosomal abnormalities, and to miscarry them as a result. In fact, 40-year-olds are about twice as likely to miscarry as 20-year-olds.

• A history of miscarriages: Women who have had two or more miscarriages in a row are more likely than other women to miscarry again.

• Certain chronic diseases or disorders: Poorly controlled diabetes, certain inherited blood clotting disorders, certain autoimmune disorders (such as antiphosphilipid syndrome or lupus), and certain hormonal disorders (such as polycystic ovary syndrome).

• Uterine or cervical problems: Having certain uterine abnormalities or a weak or abnormally short cervix (known as cervical insufficiency).

• A history of birth defects or genetic problems: Having had a child with a birth defect, or a family history (or a partner with a family history) of genetic problems.

• Certain infections: Research has shown a somewhat higher risk for miscarriage if you have listeria, mumps, rubella, measles, cytomegalovirus, parvovirus, gonorrhea, HIV, and certain other infections.

• Smoking, drinking, and using drugs: Smoking a lot, drinking too much alcohol, and using drugs like cocaine and ecstasy during pregnancy can all increase your risk for miscarriage. And some studies show an association between drinking four or more cups of coffee a day and a higher risk of miscarriage.

• Taking certain medications: Some medications have been linked to increased risk of miscarriage, so it's important to ask your caregiver about the safety of any medications you're taking even while you're trying to conceive. This goes for prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and aspirin.

• Exposure to environmental toxins: Environmental factors that might increase your risk include lead; arsenic; some chemicals, like formaldehyde, benzene, and ethylene oxide; and large doses of radiation or anesthetic gases.

• Paternal factors: Little is known about how the father's condition may contribute to a couple's risk for miscarriage, though the risk increases with the father's age. Researchers are studying the extent to which sperm could be damaged by environmental toxins but still manage to fertilize an egg. Some studies have found a greater risk of miscarriage when the father has been exposed to mercury, lead, and some industrial chemicals and pesticides.

Your risk of miscarriage also rises with each child you bear and if you get pregnant within three months after giving birth.

What are the signs that I might be having a miscarriage?

Vaginal spotting or bleeding is usually the first sign of miscarriage. Keep in mind, though, that up to 1 in 4 pregnant women have some bleeding or spotting (finding spots of blood on your underpants or toilet tissue) in early pregnancy, and half of these pregnancies don't end in miscarriage.

You may also have abdominal pain, which usually begins after you first have some bleeding. It may feel crampy or persistent, mild or sharp, or may feel more like low back pain or pelvic pressure. If you have both bleeding and pain, the chances of your pregnancy continuing are much lower.

It's very important to be aware that vaginal bleeding, spotting, or pain in early pregnancy can also signal an ectopic or a molar pregnancy. If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor or midwife right away so she can determine whether you have a potential problem that needs to be dealt with immediately. Also, if your blood is Rh-negative, you may need a shot of Rh immune globulin within two or three days after you first notice bleeding, unless the baby's father is Rh-negative as well.

Some miscarriages are first suspected during a routine prenatal visit, when the doctor or midwife can't hear the baby's heartbeat or notices that your uterus isn't growing as it should be. (Often the embryo or fetus stops developing a few weeks before you have symptoms, like bleeding or cramping.) If your practitioner suspects that you've had a miscarriage, she'll order an ultrasound to see what's going on in your uterus and possibly do a blood test.

What should I do if I suspect I'm about to miscarry?

Call your doctor or midwife immediately if you ever notice unusual symptoms such as bleeding or cramping during pregnancy. Your practitioner will examine you to see if the bleeding is coming from your cervix and check your uterus. She may also do a blood test to check for the pregnancy hormone hCG and repeat it in two to three days to see if your levels are rising as they should be.

If you're having bleeding or cramping and your practitioner has even the slightest suspicion that you have an ectopic pregnancy, you'll have an ultrasound right away. If there's no sign of a problem but you continue to spot, you'll have another ultrasound at about 7 weeks.

At this point, if the sonographer sees an embryo with a heartbeat, you have a viable pregnancy and your risk of miscarrying is now much lower, but you'll need to have another ultrasound later if you continue to bleed. If the sonographer sees an embryo of a certain size but no heartbeat, that means the embryo didn't survive.

If the sac or the embryo is smaller than expected, though, it might just be that your dates are off and you're not as far along as you thought. Depending on the circumstances, you may need a repeat ultrasound within one to two weeks and some blood tests before your caregiver can make a final diagnosis.

If you're in your second trimester and an ultrasound shows your cervix is shortening or opening, your doctor may decide to perform a procedure called a cerclage, in which she stitches your cervix closed in an attempt to prevent miscarriage or premature delivery. (This is assuming your baby appears normal on the ultrasound and you have no signs of an intrauterine infection.) Cerclage isn't without risk, and not everyone agrees on what might make you a good candidate for it.

If you're showing signs of a possible miscarriage, your doctor or midwife may prescribe bedrest in hopes of reducing your chances of miscarrying — but there's no evidence that bedrest will help. She may also suggest you not have sex while you're having bleeding or cramping. Sex doesn't cause miscarriage, but it's a good idea to abstain if you're having these symptoms.

You may have light bleeding and cramping for a few weeks. You can wear sanitary pads but no tampons during this time and take acetaminophen for the pain. If you are miscarrying, the bleeding and cramping will likely get worse shortly before you pass the "products of conception" — that is, the placenta and the embryonic or fetal tissue, which will look grayish and may include blood clots.

If you can, save this tissue in a clean container because your caregiver may want to examine it or send it to a lab for testing to try to find out why you miscarried. In any case, she'll want to see you again at this point, so call her to let her know what's happened.

What should I do if my practitioner tells me I've lost the pregnancy but I still haven't passed the tissue?

There are different ways of handling this, and it's a good idea to discuss the pros and cons of each with your caregiver. If there's no threat to your health, you may choose to let the miscarriage happen on its own timeline. (More than half of women spontaneously miscarry within a week of finding out that the pregnancy is no longer viable.) Or you may decide to wait a certain amount of time to see if it happens before having a procedure to remove the tissue.

In some cases, you can use medication to speed up the miscarriage process, although there may be side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you choose to wait or take medication to try to speed up the process, there's a chance you'll end up needing to have the tissue surgically removed anyway.

On the other hand, if you find that it's too emotionally trying or physically painful to wait for it to pass, you may decide to just have the tissue removed. This is done by suction curettage or dilation and curettage (D&C). You'll definitely need to have the tissue removed right away if you have any problems, such as significant bleeding or signs of infection, that make it unsafe to wait for a miscarriage. And your practitioner may recommend the procedure if this is your second or third miscarriage in a row, so that they can test the tissue for a genetic cause.

What is the curettage procedure like?

The procedure doesn't usually require an overnight stay unless you have complications. As with any surgery, you'll need to arrive with an empty stomach — no food or drink since the night before.

Most obstetricians prefer to use suction curettage (or vacuum aspiration), because it's thought to be slightly quicker and safer than a traditional D&C, though some will use a combination of the two procedures. For either procedure, the doctor will insert a speculum into your vagina, clean your cervix and vagina with an antiseptic solution, and dilate your cervix with narrow metal rods (unless your cervix is already dilated from having passed some tissue). In most cases, you'll be given sedation through an IV and a local anesthetic to numb your cervix.

For a suction curettage, the doctor will pass a hollow plastic tube through your cervix and suction out the tissue from your uterus. For a traditional D&C, she uses a spoon-shaped instrument called a curette to gently scrape the tissue from the walls of your uterus. The whole thing may take about 15 to 20 minutes, though the tissue removal itself takes less than ten minutes. Finally, if your blood is Rh-negative, you'll need a shot of Rh immune globulin unless the baby's father is Rh-negative, too.

What happens after a miscarriage?

Whether you miscarry on your own or have the tissue removed, you'll have mild menstrual-like cramps afterward for up to a day or so and light bleeding for a week or two. Use pads instead of tampons and take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for the cramps. Avoid sex, swimming, douching, and using vaginal medications for at least a week or two and until your bleeding stops.

If you begin to bleed heavily (soaking a sanitary pad in an hour), have any signs of infection (such as fever, achiness, or foul-smelling vaginal discharge), or feel excessive pain, call your practitioner immediately or go to the emergency room. If your bleeding is heavy and you begin to feel weak, dizzy, or lightheaded, you may be going into shock. In this case, call 911 right away — don't wait to hear from your caregiver, and don't drive yourself to the ER.

Does having one miscarriage mean I'm likely to miscarry again?

No. Although you're likely to be worried about the possibility of another miscarriage, fertility experts don't consider a single early pregnancy loss to be a sign that there's anything wrong with you or your partner.

Some practitioners will order special blood and genetic tests to try to find out what's going wrong after two miscarriages in a row, particularly if you're 35 or older or have certain medical conditions. Others will wait until you've had three consecutive losses. In certain situations, such as if you had a second trimester miscarriage or an early third trimester premature birth from a weakened cervix, you might be referred to a high-risk specialist after a single loss so she can carefully manage your pregnancy.

When can I try to conceive again?

You may have to wait a bit. Whether you miscarry spontaneously or have the tissue removed, you'll generally get your period again in four to six weeks.

Some practitioners say you can start trying to conceive again after this period, but others recommend that you wait until you've been through another menstrual cycle so that you have more time to recover physically and emotionally. (You'll need to use birth control to prevent conception during this time, because you may ovulate as early as two weeks after you miscarry.)

I can't seem to get over having miscarried. How can I cope?

Though you may be ready physically to get pregnant again, you may not feel ready emotionally. Every woman copes with the grief of early pregnancy loss in her own way.

