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A quick test to determine whether your wound needs stitches is to wash the wound well and stop the bleeding, and then pinch the sides of the wound together. If the edges of the wound come together and it looks better, you may want to consider getting stitches.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Fitness formula: eat what your genes advise



The emerging field of nutrigenomics may hold the key to preventing many deadly diseases .

Prepared for your regular trip to the doctor? Cancel the appointment. All you need to stay healthy is to send your blood sample to a DNA profiling lab. A few weeks later, you will receive a package with your genomic analysis, a list of diseases you might be at risk of and a personalized dietary recommendation.


If this sounds like something out of science-fiction, rest assured it’s not. Instead, it’s the emerging field of nutrigenomics that investigates how the food we eat interacts with our genes to affect our health. Accumulating evidence shows that nutrients alter molecular processes such as DNA structure, gene expression and metabolism, and these in turn may alter disease initiation, development or progression.


To illustrate this better, let’s say your genomic analysis shows you are missing a part of the gene that, say, helps you fight flab and have extra copies of another that makes you pre-disposed to a certain kind of cancer. Experts suggest that by following a diet tailor-made for you, making certain changes in your lifestyle and adding a few nutritional supplements to your diet, you stand a high chance of not developing the disease at all.

Raymond Rodriguez, director, Center of Excellence for Nutritional Genomics (CENG) at the University of California, attributes it to the direct relationship between nutrition and genes. “The food we eat and our genes have a language that they talk in. If their conversation is a good one then the person stays healthy. If the conversation is not a good one, it makes a person sick.”

The potential of nutrigenomics in preventive medicine is clearly huge. As of now, scientists are looking at genomic markers or factors which give rise to different diseases. “Once we are able to pin-point these markers it would be easier to intervene before the onset of several diseases or to impede their advancement,” says Rajesh Gokhale, director of Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology.

While all human beings are 99.9% similar at the genomic level, 0.1% of the total genome differs from person-to-person. This 0.1% makes an individual unique and different from everyone else on earth. It also allows one to develop distinct features, a certain hair colour, height, weight — as well as different diseases.

“These genetic variations influence how nutrients are assimilated, metabolized, stored, and excreted by the body,” says Rodriguez. This also explains why some individuals respond to a certain medication for a disease whereas others don’t. While some people are able to ward off an ailment through modifying their diet, others need medication.

Now, experts are utilizing this information to try and formulate personalized diet plans instead of generalized dietary advices.
“The idea is to not let the disease happen in the first place rather than curing it once it has emerged,” says Rodriguez.

Several companies across the globe are developing systems to maintain and prolong a state of optimal health. Experts at California-based nutritional supplements brand Nutrilite, for instance, are working with major universities globally to further their understanding of nutrigenomics principles.

“At our institute, a personalized healthcare nutritional plan includes DNA analysis to identify minor changes in the genes which give rise to diseases,” says Shyam Ramakrishnan, a scientist associated with Nutrilite.

The progress is steady, though slow. There are just a handful of diseases for which exact genomic variants have been identified, but experts believe the day is not far when there would be detailed genomic maps of ailments like diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and several types of cancer. When it happens, the answer to the question ‘What’s on the menu today?’ may just be, ‘What does your gene say, dude?’


Ayurveda’s unlikely ambassador


He does pranayama twice daily and swears by it like a yogic guru. He also does a rigorous vata massage every day, like a zealous vaid, informing you that it’s done with a special oil of sesame seeds and herbs. Nothing new, except that we’re talking about a former Australian professional footballer who’s taken it upon himself to spread awareness on ayurveda, propagating its “wisdom” in every country, through every platform available.

India,” says 40-year-old Mark Bunn from Sydney, “is the land of the Vedas. And ayurveda, its traditional health system, can give enormous benefit to people. We need to reconnect with this timeless knowledge.” He’s done precisely that. Bunn’s new book Ancient Wisdom for Modern Health, which will be released in India this month, asks everyone to go back to this 6,000-year-old system of medicine.

The western system of treating illhealth, he asserts, is not perfect. Take concerns over sun exposure in the west — they have led to Vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis. Similarly, inadequate sleep or late nights lead to disruption of the body's nighttime detox mechanisms, causing problems.

So while he may no longer be dribbling a football, his love affair with ayurveda has kicked off a different career. It was in 1990 when he started playing football that his sister and brother-in-law were practicing transcendental meditation (TM). “I was introduced to ayurveda then. Ayurveda gave me mental clarity, good sleep, and reduced stress.”

Even after his playing career got over in 1996, Bunn’s passion for ayurveda remained. He travelled to Cambodia for three months as part of an aid organization. “I got attached to an Indian ayurvedic doctor and saw how he treated people for skin rashes, nutrition deficiencies, worms…” After he came back to Australia, Bunn studied ayurveda at the Maharishi Vedic College in Melbourne, travelling across Australia with Vaid Rajan Mulay. Asked about Bunn, Mulay says, “Mark is a good practitioner of ayurveda and helps create awareness and knowledge of the system in Australia.” The continent now has many ayurvedic clinics run by Indian and Australian doctors.

Any final word? “It’s not enough to look after just physical well-being,” he says. “Spiritual aspects, too, should be watered. Watering only the leaves of a tree will not make you enjoy the fruits. One has to water the roots
too.”

