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E –Cigarettes to help you quit smoking

A large study in England has found that smokers trying to quit were substantially more likely to succeed if they used electronic cigarettes than over-the-counter therapies such as nicotine patches or gum. These results offered encouraging but not definitive evidence in the contentious debate about the risks and benefits of these increasingly popular smoking devices.   Researchers interviewed almost 6,000 smokers who had tried to quit on their own without counseling from a health professional. About a fifth of those who said they were using e-cigarettes had stopped smoking at the time of the survey, compared with about a tenth of people who had used patches and gum. “This will not settle the e-cigarette issue by any means,” said Thomas J. Glynn, a researcher at the American Cancer Society, who was not part of the study, “but it is further evidence that, in a real-world context, e-cigarettes can be a useful, although not revolutionary, tool in helping some smokers to stop.” With little regulation, Oklahoma City has become an e-cigarette boom town where “vapers” flock to vapor shops to buy the smoking alternative products, which include nicotine liquids. The multibillion-dollar e-cigarette industry is not regulated, but the Food and Drug Administration is seeking to change that.F.D.A. Will Propose New Regulations for E-Cigarettes   The use of e-cigarettes has risen rapidly across Europe and the United States, and regulators are scrambling to figure out how to respond in the absence of hard evidence about their effects. The debate is particularly fierce in the United States, where some experts say the devices could lure children to start smoking, while others contend that they are the best hope in generations to get smokers to switch to something less dangerous than traditional cigarettes.They also said the study, one of the largest to date, offered valuable insights into the real world experiences of smokers. “The medical model is great for cancer drugs, but it doesn’t really work for this situation because there’s nothing to stop participants in the patches group from just going out and buying an e-cigarette,” Professor West said. He said the database used for the study was financed by Cancer Research UK, a nonprofit group; England’s Department of Health; and several large drug companies that make nicotine replacement therapy, including Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson. NY Times

నవ్వితే చాలట...

