Bad breath can bring down your confidence to a great extent. So can we do something about it? Of course we can. Add some simple activities to your routine and get rid of bad breath forever! I’ll start with the most common and obvious suggestion. Brush and floss your teeth more frequently. Plaque is identified as the primary cause of bad breath. Frequent brushing and floss can eliminate this cause. But remember not to brush aggressively. This could damage your gums, leading to other problems. Bad breath is sometimes the result of an unclean tongue. It is important to clear the coating on your tongue everyday. This coating is the favorite place of bacteria. Scrape your tongue with a your toothbrush or use a tongue scraper. Get rid of another reason for bad breath. Another obvious cause of bad breath is the food you eat. Stay away from foods like onion and garlic, bad breath will stay away from you. If you are thinking of brushing your teeth after eating these things then let me tell you that its useless! These are foods that travel through your bloodstream and come out of your breath. So its impossible to get rid of it that way. Smoking causes cancer and..... Bad breath! So avoid both of them by falling out of the smoking habit. Don’t let bad breath drag you down. Take care! -Kruti Beesam

  Sensitive teeth can be very annoying. They make you deprived of all your favorite things. But what causes the strongest part of our body to become so sensitive? When this question was put to Chun-Pin Lin and colleagues, they said that tooth sensitivity is the most common observation in dental patients. Tooth sensitivity dentists say is the result of enamel degradation that leads to exposing tiny, porous tubes and allowing underlying nerves to become more vulnerable to hot and cold. Presently there are toothpastes that seal the openings of the tubes. But these are not that effective as they cannot tolerate the wear-and- tear of daily brushing and chewing for too long. Research has found a solution to this. A unique paste made of calcium and phosphorus can do the magic. It was first applied on a dog’s teeth as an experiment. This experiment revealed that it repaired exposed tubes more deeply than other treatments. So, check if your dentist is updated before he treats your sensitive teeth.   -Kruti Beesam

Can you think of any relation between cinnamon and diabetes? Sounds random, doesn't it? It is not as random as it sounds. Cinnamon can actually help people with diabetes. Lets find out how! A study on people with type 2 diabetes revealed that cinnamon works to reduce blood sugar level by increasing insulin resistance. This research also revealed that if 1-6 grams of cinnamon is consumed by people with this type of diabetes, it can reduce cholesterol by 18% and insulin by 24%. Although it is good for health, it might be difficult to include it in your diet everyday. Don’t worry! I will tell you some simple ways in which cinnamon can become a part of your food everyday. For breakfast try oatmeal with small amounts of cinnamon stirred into it. A dash of cinnamon on whole grain toast is a very good idea for people with diabetes. Always remember that cinnamon tastes best with peanut butter or sugar-free jam on toast.     A healthy lunch for a diabetic would be a cinnamon spread on a sandwich or some of it stirred in a tasty salad. Americans like to use cinnamon to bake their cakes. This is a good idea for healthy celebrations. In fact it would be best to replace sugar with cinnamon in your desserts if you do not want diabetes to play with your health. For a tasty dinner that brings health, try rub powdered cinnamon on poultry, pork or beef. Add cinnamon to your food and don't let diabetes take away taste from your life!     Kruti Beesam

Everyone of us should love the body god has given us. But, in today’s world it has become important to stay in shape. We have all tried many things to get that perfect body. Special diets, exercises and everything that is prescribed for weight loss. There’s one thing that no one has probably told you. A simple act of breathing can cut down the fat from your body. This is not my prescription. The University of New South Wales has declared this after several experiments. To get rid of excess weight, the body needs to unlock triglyceride molecules. Research proves that oxidation assists this process to accelerate weight loss. The trick is, for every 10 kilos of fat that is oxidized, 8.4 kilos of fat is out of the body in the form of carbon dioxide. The remaining 1.6 kilos turns into water. The amount of oxygen taken in should be more than the fat you aim to lose.   It is revealed through this research that, the lungs are the primary excretory organs for weight loss. So take advantage of this fact and put your lungs to work! Losing weight has never been so easy, has it?    Kruti Beesam   