Cancer, diabetes, hypertension LARGEST CAUSE OF DEATH


MORE THAN 20% OF THE POPULATION IN INDIA HAVE AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC NCD

Lifestyle-related diseases are killing more Indians than the infectious ones. India’s disease pattern has undergone a major shift over the past decade, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

The latest WHO data paints a worrying picture. At present, of every 10 deaths in India, eight are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes in urban India. In rural India, six out of every 10 deaths are caused by NCDs.

Similar is the trend in the southeast Asian region. While NCD deaths have seen a 21% jump, infectious diseases deaths have fallen by 17%. The projection is that the south-east Asian region will have the greatest total number of NCD deaths in 2020: 10.4 million.

Dr Nata Menabde, WHO representative to India, told TOI : “Globally, 60% of the deaths are caused by NCDs. Similar are the numbers in India. NCDs are affecting the entire globe. If not controlled, they will become a tsunami that will not only kill people, but
also impair development and crash economies.”

Shocked by a spike in NCDs, India is launching a comprehensive national programme to prevent and control these. Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “The programme will be rolled out during the 12th Plan period starting 2012. It will cover all 640 districts. The programme will focus on health promotion, prevention of exposure to risk factors, early diagnosis, treatment of NCDs and rehabilitation.” He called for urgent action to check the rise in NCDs, mental health issues and injuries which account for two-third of the country’s total disease burden.

India, with an estimated 5.1 crore diabetics, has the world’s second-largest diabetic population following China. Unless effective measures are taken, India may have 8 crore diabetics by 2030. Similarly, the number of people affected by cardio-vascular diseases, which was about 3.8 crore in 2005, may go up to 6.4 crore by 2015,” he added.

The UN has taken note of the NCD menace. After the 2001 UN summit on HIV that made the world come together to fight the deadly AIDS virus, this September, NCDs are set to receive a similar push in New York.

To be attended by the who’s who, including PM Manmohan Singh, the historic UN General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs on September 19 and 20 will decide how to better prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes, which together cause 8 million deaths worldwide, annually.

A ministry official said: “Till now, programmes to combat NCDs which cause 60% of all deaths were tremendously under funded. NCDs also remained a low priority and not included in the Millennium Development Goals. The high-level meetings running up to the UN NCD summit should change that.”

Cardiovascular diseases will be the largest cause of death and disability in India by 2020, WHO says. It is estimated that the overall prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart diseases (IHD) and stroke is 62.47, 159.46, 37.00 and 1.54 respectively per 1,000 population of India. Additionally, there are around 25 lakh cancer cases in India.

Calling it “an impending disaster for many countries — a disaster for health, for society and national economies,” WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan said: “Chronic NCDs deliver a two-punch blow to development. They cause billions of dollars in losses of national income, and push millions of people below the poverty line, each and every year.”

According to a recent report, each year NCDs cause more than 9 million deaths before the age of 60 years. They also kill at a younger age in countries like India where 29% of NCD deaths occur among people under 60, compared to 13% in high-income countries.

Dr Ala Alwan, WHO’s assistant director-general for NCDs said: “About 30% of people dying from NCDs are under 60 and in their most productive period of life. These premature deaths are largely preventable.” Without action, the NCD epidemic is projected to kill 52 million people annually by 2030, Dr Alwan added.

Approximately 44% of all NCD deaths occur before 70. In countries like India, a higher proportion (48%) of all NCD deaths occur in people under the age of 70, compared with high-income countries (26%). Cardiovascular diseases were responsible for the largest proportion of NCD deaths under 70 (39%), followed by cancers (27%).

Chronic respiratory diseases and digestive diseases were together responsible for 30% of deaths while diabetes was responsible for 4% of deaths.

SPIRITUALLY, YOURS


Spirituality needs to be a part of everyday life.

A person’s life has several aspects that constitute a healthy whole. Some feel their physical health is the most important. Hence, they spend a lot of their time working out and eating healthy. Those who prioritize their social life meet with friends. But what about the people who believe that the spiritual aspect supersedes all others? How do they get time and energy to attend prayer meetings or other religious activities during the weekend after working through the week from 9 to 5?

SCIENTIFIC WAY OF LIVING

Often, spirituality is mixed with religion. Psychiatrist Dr Rajiv Anand says, “Your spiritual life has little to do with religion. Rather, it is scientific and very systematic. Being spiritual does not mean only chanting, meditating and reading scriptures. All these may be a part of it but not the whole. Being spiritual is far beyond all this.”

An individual may not do any of these things and still be spiritual. “It is a scientific way of living, where your whole existence is in sync with the universe. You are constantly in deep communion with powers greater than yourself, which take care of you and nourish you in a sustained manner,” adds Dr Anand. Psychiatrist Dr Jyoti Sangle agrees. “It would be fallacious to consider spirituality to be synonymous with religion. Acts of compassion and selflessness, altruism and the experience of inner peace and self-awareness could all be facets of spirituality. These are virtues that are inherent and practiced in our daily lives. These originate from a belief deep within us that something, somewhere is taking care of us,” she says.


Psychiatrist Dr Anjali Chhabria says, “Spirituality is that non-materialistic path that connects people to a universal superior force. It allows them to discover themselves and the spirit of their being.” Why is it that as time passes, more people choose to follow the path of spirituality in their lives? How different is the life of a spiritually-inclined person to that of someone who isn’t?” she asks. This can be answered with just a single word — health.