      ‘‘నవ్వులు నాలుగు విధాల చేటు’’ అనేది పాత సామెత. ‘‘నవ్వు అన్ని విధాల మేలు’’ అనేది నేడు నిరూపించబడ్డ విషయం. అయితే ఆ నవ్వులకే మనం దూరమైపోతున్నాం రోజురోజుకీ. రెండు నెలల పసిపాపగా వున్నప్పుడు రోజుకి 300 సార్లకి పైగా నవ్వుతాం మనం. కానీ, పెరిగేకొద్దీ ఆ నవ్వుల సంఖ్య కొంచెం కొంచెం తగ్గి.. పెళ్ళి, పిల్లలు, ఉద్యోగ బాద్యతల్లో పడ్డాక రోజుకి ఒక్కసారి మనస్పూర్తిగా నవ్వటం కూడా కష్టంగా మారిపోతుంది. దీంతో మనకి మనమే నష్టం చేసుకుంటున్నవాళ్ళం అవుతున్నాం. ఎందుకంటే, నవ్వటం వల్ల శరీరమంతా విశ్రాంతి పొందుతుంది. ఒకసారి మనసారా నవ్వితే కండరాలన్నీ సడలి, మానసిక ఒత్తిడి, శారీరక టెన్షన్ తగ్గిపోతాయి. ఒక్క నిమిషం మనసారా నవ్వినా చాలాు దాని ప్రభావం సుమారు 45 నిమిషాలదాకా మన శరీరంపై నిలుస్తుందట. మరిప్పుడు చెప్పండి. ‘నవ్వు’ తప్పనిసరా.. కాదా?     మీరు బాగా నవ్వి ఎన్ని రోజులైంది? పోనీ కాస్త నవ్వి ఎన్ని రోజులైంది? గుర్తుకు రావడం లేదు కదూ? మీరే కాదు.. ఈ ప్రశ్న ఎవర్ని అడిగినా ఎవరైనా సరే కాసేపు ఆలోచించాల్సిందే. ఎందుకంటే, మనందరం మన మన బాధ్యతల నిర్వహణలో బిజీగా మారిపోయి ఆ నవ్వుని ఎక్కడో జారవిడుచుకున్నాం. అమూల్యమమైన ఆ సంపద మన దగ్గరుంటే చాలు ప్రపంచంలో దేనినైనా సొంతం చేసుకోగలం మనం. కానీ, దానినే జారవిడుచుకుని, ‘ఎంత సంపాదించినా, ఏమి సాధించినా’ నిజమైన ఆనందం కలగటం లేదని వాపోతున్నాం. నిజానికి నవ్వుల్లో తేలిపోయే వ్యక్తి మనస్సు, శరీరం ఎంతో ఉత్తేజాన్ని పొందుతాయి. కష్టాలు, అసంతృప్తి వంటివి ఎదురైనప్పుడు కూడా స్థిరంగా ఉండగలం. జీవితం పట్ల ఆశావహ దృక్పథాన్ని కలిగి వుంటాం. ఇదంతా కేవలం ‘నవ్వు’ వల్ల సాధ్యమయ్యే అద్భుతం. నవ్వును మరచిపోయి జీవించటమే రోగాలకు మూలమంటున్నారు మానసిక విశ్లేషకులు. ఎందుకంటే, నవ్వటం వల్ల రోగనిరోధక శక్తి పెరుగుతుంది. ఒత్తిడి కలిగించే హార్మోన్లు తగ్గిపోతాయి. అలాగే నవ్వినప్పుడు ఆనందానికి కారణమైన సహజసిద్ధమైన రసాయనాలు ‘ఎండార్ఫిన్’ లాంటివి చక్కగా విడుదలవుతాయి. అప్పుడు శరీరం, మనస్సు తేలికయి సంతోషం కలుగుతుంది. అందుకే చూడండి... కడుపారా నవ్విన తరువాత అప్పటి వరకు వున్న బరువేదో దిగిపోయినట్టు అనిపిస్తుంది. సంతోషం ఉరకలు వేస్తుంది. అప్పటి వరకు మనల్ని చిరాకు పెట్టిన విషయాలు కూడా చిన్నవిగా తోస్తాయి. కోపం, విచారం దూరమవుతాయి. ఇదంతా కేవలం ఒక్క నవ్వు వల్లే సాధ్యం. వ్యాయామం చేసినా, చక్కగా నవ్వినా కలిగే ప్రభావం, ప్రయోజనం ఒకేటనట. మనస్పూర్తిగా నవ్వినప్పుడు మానసిక ఆనందం కలుగుతుంది. ముఖంలో, శరీరంమంతటా కండరాలు బాగా కదులుతాయి. నాడీ స్పందనలు అధికమవుతాయం. రక్త ప్రసరణ వేగవంతమవుతుంది. ఉచ్ఛ్వాస నిశ్వాసలు జరిగి కణజాలానాకి ఎక్కువగా ఆక్సిజన్ అందుతుందిట. శరీరమంతా ఆ నవ్వు ప్రభావం వుంటుంది. ఒకసారి నవ్వితే పదినిమిషాలు జాగింగ్ చేసిన దానితో సమానం అని తేలింది ఓ పరిశోధనలో. ఈ నవ్వుపై పరిశోధన చేసిన మేరీలాండ్ యూనివర్సిటీ పరిశోధకులు ‘నవ్వు ఉత్తమ ఔషధం అన్న మాట నిజమేనని, అది గుండెలను పదిలంగా వుంచుతుందని’ చెబుతున్నారు. ‘లాఫింగ్ థెరపీ’ అంటే ‘నవ్వు చికిత్స’. తనని భయంకరమైన కేన్సర్ వ్యాధి బారినుంచి కాపాడిందని చెప్పారు న్యూయార్క్ టైమ్స్ మాజీ సంపాదకుడు నార్మన్ కూజిన్స్. కాబట్టి నవ్వు నాలుగు విధాల కాదు.. నాలుగు వేల రకాలుగా మంచిదని నమ్మి తీరాలి. నవ్వటం మొదలుపెట్టాలి. మరి నవ్వటం మొదలుపెడతారు కదూ..! నవ్వడం కష్టమనకండి. ఆ కష్టం కరగాలంటే నవ్వాలి మరి. సో... మీ మనసుని, మెదడుని నవ్వుకి ట్యూన్ చేయండి. ఆరోగ్యంగా, ఆనందంగా వుండండి. సరేనా? కరెక్ట్.. లైఫ్ లాంగ్ అలా నవ్వుతూనే వుండండి.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       -రమ ఇరగవరపు