Some cope best by turning their attention toward trying for a new pregnancy as soon as possible. Others find that months or more go by before they're interested in trying to conceive again. Take time to examine your feelings, and do what feels right for you and your partner. Ask your caregiver where to get counseling or find support groups, if you think that would be helpful. You can also find support on our bulletin board Trying After a Miscarriage.

Health Alert !!!

 

How to avoid: Check on the bottom of the bottle there is a triangle sign and there will  be a number on it. If the number is higher than or equal to 5 --> then this bottle is safe to use. Whatever number under 5, will release the chemical. For most bottle water, the number is 1. Did you know chemical released by plastic water bottles can cause cancer (It is not the water that affecting you but the chemical releasing from the bottle)

 

What is Glucose?

What is Glucose?                  

Glucose is a form of simple sugar, which is a carbohydrate. Our cells need it for energy. Glucose is important for cellular respiration. Chemically, glucose is made up of six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms, and six oxygen atoms.. Naturally, glucose can be found in plants and is one of the products needed for photosynthesis. Glucose is found in fungi and starchy plants. Animals synthesize glucose in the liver and kidneys. Commercially, glucose is found in food products such as corn, rice, wheat products, and potatoes.

What does glucose do?

Glucose is an energy source for the body. It is the main source of energy for the brain, and when glucose levels are low, person's mental abilities may be impaired. We get most of our glucose from sugar and starchy foods. Our bodies break down these foods and convert them into glucose.

What happens if I consume too little glucose?

People who consume too little glucose (usually by not eating enough food in general) become hyperglycemic. This results in low energy levels and can lead to fainting.

What happens if I consume too much glucose?

Since glucose is distributed through our bodies by our bloodstreams, where it meets and reacts with insulin, ingesting too much glucose will overwhelm the body. When the body's glucose level is too high, the body becomes hyperglycemic which means you have too much sugar and too little insulin. Hypoglycemia and diabetes are disorders that that result when the body cannot regulate glucose and/ or insulin levels, and can happen after years of consuming too much glucose.

How does too much glucose lead to weight gain?

The body converts excess glucose into fat and stores it in the body. Some foods convert to glucose quicker than others convert and are more readily stored as fat. These foods are known as ‘bad carbs' and are usually processed such as white rice, enriched pasta and breads, and most baked desserts.

Will lowering the amount glucose I consume help me to lose weight?

While lowering your glucose (or carbohydrate) levels will help you to lose weight, and probably lose it quickly (Atkins Diet), such a diet is almost impossible to maintain over the long run. It is wiser to consume fewer foods that will quickly convert to glucose such as sugars, and processed grains. Whole grain foods and most vegetables should be eaten regularly along with sources of proteins and fats for a balanced diet.

 

Take note...don't always sleep late !!

Good rest and sound sleep is very
Important... if u don't sleep well,
The toxic in your body will accumulate..
Affecting your health and your mood... 

  The main causes of liver damage are:

1.

Sleeping too late and waking up too late are the main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.

3. Too much eating.

4. Skipping breakfast.

5. Consuming too much medication.

6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food

coloring, and artificial sweetener.

7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.

8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our body to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'


Because: Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (de-toxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on her health.


Evening at 11pm - 1am : The de-toxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3am : de-toxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 3 - 5am : de-toxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the de-toxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am : de-toxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.


Morning 7 - 9am : Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 -10am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.

 

Blood glucose test

Why is a blood sugar test done?

Diabetes mellitus is diagnosed based on a high level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Blood sugar test, done fasting and 2 hours after breakfast, is used for the diagnosis of diabetes.

How is the test done?

Fasting blood glucose: In this test, a person is asked to fast overnight, at least 8 hours, and the level of glucose in the blood is then checked. Post prandial (PP) blood glucose: This is tested two hours after having a meal. It serves as a challenge for the body to regulate the blood sugar after a meal. Random blood sugar or glucose test is that which is done at any other time. The blood glucose can also be tested after giving 75 gm glucose by mouth (glucose challenge test). This is useful for detecting borderline diabetes and a condition called "impaired glucose tolerance". Blood glucose tests are also needed for checking the control in diabetes.

What are the normal values?

Normal fasting plasma glucose levels are less than 110 mg/dl. Normal PP plasma glucose levels are less than 140 mg/dl.

What are the abnormal values?

A fasting plasma glucose level of more than 126 mg/dl indicates diabetes mellitus. A level between 110-125 mg/ dl is called "impaired fasting glucose". A PP or random plasma glucose level of more than 200 mg/dl indicates diabetes mellitus. A level between 140-199 mg/ dl is called "impaired glucose tolerance". A blood sugar exceeding the level of 200 mg/dl or higher generally indicates the presence of diabetes.

What is the role of insulin?

The body breaks down food into glucose (sugar) and uses it as a source of energy. Insulin helps the cells of the body to utilize this glucose for energy, and to store the excess in the liver for later use. Thus insulin regulates the blood glucose (sugar) levels. In diabetics, the body does not produce enough insulin or does not use the produced insulin effectively. This results in a high level of glucose in the blood ("hyperglycemia").

Home Remedy for Pink Eye

Pink eye, also called conjunctivitis, is a common problems caused by several different factors. Pink eye may occur due to of stress, chemical, air pollution and bacteria or viral infection. Pink eye are infected by bacteria are very easy to spread in public, infectious patient should wear sun glasses to protect your eyes. Some of pink eye symptoms are following:

• Feeling that there is something in your eye
• Itchiness, irritation or swollen eyelids in the eye and eyelids
• A slight stinging pain and water discharge
• Sensitivity to light
• Frequent eye lid flanking and blurring vision.

The most affected home remedy for pink eye

• Eye baths are a most common home remedy for pink eye. Your eye are very importance, you have to take good care of them. Before touch your eye make sure wash your hand well, and using fresh eye bath solution and fresh clean tools to apply it every time, since the bacteria that cause pink eye breeds quickly and are extremely contagious. Eye washes containing a teaspoon of baking soda to a cup of water (be sure that you using extremely clean water).
• Colloidal silver has been used as eye drops with the properties of natural antibiotic for over a century.
• Brewing the tea bag, let it cool, and then put over your eye. Tea can help to fight off infection and reduce inflammation.
• Using a few drops of chamomile, lavender, or rose oil on a warm cloth and apply the cloth to the eyes until it cools. This is good home remedy for pink eye.
• One drop of Castor oil three times per day in the eye. This used as eye drops.
• Consuming cucumber, tofu, eggs, clams, and water chestnuts. These foods have many benefits for your eyes.
• Make sure using warm moisture cloth for watering of eyes discharge.
• Over counter medicines such as eye drops are affected.

Using honey as eye drops. Honey has properties for anti-bacterial

WHERE DO YOU KEEP YOUR CELLPHONE??

WHERE DO YOU KEEP YOUR  CELLPHONE?

 

            At the rate we are going, we might have to live life like in the stone age to survive all the ills of modern technology.

Pls read!

  

            Where do you keep your Cellphone normally?

            This morning I heard a true and sad story from a  colleague of mine. She told  me one of her friends is always having abortions, against what she believes in but has no choice.

            When the foetus gets to be 2-3 months old she loses it. This happened several times over. The couple went to check with many doctors and at last one of The doctors examined the dead baby and found that the baby's body cells kept dying as the baby was growing in the womb until he/she could not survive.This was because her uterus was affected by Cellphone Radiation.

            The doctor told her she now has no chance to give birth to a healthy baby because the radiation has affected her uterus so that the major portion of  the cells in her uterus have already died.

            This happened because she has been keeping her cellphone in her working jacket so that the phone rested against just the right spot of the uterus. She had been wearing it like this for a few years

            Please beware of this and take note if you don't want what has happened to this woman to happen to you.

            Dearest friends & family members,

            Please do not ignore cellphone radiation which will damage our health or body organs. Please put away your cellphone when ever you don't need it.

            Guys,  Please do not keep your cellphone near the kidney position and pants pocket as this will damage your genital area and affect your ability to father a baby.

            The other doctor also advised another friend to keep her cellphone away from her new born baby to avoid radiation damage to the baby's brain cells.

            Do not let the baby or toddler play with the cellphone.  This is because the small young baby or toddler is  still very fragile and growing, so he/she is much more vulnerable to radiation damage.

            Please remember not to sleep with your cellphone or put it next to your bed. Keep any  other electronic goods (such as

tvs) which also give off radiation away from your bedroom to reduce risk.

            Further, do not think that if you switch off the TV there will be no radiation. Actually it is still around in your room.  It is not advisable to have even a small digital alarm clock close to your head while sleeping.

            Take Care of yourself and your loved ones.

            Thank you

            Please pass this on to your friends and family.