MISTAKEN NOTION


There is a mistaken notion that those who are busy with their 9 to 5 jobs cannot find time for their social and spiritual lives. Both of these complement each other.

Research has shown that people who manage to attend spiritual events and meditate despite their busy schedules, do so because of their strong faith.

This faith increases their

  • self-confidence,
  • self-esteem,
  • motivation and
  • positivity in life,

hereby improving their mental health.

An elderly person with a spiritual bent of mind, is more satisfied mentally as it acts as a support system. This helps them feel less lonely and more motivated after retirement.
Spiritual beliefs form an important part of coping with life’s joys and hardships. “They help foster feelings of optimism and hope, restore meaning and order to life situations, and maintain mental poise,” adds Dr Sangle.


Body-building exercises help us build muscles and increase our stamina, enhance our suppleness, flexibility and weight-bearing capacity. Similarly, through spiritual practices an individual attains a healthy attitude, tolerance, patience, equanimity, inner stability, resilience and acceptance for whatever is happening in life. Consequently, there is less room for angry outbursts.

NATURAL PAINKILLERS


We need to keep ourselves mentally and physically fit in order to function and carry out our daily routines. “Our spiritual lives impact both our mental and physical health. It is not necessary to adopt spiritual habits to have a healthy mind and body. But, being spiritual definitely improves one’s overall health in several ways,” adds Dr Chhabria.

Meditation and spirituality have a powerful influence on one’s mind making them more calm and collected. A person who meditates is more composed, relaxed and tolerant toward other people. They will be able to manage stress and depression better than the people who do not. They will also be able to release pent-up frustration, anger and negativity in the process.

Studies also show that meditation helps improve concentration to a great extent. “A person who meditates regularly will have better concentration, attention and focus than a person who does not,” says Dr Chhabria.

Medical studies indicate that spiritual practices stimulates the brain to release chemicals that act as natural painkillers and mood enhancers. Spiritual people exhibit fewer kinds of selfdestructive behaviour (suicide, smoking, and drug and alcohol abuse) and display healthier behavioural patterns. They are also less vulnerable to stress, and score higher on total life satisfaction assessment.

Be healthy and happy




With today’s fastpaced living and hectic lifestyles, people don't always have the time to pay attention to their health. Which is specialist health insurance company Max Bhupa has introduced a first-of-its-kind health movement, Health Promise, which is aimed at creating awareness about the importance of being healthy.


The initiative, which was introduced at the Lakmé Fashion Week in Mumbai, encourages people to be healthy and fit and encourages them to make a health promise for people they care about. Max Bupa also had a preview of a website, www.YourHealthFirst.in, which will enable people to keep their promises for loved ones by actionable tips, health advice and health information.


Dr Damien Marmion, CEO, Max Bupa said, “In our everyday busy lives, we often neglect our health care needs while striving to achieve material success. We believe it is our responsibility to promote the idea of living healthy among Indians.

To achieve this, Max Bupa has launched Health Promise, which will enable people to give priority to their health first and encourage them to make a health promise for their loved ones. The initiative is being launched against the backdrop of the Lakmé Fashion Week.”

The movement was endorsed by fashion designers Manish Malhotra and Rina Dhaka, who talked about the importance of health. They also joined the Health Promise Movement by making a health promise along with Dr Marmion.

After the Mumbai launch, Max Bupa will take the initiative to other cities in the country and to create awareness about the health movement. The initiative will reach out to people in a phased manner through many different methods, including above-the-line, below-the-line, direct custom outreach and activation touch points with a digital presence playing an integral part in it.

Give an ear to good health


Auriculotherapy is treatment of pain, muscular skeletal disorders and other conditions by acupuncture needles to certain points on the ear.

Auriculotherapy was discovered and developed into an effective treatment by Paul Nogier, a French doctor in the ’50s. Nogier was able to figure out how certain parts of the ear related to certain parts of the motor area of the brain.

This discovery led him to a lifetime of research till his work resulted in auricular therapy, now a powerful tool to identify and treat specific body systems or parts that are in disharmony.

Points in the ear

Auriculotherapy is much more than ear acupuncture. Nogier noticed that there was a distinct change in the amplitude and dimension of the pulse when certain points on the auricle were stimulated. He called this the Vascular Autonomic Sign (VAS). Being able to detect the VAS on the radial pulse of the patients’ left hand enables a practitioner to correctly determine the location of a point and to ascertain whether there is a problem that relates to specific points.

Accurate employment of the VAS in diagnosis and treatment is essential in Auricular therapy and medicine. Auriculotherapy uses the ear to find out whether the right and left parts of the brain are functioning as a dynamic whole, whether there is an imbalance in the neurological, musculoskeletal or organ systems, and whether there are any blockages to treatment such as scar tissue or emotional disorders. It is diagnostic, but much depends on the accuracy of the practitioner. Treatment is specific and points are precisely located by reference to the VAS.

Curing pain and imbalance

Auricular therapy can be used effectively in the treatment of all types of pain like cervical spondylitis, mid-back pain, lumbago sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, shoulder pain, knee pain, hip pain, facial neuralgia, migraine, chronic asthma, dysmenorrhoea, hot flushes, impotence, addiction to smoking, suppression, insomnia, anxiety, dizziness, constipation and emotional disorders.