Migraine has troubled many for many years and it is still the bad guy in many lives. Research says it effects more women than men. If we take the case of the United States of America 12% of the countries population are regularly fighting the attacks of moderate to severe migraine. Many of us don't even know that the pain in our head is caused by a condition called Migraine. Today I will try and help you identify a migraine that will help you deal with it better. If your headache is a throbbing or a pulsating one, it could be an indication of a migraine. However you should not depend on one symptom to come to a conclusion. Migraines usually manifest themselves as one sided headaches. This means that if you are experiencing severe pain on one side of your head you might be having a migraine. Migraine could be with an aura i.e one with a prior indication of its attack, and one without. During a migraine attack people usually want to stay away from light and sound as they are known to intensify the pain.Movement or activity is also known to have the same effect on migraine. Migraine attacks are usually accompanied by nausea and sometimes even vomiting.       There could be many causes of migraine. The causes usually differ from one individual to another. However, lack of proper sleep, extreme stress and staying hungry for long hours are identified as most common causes of such a headache. If you are someone who frequently experiences migraines, then you must know a list of foods that you need to stay away from. Baked goods, Chocolate, Dairy foods, avocado, banana, citrus fruit and Onions are some things you need to avoid. Unfortunately there is no specific treatment to fight the severe attacks of pain permanently. All we can do is, manage it and brace ourselves to fight it when it attacks us. Best is to avoid the triggers and stay as calm as possible. During a headache, pain killers seem to help in most cases. Having said that, it is best to consult your doctor before you do anything. Take care of yourself!   ........Kruti Beesam

Gray hair! It is the first sign of old age observed in human beings. But is it really a sign of old age? Not in the contemporary times. Sadly even the young people these days are having to deal with gray hair. Why is this happening? Research says that there can be a number of reasons for the early onset of gray hair in people. The reasons usually range from nutritional deficiency to heredity. Science explains that when the body stops producing a pigment called melanin, hair turns colorless making it gray along with that hair that has not lost color yet. The lack of oil production on the scalp is also identified as a cause for early graying of hair. The other reasons include chronic cold, sinusitis, hormonal imbalance, faulty diet stress, anxiety thyroid disease,folic acid deficiency. There is no need to get disappointed already. If I have pointed out a problem, I will also suggest a few simple ways to get rid of this nagging and embarrassing problem. Some home remedies can prevent you from aging early. Including curry leaves in your diet works very well. You could also apply a curry leaf paste on your scalp along with some hot coconut oil. Another trick is to apply butter made of cow’s milk. Do this twice a week and you will see the difference. Keep the food like   refined flour and sugar, soft drinks, pastries, jam, too spicy food, hot food, chilies and oily dishes at a distance. Remember to take a liter of yoghurt with a tablespoon of yeast before every meal. This will delay graying of your hair. Stay young, stay beautiful!   ........Kruti Beesam

In the last ten years life has become more hopeful for mankind. Wondering why? The advances in medical science has given us this hope. The ten years have brought what was unimaginable earlier. The first achievement was when doctors and patients welcomed information technology with open arms. Earlier a doctor had to spend a good quality of his time looking up many volumes of old books. Today, all the information he/she needs is readily available at hand. The next one is a pleasant surprise! When the extremely concerned governments of 27 states and the District of Columbia, imposed ban on smoking in bars and casinos, there was a positive impact! With this, the heart attacks resulting from second hand smoking reduced drastically. New drugs have reduced death due to heart diseases has reduced by 40%! Can you believe it? The problem that was once fatal, can now be managed. Its all about the spontaneity with which you act. The quicker you get there, the better it is. This will help the doctors remove the blocks that obstruct the blood from flowing smoothly. Now its time for the news that will make you go OMG! The stem cell research has given human beings the power to fight the deadliest diseases ever. In Europe this prevent the progress of adrenoleukodystropy or ALD, in two 7 year old boys. This is the same disease that the protagonist in the film "Lorenzo's Oil." Ten years ago, no one ever thought of winning a battle against cancer. Well, its not impossible anymore! Doctors now advise targeted therapies to attack cancer with new drugs. Take the case of breast cancer for instance. Inducing trastuzumab (Herceptin) and lapatinib (TyKerb) in breast cancer can prevent a re occurrence of this traumatic disease. AIDS - a disease that slowly drains life out of person can now be won over by HAAT. The abbreviation stands for highly active antiretroviral therapy and is a combination therapy approach to fight the disease. The next development is a big step in the history of medical science - Robotic Surgery! With this, removing a kidney will not leave a 10 inch scar. Instead, a single incision at the naval can do the job. I’m sure you haven't heard of that before. These are some efforts that were fruitful. This shows, nothing in this world is impossible!     .....Kruti Beesam  