            I would rather be careful than regret not knowing

 

Facts on Honey and Cinnamon:

It is found that mixture of Honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases.
Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world.
Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the
Right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients.
Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, on its issue dated 17
January has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by
Honey and Cinnamon as researched by western scientists.
HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on
Bread, chapatti, or other bread, instead of jelly and jam and eat it
Regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries
And saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who already had an
Attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from
The next attack
Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and
Strengthens the heartbeat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes
Have treated patients successfully and have found that as age the
Arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and
Cinnamon revitalizes the arteries and veins.
INSECT BITES : Take one part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and
Add a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder, make a paste and massage it
On the itching part of the body slowly. It is noticed that the pain
Recedes within
A minute or two.
ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one
Cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of
Cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be
Cured.  In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it
Was  found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of
One tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before
Breakfast, they found that within a week out of the 200 people so
Treated practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain and
Within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move
Around because of arthritis started walking without pain.
HAIR LOSS: Those suffering from hair loss or baldness, may apply a
Paste of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, one teaspoon of
Cinnamon powder before bath and keep it for approx. 15 min. And then
Wash the hair. It was found to be effective even if kept on for 5
Minutes.
BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one
Teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It
Destroys the germs in the bladder.
TOOTHACHE: Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five
Teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied
3 times a day till the tooth stops aching.
CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon
Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol
Patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by
10% within 2 hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken 3
Times a day, any Chronic cholesterol is cured. As per information
Received in the said journal, pure honey taken with food daily
Relieves complaints of cholesterol.
COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one
Tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for 3
Days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the
Sinuses
UPSET STOMACH : Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomachache
And also clears stomach ulcers from the root.
GAS: According to the studies done in India & Japan, it is revealed
That if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of
Gas.
IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the
Immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks.
Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large
amounts.
Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight
Bacteria and viral diseases.
INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey
Taken before food, relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.
INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a
Natural ingredient, which kills the influenza germs and saves the
Patient from flu.
LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken
regularly arrests the ravages of old age. Take 4 spoons of honey, 1
spoon of cinnamon powder and 3 cups of water and boil to make like
tea. Drink 1/4 cup, 3 to 4times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and
soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increases and even a 100
year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.
PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of Honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon
powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash
it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it
removes pimples from the root.
SKIN INFECTIONS : Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on
the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.
WEIGHT LOSS: Daily in the morning 1/2 hour before breakfast on an
empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon
powder boiled in one-cup water. If taken regularly it reduces the
weight of even the most obese person.  Also, drinking of this mixture
regularly does not allow the fat to  accumulate in the body even though
the person may eat a high calorie diet.
CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that
advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully.
Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one
tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month
3 times a day.
FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is
more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the
body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon power in equal
parts, are more alert and flexible.  Dr. Milton who has done research says
that a half tablespoon honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with
cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about
3.00 p.m. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the
vitality of the body within a week.
BAD BREATH: People of South America, first thing in the morning gargle
with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water. So
their breath stays fresh throughout the day.
HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder taken
in equal parts restore hearing.
CAN'T HURT TO TRY IT, IT MAY WORK. NO KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS. JUST MAKE
SURE YOU'RE NOT ALLERGIC TO HONEY--HONEY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ayurvedic Pulse Diagnosis

One of the important diagnostic techniques of the ancient science of Ayurveda is 'Nadi vijñan' or pulse diagnosis.

The first Ayurvedic classic to describe pulse examination is Saarangadhara Samhita (13th century AD.). Later works such as Bhavaprakasa (15th century AD.), Yogaratnakara (16th century AD.), Basavarajeeyam (17th century AD.) etc. deal extensively with the subject.

Pulse diagnosis is the ancient art and science of detecting the existing status of a person’s body, mind, soul and spirit. Nadi or pulse is that vital flow of energy or life that courses through as a subtle channel all over the body, and enables the vaidya to feel the way the blood spurts from the heart. To a skilled practitioner, taking your pulse is more than counting the beats. The functioning and health of the entire mind body constitution can be determined from the pulse, including the balance of the doshas, the health of the various organs, advance warning signs of potential problems that may crop up later etc. By detecting early symptoms of imbalance and disease reaction in the body, one can take preventive steps to correct the problem before it manifests into a major one.

Classical pulse exmination
Radial pulse is felt with the first three fingers, the index, middle and ring fingers. Pulse from both wrists are taken. To get an accurate pulse, the patient should be as close to his norm as possible. Taking pulse after strong exertion, after exposure to a severe environment etc. will give wrong indications.

The position of the index finger denotes the Vata dosha. When vata is strong in the constitution, the index finger will feel the pulse strongly. The pulse will be irregular and thin moving in waves like the motion of a serpent. This type of pulse is called a snake pulse.

The middle finger denotes the pulse corresponding to the Pitta dosha. When the person has a predominant pitta constitution, the pulse under the middle finger will be stronger. Ayurveda describes this pulse as "active, excited, and move like jumping of a frog." This pulse is called frog pulse.

When the throbbing of the pulse under the ring finger is most noticeable, it is a sign of Kapha constitution. The pulse feels strong and its movement resembles the floating of a swan. Hence, this pulse is called swan pulse.

Pulse Diagnosis
In Western diagnostics it is only the rate of the pulse that is taken. The rate is dependant on the dominance of the Doshas in Ayurveda. Vata is 80-90 beats per minute. Pitta is 70-80 bpm. Kapha is 60-70 bpm. The rhythm of the pulse can be irregular or regular. An irregular pulse has no distinguishable pattern. Its intensity and rhythm fluctuates wildly. Vata is irregular. A regular pulse in consistent, it pumps in the same rhythm and amplitude. Its crest and wave are even. Pitta is regularly irregular, meaning that if it skips a beat it always skips that beat, and thus the pattern repeats itself. The amplitude of the pulse is the force or strength with which the beat moves into the fingers. Pitta's intensity is high, Kapha's consistency is moderate, and Vata's variability is low. Overall the characteristics of each dosha are: Vata is feeble and light as it slithers into the fingers. Pitta bounds into the fingers strongly and clearly. Kapha slides into the fingers slow and cloudlike. These are elaborated on in the table below.

	VATA	PITTA	KAPHA
Characteristics	Fast, feeble, cold, light, thin, disappears on pressure	Prominent, strong, high amplitude, hot, forceful, lifts palpating finger	deep, slow, broad, wavy, thick, cool or warm, regular
Location	Index	Middle	Ring
Gati	Sarpa (Cobra)	Manduka (Frog)	Hamsa (Swimming Swan)
Vega (Rate)	80-95	70-80	50-60
Tala (Rhythm)	Irregular	Regular	Regular
Bala (Force)	Low +	High +++	Moderate ++
Akruti (Tension and Volume)	Low	High	Moderate
Tapamana (Temperature)	Cold	Hot	Warm to cool
Kathinya ( vessel wall)	Rough, hard	Elastic, flexible	Soft thickening

The qualities listed above are the "home" qualities of the pulse for that dosha. In other words, one would expect to feel the pulse jumping like a frog with the middle finger because that is the normal quality of the Pitta pulse. Vata would normally feel like a Cobra (snake) and Kapha like a smooth swan.

Under different conditions, these qualities can leave their home location and appear at the home of one of the other doshas. For example, the frog quality can move from Pitta (the middle finger) to Vata (the index finger) at times.

When the qualities of the pulse are not at home, it can indicate an imbalance in one's health.

Proficiency in pulse diagnosis is gained by long practice, alertness and guidance from the preceptor. Though learning to detect disease from the pulse is a skill belonging to the physician, you can also become familiar with your own pulse and glean fascinating insights into doshas. Once you have worked with your doshas you can easily attribute them to pre-mentioned qualities, signs, symptoms etc. of corresponding doshas in the classical texts. From this data-base, you can gain true intimacy with your own doshas.

 

Management of hypothyroidism in ayurveda

Thyroid gland is one of the most important and sensitive endocrine gland. As it easily responds to stress and stimuli the global incidence of hypothyroidism is increasing day by day. The major function of thyroid gland is to control the rate of metabolism. The principle function of thyroxine is to act as a catalyst –of the nature of a ''spark'' for the maintenance of oxidative metabolism in most tissues. Cells in the body take their "cue" from thyroxine.  The amount of stimulation the cells receive from thyroxine will determine how "quickly" they perform their functions. These functions similar with the description of agni “angati vyapnoti iti va agnihi” and “agnyate mreeyate iti va agnihi”.

Hypothyroidism results from inadequate production of thyroid hormone. Any structural or functional defects of thyroid gland that significantly impairs its output of hormones will lead to the hypo metabolic state of hypothyroidism.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism are notorious for their nonspecific nature and for the way in which they mimic many symptoms of other diseases. So it often remains undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Vertigo, weight gain, mood disturbances, easy fatigability, tiredness, lethargy, slowness of memory, intellect and thought, menstrual irregularities, cold intolerance, dry rough skin, thin brittle hair, hair fall, Muscle stiffness, aching, myalgias, cramps, weakness and fatigue, myxedema, constipation, hoarseness of voice, goiter etc

Galaganda

There is no direct mention of thyroid gland in ayurveda. But a disease by the name galaganda is mentioned in samhitas. The earliest description of neck swelling is found in atharva veda by the name apachi. Charaka first described about the disease under the 20 varieties of sleshma vikaras. Susutha has described that out of seven layers of the skin, the sixth layer Rohini is galaganda rogadhistana (Su.Sa.4/4). In nidana sthana he described galaganda as two encapsulated small or big swellings in the anterior angle of the neck, which hang like scrotum (Su.Ni.11), whereas charaka mentioned galaganda as solitary swelling (Ch.Ch.11).

The etiological factors in galaganda include climatic conditions, water supply, dietary conditions and other surroundings etc. Susrutha stated that rivers flowing towards east might give rise to the occurrence of galaganda. Bhela described that sleepda and galaganda are more common in prachya desa1 (eastern part) of the country, and the persons consuming predominantly fish are liable to develop galgaganda2. Harita3 samhitakara described the role of dustambu and krimi dosha in the precipitation of Galaganda. Kashyapa samhitakara added that any part of the country which is cold, damp, with densely grown long trees, water stagnation and heavy rains may be prone for the development of Galaganda4.

From the above descriptions Galaganda can be correlated with goiter or some tumour pathology, where thyroid functions may or may not be affected. But hypothyroidism is not just a localized disease. It has many symptoms related to many systems of the body. So it is better not to restrict hypothyroidism with galaganda.