Cooking with Olive Oil- Faqs

With the advent of olive oil invading Indian kitchens there has always been the persistent doubt if the fruity oil can enhance Indian Cooking or not or whether olive oil is fit for Indian cooking, Presenting  a few FAQs about this Mediterranean oil and its uses. Is olive oil suitable for Indian foods? Any oil, unless it has a very strong flavour is suitable for Indian food. Olive oil doesn’t have any distinct flavour of its own, so it serves well as a cooking medium for all kinds of Indian foods. Isn’t Olive oil highly overrated in terms of health benefits? In terms of composition it is extremely healthy as it is low in saturated fats. As far as calling it overrated is concerned, it depends entirely on the perception of the people. Those who can afford it, find it highly beneficial. Isn’t it true that olive oil when heated loses its health benefits and Indian foods are cooked at high temperatures? This is not true of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Contrary to the popular belief, it remains stable and gives best results with Indian foods. But it is said that deep frying in olive oil gives an undesirable taste? There is nothing like that, as it releases no smell as it has no distinct flavor of its own.The mindset also plays a great role in trying different oils and accepting new tastes. Which is better for cooking-Extra Virgin, Virgin or Pure olive oil? Extra Virgin Olive Oil is considered the best. Acidity level is the prime factor in determining its grade. The best oil has the lowest acidity. Extra virgin olive oil is valued for its perfect balance of flavour, aroma, colour, and acidity level. One reason extra virgin olive oil is valued so much is its high content of vitamins and nutrients. Also, it is pure and without any additives. The fruitiness of its taste adds to its appeal. Virgin Olive Oil also comes from the first pressing, and is also produced without refining. Its flavour intensity can vary and its taste is less mild than Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Pure Olive Oil actually has the same acidity level as Virgin Olive Oil, and for that reason it has good resistance to high temperatures. But it is lower nutrient content than Virgin Olive Oil and as a consequence it is less expensive. Pomace Oil is the lowest grade of Olive Oil. Pomace is that part of the olive that remains after all the oil and water in it has been removed. To make Pomace Oil palatable, the producer blends it with virgin olive oil. Like Pure Olive Oil, it is suitable for use only in high-heat cooking. What is the best way to store olive oil? Like walnut oil, chances of getting rancid are high with olive oil. It is best to store it in cold places away from sunlight. In fact it is best to buy small 1 or two litre bottles.  

Troubled Teens can affect Future Relationships

      Negative emotions people may have suffered as young adults can have a lasting grip on their couple relationships, well into middle age, research demonstrates. The study followed 341 people for 25 years, and found that negative emotions they may have suffered as young adults can have a lasting grip on their couple relationships, well into middle age. The fact that depression and anger experienced during the teen years clung to people, even through major life events such as child-rearing, marriages and careers was surprising, researchers note.   The study, published recently in the Journal of Family Psychology, by University of Alberta followed 341 people for 25 years, and found that negative emotions they may have suffered as young adults can have a lasting grip on their couple relationships, well into middle age. The fact that depression and anger experienced during the teen years clung to people, even through major life events such as child-rearing, marriages and careers was surprising, said University of Alberta researcher Matthew Johnson. "We assume or hope that high school experiences fade away and don't necessarily resonate 25 years later. The fact that symptoms of depression and expressions of anger can endure over many large events in life shows how important it is to deal with mental health early. Sometimes, problems don't just dissipate. How you grow and change over those early years becomes crucial to future happiness," said Johnson, an assistant professor of human ecology in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences. The research, drawn from a larger study begun in 1985, surveyed 178 women and 163 men through their transition to adulthood from age 18 to 25, again on their perceived stress levels at age 32, and on the quality of their intimate relationships at age 43, to find out whether anger or depression they may have felt as young adults was still affecting those bonds. Findings point to the importance of recognizing that early mental health does influence couple relationships and that in turn, can have social costs later on, such as divorce and domestic violence. As individuals, people can help themselves by "recognizing the fact that where they are in their couple relationship now is likely shaped by earlier chapters in their lives," Johnson added. "It's not only your partner's current behaviour or your current behaviour shaping your relationship, but the story you bring with you." Source:University of Alberta