వరఖ్.. ఇది చాలామందికి తెలిసిందే. స్వీట్ల మీద, పాన్‌ల మీద మిలమిల మెరుస్తూ వుండే సిల్వర్ ఫాయిల్‌నే ‘వరఖ్’ అంటారు. వెండి రేకుని ఒక ప్రత్యేక పద్ధతి ద్వారా చాలా పల్చగా, నోట్లో వేసుకుంటే కరిగిపోయేంత పల్చటి పొరలా తయారు చేస్తారు. వీటిని స్వీట్స్ మీద అద్దుతారు. వరఖ్ అద్దిన స్వీట్లని, పాన్లని మనం చాలా ఇష్టంగా తింటూ వుంటాం. వాటి మీద వరఖ్ వుంది కదా అని ఎక్కువ రేటు చెల్లించి మరీ మనం కొంటూ వుంటాం. నిజానికి వరఖ్ వున్న స్వీట్లు, పాన్లు తినడం వల్ల మనకేమైనా మేలు జరుగుతుందా? మేలు సంగతి అటుంచండి.. కీడు జరిగే అవకాశాలు ఎక్కువ అని నిపుణులు చెబుతున్నారు. చూడటానికి చాలా అందంగా కనిపించే ఈ పల్చటి వెండి రేకులు వలన చాలా ప్రమాదాలు ఉన్నాయట. వరఖ్ వాడటం వల్ల స్వీట్లు, పాన్లు చూడగానే ఎట్రాక్టివ్‌గా వుంటాయి. అయితే ఈ అతి పల్చటి వెండి రేకుల్లో హానికారక పదార్ధాలు ఉంటున్నాయని నిపుణులు హెచ్చరిస్తున్నారు. వీటిల్లో క్యాన్సర్ కారక లోహాలు కొన్ని ఉంటున్నాయట. ఈ వరఖ్ మీద ‘ఇండస్ట్రియల్ టాక్సీకాలజీ రిసెర్చ్ సెంటర్’ పరిశోధకులు లక్నోలో ఆ మధ్య ఓ అధ్యయనంలో నిర్వహించారు. వరఖ్‌లో వెండితోపాటు సీసం, కాడ్మియం వంటివి ఉన్నట్టు గుర్తించారు. వరఖ్ తయారీ కోసం శుద్ధమైన వెండిని ఉపయోగించాలి. అయితే వరఖ్ తయారు చేస్తున్నవారు సరిగా శుద్ధి చేసిన వెండిని ఉపయోగించడం వల్లనే సమస్యలు వస్తున్నాయంటున్నారు పరిశోధకులు. ఆహార పదార్ధాలు, కల్తీ నివారణ చట్టం ప్రకారం 99.9 శాతం స్వచ్చమైన వెండిని మాత్రమే వరఖ్తయారీలో ఉపయోగించాలి. కానీ వాస్తవంలో అలా జరగటంలేదుట. ఆహార పదార్ధాలలో వాడే వరఖ్ నాణ్యతపై కచ్చితమైన నియంత్రణలు ఉండాలని సూచిస్తున్నారు వారు. అంచేత ఈసారి వరఖ్ అద్దిన స్వీట్లు, పాన్‌ తినేటప్పుడు ఈ విషయాన్ని గుర్తు చేసుకోండేం! ....రమ

Psoriatic arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis seen in about 30% of psoriatic victims. Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disorder characterized by frequent episodes of redness and itching; thick, dry, silvery scales on the skin; and nail abnormalities.   The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are varied. In some patients the symptoms may be subtle and gradual in onset while in some they may be abrupt and dramatic. The symptoms includemorning stiffness, discomfort pain, swelling or tenderness in one or more joints; reduced range of motion in joints; pitting or detachment of nails; tenderness, pain, or swelling where tendons and ligaments attach to the bone (enthesitis); inflammation of eye and gray scaly spot over scalp, elbow, knee and lower spine. There are five types of Psoriatic Arthritis : Symmetric - It affects the same joints on both sides of the body, usually occur in multiple parts. It closely resembles rheumatoid arthritis, but a degree milder! Asymmetric - It does not afeect the matching joints on both sides of the body, typically one to three joints are involved. Distal Interphalangeal Predominant (DIP) - It primarily causes the inflammation and stiffness of small joints of the fingers and toes that are closest to the nails. Spondylitis - It usually causes the inflammation and stiffness of the neck, lower back, spinal vertebrae and pelvic region. But it may mutilate the connective tissue of the joints of limbs also. Arthritis Mutilans - This is a severe, deforming and destructive form of arthritis which affects the small joints of fingers and toes that are closest to the nail, it may be associated with lower back pain and neck pain. It is also called chronic absorptive arthritis, it may be seen in rheumatoid arthritis too. Fortunately, its incidence is very low! Take Care!! Stay Healthy!! >>>>SIRI