The advantage of auricular therapy over classical acupuncture is that the patient need not come daily for treatment and once the needles are fixed in the ear, he can return after a week or 10 days for the next session. In more chronic cases, a mix of classical Chinese acupuncture and French ear acupuncture can give wonderful results.

�J's @? n:yes'> Apart from treating physical ailments, ayurveda is useful in treating cases of anxiety and depression or mansik rog. In some cases, disease might have a genetic factor, but ayurveda can help. Unlike usual antidepressants, ayurveda medicines target nerves making them stronger rather than suppressing them. The thrust of ayurveda is in following external therapy and medicine from herbs and minerals to balance doshas on a physical and mental plane.

After lifestyle and diet changes, as a person approaches his natural prakriti (the best balance of doshas he was born with), the disease slowly disappears. Much depends on the patient – whether he is willing to incorporate lifestyle changes and eat what the ayurvedacharya recommends.

Medicines should be prepared following traditional guidelines in the scriptures, so follow treatment prescribed only by reputed and qualified ayurvedacharyas. Simple exposure to the sun is also important, as is doing yoga and meditation – once you start, you can find a difference to your health in just 10 days! To cite a point, surya namaskar done early mornings, benefits even leprosy patients, proving that sun and belief are the best healers.

‘Ayurveda effective medicine system’


Ayurveda can effectively treat physical and mental disorders

Ayurveda physicians must have a basic understanding of the whole anatomy and inner functions, as ayurveda believes in a holistic approach, concentrating on the whole body, even when prescribing treatment for a specific part.

Ayurveda believes that disease could result anywhere because of a basic derangement in the total function of the body. Treatment targets both.

The doshas:

Ayurveda says disease is a result of imbalance in the body’s doshas of

  • vata (air),
  • pitta (fire), and
  • kapha (earth).

Ayurvedacharyas diagnose the cause of illness by conversing with the patient and ascertaining the role of environment, food, family history, character and genetics; sometimes, when we cannot diagnose the symptoms, astrological charts are also drawn up for more insights on influence of planets, stars and other factors on the individual in the environment since he lives in this cosmos.

Treatment is also prescribed on an energy level, rather than just on the gross (the physical body) as the person’s energy body is equally important, even though invisible. Ayurveda cures are designed to enhance a person’s energy fields as well as his physical and mental faculties.


Cures for anxiety and depression:

Apart from treating physical ailments, ayurveda is useful in treating cases of anxiety and depression or mansik rog. In some cases, disease might have a genetic factor, but ayurveda can help. Unlike usual antidepressants, ayurveda medicines target nerves making them stronger rather than suppressing them. The thrust of ayurveda is in following external therapy and medicine from herbs and minerals to balance doshas on a physical and mental plane.

After lifestyle and diet changes, as a person approaches his natural prakriti (the best balance of doshas he was born with), the disease slowly disappears. Much depends on the patient – whether he is willing to incorporate lifestyle changes and eat what the ayurvedacharya recommends.

Medicines should be prepared following traditional guidelines in the scriptures, so follow treatment prescribed only by reputed and qualified ayurvedacharyas. Simple exposure to the sun is also important, as is doing yoga and meditation – once you start, you can find a difference to your health in just 10 days! To cite a point, surya namaskar done early mornings, benefits even leprosy patients, proving that sun and belief are the best healers.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Diet Mistakes! What Parents do Wrong



In the last 30 years, childhood obesity rates have tripled. Almost one in five kids between 6 and 19 are overweight! Choosing the right foods for your kids is key to making sure they don’t become a part of that statistic. We’ll show you the top six mealtime mistakes all you parents might be making.

“Just looking at the label, you may be thinking you’re eating a healthy food, but you’re eating 2 or 3 servings, and the calories really add up!!”

When choosing bread, picking whole wheat isn’t enough.

“When you’re reading the label, you want to look at the fiber. You want it to have 3 grams of fiber, and you want to have whole wheat as your first ingredient!!”

Kids need two servings of fruit a day.

“You want to look for fruits canned in natural juice or water!!”

Do the math: heavy syrup has 20 to 25 grams of sugar compared to 10 in fruits canned in their natural juice.

What about Fruit Loops versus Special K cereals. Which do you think is better? Fruit Loops has less calories and less sugar and the same amount of fiber. A better breakfast choice is Cheerios. It has fewer calories, less sugar and more fiber. Another health food mistake is the yogurt you choose for your family.

“If we’re comparing two vanilla yogurts, even though they’re both low fat, one of them has 220 calories, and 35 grams of sugar, where the other one has 110 calories and 15 grams of sugar!!”

If your family likes to snack before dinner, try veggies.

“One trick you can do is put out cut up veggies on the table for the kids to snack on. If they overeat on vegetables, who really cares!!”

And soon your family will be ignoring the bad foods and fighting over the healthy ones.

Portion size is important. Think about this…the typical burger, fries and soda that was served in the ‘70’s, now has 214 more calories. That’s enough to add at least three pounds of weight a year to your child’s body, even if they eat fast-food just once a week.

Routine Periodic Fasting Is Good for Your Health, and Your Heart, Study Suggests




Fasting has long been associated with religious rituals, diets, and political protests. Now new evidence from cardiac researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute demonstrates that routine periodic fasting is also good for your health, and your heart.