Right Balance Diet

Balance Diet and Food Tips: Watch Dr Padmaja Prasad, speak about the importance of a Balanced Diet and eating the right food every day. She gives important tips about how you can eat vegetables, legumes, leafy vegetables, milk products in the right portions to get the required protein, amino acids, calcium and vitamins required for the body.  

Kapila Yoga for Diabetics

Kapila Yoga For Diabetes (Madhumeham) By Dr. C.V. Rao: Diabetes off late has become more of a stress and lifestyle related disorder than a genetic one. Apart from medication, practicing Yoga has many benefits in averting it and also in stimulating the pancreas into producing insulin needed to reduce the blood sugar levels. In fact it has been scientifically proven in several research studies that Yoga can stimulate pancreas. Daily Practice of Yoga is known to reduce the intake of insulin levels & controlling the Sugar levels. Watch Dr CV Rao , Director Kapila Maharishi Yoga Center show few Yogasanas specifically for diabetes.    

Myths about Cholesterol & how to Control it

      Watch Dr Padmaja Prasad, Nutritionist who dispels the myths about Cholesterol and how people get carried away by the word Cholesterol used on the food and oil packetssold in the market. She gives a detailed explanation about the cholesterol content in various foods and how it is actually absorbed in the body. What can be eaten, how much can that particular food be eaten, how do we cook it and when should it be eaten is elaborated in this video.  

Ultrasound Technology for Kidney Stone removal

      Almost one in 10 people will someday experience a kidney stone, which creates what is described as the most intense pain imaginable. This increasingly common condition leads to hundreds of thousands of surgeries each year.   A new device developed at the University of Washington would let doctors use ultrasound to move kidney stones inside the body and help them pass by natural means. “Ultrasound is used today to break up large stones. That’s not what we’re doing,” said Michael Bailey, an engineer at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory. “We’ve developed low-power ultrasound that could move small stones to reduce pain, expense and treatment times.” A 15-patient trial using this technology is now under way at UW Medicine. The research is supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, which is interested in the project because astronauts have an increased risk of developing kidney stones during space travel. The UW team showed a prototype last spring at the American Urological Association‘s annual meeting, and Bailey was invited to give a keynote presentation. He was the only presenter in that session who was not a medical doctor. Kidney stones are crystals that develop in the urine. Shock-wave ultrasound has been used to treat big kidney stones for 30 years. That technique, known as lithotripsy, sends short pulses of high-energy ultrasound to shatter large stones. While the technique is noninvasive it usually requires general anesthesia and a hospital visit. It also leaves behind fragments that can grow and require another trip to the hospital or emergency room. In the lab, Barbrina Dunmire, an engineer at the Applied Physics Laboratory who helped build the device, points an ultrasound probe at a stone inside a latex kidney. She activates the ultrasonic pulse and the stone immediately swings away through the clear liquid. A doctor would put the probe on a patient’s lower back, then use an onscreen ultrasound image to locate the stone and direct the ultrasonic pulse. Urologists and urology residents at UW Medicine tested three successive prototypes on artificial kidneys and pigs, and helped to design the touchscreen user interface. The current Seattle trial is the first time the system is being tested on humans. Besides guiding kidney stones to help them pass naturally, other applications could be to reposition a stone before or during surgery; to displace a large stone obstructing the ureter to relieve the patient’s pain and avoid emergency surgery; and perhaps someday to escort small stones right down the ureter. If clinical trials go well, researchers believe the device could be used in an urologist’s office or by trained emergency room staff, potentially saving medical expenses. Source:University of Washington News

