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.

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 food	Amount	Milligrams of Calcium
Non fat yogurt	1 cup	415
Sardines (Atlantic with bones)	3 oz	372
Collard Greens	1 cup	355
Pink Salmon (canned with bones)	6oz	334
Skim Milk	1 cup	302
Calcium Fortified Orange Juice	1 cup	302
Bok Choy	1 cup	250
Almonds	3 oz	198
Turnip Greens	1 cup	200
Soy Beans	1 cup	180
Broccoli	1 cup	180
Mustard Greens	1 cup	150
Black Molasses	1 tbsp.	140
Great Northern Beans	1 cup	140
Non fat Baked Beans	1 cup	130
Tofu	1 cup	130
Navy beans	1 cup	130
Corn Tortilla	1 tortilla	120
Kidney Beans	1 cup	115
Okra	1 cup	90
Acorn Squash	1 cup	90
Spinach (Cooked)	1 cup	74
Orange	1 med.	60
Raisins	1/4	22
Peanut butter	2 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.

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

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

    

Skincare

Here are some common monsoon-related skin conditions we should be familiar with and how to deal with them

Heavy rains remind us of staying put at home, eating pakodas, sipping hot tea, umbrellas and lazy days. The rains bring not only a welcome respite from the scorching heat but they also bring a whole set of problems for your skin.

Long hours of staying in wet clothes, repeated immersion of feet in contaminated water and constant high environmental humidity cause a myriad of skin problems. Humidity is a very familiar breeding ground for a host of bacteria, fungi and other infections that grow on the skin unchecked. Also the high acid content of the first showers of rain cause further to the skin and various skin infections. Here are some common monsoonrelated conditions we should be familiar with and how to deal with them:
Fungal infection of the toes or toe web spaces – Athlete’s Foot
This problem is more common in men as they usually wear closed footwear. There is itching, scaling and discolouration of web spaces and the toenails may become discoloured or brittle. Prevention: Wear open footwear when out in the rain and change into dry socks and footwear when you get indoors. Always wash your feet with soap and water after exposure to puddles or rainwater. Apply anti-fungal dusting powder – Absorb prior to putting on socks and apply an anti-fungal ointment at night. If the condition does not improve, consult a dermatologist.
Fungal infection of other body parts especially skin folds – Ringworm or tinea
The skin feels itchy and round dry red skin patches are formed. This is more common in diabetics.Prevention: Visit a dermatologist at the earliest and avoid using steroid ointments as they give immediate relief, but a bad relapse later.
Infections caused by mites – Scabies
This causes intense itching especially at night and a rash in the finger web spaces and body folds. It is most common in children. Prevention: Consult your doctor for treatment. Also since it spreads by contact, isolate the person and his belongings. All family members need to be made aware of the disease.
Lice infestation of the scalp and body
Usually occurs in females when damp hair is tied for too long.
Prevention: Anti-lice treatments are available.
Acne and dandruff
Preventions: Regular hair wash with an anti-dandruff shampoo containing ketoconazole is good to keep the scalp dandruff free. Other bacterial infections of the skin are common as bacteria thrive well on the skin in this season. Apart from these diseases, there are usually many non-specific complaints like wrinkling of the skin, body odour, dull, lifeless complexion or frizzing of hair – all due to excess humidity.


    

Nutrition tips in managing waterborne diseases

Five nutrition tips to stay away from waterborne diseases this monsoon

1 Any microbial infection (bacterial), which is accompanied with fever should be treated with antibiotic therapy to kill the microorganisms, but nutritional support during this phase helps recover faster. 

2 Feed the diarrhoea and fever. Research indicates that even during diarrhoea the activity of digestive enzymes is intact and feeding helps in boosting the immunity and strength of the individual and helps in faster recovery. The form of food can be changed as per the person’s tolerance. Small frequent nutritional dense (more nutrients in less quantity) foods are recommended. 

3 The nutrients to be emphasised in all these stages in order of priority are – carbohydrates to provide energy and spare proteins for tissue building as all these states are catabolic in nature. In addition to this giving good quality protein through milk products like curds, paneer, and non-vegetarian options like eggs, fish or soya protein help in better utilisation of proteins in the body. Ensure the food is prepared in such a manner that it is easy to digest and evenly distributed throughout the day. Some options can be porridges, gruels, curd rice, soft puddings, custards, paneer sandwiches, shikran, shrikhand etc. 