Management of hypothyroidism:

As mentioned by charaka “vikaranamakusalo…”exact nomenclature is not necessary for all the diseases. It insists on diagnosis of constitutional status of the disease.

As per the nidana Hypothyroidism can be classified as
1.Primary (thyroid failure)
2. Secondary, (due to pituitary TSH deficit). And
3. Tertiary (due to hypothalamic deficiency of TRH)
the later two are rare and may not be amicable to ayurvedic treatments.

If hypothyroidism results due to Genetical and hereditary defects, these comes under adibala pravritta vyadhis and these are asadhya.

If hypothyroidism results due to Congenital defects like thyroid gland agenesis, dysgenesis, ectopic thyroid gland comes under Janmabala pravritta vyadhis. These are preventable if proper pathyapathya is followed during pregnancy.

The main cause of hypothyroidism is iodine deficiency, as per sarvadha sarva bahvanam-iodine containing drugs like shigru, jalakumbhi are advised here.
Another main cause autoimmune thyroid disease is characterized by gradual lymphatic infiltration and progressive destruction of the functional thyroid tissue. So it may be Yapya, means that the treatment should be continued Jeevanaparvantam with immuno modulatory drugs.

Selection of drugs acting at various levels:

• At hypothalamo pituitary level: anti stress drugs, medhya rasayana drugs, nasya karma may be beneficial.
• At thyroid gland level: thyroid stimulatory drugs are recommended here.
• At metabolism level: deepana, pacahana, ushna, teekshna, sukshma, lekhana drugs which pep-up body metabolism is recommended.
• Immuno-modulatory drugs for autoimmune related hypothyroidism.

As the symptoms of hypothyroidsm are notorious, the symptomatic treatment is followed according to the suitabily of the individual cases, i.e., sthoulya, sodha etc.

The recent research work done by Dr. Tripathi and others. Animal studies have revealed that guggul supports healthy thyroid function, mostly by increasing the conversion of less active Thyroxin (T4) to more active Triiodotyronine (T3) through increasing thyroid proteolytic activity and the uptake of iodine into thyroxin, and without increasing the production of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone.

Selenium is required for a number of enzymes known as selenoproteins. The chemical reaction, which converts thyroid hormone T4 into T3, is catalyzed by specific selenoproteins. Selenium deficiency can impair thyroid function. The drug pippali increases the absroption of selinium and this may be cause for the effectiveness of vardhamana pipppli in hypothyroid conditions.

The patient who has complications like heart diseases like bradycardia and cardiomagaly, myxedema coma, are Pratyakhyeya indicates Achikitsavastha of Vyadhi.

References:

1. "Sleepada galagandam cha prachysteshu drishyate."

2."Matsya anna bhojino nityam prachyaah syu kapha bittinah sleepdam galagandam cha prachya sastheshu drishyate."( Bhe. Sam).

3."Dustambu panaka…………krimijadosha ganasha gandat" (Ha. Sam).

4. Ka. Khi.25

5. Thesis (Clinical study on the effect of kanchanara guggulu and shigru patra kwath on hypothyroidism by Dr. V.Vijaya lakshmi prasuna, PG scholar; Dept of kaya chikitsa ,Dr. BRKR Govt ayurvedic college, Hyderabad.)

 

Constipation - Simple ways to cure

What is constipation?
Constipation is a common symptom where a person has difficulty passing faeces or unusually dry stool. In simple language it is irregular and infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels. Constipation is determined in the colon (large intestine), which is responsible for packaging and eliminating stool. As food moves through the colon, it absorbs water while forming stool. Muscle contractions (squeezing motions) in the colon push the stool toward the rectum (the lower 8 to 10 inches of the large intestine). By the time stool reaches the rectum, it is solid, because most of the water has been absorbed.

Age wise effect: Constipation is more common in children and older age, but can affect anyone. The reason for this is that children prefer junk foods and a diet low in fibre and elder people due to absence of teeth prefer soft foods which are again low in fibre due to which constipation occurs.

Economic status: The people who have high economic status are more likely to catch this problem because generally the don¡¦t have time to take their proper meals and take more junk food which in turn disturbs the digestive system and causes constipation.

Types:

• Common constipation - occasional constipation
• Chronic constipation
• Travel-related constipation
• Age-related constipation
• Pregnancy-related constipation
• Chronic idiopathic constipation
• Functional constipation

Causes:

• Diet: The most common cause of constipation is a diet low in fibre found in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and high in fats found in cheese, eggs, and meats. People who eat plenty of high-fibre foods are less likely to become constipated.
• Not enough liquids: Liquids like water and juice add fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making bowel movements softer and easier to pass. Other liquids, like coffee and soft drinks that contain caffeine seem to have a dehydrating effect.
• Lack of Exercise: Lack of exercise can also lead to constipation. For example, constipation often occurs after an accident or during an illness when one must stay in bed and cannot exercise.
• Medications: Pain medications (especially narcotics), antacids, antispasmodics, antidepressants, iron supplements, diuretics, and anticonvulsants for epilepsy can slow passage of bowel movements.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Some people with IBS, also known as spastic colon, have spasms in the colon that affect bowel movements. Constipation and diarrhoea often alternate, and abdominal cramping, gassiness, and bloating are other common complaints. Although IBS can produce lifelong symptoms, it is not a life-threatening condition. It often worsens with stress.
• Changes in Life or Routine: During pregnancy, women may be constipated because of hormonal changes or because the heavy uterus compresses the intestine. In addition, people often become constipated when travelling because their normal diet and daily routines are disrupted.
• Abuse of Laxatives: Laxatives usually are not necessary and can be habit- forming. The colon begins to rely on laxatives to bring on bowel movements. Over time, laxatives can damage nerve cells in the colon and interfere with the colon's natural ability to contract. For the same reason, regular use of enemas can also lead to a loss of normal bowel function.
• Ignoring the Urge to Have a Bowel Movement: People who ignore the urge to have a bowel movement may eventually stop feeling the urge, which can lead to constipation. Some people delay having a bowel movement because they do not want to use toilets outside the home. Others ignore the urge because of emotional stress or because they are too busy. Children may postpone having a bowel movement because of stressful toilet training or because they do not want to interrupt their play.
• Specific Diseases: Diseases that cause constipation include neurological disorders, metabolic and endocrine disorders, and systemic conditions that affect organ systems. These disorders can slow the movement of stool through the colon, rectum, or anus.

Symptoms:

• Difficult bowel movement
• Dry bowel movement
• Painful bowel movement
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss
• Feeling uncomfortable
• Feeling sluggish
• Diarrhoea - a blockage only allows liquid to pass
• Abdominal swelling
• Loss of appetite

Effects:

• Haemorrhoids
• Anal fissures
• Rectal prolapse
• Faecal incontinence
• Feeling sluggish
• Feeling uncomfortable
• Bloody stools

TREATMENT OF CONSTIPATION

A] Home Remedies:

• Ginger tea is a great home remedy for constipation. It helps in starting bowel movements.
• Exercise often a simple stroll in the park can relieve constipation.
• Guava when eaten with seeds provides roughage to diet can give relief from constipation.
• Add more fruits to the diet like pears, grapes, Orange juice & Papaya.
• Another natural remedy for constipation is to add a little extra sugar or some honey a glass of milk. Drink twice a day.
• Apply 3 ¡V 4 drops of lukewarm castor oil over the navel at night. In the morning, the patient will pass the stools.
• Soak 6-8 raisins in hot water. When cool, crush well and strain. When given routinely even to little infants, it helps to regulate bowel movement.
• Eat 2 apples with peel on an empty stomach.
• Dissolve 1 tablespoons of honey in 1 cup of lukewarm water and drink on an empty stomach in the morning.
• Drink carrot juice. It is a very tasty remedy, especially for kids.
• Eat chopped fresh onion.
• Eat 3 ¡V 4 teaspoons of Isabgol husk with warm water or warm milk at bed time

B] Ayurvedic Remedies:

• Take 3 -4 teaspoons of Abhyarishta with equal quantity of water twice a day after meals.
• Take 1 - 2 teaspoons of Panchasakar churna with lukewarm water.
• Take 1 - 2 teaspoons of Avipattikar Churna (powder) with water or milk twice a day.
• Take 1 tablet of Gandhak Vati with hot water after meals.
• Take 1 - 2 tablets of Virechani with warm water or milk at bed time.
• Take 1 - 2 tablets of Lashunadi Vati with warm water after meals.

C] Yoga asanas:

• Pawan mukta asana
• Vajra asana
• Yog mudra
• Dhanur asana

NOTE - Don't take any medication or do any asana without the advice of the doctor.

HEART BLOCK

 

Dear All,
 
Natural therapy for heart vein opening
 
Please pass it to your colleagues or friends.
 
For Heart Vein opening  
 
1)                  Lemon juice         01 cup
2)                  Ginger juice         01 cup
3)                  Garlic  juice          01 cup
4)                  Apple vinegar      01 cup
 
Mix all above and boil in light flame approximately half
hour, when it becomes 3 cups, take it out and keep it
for cooling. After cooling, mix 3 cups of natural honey
and keep it in bottle.
 
Every morning before breakfast use one Table spoon
regularly. Your blockage of Vein's will open
(No need any Angiography or By pass)
 

 

This is e-mail received from a person working in a Software Company

Dear colleagues, I am working in Blore Software City .... I wanted to share an incident of my life with you, hoping that it may be an eye opener to you so that you can live more years.
 