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

      A sleepy person's brain works harder -- and accomplishes less. A study using real-time, state-of-the-art imaging shows that sleep deprivation has dramatic effects on the brain and how well it performs.   Researchers expected to find only sluggish activity in the brains of healthy young people who took a simple word test after staying awake for 35 hours. They found instead that while parts of the sleep-deprived brains churned with activity during the test, another part of the brain -- the language center -- shut down. "Sleep deprivation is bad for your brain when you are trying to do high-level [thinking] tasks," study co-author J. Christian Gillin, MD, says, "It may have serious consequences both on performance and on the way your brain functions." Gillin's team at the University of California, San Diego, and the San Diego VA Medical Center found that the brains of some sleep-deprived study participants tried to overcome the language-center shut-down by shifting activity to another part of the brain. These individuals performed better on the memory test than their sleep-deprived peers, but not as well as they did when rested. This shows that the brain can move a task from one area to the other when you are sleep deprived, or when you get old. Jim Horne, PhD, director of the sleep research laboratory at Loughborough University in England, notes in a commentary accompanying the study that the part of the brain that overworks in the sleep-deprived people normally is one of the most active areas of the brain. It is involved in complex functions such as updating working memory, planning, attention, sense of time, dealing with novel situations, and verbal fluency. "Some years ago, we suspected that if sleep offers some sort of recovery process, then the parts of the cortex that works hardest during wakefulness may be those that suffer the deprivation initially," he tells WebMD. "But what seems to be happening is that the functional part of the brain appears to be working even harder during compensation -- to no avail, because performance shows deterioration." However, Horne says that this part of the brain gets its rest during the earliest stages of sleep. "Not all of sleep is for recovery. A particular part of sleep occurring in the early part of sleep is most important for [brain] recovery, and the latter part is not so important in that regard," he says. "As we can eat more food than we require and drink more fluids than we require, we may sleep more than we require. Rather than trying to extend one's sleep ? So you could try taking  short naps instead. Source: San Diego Medical Center  

Taste and Health and with Dates

        The Mid eastern fruit may not be easy to munch and certainly not recommended for its sugar content –dates are also known to have certain health benefits. Here are some health benefits of dates.   1. Promoting Digestive Health, Relieving Constipation – Fiber is essential for promoting colon health and making for regular bowel movements. The insoluble and soluble fiber found in dates help to clean out the gastrointestinal system, allowing the colon to work at greater levels of efficiency. Some other benefits relating to fiber and colon health are reduced risks of colitis, colon cancer, and hemorrhoids. (Dates could even be coupled with other home remedies for hemorrhoids.) 2. Boosting Heart Health – In addition to promoting colon health, fiber is also known to boost heart health. 3. Anti-Inflammatory – Dates are rich in magnesium – a mineral known for its anti-inflammatory benefits. One study found that ”inflammatory indicators in the body such as CRP (C-reactive protein), TNF (tumor necrosis factor alpha), and IL6 (interleukin 6) were all reduced when magnesium intake was increased.” Further, inflammation in the arterial walls was also reduced with magnesium intake. Based on magnesium’s anti-inflammatory properties and the findings of this study, magnesium can effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other inflammation-related health ailments. 4. Reduced Blood Pressure – Magnesium has been shown to help lower blood pressure – and again, dates are full of the mineral. Additionally, potassium is another mineral in dates that has several functions within the body, aiding with the proper workings of the heart and helping to reduce blood pressure. 5. Reduced Stroke Risk – After evaluating 7 studies published over a 14 year time period, researchers found stroke risk was reduced by 9% for every every 100 milligrams of magnesium a person consumes per day. The research can be found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 6. A Healthy Pregnancy and Delivery – Further adding to the health benefits of dates, one study performed by researchers at the University of Science and Technology set out to discover how the date fruit impacted labor parameters and delivery outcomes. After studying 69 women for a year and 1 month, the researchers found that “the consumption of date fruit in the last 4 weeks before labour significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labour, and produced a more favourable, but non-significant, delivery outcome. The results warrant a randomised controlled trial.” Source: Natural Society