Research cardiologists at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute are reporting that fasting not only lowers one's risk of coronary artery disease and diabetes, but also causes significant changes in a person's blood cholesterol levels. Both diabetes and elevated cholesterol are known risk factors for coronary heart disease.


The discovery expands upon a 2007 Intermountain Healthcare study that revealed an association between fasting and reduced risk of coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death among men and women in America. In the new research, fasting was also found to reduce other cardiac risk factors, such as triglycerides, weight, and blood sugar levels.

The findings were presented on April 3, at the annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans.
"These new findings demonstrate that our original discovery was not a chance event," says Dr. Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MPH, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, and the study's principal investigator. "The confirmation among a new set of patients that fasting is associated with lower risk of these common diseases raises new questions about how fasting itself reduces risk or if it simply indicates a healthy lifestyle."

Unlike the earlier research by the team, this new research recorded reactions in the body's biological mechanisms during the fasting period. The participants' low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, the "bad" cholesterol) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, the "good" cholesterol) both increased (by 14 percent and 6 percent, respectively) raising their total cholesterol -- and catching the researchers by surprise.

"Fasting causes hunger or stress. In response, the body releases more cholesterol, allowing it to utilize fat as a source of fuel, instead of glucose. This decreases the number of fat cells in the body," says Dr. Horne. "This is important because the fewer fat cells a body has, the less likely it will experience insulin resistance, or diabetes."

This recent study also confirmed earlier findings about the effects of fasting on human growth hormone (HGH), a metabolic protein. HGH works to protect lean muscle and metabolic balance, a response triggered and accelerated by fasting. During the 24-hour fasting periods, HGH increased an average of 1,300 percent in women, and nearly 2,000 percent in men.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Research on foods that help heal broken bones


Summarized by Rosemary Fisher


Nutrition's Role In Increasing The Speed Of Bone Healing
The most important influences on fracture healing are nutrition and overall health, including bone health, before the injury, says orthopedist Martin Yahiro, M.D., a consultant to FDA. "That's why it's so important all your life to do weight-bearing exercise such as walking and get enough calcium and vitamin D, so you lay down as much bone as possible during growth and keep as much as you can later on."
The healing time for broken bones is influenced by a number of variables that nutrition can impact including blood supply. For example, the ends of long bones are vascular so they heal faster than the center.  Certain types of food and exercise foster increased blood supply and hence time it takes to heal.    Mobilization, i.e. weight bearing exercises and isometric exercises stimulates healing. 


High Calcium Foods For Bone Healing


There are number foods that are high in calcium to consider. The following chart should serve as a guideline.


Calcium content of different foods
Type of foodAmountMilligrams of Calcium
Non fat yogurt1 cup415
Sardines (Atlantic with bones)3 oz372
Collard Greens1 cup355
Pink Salmon (canned with bones)6oz334
Skim Milk1 cup302
Calcium Fortified Orange Juice1 cup302
Bok Choy1 cup250
Almonds3 oz198
Turnip Greens1 cup200
Soy Beans1 cup180
Broccoli1 cup180
Mustard Greens1 cup150
Black Molasses1 tbsp.140
Great Northern Beans1 cup140
Non fat Baked Beans1 cup130
Tofu1 cup130
Navy beans1 cup130
Corn Tortilla1 tortilla120
Kidney Beans1 cup115
Okra1 cup90
Acorn Squash1 cup90
Spinach (Cooked)1 cup74
Orangemed.60
Raisins1/422
Peanut butter2 tbsp.18


The key to better usage of your calcium intake is not just increasing the calcium but also increasing your ability to absorb the calcium. The recipes in all my books are very high in calcium rich foods and are specifically designed to increase your ability to absorb calcium. For additional information, see my research section on ways to increase absorption of calcium in my latest book Recipes and Research on Dementia, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis and Cancer 


Lysine To Increase Calcium Absorption
Lysine is an amino acid that helps in the absorption of calcium. Lysine a protein building block, can increase the amount of calcium absorbed into the matrix according to Peter Furst, M.D.,PhD. in the Jan./Feb. 1993, Nutrition (9: 70-2).    It is an essential amino acid necessary for the regeneration of tissues, and the building and healing of broken bones. Research studies show that lysine can increase the amount of calcium absorbed into the bone matrix. The amount in one particular study was 800 mg. As lysine promotes the formation of muscle protein, it may be important in healing after operations and injuries. There are a number of foods that can add lysine to your diet, such as low fat milk, fish, yeast, and soy products. I find that defatted soy flour is the best source of Lysine because there are 3300mg of lysine in 3 1/2 ounces of defatted soy flour. This is an important reason to use defatted soy flour in the foods you eat. In my latest book I have many recipes using defatted soy flour. 
Vitamin C As A Bone Healer
Vitamin C is essential nutritionally to make the collagen that helps the body form healthy bones. It also promotes wound healing. You also can get numerous additional benefits from Vitamin C. For example, researchers at New Mexico Medical School found that adults with high blood levels of vitamin C scored higher on mental tasks than those with low levels of vitamin C. Many of my recipes are high in vitamin C. 