On 27th October afternoon, I had severe heart attack symptom and I was rushed to the hospital.
 
After reaching to the hospital, the doctors prescribed a test called angiogram. This test is basically to identify blood flow of heart arteries. When they finished the test they found a 94% block in the main artery, please see the image below with red circle.
 

 
At this point, I wanted to share my living style, which has caused this block in my heart arteries. Please see the below points of my life style, if any of these points are part of your life style then you are at risk, please change yourselves.
 
1. I was not doing any physical exercise for more than 10 years , not even walking 30 minutes a day for years.

2.     My food timings are 11:00 AM Breakfast or no Breakfast, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM Lunch and dinner at 11:00 PM to 12:00 AM.

3.     Sleeping in very odd timings, going to bed between 12:00 AM and 3:00 AM. Waking up at between 9:00 AM and 10:30AM ....... Some times spending sleepless nights.

4.     I used to eat heavily because of long gaps between lunch and dinner and I used to make sure that Non-Veg is available most of the time, there were times when I did survey on city hotels to find delicious Non-Veg dishes. I was never interested in vegetable and healthier food.

5.     Above all I was chain smoker from years.

6.     My father passed away due to heart problems, and the doctors say the heart problems are usually genetic.

Once they identified the major block they have done immediately a procedure called angioplasty along with 2 Stints, mean they will insert a foreign body into the heart arteries and open the blocked area of arteries. Please see the below image after the procedure.
 

 
I learnt from the doctors that 60% people will die before reaching the hospital,20% people will die in the process of recovering from heart attack and only 20% will survive . In my case, I was very lucky to be part of the last 20%.

Doctors instructions:

1.. Need to have physical exercise for minimum of 45 minutes daily.
2. Eat your food at perfect timings, like how you eat during your school days. Eat in small quantities more times and have lot of vegetables and boiled food, try to avoid fry items and oily food. Fish is good than other non-vegetarian food.
3. Sleep for 8 hours a day, this count should complete before sun rising.
4. Stop smoking.
5. Genetic problems, we cannot avoid but we can get away from it by having regular checkups.
6. Find a way to get relived from the stress (Yoga, Meditation etc).
 
So I urge you all to please avoid getting into this situation, it is in your hands to turn the situation up side down, by just planning / changing your life style, by following simple  points above.

useful facts of banana

A useful piece of information. about Bananas  

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting.
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again .

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.
It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.  
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest
ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassiu! m and ma gnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
 
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say,
"A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"
Share this with friends, if you like the banana...
PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth.
Amazing fruit!!!

 

Open the windows after you enter your car to avoid cancer

Better to be cautious……….
 
   

This alert was sent to us from the Environmental Department. Please read it thoroughly and adhere to its content.
Open the windows  before  you enter your car
 
"In brief:  According to research done by a U.C., the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener will emit Benzene, a cancer causing toxin (carcinogen).  In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones,  causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells.  Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer.  May also cause miscarriage.
 
Acceptable Benezene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft.  A car parked indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benezene.  If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benezene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level.  The people inside the car will inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxin.
 It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter.  Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is difficult for your body to expel. "
 

 

Asthma & How to Control It.

Asthma is a very painful condition that affects many children today. It can continue up to adulthood and be a life long problem. Many medicines and inhalers are now available but these offer only temporary relief. With time the asthma aggravates as the patient gets weaker and weaker. Many doctors are tempted to use steroids that have their own dangers.

 

What is asthma? It is more than the breathing difficulty that is obvious at the surface. It is a mixture of nervous spasms and the narrowing down of the respiratory channels due to swelling which makes it difficult for the patient to breathe, both in and out. Sometimes it may have an effect on the heart, commonly known as cardiac asthma. If inherited, asthma can be difficult to cure.

 

In asthma we see an affection of the nervous system as well as the allergy part, the patient being sensitive to food or other substances. Doctors have seen associated symptoms like the formation of gas in the stomach. Asthma patients show high levels of stress, anxiety and irritation adding the psycosomatic dimension. Asthma can be brought on by grief, shock and even laughter.

 

How can we cure such a difficult condition?

 

I recommend a combination of yoga, ayurveda, naturopathy and homeopathy. But before that we need to discuss certain important points.

 

1. Asthma patients may also suffer from eczema.

2. Vaccines have been known to cause allergies and subsequently asthma.

 

In fact, prior to vaccines, asthma was mostly hereditory and was seen along with eczema. A research into prevalence of asthma and other respiratory disorders before the small pox vaccine was given en masse will bring out the role of vaccines in the asthma/chronic cold/pneumonia/ other respiratory disorders epidemic that is seen in children and adoloscents today. The role of pesticides and other harmful chemicals behind asthma and its complications is slowly being recognised.

 

In cases where eczema and asthma coexist there should be no effort to suppress the eczema with modern medicines and ointments, it will only aggravate the condition. Children are better off not being vaccinated as asthma risk is very small amongst the unvaccinated. Moreover colds in children are best treated homeopathically so that they do not progress to pneumonia, bronchitis and subsequently asthma. 

 

Yoga is a very good option. It strengthens the chest and stomach muscles that help the patient breathe easy. It also reduces stress and improves both the nervous and the digestive system. It strengthens the immune system thus doing away with the allergy. Often when the body gets strong with the yogic exercises, the eczema suppressed earlier may show itself. As I have said earlier this should be treated as a good sign and not be interefered with.

 

Naturopathy will stabilise the digestion system and strengthen immunity. It helps with detoxification too. It has been observed that a proper vegetarian diet, alkaline food, proper evacuation of bowels, and Vit C rich food immensely helps patients.

 

For patients of chronic asthma a daily intake of Vit C 1500 mg daily (3 doses of 500mg) is highly recommended in case of adults. This may bring on a diarrhoea as a part of detoxification. The dose may be reduced to 1000mg if the diarrhoea persists. At a time the body can only absord 500mg, hence the need to spread the dose over the day. Children can be given amla juice as per the advice of an ayurved/naturopath.

 

Ayurvedic preparations for asthma have to be chosen according to the body type of the patient. A good doctor should be able to do this. Medicines have to be taken for a long time and start showing results after around three to six months. Triphala is a very good preparation in ayurveda that takes care of both the cold as well as the digestion problems. Chawanaprash contains clarified butter and must be taken with caution by those with a weak digestive system. I personally took a preparation called Pankajkasturi for a long time.

 

Making tea of Ocimum (Tulsi) leaves, Zingiber (adrak), and golmorich (pepper) and taking it every hour helps during an attack by loosening the mucous. Chamomille leaves can be added to have a soothing effect.

 

Homeopathy has a wide range of medicines to treat asthma. There are different remedies for controlling the acute attacks and then curing the chronic tendency. Homeopathically asthma is a combination of the miasms Psora, Sycosis and Tuberculosis. The nightly aggravation indicates a Syphillitic miasm as well. This complex scenario requires very careful prescription.

 

Psoric patients are irritable and snap when talked to. Sycotic patients keep their feelings to themselves and may not even communicate the symptoms, being secretive in nature. The Tubercular are very difficult to treat as they have the habit of travelling from one doctor to another and trying out whatever remedies they hear of. Syphilitic patients have low levels of intelligence, salivate a lot and have nightly aggravations.

 

Sycotic patients suffer more during the monsoon and Tubercular patients during the winter.

 

For the acute symptoms remedies like Antim Tart, Ipecac, Carbo Veg, Blatta Orientalis, Kali Bi, Aconite, Belladona, Aralia, Eriodyctyon etc offer relief from the spasms and the cold. Remedies for the chronic condition can be Tuberculinum, Medorrhinum, Thuja (asthma following vaccines) etc. As these are very deep acting remedies the supervision of a good and experienced doctor is a must.

 

Antim Tart helps if the patient has wheezing in the chest but is unable to cough up the mucous. Ipecac helps with the spasms. Carbo Veg helps in oxygen intake by the cells and relieves flatulence, Kali Bi is good for patients who have stringy mucous coming out of the nose, Aralia for dry cough, choking sensation, attack after first sleep, worse lying down. The remedy has to be chosen considering the symptoms present. For acute conditions 30C is usually the potency used.

 

Biochemically the important salts are Kali Phos, Magnesia Phos, Natrum Phos, Natrum Mur, Kali Mur, Natrum Sulph and Calcarea Phos. Biocombination 2 contains most of these and can be taken regularly. Biochemic remedies are very safe and patients can make good use of them.

 

Asthmatic patients must take very simple, plain food which is preferably vegan. Taking even a glass of milk at night may create flatulence and make the condition worse. A glass of lukewarm water at bed time and sipping lukewarm water during attack helps. A combination of Kali Phos 6x (two tablets) with Magnesium Phos 6x (two tablets) taken with a spoonful of warm water every 15 minutes will cut short an acute attack and induce sleep. If symptoms of acute cold, bodyache etc are present one can try the same thing with 4 tablets of Biocomibination 2.

 

For the associated cough and cold the use of the combination Justicia Q + Occimum Sanctum Q + Zingiber Q works wonders. This can be taken early on in the season when the patient experiences the attack to reduce the severety of symptoms if and when the attacks begin.. Regular intake of 4-5 fresh Ocimum (Tulsi) leaves every morning helps strengthen resistance against colds.

 

The patients must take food very early in the evening, at least two hours before sleep, and maybe even before sunset. They should not watch movies or serials that can induce stress. Cold inducing fruits and food should not be taken, specially at night.

 

Aconite and Belladona are the common anti-allergic remedies in homeopathy and if taken soon enough will abort an attack. Some knowledge of homeopathy is necessary to know whether the symptoms of these remedies are present.