Mineral Water is Healthy & Safe

        A Montana State University professor and a team of students have found that drinking water with a high content of minerals might be beneficial to one's health.   MSU Health and Human Development professor Dan Heil and a team of graduate and undergraduate students conducted a study that found that individuals drinking mineral-based alkaline water, along with a water company's supplement, were better hydrated and had higher pH levels than those who consumed water without a high mineral content. The findings suggest that certain mineralized water may impart some health benefits, Heil said. In the early 2010 study, the research team split 38 young adult volunteers into a control group and an experimental group. Members of the control group drank only non-mineralized bottled water over the course of four weeks. Members of the experimental group drank alkaline water containing a naturally high mineral content, as well as a water company's supplement that is designed to stabilize pH and minerals, during the second and third weeks of the study. During the first and fourth weeks, experimental group members consumed non-mineralized bottled water in order to help measure results. The study participants received all of their water from the researchers and were not informed about which group they were in. Throughout the study, the research team collected blood and urine samples from each individual three times each week to measure blood and urine pH and osmolality, a measurement method of mineral concentration. They also measured each participant's total daily urine volume. Study participants kept records of the food and water they consumed and maintained regular levels of exercise. Part of why the research is important is because every chemical reaction in every part of the human body is highly sensitive to changes in both temperature and pH, Heil said. As a result, the body has tight control mechanisms in place to keep temperature and pH relatively constant. In general, pH is a measure of how acidic -- which equals a relatively low pH -- or alkaline -- which equals a relatively high pH -- a liquid or solution is. Human bodies work to maintain a fairly neutral pH, Heil said, because it is most conducive to chemical reactions that need to occur. "It was good to see how an in-depth research study worked," he said. "It reinforced what I had learned in classes about research design and why things were done in a certain way... it was nice to apply and understand why things have to happen the way they do."Even though more research needs to be done, Heil said the research results were unexpected and could be significant."They may show something more than a performance advantage," he said. "There may actually be a health advantage.

Special Fitness Work out by a US Navy Seal

      Training for U.S. Navy SEALs, the special operations force, follows a warrior tradition that harkens back to Samurais, but fitness experts say the tough regime is gaining popularity with entrepreneurs, corporate executives, lawyers and elite athletes.     “We look at training as being as important to our life as eating and sleeping,” said retired Navy SEAL commander and fitness instructor Mark Divine, the author of “8 Weeks to SEALFIT: a Navy Seal’s Guide to Unconventional Training for Physical and Mental Toughness.” SEALFIT draws on the varied, high-intensity interval training of CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, calisthenics, strongman exercises, yoga, and martial arts. “CrossFit is baked into the SEALFIT model,” said Divine, “but our workouts are much longer: two hours if you go through the whole thing.” Divine believes if you lean into hard work it becomes enjoyable, even transformational, although he admits the rigorous type of training has become rare in modern society. Breathing exercises, concentration drills and visualization exercises are as crucial as physical prowess to Divine, who is trained in Ashtanga, a rigorous form of yoga, and in martial arts. Working in as well as working out, he said, cultivates the warrior spirit, or kokoro, a Japanese word he defines as the merging of heart and mind in action. A word of caution, this kind of a work out is only for those who can handle tough fitness regimes and is certainly not for the faint-hearted or those who have small weight loss goals to achieve! 8 Weeks to SEALFIT: A Navy Seal’s Guide to Unconventional Training for Physical and Mental Toughness.  