4 Enhance the intake of immune boosting nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, selenium and magnesium. Rainy season is marked with the availability of fruits like amla and guava that are loaded with pectin, vitamin C; bitter gourd – an excellent source of vitamin C; green leaves like patra, mayalu, chaulai, which are excellent sources of Vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, magnesium and calcium. An add on of sprouts, nuts and oilseeds can take care of selenium, zinc, magnesium. 

5 It is a good idea to use medium chain triglycerides, which are dairy fats like homemade ghee, butter, cream, as they are easy to digest and add to the total caloric intake. It has a lot of importance in individuals recovering from states like diarrhoea, jaundice and typhoid as the person has a poor appetite but yet needs calories and nutrient density to recover faster.


    

Social rejection linked to poor physical health

Says a recent study

People who are socially rejected and isolated tend to have poor physical health, and die sooner than people who have the support of others, according to a new study. 

“People who feel lonely and excluded tend to have poor physical health,” said Nathan Dewall, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky. They don’t sleep well, their immune systems sputter, and they even tend to die sooner than people who are surrounded by others who care about them. People with depression may face exclusion more often because of the symptoms of their disorder and being rejected makes them more depressed, said DeWall. A feeling of exclusion can also contribute to suicide.

Body Basics

‘I have a tendency to lose weight easily’

...so actor Purab Kohli focusses on his diet and makes sure not to overdo cardio exercises

MY EXERCISE REGIME 

I work out everyday but my workout keeps changing. Of late, I’ve built into the character I’m playing. So with each character, I imagine what body type he would be and then plan my workouts to achieve that. If the character demands high intensity cardio and weights, I will be at the gym for two hours. If it is a rural character, then I opt for outdoor sports, rope climbing, running for a more natural definition. 

MY PROBLEM AREAS 

Luckily I don’'t have any problem areas, but that’s because I am always active. I am either playing a sport or at the gym. I do, however, have a tendency to lose weight very easily. So I have to focus on my diet and make sure I don’t overdo cardio exercises. 

MY STRENGTHS 

I think it’s my stamina. Fitness has been an integral part of my life, so over a period of time I have built resistance and stamina. That works in my favour when I am experimenting with my fitness routines. I enjoy physical activity so I don’t know if that makes me a fitness freak. 

MY DIET 

It completely depends on my mood. I go through phases. There are some days where I only eat vegetarian food and on the others, I eat everything. Sometimes, when I have to, I prepare my body for a certain character and bulk up on protein. I do have a sweet tooth and love ice-creams, cakes and mithais. But I avoid overeating, and if I do, then I spend an extra 15 minutes on the treadmill. 

Frizzy hair giving trouble?

Try these homemade masks to get frizz-free tresses

Taming frizzy hair can be one herculean task, especially during the rainy season. Going to a salon to maintain those tresses is not a feasible idea, considering the dent it creates in your wallet. Try the following homemade treatments to get frizz free hair days. 

• Mayonnaise Mask: Mayo can not just accompany your burger or sandwich but is also a brilliant option to remove frizzy hair locks. Take half a cup of mayo and apply to your hair starting from roots to ends. The smell of mayo can sure be a problem, so it’s best you mix about 2 or 3 drops of scented oil to it. After applying this, wrap your hair in a shower cap keeping it on for about fifteen minutes. Shampoo and rinse once done. 

• Honey Mask: Since honey contains humectants, it is known to treat damaged hair. Moreover, thanks to it’s scent, after applying honey the hair smells nice. Mix about 1/3 cup of honey along with 2 tbsp of either olive or almond oil. Apply the mixture from though your hair and then wrap your hair in a shower cap. Rinse after thirty minutes.

Has our brain reached full capacity?

‘People May Not Get Smarter Since Grey Matter Has Stopped Evolving’