 

For cardiac asthma a mixture of Rawolfia Serpentina Q + Cratageous Q + Passiflora Q will help reduce the palpitations, strain on the heart, the anxiet and induce sleep.

 

The attention should be on strengthening the mind,nervous system, digestive system, the muscular system and the immune system. Echinacea is a immune boosting herb. Vit C helps the digestive system, produces immunity against cold and also reduces stress. Amla, a herb very rich in Vit C, and a part of the Triphala preparation should be an important part of the diet of an asthmatic patient.

 

Prayer and interest in simplifying ones mind and habits to alleviate stress will have a soothing habit on the body in the long run. It will also be easy for the holistic doctor to treat patients who know and realise the importance of practicing ethics and morality in life to avoid and treat disease.

 

Asthma can be cured provided the doctor and patient form a symbiotic relationship with the doctor learning from the patient and the latter having faith upon the efforts of the doctor. The patient should try to know as much about the disease and take a proactive stance to heal him/herself.

 

Natural Weight-Loss Food: Fish

The best plan for achieving a healthy weight and maintaining it is to change your eating and exercise habits. Replace foods that expand your waistline with healthy foods, like fish. Fish is a food that is full of satisfying flavor, low in calories, and stocked with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 acids are essential fats that your body can't make. They help keep the blood from clotting too easily and add to a better cholesterol ratio.

Fish is a fabulous addition to any healthful diet because its low saturated fat content makes it the perfect protein substitute for fatty cuts of beef and pork. Even shellfish is low in saturated fat and isn't as high in cholesterol as many believe.

Learn how to incorporate fish into your healthy lifestyle.

Health Benefits

Although fish is lean, it does contain some healthy oil. Known as omega-3 fatty acids, these fish oils are thought to offer some amazing health benefits, such as helping to prevent heart disease and cancer, treating psoriasis and arthritis, and relieving the agony of migraine headaches and helping with weight control. Fatty fish tend to have more omega-3s than leaner fish, but even "fatty" fish contain less fat than lean beef or chicken. Even canned fish like tuna, sardines, and salmon, when eaten bones and all, pack your meal with plenty of good-for-your-bones calcium, too.

Nutritional Values Coho Salmon Serving Size: 3 oz, cooked Calories: 157 Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 21 g Dietary Fiber: 0 g Sodium: 44 mg Potassium: 391 mg Snapper Serving Size: 3 oz, cooked Calories: 109 Fat: 2 g Saturated Fat: <1 g Cholesterol: 40  mg Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 22 g Dietary Fiber: 0 g Sodium: 48 g Magnesium: 31 mg Potassium: 444 g

 

 

Selection and Storage

When buying fresh fish, always smell it. If you detect a "fishy" odor, don't buy it. Whether you buy whole fish, fish fillets, or steaks, the fish should be firm to the touch. The scales should be shiny and clean, not slimy. Check the eyes: They should be clear, not cloudy and bulging, and not sunken. Fish fillets and steaks should be moist. If they look dried or curled around the edges, they probably aren't fresh.

It's best to cook fresh fish the same day you buy it. (Fish generally spoil faster than beef or chicken, and whole fish generally keeps better than steaks or fillets.) But fish will keep in the refrigerator overnight if you store it in an airtight container over a bowl of ice.

If you need to keep it longer than a day, freeze it. The quality of thawed, frozen fish is better when it freezes quickly, so freeze whole fish only if it weighs two pounds or less. Larger fish should be cut into pieces, steaks, or fillets to ensure a quick freeze. Lean fish will keep in the freezer up to six months -- three months for fatty fish.

When buying most shellfish -- clams, oysters, lobsters, crabs, and crayfish -- it's imperative they still be alive. Live lobsters and crabs are easy to spot. Clams and oysters are trickier, though; you must be sure the shell is closed tightly or closes when you tap the shell.

Fish and shellfish have been dogged by safety questions, including those arising from man-made contaminants. Oysters and clams, if eaten raw, carry a particular risk of passing on diseases such as hepatitis or Norwalk-like viruses. Cook them thoroughly to avoid food-borne illness. Partially cooked shellfish can still harbor harmful bacteria.

Pesticides, mercury, and chemicals like PCB sometimes find their way into fish. Though fatty fish is richer in omega-3s, they're also more likely to harbor environmental contaminants.

Here are some precautions you can take to reduce the odds of eating contaminated fish:

·   Eat fish from a variety of sources.

·   Choose open-ocean fish and farmed fish over freshwater; they are less likely to harbor toxins.

·   Eat smaller, young fish. Older fish are more likely to have accumulated chemicals in their fatty tissues.

·   Before you fish, check with your own state's advisories about which waters are unsafe for fishing. Try the Department of Public Health or the Department of Environmental Conservation.

·   Don't make a habit of eating the fish you catch for sport if you fish in the same place over and over again.

·   Avoid swordfish and albacore. They may be contaminated with mercury.

 

Bad Breath

 

·        Ingredients: honey and fresh squeezed lemon juice Instructions: In the morning and at night before bed take the juice ofone fresh squeezed lemon and mix with a little honey to taste and drink. Besides the absence of bad breath, you will also notice that you will feel more energized and rejuvenated. For extra punch, may also add cinnamon or cayenne powder. ·        INGREDIENTS: Parsley OR your doctor! INSTRUCTIONS: If all else fails, go to the doctor. I had really bad breath, and it was because I had a tumor. Upset stomach, foods eaten, tooth decay, and real illness are all expressed in your breath. Parsley (chewed fresh)works if it's upset stomach or food. The rest require medical intervention. ·        INGREDIENTS: ParsleyINSTRUCTIONS: Chewing parsley totally relieves bad breath. Its an old remedy, but was forgotten with the invention of gum/mints/etc. Why do you think they put it on your plate at restaurants?!? Carry some in a baggy in your purse/pocket. ·        Ingredients: Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) Salt Water (Preferably Purified) Tongue scraper Instructions: Mix one part water with one part peroxide. You can find peroxide in every pharmacyAdd a pinch of salt and a pinch of baking soda so that it is not very salty but you can still taste the salt.This is your mouth wash. You can add some essential oil or peppermint for taste but it is not neccessary Scrape your tounge with the tongue scraper or brush it with a tooth brush. Don't brush too hard!!Then swish and gargle with the mouthwash you made above for a couple of minutes.Repeat twice per day or as needed. You will never have to buy mouthwash again. ·        Ingredients: Hydrogen Peroxide Instructions: I have suffered for many years with this terrible problem. I have prayed for a cure and can tell you honestly that I tried everything. It was so bad people would offer me mints or gum. I knew I had a problem, but I did not know how to fix it.Well one day looking on the internet, I saw "hydrogen peroxide 3%" used as a mouthwash. I figured what the heck, one more thing to try. After I tried it, I could not believe the results. I actually brushed my tongue and it worked immediately. It is safe yo use and so inexpensive. Best of luck! ·        Ingredients: Mint leaves Instructions: Chew on mint leaves and your breathe will be fresh. This is an austrian thing, and I have used it myself and it works really well. ·        Ingredients: baking soda water Instructions: mix baking soda in a cup of water then gargle with it ·        Ingredients: Tropical Fruit named : Paw Paw Instructions: Cut paw paw open ,scoop out pips and cut into wedges or bite size cubes,eat at least 2-3 dessert bowls of bite size cubes daily.This realy is very good for cleaning the stomach which is often the real cause of bad breath.Make this part of your daily dietand I guarentee it will stop bad breath. I got this remedy from a Docters article in a South African family magazine, ·        Ingredients: CLOVE (whole) Instructions: Chew a entire clove or if it's too spicy for you, keep it in your mouth. It's the best for bad breath (even toothache!). ·        Name of Remedy: Bad Breath Ingredients: Bicarbonate Soda Instructions: Brush your teeth with a little pinch of the soda, using a regular tooth paste after and it does the trick. Meaning, it will stop the bad breathe from coming through.. What i personally try and do is, brush my teeth with the soda in the morning and in the evening, floss (properly), brush with regular tooth paste, rinse and then rinse again using lukewarm water and salt. To maintain a healthy gum and fresh breath means investing a lot of time towards looking after it, flossing and cleaning properly (a good five minutes) twice and day - morning and evening. Good Luck.

 

Ah ! My Morning Cuppa Coffee !

Most of us cannot think of anything else in the morning till we have had our cup of coffee – the most popular beverage on planet earth! In fact, it is the coffee, which truly wakes us up! Ever wondered, what makes us depend on it or rather make us feel that we cannot live without that morning dose of booster? Did you ever ponder about coffee beyond that rich aroma which perks up your mood?

The Delicious History of Coffee

Coffee, we all know, is a beverage of Ethiopian origin. It is said that Kaldi, a goatherd, found his goats eating bright red berries from a dark-leafed shrub. Usually calm and responsible, the goats began dancing, frolicking and singing! Kaldi shared his discovery with local monks who concocted a drink by boiling the berries. These are also popularly known as coffee beans. After the drink, the monks realized that they had the stamina to pray for long hours. Later, a particularly curious monk, who liked the sweet aroma of a burning coffee branch, pulled the charred berries from the fire, ground them down and prepared a black beverage. This liquid was the first coffee. The word "coffee" is believed to be derived from the name of the place, 'kaffa' in southern Ethiopia, where coffee was cultivated.