Non-invasive fat removal

      The latest in fat removal techniques and blessing for the overweight souls is the nonsurgical process of fat removal called Lipolysis. It is one of the safe and non invasive methods of fat removal from specific areas of the body and combating cellulite.   Now the science behind lipolysis is a topic in itself. It uses a fat-dissolving material called phosphatidyl choline injected into the targeted fat layer beneath the skin. But it is a proven technique to reduce cholesterol and improve the body’s metabolism’s its just not into removing fat but also into prevents the storage of fat and improves the fat burning capacity. Now who can get this done? It can be done for both men and women who have fat deposits in specific areas. They should be of sound health and people who have had heart problems, cancer, blood clotting history and serious medical conditions should not get this done. Results can be immediate to gradual depending on the age , skin type, weight and lifestyle. Since it is a non-invasive procedure, you can get back to normal work routine. Hot showers and baths should best be avoided for eight hours after treatment and also refrain from excessive exercising and massages for the first week after treatment. And the sessions can vary from 1 to 3 sittings for effective results. People who are committed to a healthy lifestyle of regular exercise and a balanced diet will see a long term improvement in their body.

Top 5 Summer Food By Tesco Diets

      Presenting the top 5 summer foods that you could have to beat the heat and add to your diet. 1.     Pineapple. This sweet, tropical fruit is the perfect ingredient for smoothies, raitas , kashmiri pulaos and fruit salads. It’s packed with vitamin C and manganese; a mineral which helps build muscle tone and boosts bone health. It contains an enzyme called  bromelain which  breaks down protein and helps in digestion and even help to reduce inflammation.   2.     Blueberries. Which we are also available in the canned format now in India also has concentrated amounts of flavonoids, the natural substances responsible for giving blueberries their deep blue colour. They help in inhibiting cancer, preventing urinary tract infections, improving eyesight and inhibiting short-term memory loss and other effects of ageing. Toss them into your cereals, salads or top with a little natural yoghurt.   3.     Seafood. Fresh fish which is easy to cook and delicious to eat is provided you get them fresh. Take any of your favourite local  fish available and marinate them for an hour in your typical salt,pepper and lemon mix and  then grill them and eat. Seafood is a great source of protein and a source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.   4.     Tomatoes. They are high in vitamin C, beta-carotene and potassium, their high lycopene content puts them in the nutritional spotlight. There is actually more of this prostate cancer-preventing antioxidant in the more concentrated tomato products like tomato puree and tomato juice. But since it is summer, go for the fresh whole fruit, with only 25 calories per tomato which makes it agreat low calorie option in your soups and salads. 5.     Cantaloupe melon. It’s the season of the fragrant cantaloupe melon . It has more vitamin A than apricots, more potassium than bananas, a full day's supply of vitamin C, and it's lower in calories than most fruits - 57 calories per serving. A good cantaloupe beats a glass of orange juice any day. However, cantaloupe is high GI Glycemic Index and may not be suitable for people who are prone to high blood sugar levels.  

Coffee for Good Health

      Dr. Rob van Dam, Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health suggests that coffee may have some beneficial health effects after all...Research over the past few years suggests that coffee consumption may protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, and liver cirrhosis. And the latest study on coffee and mortality found that people who regularly drank coffee actually had a somewhat lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those who rarely drank coffee; this result needs to be confirmed in further studies, however. So looks like the latest Harvard study on coffee and health seems to offer good news for coffee drinkers.   We looked at the relationship between coffee consumption and overall mortality in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which together included about 130,000 study volunteers. (1) At the start of the study, these healthy men and women were in their 40s and 50s. We followed them for 18 to 24 years, to see who died during that period, and to track their diet and lifestyle habits, including coffee consumption. We did not find any relationship between coffee consumption and increased risk of death from any cause, death from cancer, or death from cardiovascular disease. Even people who drank up to six cups of coffee per day were at no higher risk of death. This finding fits into the research picture that has been emerging over the past few years. For the general population, the evidence suggests that coffee drinking doesn't have any serious detrimental health effects. It’s an important message because people have seen coffee drinking as an unhealthy habit, along the lines of smoking and excessive drinking, and they may make a lot of effort to reduce their coffee consumption or quit drinking it altogether, even if they really enjoy it. Our findings suggest that if you want to improve your health, it’s better to focus on other lifestyle factors, such as increasing your physical activity, quitting smoking, or eating more whole grains. Source: Harvard School of Public Health