Scientists have claimed that the human brain may have reached its full capacity and can’t get cleverer.
    A team at Cambridge University, led by Professor Simon Laughlin, says this is because the people are unable to provide the amount of extra energy and oxygen needed to become more intelligent.
    The scientists have based their findings after analysing the structure of the brain and worked out how much energy its cells use up.
    Professor Simon Laughlin was quoted by the British media as saying, “We have demonstrated that brains must consume energy to function and that these requirements are sufficiently demanding to limit our performance and determine design. Far-reaching powers of deduction demand a lot of energy because for the brain to search out new relationships it must constantly correlate information from different sources.
    “Such demands mean there is a limit to the information we can process.”
    The scientists say that the wiring inside the brain would need vast amounts of extra energy to become more efficient. As it’s impossible for humans to provide this, they can’t become any smarter.
    In their research, the team measured the efficiency with which different parts of the brain communicated with each other and found impulses travelled fastest in smarter people and slower in those who were less intelligent.
    “High integration of brain networks seems to be associated with high IQ. You pay a price for intelligence. Becoming smarter means improving connections between different brain areas but this runs into tight limits on energy, along with space for the wiring,” Ed Bullmore, team member, said.
    Scientists have said that even the cleverest people might not get any brighter since our grey matter has stopped evolving. And it is all down to physics.
    One part of the theory is that scientists reckon brain cells cannot get much smaller than they are at present — meaning there will not be any further space for more of them.
    It is also thought the number of connections between brain cells cannot rise much more due to the amount of energy they consume.
    Research has shown that the better connected the parts of the brain, the higher a person’s IQ. It means if we turned any smarter the impact on our body’s power supply would be immense.
    According to Ed Bullmore, professor of psychiatry at Cambridge, all of us have “to pay a price for our intelligence”.
    Laughlin also feels the brain evolution could go into reverse if human circumstances change - for instance if there were a shortage of food. He said, “The fact that brains both expand and contract during evolution shows that the optimum balance changes with circumstances.

4 things you must know about yourself

What’s your breaking point? In your eagerness to please your partner, don’t forget to ask yourself the most important questions...


It’s difficult to sustain relationships in the days of multi-tasking. Be it with your boyfriend, husband, parents, children or friends… it’s hardly possible to do justice to all of them. But while you may get lucky with some of your relationships, like with your partner or your children, the person you often ignore is yourself. All of a sudden, when things start to fall apart, you realize that while you got busy taking care of everyone else’s needs, someone else forgot to do that for you. You may be aware of your husband’s breaking point. You may know what will stop your child from throwing a tantrum. But do you know what makes you snap? The next time you have some time to spend on yourself, make a list of the basic things that you must know ab o u t yourself; that’s the most important relationship women tend to miss out on — the one with themselves.

YOUR DIAL-A-FRIEND
Who is that one person who always calms you down? The one who will listen to all your problems patiently? It doesn’t matter how much of a loner you are, there should be at least one person whom you can call instantly in time of need. We all need to whine, at times to make ourselves feel better.


YOUR BREAKING POINT
Pooja Sharma, a marketing executive with a 5-star hotel, is a calm and dignified person. That is, until a couple of months ago, when a simple difference of opinion with a colleague had her uttering expletives that would upset her, if they came from others. “Tension had been building up for some time in the workplace and personal problems were bothering me too. My colleague got to me and I lost it completely,” says Sharma. Since then, she tries to understand her mood better.


THAT ONE STRESS-BUSTER
It can be movies, music, swimming, gossip with friends or good old sleep — don’t avoid doing things that destress you. Women often don’t give enough importance to it and end up with a lot of pent up emotions.


HOW TO SAY ‘NO’
Pleasing people is good, but do not bend over backwards for them. If your friends take you for granted, just put your foot down. If your husband’s friends think your house is the only decent place for social gatherings and you are not comfortable with it, convey it to him. You can do it politely. If workload at the office is bogging you down, talk it out with your superior. Learn to delegate. And most importantly, know that it’s absolutely alright to say ‘no’ at times. It doesn’t mean you’re unprofessional. 

How to survive a heart attack when alone, Does coughing and deep breathing help u.!!?

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed in order. Without help the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel Faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating.

The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a phone and, between breaths, call for help.

Daily Eye Care

Splash your eyes with cold water first thing in the morning.

Apply cotton wool pads, soaked in warm milk, witch hazel, rose water or weak tea solution on your eyes, press gently, and leave for ten minutes.

Now fill an eye bath with eye lotion, place it on your eye, tilt your head back, open your eye and let the eye lotion flow into your eye.

Repeat the same process for the other eye. Wash each eye, two or three times and it will sooth and refresh your eyes.

You can repeat the same process following any activity,, which has strained your eyes.

After a couple of weeks of such eye care, you will find your eyes looking brighter.

To avoid eye strain do not work in a poor light.

Do not read continuously in buses or trains.

Do not stare too long at anything without blinking. Blinking provides lubrication and relief from light.

Do not rub your eyes too hard. To give momentary relief to your eyes, close your eyes with your palms so that no light can enter. Now open up your eyes in your palm cup and stare into this darkness for a minute.