Aspirin And Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Can Retard Bone Healing
When you break a bone or tear a muscle and are on pain medication, you may want to try to stop taking the pain medication as soon as possible so you do not delay healing.  A study in May 1995 issue of The Journal of Orthopedic Trauma shows damaged cells in a fracture release large amount of chemicals called prostaglandins.  These chemicals cause the pain and are blocked by the pain medication.  However prostaglandins are also very important in the first stage of tissue repair.  So decreasing the use as soon as possible is helpful to the healing process. 
Furthermore a study in the October 1995 issue of the Journal of Rheumatology found that continued use of anti-inflammatory drugs over several months can increase the rate of cartilaginous breakdown in joints of people who have osteoarthritis.   The drugs mentioned in the studies include Aspirin, Anaprox, Lodine, Meclomin, Motrin, Naprosin, Pensile, Relafen, Toreador, Tolectin, Indocin and Ibuprofen.


Vitamin K To Promote Bone Healing
Vitamin K, also called Menadione, is a very important fat-soluble vitamin that plays a key role in the regulation of normal blood clotting functions. We get vitamin K from several sources in our diet including dark leafy vegetables. Vitamin K also assists in converting glucose into glycogen for storage in the liver. Numerous studies indicate that it plays a role in forming bone formation and preventing osteoporosis. If you want to help bones heal faster, consider increasing your intake of Vitamin K rich foods. I have numerous recipes for these in my books. 
Smoking Slows The Healing Of Broken Bones
Many studies have shown that broken bones tend to take longer to heal if the injured person has been smoking. Cigarettes can also increase the risk of blood clotting, which may further reduce blood flow. Breakdown products of cigarette smoke include carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrosamines and benzenes which can damage the cells that form the bone itself and can interrupt the healing process after a fracture or bone injury. [Hadley MN et al. Smoking and the Human Vertebral Column: A Review of the Impact of Cigarette Use on Vertebral Bone Metabolism and Spinal Fusion. Neurosurgery (1997); vol. 41, pp. 116-122]. 
Boron's Role In Bone Healing
Boron is important in bone healing because studies how show it reduces urinary excretion of calcium and magnesium and significantly increases blood levels of both estrogen and testosterone. The are many food high in boron. Apples are the highest. You will find many recipes in my books that use apples and other high boron foods. 
Avoid bone robbers
To maximize the rate of healing it is helpful to avoid bone robbers such as sugar, salt, alcohol, caffeine, red meats etc.  See detail descriptions in the osteoporosis sections of my books 
Role of silica and zinc
Both silica and zinc are important for the repair of tissues.  Silica is also important also in helping the calcium to be absorbed.    Ensuring that these are in you diet is a another way to potentially decrease the time it takes to heal from a fracture
Simple comfort tips
If you are in a wheel chair or bed, be sure to get the convoluted mattress pad for your bed and wheel chair.  If you have a leg cast or brace, consider using side zippered ski pants for easy on and off of your pants. 
If you have bruised a muscle in your break, and need some pain relief,  be sure to explore the use of the T.E.N.S unit.  You can try it out at most physical therapy sessions. If it works for you, you can get your doctor to give you a prescription for it and in many cases your health insurance will pay for the cost rental or purchase.  You can also just purchase it yourself for as low as $99-$150 U.S on the web. 
I have personally used the T.E.N.S in my last fall, and it was a life saver.  It gave me the pain relief I needed to be able to do the exercises to heal my bruised muscle.  Be sure when you use it, not to overuse it. Just use it so you can get the relief you need to be able to to the physical therapy you need for a permanent solution. 













A Calcium rich diet in the early years can prevent bone- related problems

A few cups of milk or curd a day in childhood and teen years is more valuable than all the calcium supplements consumed in adulthood. The reason is simple. During the first 20 years of life the body builds up a bank balance of calcium in the bones and adulthood is essentially a raid on this balance. Those who lay up a hefty balance in the first two decades enjoy an old age relatively free of skeletal problems.

The rest end up with weak bones that fracture easily in old age.

Osteoporosis is really a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences. Hip fractures are distressingly common in elderly especially in old women and the solution to them is a calcium rich diet in childhood and teen years, not calcium and vitamin D supplements in adulthood must for kids.
Current nutrition guidelines recommend that children consume two servings of milk group foods daily. This provides at least 800 mg of calcium a day. Teens and young adults below 18 years need more calcium- at least 1300 mg of calcium every day, or three servings of milk group foods daily. One 240 ml glass of milk has about 300 mg of calcium. Calcium rich foods include milk and curds, dark green leafy vegetables, beans, soyabeans, raisins, fortified orange juice, fortified bread and meat with chewable bones in it. The guts ability to absorb calcium depends on the overall level of calcium in the food and the type of food. Foods vary in their ability to enhance or inhibit calcium absorption. Low fat or fat-free milk, or curd from such milk, are the best sources of calcium because they have high calcium content which can be easily absorbed by the body.

However, the calcium in oxalic acid -rich foods (spinach, sweet potatoes and beans) or phytic acid -rich foods (unleavened bread, raw beans, seeds and nuts) has low absorptive potential. The body absorbs about a tenth as much calcium from spinach as it does from milk. Therefore, we require additional servings of many calcium- rich foods to balance their low calcium absorption

Lactose, the milk sugar, can cause abdominal discomfort in Indians because, late childhood onwards our bodies lose the enzymes to digest it. However, many people who are lactose intolerant can drink two to three 240 ml glasses of milk every day without getting the symptoms. Substituting curd for milk solves the problem completely.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Cause of fatal paralytic disease discovered

Scientists claim to have discovered the common cause of all forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease that paralyzes its victims.