 

 

Coffee is prepared from the roasted seeds — coffee beans — of the coffee plant. It is relished as both cold and hot. Some people like their coffee black (plain), while others prefer sweeten their coffee and / or add milk, cream or non-dairy creamer. However, many coffee lovers believe that the key to great coffee is selecting the best fresh green coffee beans and the ability to roast coffee at home. The traditional coffee has been transformed tremendously. Coffee has traveled far and wide and has undergone tremendous changes in methods used to unlock its flavor – or the art of brewing!

The bitter truth about Coffee

The biggest drawback for coffee started with the realization that it could stimulate the senses and give a feeling of enhanced stamina for working long hours! That it surely does, but what happens later, when we want to work ceaselessly just by gulping down coffee, is a matter of concern. This is because coffee simply stimulates the central nervous system and increases the stress hormones in the blood streams, thus making a person feel unnaturally alert. Consequently induced alert state tends to subdue the body's natural instincts and prevent it from relaxing. Thus begins a coffeeholic's journey. At the end of which, apart from developing dark circles under the eyes, one also acquires acidity problems, irregular palpitations and more. This causes undue stress and leads to various kinds of disorders.

Is coffee nutritionally rich?

Coffee by itself is relatively nutritionally inert. One teaspoon of coffee has about two calories of energy. The rest may come from the other ingredients like sugar. In fact, most of the energy in restaurant brewed espresso comes from fats. Coffee does not contain many vitamins, however it does contain plenty of Niacin. It is rich in its mineral content however.

Is Coffee harmful ?

Coffee's effect on health has been attacked throughout the ages – as soon as its stimulatory effect was quickly noted ! Coffee lovers claim that the basis for accusations on coffee is absolutely unscientific. Perhaps the peak of the anti-coffee hysteria occurred during the nineteenth century, with coffee being blamed for every imaginable illness and disorder.

 

More careful research has been conducted in the last few decades and the results have been mixed. Most of the focus has been on coffee's most (in) famous component, caffeine. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, a bitter alkaloid that probably forms part of the coffee plant's defense system. Many of the effects of caffeine in coffee are obvious, depending upon the quantity consumed: increased alertness, anxiety, irritability, interference with sleep, and jitteriness. It works as a mild diuretic. Caffeine can cause headaches, but also, as a vasoconstrictor, has in certain instances been used to help relieve migraine headaches.

 

Caffeine consumption has been linked to short-term increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and to occasional irregular heartbeat. There are some studies linking coffee and caffeine to osteoporosis, but they have been largely inconclusive. But caffeine is not coffee's only component. The good side of coffee

caffeine intake is associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease ... in men, but studies in women have been inconclusive," the latter perhaps due to the effects of hormone therapy for women.

Some more pros of coffee:

• coffee makes life easier for asthmatics, it brings out bronchodilation or a widening of the air passages;
• coffee protects the liver against the harmful effects of alcohol and reduces the risk of liver cancer;
• coffee enhances the efficiency of antibiotics;

coffee is an excellent antioxidant capable of neutralizing oxygen free radicals that damage the cells. Therefore coffee can reduce the incidence of a number of serious diseases.

Some Home Remedies for Hair Loss

1. Rub olive oil on your scalp.

 

This is one of the most simple methods you can start now.

 

2. Mix 1 cup of boiling water, with 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, and cook for 5 minutes.

Drinking this mix might not be too pleasant, but it can be effective.

 

3. Make a mix of 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary extract, 1 lemon juice and 1 egg yolk and apply it on your hair.

 

This methods does work effectively, only if done continuously for over a week.

 

4. Wash your hair after massaging the hair scalp with uncooked egg yolk, for 1 hour straight.

 

Uncooked egg yolk can get sticky, so make sure you fully wash away after you're done after the 1 hour period.

 

5. Rinse your hair with lemon juice or vinegar.

 

You'll need a lot of lemon juice for this method.

 

6. Soak a towel in hot water and squeeze lightly. Cover your hair with a light (squeezed) hot towel for 10 minutes for 5 days, each day.

 

7. 10-12 glasses of water daily and have a high protein diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and dairy products.

 

You've probably heard of this tip hundreds of times. This applies to almost every health problem. Healthy nutrients can help you fight against hair loss.

 

8. Apply a boiled mix of mustard oil with heena (mehndi) leaves

 

This method works to promote the healthy growth of your hair.

 

What is a chronic illness?

What is a chronic illness?

There are 2 main types of illness: acute and chronic. An acute illness doesn’t last very long. It goes away either on its own or in response to treatment, such as taking medicine or having surgery. Strep throat is an example of an acute illness.

A chronic illness is ongoing. It affects your health over a long period of time--possibly your entire life. In many cases, there is no way to cure a chronic illness. Diabetes and high blood pressure are examples of chronic illnesses.

What can I do if I have a chronic illness?

It’s important to understand that your chronic illness is a serious problem. If you don’t believe this, you’ll never be motivated to manage your illness effectively. Managing your illness involves making lifestyle choices and using prescribed medical treatments to be as healthy as possible. Unless you take care of your body, your chronic illness can cause more problems in the future.

When you have a chronic health problem, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless, as if the illness has taken over your life. For example, you may need to take daily insulin injections, use an inhaler or monitor your blood pressure. However, you can take steps to control the negative effects of a chronic illness on your health. One method of taking control is called “self-management.”

What is self-management of chronic illness?

Self-management of chronic illness means that you take responsibility for doing what it takes to manage your illness effectively. It’s important for you to be responsible for your health because the treatment recommendations your doctor makes won’t do any good unless you follow them. He or she can’t make decisions for you or make you change your behavior. Only you can do these things.

In self-management, you and your doctor are partners in care. Your doctor can provide valuable advice and information to help you deal with your illness. However, the treatment plan that works best for one person with your condition won’t necessarily work best for you. Talk to your doctor about the different treatment options available and help him or her create a plan that’s right for you. After all, nobody knows more than you do about your feelings, your actions and how your health problems affect you.

As part of self-management, it’s also your responsibility to ask for the help you need to deal with your illness. This support can come from friends and family members, as well as from your doctor or a support group for people with your health problem.

How can self-management help a person who has a chronic illness?

Once you’ve decided to take an active role in managing your illness, you and your doctor can work together to set goals that will lead to better health. These goals will be part of an overall treatment plan.

Pick a problem. Take an honest look at the unhealthy aspects of your lifestyle. Start with a particular behavior that you’d like to change in order to have better control of your illness. For example, you might decide that you don’t eat enough vegetables, get enough exercise or take your medicines as your doctor tells you to.

Get specific. Once you’ve identified a problem, state a specific goal for dealing with it. The more specific your goal is, the more likely you are to succeed. For example, instead of saying, “I’m going to exercise more,” decide what kind of exercise you’ll do. Be specific about what days of the week you’ll exercise and what times you’ll exercise on those days. Your new goal might be: “During my lunch hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I’m going to walk 1 mile in the park.”

Plan ahead. After you’ve stated your goal, think of things that could go wrong and plan how you’ll deal with them. For example, if it rains and you can’t go to the park, where will you go to walk? If you plan how to handle problems in advance, they won’t prevent you from meeting your goals.

Check your confidence level. Ask yourself, “How confident am I that I’ll be able to meet this goal?” If the answer is “Not very confident,” you may need to start with a more realistic goal.

Follow up. As you’re working toward your goal, check in regularly with your doctor to let him or her know how you’re doing. If you’re having trouble following the plan, talk to your doctor to figure out why. Your setbacks can be learning experiences that help you make a new plan for success.

One of the most important things to remember is that you can change your behavior. Even though your illness makes you feel helpless at times, if you work with your doctor to set goals and you take responsibility for following through with them, you can make changes that will lead to better health.

 

Self-management: Taking Charge of Your Healt

What is a chronic illness?

There are 2 main types of illness: acute and chronic. An acute illness doesn’t last very long. It goes away either on its own or in response to treatment, such as taking medicine or having surgery. Strep throat is an example of an acute illness.

A chronic illness is ongoing. It affects your health over a long period of time--possibly your entire life. In many cases, there is no way to cure a chronic illness. Diabetes and high blood pressure are examples of chronic illnesses.

What can I do if I have a chronic illness?

It’s important to understand that your chronic illness is a serious problem. If you don’t believe this, you’ll never be motivated to manage your illness effectively. Managing your illness involves making lifestyle choices and using prescribed medical treatments to be as healthy as possible. Unless you take care of your body, your chronic illness can cause more problems in the future.

When you have a chronic health problem, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless, as if the illness has taken over your life. For example, you may need to take daily insulin injections, use an inhaler or monitor your blood pressure. However, you can take steps to control the negative effects of a chronic illness on your health. One method of taking control is called “self-management.”

What is self-management of chronic illness?

Self-management of chronic illness means that you take responsibility for doing what it takes to manage your illness effectively. It’s important for you to be responsible for your health because the treatment recommendations your doctor makes won’t do any good unless you follow them. He or she can’t make decisions for you or make you change your behavior. Only you can do these things.

In self-management, you and your doctor are partners in care. Your doctor can provide valuable advice and information to help you deal with your illness. However, the treatment plan that works best for one person with your condition won’t necessarily work best for you. Talk to your doctor about the different treatment options available and help him or her create a plan that’s right for you. After all, nobody knows more than you do about your feelings, your actions and how your health problems affect you.

As part of self-management, it’s also your responsibility to ask for the help you need to deal with your illness. This support can come from friends and family members, as well as from your doctor or a support group for people with your health problem.

How can self-management help a person who has a chronic illness?

Once you’ve decided to take an active role in managing your illness, you and your doctor can work together to set goals that will lead to better health. These goals will be part of an overall treatment plan.