Dsypepsia is the medical term for indigestion, where in the digestion is impaired. Although the production of gas is a natural part of the digestive process, but an uncontrollable fart at an inconvenient time can embarass us amongst our peers. Such a problem is important to address!   The person initially complaints of  chronic or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen, upper abdominal fullness and feeling full earlier than expected when eating. Symptoms of stomach gas include flatulence, bad breath, lack of appetite, a coating on the tongue, abdominal bloating, belching, burning sensation, nausea and even stomach pain. Gas and indigestion are problems occurring from the secretion of the digestive juices in our stomach. When the acid present in the stomach begins to irritate the lining of the stomach or reaches to our oesophagus, commonly known as acid reflux, one experiences discomfort and a burning sensation in chest and stomach. Excess gas in the stomach can be caused by excessive drinking, not chewing the food thoroughly, eating spicy and gas-forming food, too much stress, some kind of bacterial infection, or digestive disorders. At times, the presence of stamach gas may be an indicative of underlying serious problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis or peptic ulcers and occasionally cancer. Besides the drug therapies, some goodies from kitchen also aid in the treatment. Fennel seeds, black pepper, apple cider vinegar, cloves, butter,ilk, herbal tea, lemon and asafoetida(ajwain) are reliable home remedies! Take Care!! Stay Healthy!!

  Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the lining of the colon (large intestine). It causes inflammation, sores, bleeding and scarring of the inner walls of the colon. It is an inflammatory disease that occurs continously along the walls rather than patchy appearances. Ulcerative colitis can affects any age group but it is most diagnosed in 15 to 25 years and 45 to 55 years age groups!   The usually presents with diarrhea mixed with mucus and blood, which is of gradual onset and persists over a weeks. Other manifestations are fever, weight loss and painful bowel movements. Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disease characterized by T-cells infiltrating the colon. The inflammation starts from rectum and propagates towards colon. It usually involves the rectum and is confined to the colon, with occasional involvement of the ileum. Ulcerative colitis is an unpredictable conditions a persons may have relapses, flare-ups followed by remission, when symptoms recede. During a flare-up, a person may develop bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps and weight loss. The person may not be able to lead a normal life, may even need hospitalisation. Severe attacks of ulcerative colitis can be life-threatening too. Ulcerative colitis increases the risk of colorectal cancer. People suffering with ulcerative colitis should have regular colonoscopies to screen for cancer as advised by doctors. The treatment is intially aimed to induce remission which involves relief of symptoms and mucosal healing of the linning of the colon, then folowed by longer term treatent involving the maintainence of remission and prevention of complications! Alternatively, Ulcerative colitis can be cured by surgically by removing a part or all of the colon. Take Care!! Stay Healthy!!

Health Study:A New research published in the September issue of the British Journal of Nutrition and featured in the just released Global Phytonutrient Report highlights a significant shortfall in fruit and vegetable consumption in people’s diets around the world. The study which was commissioned by the Nutrilite Health Institute of Amway, found that the majority of adults worldwide would have to at least double their current consumption of fruits and vegetables to meet the World Health Organization’s minimum recommendation of five servings (400 grams) per day. Additionally, the vast majority of adults worldwide – 60 to 87 percent across 13 geographic diet regions – are falling short of this recommendation and missing out on crucial nutrition and health benefits. The gap between the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables and what adults are actually eating also indicates that most adults worldwide are not receiving the quantity or variety of phytonutrients – organic compounds found in fruits and vegetables – potentially needed to support their health and wellness. While specific recommendations for phytonutrient consumption levels have not yet been established uniformly worldwide, a growing body of research suggests that eating foods rich in phytonutrients may provide a range of health benefits, from promoting eye, bone and heart health, to supporting immune and brain function. Many phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants that can help fight the damage caused to our bodies’ cells over time. Additionally, the research looks at the variety and availability of fruits and vegetables in each of the regions. It shows that phytonutrient intake estimates vary considerably across some regions, a reflection of limited availability of some fruits and vegetables. In the Asian Regions which includes China and India have relatively low intakes of ellagic acid due to the limited availability of berries. Ellagic acid is shown to be vital to cell health. In order to consume a range of phytonutrients people should aim to meet recommended intakes of fruits and vegetables and eat an assortment of fruits and vegetables.  