The underlying disease process of ALS has long eluded doctors and prevented development of effective therapies. Now, a team at Northwestern University has for the first time discovered that the basis of the disorder is a broken down protein — identified as ubiquilin2 — recycling system in the neurons of the spinal cord and the brain.
Optimal functioning of the neurons relies on efficient recycling of protein building blocks in the cells. In ALS, that recycling system is broken. The cell can’t repair or maintain itself and becomes severely damaged.
In fact, ubiquilin2’s critical job is to recycle damaged or misfolded proteins in motor and cortical neurons and shuttle them off to be reprocessed. In people with ALS, it isn’t doing its job. As a result, the damaged proteins and ubiquilin2 accumulate and cause degeneration of the neurons. Cough may help during heart attack

Marriage ups weight in women, divorce in men


WAIST WATCH


It seems that marriage and divorce are both bad for the waistline — while women are most likely to gain weight after tying the knot, men tend to pile on the pounds following a break-up, say researchers.
    A new study of more than 10,000 people surveyed between 1986 and 2008 found that both marrying and getting divorced can have a “weight shock” effect that leads to rapid weight gain, especially in over-30s.
    But the researchers say there was a marked difference between men and women in which marital event was the most traumatic on the waistline, ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reported.
    In fact, the researchers used data from the survey in which men and women were weighed every year to see how many pounds they gained or lost in the two years following a marriage or divorce. Up to the age of 30 there was little impact on the weight of either men or women, but after this point the probability of weight gain after marriage or divorce began to rise steadily until the age of 50.
    Both sexes were more likely to gain weight in the two years after a divorce or marriage than someone who had never been married, the study showed. Dmitry Tumin of Ohio State University said, “Clearly, the effect of marital transitions on weight changes differs by gender.”




    

Cataract hitting your eye at the age of 45! Check out!




The age of onset of cataract among Indians may have dipped by almost a decade. Cataract — clouding of the eye’s lens and the main cause of blindness — earlier affecting those above 60 years, is being increasingly seen among those in their mid-40s.
According to Dr Mahipal Sachdev, chairman of Centre for Sight, the age of onset of cataract among Indians is 45 years as against 55 years among Westerners. 
“It could be due to overall poor nutrition levels, excessive exposure to UV light, increased diorrhoea and dehydration episodes,” Dr Sachdev said. 
Besides, in case there is a family history of early cataract, the children would get it five years earlier than their parents, he said. 
India is home to 12 million blind people of which 70% cases are due to cataract. About five million cataract surgeries are performed in the country annually, highest in the world. 
Officials say 75% of blindness cases are those of avoidable blindness. Fortunately, cataract surgery is set to become more accurate with the use of femtosecond laser, which, experts say, allows extreme precision in surgery. 
EYE OPENER India has 12m blind people, 70% cases due to cataract 
12L cataract surgeries conducted in India in 2010 
Health ministry says 75% blindness cases avoidable 
Latest femtosecond laser surgeries accurate in 100% of cases

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Goodness of tea


Here the benefits of tea for good health are outlined:

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. A hot cup of tea, when you wake up in the morning, is hard to resist. Although, in India,black tea with milk and sugar is the most common way of drinking this beverage, in recent times, green tea and herbal tea have also become popular in urban areas. Uncommon varieties of tea are white tea and oolong tea. Green tea undergoes minimal oxidation and processing whereas black tea is highly oxidised.


ANTIOXIDANTS IN TEA:

For centuries man has been drinking tea, but the science behind its goodness has been discovered only some years ago. The most talked-about beneficial substance in tea is its flavonoids.Flavonoids are a group of antioxidants that are present in tea and many other foods. Catechins (a sub group of flavonoids) are found in large quantities in green and white tea. Black tea contains theaflavins and thearubigins (both antioxidants).

HEALTH BENEFITS:

Several research studies have been conducted on tea and its influence on reducing the risk of diseases. Some of these studies look very positive.
· Antioxidant properties in tea help protect cells from oxidative damage. Those who are at risk of heart disease or stroke might benefit from drinking tea regularly because it has a positive effect on blood vessels.
· Black tea has attracted some attention in India due to its role in fighting inflammation. Tea is a good source of fluoride which contributes to dental health.
· Emerging research says there might be a connection between tea and mental function. Although some people claim that green tea helps in weight loss, more evidence is required.
· Moreover, tea all by itself cannot help in losing weight, if the rest of the lifestyle is not conducive to weight loss.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

New drug can extend life span of the obese

Sustaining the flickering hope that human aging might somehow be decelerated; researchers have found they can substantially extend the average life span of obese mice with a specially designed drug.

The drug, SRT-1720, protects the mice from the usual diseases of obesity by reducing the amount of fat in the liver and increasing sensitivity to insulin. These and other positive health effects enable the obese mice to live 44% longer, on average, than obese mice that did not receive the drug, according to a team of researchers led by Rafael de Cabo, a gerontologist at the National Institute on Aging.

Drugs closely related to SRT-1720 are now undergoing clinical trials in humans. The findings “demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of designing novel molecules that are safe and effective in promoting longevity and preventing multiple age-related diseases in mammals,” Dr de Cabo and colleagues write in the new journal Scientific Reports. Their conclusion supports claims that had been thrown in doubt by an earlier study that was critical of SRT-1720.