Pick a problem. Take an honest look at the unhealthy aspects of your lifestyle. Start with a particular behavior that you’d like to change in order to have better control of your illness. For example, you might decide that you don’t eat enough vegetables, get enough exercise or take your medicines as your doctor tells you to.

Get specific. Once you’ve identified a problem, state a specific goal for dealing with it. The more specific your goal is, the more likely you are to succeed. For example, instead of saying, “I’m going to exercise more,” decide what kind of exercise you’ll do. Be specific about what days of the week you’ll exercise and what times you’ll exercise on those days. Your new goal might be: “During my lunch hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I’m going to walk 1 mile in the park.”

Plan ahead. After you’ve stated your goal, think of things that could go wrong and plan how you’ll deal with them. For example, if it rains and you can’t go to the park, where will you go to walk? If you plan how to handle problems in advance, they won’t prevent you from meeting your goals.

Check your confidence level. Ask yourself, “How confident am I that I’ll be able to meet this goal?” If the answer is “Not very confident,” you may need to start with a more realistic goal.

Follow up. As you’re working toward your goal, check in regularly with your doctor to let him or her know how you’re doing. If you’re having trouble following the plan, talk to your doctor to figure out why. Your setbacks can be learning experiences that help you make a new plan for success.

One of the most important things to remember is that you can change your behavior. Even though your illness makes you feel helpless at times, if you work with your doctor to set goals and you take responsibility for following through with them, you can make changes that will lead to better health.

 

Smoking Ban - Can it be implemented?

Smoking Ban - Can it be implemented?

 

 

So, from today, more smoking in public places like Office buildings including the total covered area, in public transport systems, shopping areas, railway station, airports and not even in open auditoriums and stadiums.

 

There will a special smoking zone in hotels with over 30 rooms, restaurants with 30 seats. Of course, in your house and the society area you are free to have a cool puff.

 

There are police personals, all inspectors from excise, customs, sales tax, food, health department who have been given powers to stop you from smoking as well as penalize you up to Rs.200.

 

So far so good, now let us see the outcome of previous bans:

1.    There should be no direct or indirect advertisement of tobacco products - No go, due to a loophole regarding point of sale now every “Paan” shop is decorated with display of Ads.

 

2.    No sale of cigarettes to children below 18 and there should be no such shop within 100 yards of any educational institution - again a big failure because shops are still there albeit with a torn notice in place reiterating the above ban, no one reads it.

 

3.    Pictorial depiction of health hazards on the cigarette pack, tar, and nicotine content - still to be implemented.

 

Looking at the previous status of the bans, also the impracticality of imposing ban on public smoking tomorrow will be just another regular smoking day.

 

In a country where policemen are mowed down just because they dared to stop you from jumping a red light, where talking on mobile while driving a vehicle still a fashion without giving a hoot for the safety of others, where jay walking was supposed to be penalized and this rule was dropped like a hot potato, All the ban should come from within, but here it seems the topmost motto is

 

“Have Rules - Will Break”.

 

8 Natural Options to Relieve Cancer-Related Pain

8 Natural Options to Relieve Cancer-Related Pain   Pain can be a severe symptom of cancer. Of those who suffer from cancer, "Many have so much pain that they need sedating doses of narcotics. And they are often too tired to get up and move around; they spend most of the day sitting or even in bed," researcher Timothy C. Birdsall, MD, vice president for integrative medicine at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Zion, IL reports to WebMD. Fortunately, a number of natural pain-relief options exist.

Various supplements may help to relieve pain naturally, but check with your doctor to find the proper dosages and safety information.

1. Vitamins

Cancer patients often receive treatment in the form of chemotherapy and/or radiation, which have been known to destroy cancerous cells. Unfortunately, these harsh treatments can also destroy healthy cells and deplete your body of energy and vital nutrients. Not only do nutritional supplements -- vitamins -- help restore vital nutrients to your body, they also have been shown to reduce cancer-related pain.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) -- MSM is a nutritional supplement that occurs naturally in plants, animals, and the human body. It has been shown to relieve pain and muscle spasms, improve circulation, and reduce autoimmune diseases. Evidence shows that when MSM is combined with DMG and SAMe, metabolic pathways are created that aid in cancer prevention.

Start with a low dosage of MSM (to avoid gastrointestinal upset) and gradually increase consumption over two to three weeks. MSM should be divided up and taken with meals, or in lotion form rubbed over the area of concern. Patients take anywhere from 2 to 60 grams per day. Talk to your doctor in order to find the dosage that works for you.

Vitamin C -- Healthy tissue is formed when healthy cells are bound together with collagen. Cancer cells spread by destroying the collagen that binds the healthy cells together. Vitamin C has been found to rebuild this collagen, which slows and prevents the growth of tumors. Slowing the growth of cancer is an indirect way of reducing cancer-related pain.

Consult your doctor before taking high doses of vitamin C. People have been known to take 50 -- 60 grams every day. Diarrhea is a sign that you've taken too much and vitamin C consumption should be reduced, but abruptly stopping the high doses of vitamin C can lead to scurvy and an increased susceptibility to cancer. So vitamin C consumption should be reduced gradually over several days.

Vitamin B17 -- Vitamin B17 can be thought of as a natural form of chemotherapy. Cancerous cells create unhealthy amounts of the enzyme betaglucoronidase. This enzyme breaks down vitamin B17 into two helpful components. It creates the painkiller benzaldehyde, and also the poison cyanide, which kills cancerous cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

Although B17 is cheap and readily available overseas, it is more expensive and more difficult to find in the U.S. because of the politics involved when it comes to large drug companies wanting people to purchase their patented drugs. Talk to your doctor, herbalist, or pharmacist about where to find B17 in pill form.

The good news is that B17 is found in a number of foods, such as barley, bitter almonds, garbanzo beans, wheat grass, lentils, flaxseed, and in the seeds of apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums. To treat cancer, consuming a few seeds each day might be recommended (50-60 seeds a day). To prevent cancer, consume several seeds, bitter almonds, garbanzo beans -- whichever you prefer -- each day.

Salts of Cesium, Rubidium, and Potassium -- A study conducted by a Dr. Keith Brewer on high pH therapy for cancer elicited promising results. Over the period of several weeks, not only did tumor masses disappear, but "all pains and effects associated with cancer disappeared within 12 to 36 hrs."

The salts raise the pH in cancer cells, which ultimately destroys the cells. The presence of these salts in your body neutralize the acidic toxins that are released from the cancerous tissue, rendering them nontoxic.

Each day patients ingested 3-6 grams of cesium chloride or rubidium chloride paired with 2-4 grams of potassium chloride and other nutritional supplements. The doses were divided up and given at meal time.

2. Biofeedback

Biofeedback therapy teaches you to learn to control bodily functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle relaxation, etc. through the use of a device that detects very small physical changes. The device alerts you to these changes with easily-identifiable signals. Over time people can learn to calm themselves and control their body's reaction to pain, stress, anxiety, etc.

A 2005 report from the American Cancer Society notes that biofeedback may be able to ease pain and "improve the quality of life" for some cancer patients. Certified biofeedback therapists can teach patients this treatment method. With practice patients can ultimately perform this method on their own.

3. Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a process of deep relaxation/intense concentration that utilizes the power of suggestion to help people change how they perceive pain. A hypnotherapist will give simple suggestions to help you experience the pain in an alternate way. The same can be done for stress and anxiety.

Findings published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management showed that children who were hypnotized in trials reported significantly less cancer-related pain (as well as anxiety and distress) than those who were not.

4 & 5. Aromatherapy & Massage

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that is used to affect a person's mood or health through the use of essential oils (volatile liquid plant materials) and other aromatic compounds from plants.

Massage therapy promotes relaxation and relief of muscle tension, aches, stress, etc., through kneading of the skin, muscles, and tendons.

Especially when used together, aromatherapy, particularly utilizing chamomile essential oil, and massage therapy have been shown to alleviate pain in cancer patients.

A randomized study in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews observed the effects of massage with or without chamomile essential oil on cancer patients. Pain was decreased most significantly through the use of massage with the chamomile oil.

Massage should be avoided by people with a low blood count, and for those with osteoporosis, bone-related cancer, or other bone diseases, make sure that the massage therapist only applies a light pressure.

Massage promotes relaxation and relief of muscle tension and stress, which helps to relieve pain.

6. Acupuncture

The ancient Chinese healing technique of acupuncture is another way of relieving pain by controlling the pain sensations of various parts of your body. This is done by inserting very fine needles into the specific points on the body that are related to the areas of the body feeling pain.

Findings from a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Vol. 21, No. 22: 4120-4126) showed that ear acupuncture therapy reduced pain by 36% in participants with advanced-stage cancer.

"It's important that the acupuncturist should have experience working with patients who have cancer, or at least experience working with patients in the hospital," advises Lily Zhang, MS, who manages the acupuncture program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. "The acupuncturist should have a close relationship with the oncologist so if there are any concerns, the acupuncturist can communicate it to the doctor right away."

Anyone taking blood thinners or having a low blood count should know that acupuncture is not safe for them. It's a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning any new treatment.

7. Meditation

Meditation is a state of deep concentration and mental control where you use relaxation techniques, deep breathing, etc. to help focus on one image, thought, or idea. According to information given by Moores Cancer Center of the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, meditation may decrease pain and stress in cancer patients by calming the mind and relaxing the body.

8. Music Therapy

Music therapy is the use of musical intervention, such as listening, making music, song writing, or improvising with instruments in order to reach a person's therapeutic goals. Scientific data supports the idea that music therapy occupies neurotransmitters that would otherwise be used to send pain messages to the brain, thus decreasing your perception of pain, according to information from the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.