On the occasion of the National Bone and Joint Day which was held on Monday, has highlighted the issue of a rise in number of young Indians who are being diagnosed with arthritis and other knee and joint related problems. According to health experts, Arthritis or the damage that sets up in our body joints is considered a problem associated with ageing.  Loss of cartilage, depleting calcium, wear and tear of the ligaments, or excessive weight has contributed to the onset of arthritis amongst the youngsters. Osteoarthritis is also a rising in the younger generation which is indicating a poor and unhealthy lifestyle, dietary habits, lack of calcium and obesity which has become a common problem these days. Rajeev.K. Sharma, senior consultant and orthopedic and joint replacement surgeon at Apollo Hospital says that there is a significant rise in the number of younger patients with osteoarthritis, and highlighted on the need to create awareness among young people to adopt  a healthy lifestyle. Obesity, lack of exercise, injury in bones or muscles, hereditary defects in alignment of legs, faulty lifestyle and absence of physical activity lead to early degeneration of muscles and cartilage around the joints, he added. According to experts, though the number of young patients with arthritis might be barely 10 percent, it is important to encourage youngsters to walk, cycle and perform regular exercise.  

A new study published in the medical journal Heart has revealed that if there are extremely high or low temperatures in the environment  it can cause heart failures or brain strokes. A team of researchers led by Dr. Alexandra Schneider at the Institute of Epidemiology II at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen have confirmed that high temperatures can affect the blood-clotting mechanism and make the blood more viscous, thereby increasing the risk of thrombosis, while decreasing temperatures have an impact on blood pressure, thus increasing risk of death in both cases. The study has also shown that elderly and people with pre-existing medical conditions respond particularly sensitively to heat and cold. The findings could also  help in identifying population subgroups who are particularly at risk and take preventive action. The findings show a direct link between air temperature and death rates which causes these deaths and when these people are subjected to extreme conditions are  at greater health risk and it is vital that preventive measures be taken to avoid these deaths.  Source:Heart.

A study on  people trying to kick the habit of cigarette smoking  which  has been published in the Journal Social Science & Medicine says that there are less chances of you quitting smoking if you are in the habit of working for more than 40 hours in a week and you have the habit of smoking. Even if you try hard you may not be able to quit and in fact you may even end up smoking more cigarettes every day, is what the researchers at the Loughborough University are saying. The findings are based on a study of data obtained from the British Household Panel Survey. In all the research team studied the smoking behaviors of 20,000 people spread over a period of 19 years and found a clear link between working hours and cigarette consumption. The reason for this according to the team is that smokers perceive it as a pleasurable and stress-relieving activity and working longer hours increases the craving for more of it. Professor Andy Charlwood from the School of Business and Economics, who led the study said, “When smokers increase their hours above a typical 40 hour working week, the chances they will successfully give up smoking fall, and they become progressively less likely to give up as their working hours increase.” The researchers have also warned further that a person who has quit smoking and takes to working longer hours is at greater risk of getting back into the habit. Source:Journal Social Science & Medicine.  

Acetaminophen, which is also sold as Paracetamol, Tylenol, Brufen and with many other names has been proven to be not that as effective in resolving back pain as it usually recommended for. According to a new study, funded by the Australian government and GlaxoSmithKline Australia , Australian researchers assigned more than 1,600 people with acute lower back pain to either Paracetamol — to a maximum dose of 4,000 mg per day — or a placebo. They found no major difference in the time it took people to recover: Those on paracetamol got better after 17 days while those who took dummy pills recovered after 16 days.  The back pain which was a result of lack of exercise , bad posture and strain  showed that the medicine hardly had any effect and it was more of how physically  active the person was which helped in reducing the pain. “We know exercise helps so people should stay as active as possible,” said Chris Mercer, a physical therapist specializing in back pain and spokesman for Britain’s Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. ” So instead of painkillers start exercising, stretching or try the physio therapy to reduce back pain.

A new health calculator chart created by scientists at the University of Zurich in Switzerland might be able to tell you if you can live beyond 75 for another 10 years. The  prediction of their likelihood to make it to 85 are based on the individuals alcohol consumption, level of physical activity, smoking habits and fruit consumption  and other daily habits. A 75-year old man with the worst possible health habits, per the chart, has a 35% chance of living 10 more years, while a 75-year-old man with the best possible habits has a 67% chance. Elderly women who smoke, drink, eat little fruit and exercise rarely had a 45% chance of living another 10 years, while women who were healthier boosted their odds to 74%. Smoking, bad eating habits, minimal exercise and excessive drinking impacted the  lifestyle and raised the early death risk rate . Based on the chart, a 75-year-old with healthy habits can live longer than a 65-year-old with unhealthy habits, showing age really is just a number. Eating haelthily, quit smoking and consuming fruits is very important.One of the study's authors, Eva Martin-Diener, said that the tool would be especially helpful to doctors to help them give necessary and strategic medical advice to patients and prevent diseases.