A drug that makes it cost-free to be obese may seem more a moral hazard than an incentive to good health. But the rationale behind the research is somewhat different: the researchers are trying to capture the benefits that allow mice on very low-calorie diets to live longer.

It just so happens that such benefits are much easier to demonstrate in mice under physiological stress like obesity than in normal mice. “The drugs could be used as a preventive , but I don’t think they will ever be an excuse to abuse your body,” said David Sinclair, a biologist at Harvard Medical School and co-chairman of the scientific advisory board of Sirtris, which developed SRT-1720.

What causes dark circles?

Dark circles under the eyes are caused by several factors, some of which are avoidable and can be prevented and treated easily.
The most common causes for dark circles are:
· Skin allergies:
The skin around the eyes is delicate and prone to eczema. Eyeliners, kohl and eye shadows trigger eczema. In some cases, the person may develop an allergy to his/her own oil or sweat and the skin usually appears coarse and wrinkled. Damage control includes exfoliating packs to even out the skin texture and gels for skin lightening.
· Sinusitis:
Sinus or nasal inflammation results in venous congestion, which can cause bruising around the bridge of the nose and eyes, giving rise to the appearance of dark circles. The condition is accompanied by headaches and patients constantly rub their eyes. Treating sinusitis or the allergy is the first step and this can reduce the dark circles in most cases. However, in some cases, eye packs and face packs may be also be required to treat the allergies.
Lack of nutrients:
Iron deficiency or lack of vitamin C can cause dark circles. Women with low haemoglobin count find dark circles becoming more prominent during their period. Skipping meals or consuming too much coffee can cause dark circles. Chronic illnesses like stomach or thyroid problems or sudden and severe weight loss cause dark circles. Identifying and correcting the deficiency often reverses dark circles. 


Fatigue, stress and lack of sleep:


These triggers are avoidable and the solution is to get more rest. But with increasing work and domestic responsibilities, many people do not get enough rest. Treating anxiety and forcing a break to de-stress is important. 

Now probiotic drugs sold over counter

Efficacy Not Proven, Warn Docs
Kill your diarrhoea with good bacteria. That’s the latest fad in healthcare. Almost every pharmaceutical company now has a brand of probiotic drug and some are even being commercially marketed off the counter.

Probiotics are foods that contain live bacteria. It is the bacteria and metabolites which they produce that give probiotics their health-promoting properties. The best known example is yogurt.

While some doctors are excited about chances of treating even severe intestinal disorders with probiotics, many say this is a huge money-spinner. Doctors are still assessing whether these drugs can be an alternative to antibiotics considering the increasing cases of antibiotic resistance in India.


WHAT IS PROBIOTIC?

• Live micro-organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host, says World Health Organisation 

• It means introducing good live bacteria into your intestine to fight off bad bacteria 

• Lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics 

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-appointed committee member and consultant gastroenterologist, Manipal Hospital, Dr Dinesh Kini, is part of the research team on probiotics. He says probiotics can’t be an alternative to antibiotics. “They’re a huge money-spinner that are pharmaceutically motivated and currently being used unscientifically. There is less scientific data on probiotics. It may, however, be used by travellers for diarrhoea, colitis, inflammatory bowel diseases and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. It is not the wonder drug that it’s being projected to be,” he asserts.


“We need robust and randomized clinical trials to say with confidence that they have positive impact on health. The market is flooded with various brands of probiotics,” he adds.

“These are micro-organisms that colonize your intestine and remove harmful bacteria. The best natural probiotics are in yogurt and soy yogurt, which can be eaten on a regular basis even without a prescription. But people consume them less these days. So it is available in tablet and liquid forms. Research is being conducted to see its impact on colon cancer and urinary tract infections,” explains Dr B S Ravindra, consultant gastroenterologist, BGS Global Hospital.


There was a sudden increase in the prescription of probiotics recently. It was seen that they had a positive effect on patients who were under antibiotics for long and suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. Even patients who recurrently suffered from bouts of gastroenteritis showed good recovery.

“Use of probiotics has definitely increased. It’s true that yogurt and curds contain probiotics but those cannot be quantified. It is a great source of medication but I do not suggest that people buy it off the counter just for fitness. The quality and dosage of this live bacteria cannot be assured if it’s used without monitoring,” said Dr Ravishankar Bhat, consultant gastroenterologist, Apollo Hospitals.

AVAILABLE IN STORES
Pro-biotic yogurts and fortified supplements are available in almost all stores. I have tried them many times since they claim to have health benefits and assist in digestion but am not sure whether these claims are true.

THE BENEFITS


Experts agree that it may be helpful to those who have been consuming antibiotics for a long time. It may help in breeding good bacterial flora in the intestine and considered useful for irritable bowel syndrome.

GUIDELINES ON USAGE

ICMR released guidelines on the use of probiotics this year. It says: “Probiotics have been suggested to be associated with alleviation of lactose intolerance, prevention and cure of viral-, bacterial- and antibiotic- or radiotherapyinduced diarrhoea, anticarcinogenic effects and even blood cholesterol reduction. The optimism associated with probiotics is, however, counterbalanced by scepticism as many probiotic products in the market are unreliable in content and unproven clinically.’’
YES OR NO? Doctors are still assessing if these drugs can be an alternative to antibiotics
    

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