Choosing the right Oil

      A universal fact known to us is that the right cooking oil can save you from heart diseases, cholesterol blockages, obesity and digestion problems. As Indians we have been using the traditional peanut oil, ghee or clarified butter, sesame oil & mustard oil in our cooking and by the turn of the 20 century we have started incorporating vegetable oils like sunflower, olive and rice bran oils in to our cooking. These different oils which have come to us from different countries are essentially filtered or cold pressed in case of olive oil. But studies show that for the Indian environs and body conditions traditional oils like ghee and ground nut oil are good for health. And the added advantage is that they come in the filtered form too. Now with these new types which have invaded our markets the dilemma would be as to which oil should we use? The key is to use the oil that suits you and preferably the filtered ones.   The regularly used oils like Sunflower oil and others each have their distinctive healing properties. Sunflower oil reduces cardiovascular diseases, is good for cancer patient and a healthy option for arthritis patients and sunflower is an antioxidant. Groundnut oil which is slowly fading is actually known to boost energy levels and contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It contains Omega 3 fatty acids, lowers the risk of heart diseases and fights against cancers, & degenerative nerve diseases. Mustard oil used in the Northern parts of India is good for coughs and colds and eases inflammation and  Sesame oil improves oral hygiene and dental health .The nutty Coconut oil which is extensively used in Kerala is known to fight bacteria, build immunity and increase metabolism. Oils like ghee which has been perceived by Ayurveda is good for digestion and brain functions and are known for their high levels of saturation .So choose the right oil  and gain benefits from their distinctive properties and use in moderation.  

Diabetic Retinopathy

      Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of diabetes. All can cause severe vision loss or even blindness. Diabetic eye diseases may include: -Diabetic retinopathy—damage to the blood vessels in the retina. -Cataract—clouding of the eye's lens. Cataracts develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes. -Glaucoma—increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision. A person with diabetes is nearly twice as likely to get glaucoma as other adults. Diabetic retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision. If you have diabetic retinopathy, at first you may not notice changes to your vision. But over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes. All people with diabetes--both type 1 and type 2--are at risk. That's why everyone with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. The longer someone has diabetes, the more likely he or she will get diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetic retinopathy, your doctor can recommend treatment to help prevent its progression. During pregnancy, diabetic retinopathy may be a problem for women with diabetes. To protect vision, every pregnant woman with diabetes should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam as soon as possible. Your doctor may recommend additional exams during your pregnancy. So remember if you have diabetes get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year and follow up with your doctor stringently .  

Reduce talk time to avoid wrinkles

      Have you heard of getting wrinkles using a phone or gadget! According to CACI international, a firm that specialises in ”non-surgical beauty solutions” has identified a new problem while using smart phones and other phone gadgets. It can give you wrinkles. Now this could be a scary proposition for all women and men who use these phones.   They have further elaborated that using Smart phones/gadgets  can give you wrinkles as looking down at handheld devices and computers for countless hours develops a line around the neck and chin. This terrifying new gadget related affliction has been dubbed “tech neck” and could affect anyone who owns a hi-tech gadget. The “tech neck” is a line around the neck and chin which is caused by looking down at handheld devices and computers every day. The bizarre latest face furrow was identified after a surge of neck-related enquiries for non-surgical, knife-free face-lifts by CACI international, a firm that specialises in”non-surgical beauty solutions”. “We noticed a surge in enquiries for our product, specifically to combat lines around the neck area,” Dean Nathanson, Managing Director of CACI international, said. “We’ve identified a correlation between the rise of technology in recent years and the growth of the ‘tech neck’,” said Nathanson. So for those who are constantly on the phone and addicted to these hi tech gadgets should either reduce talk time to avoid these wrinkles even though they are for a short period.

Women outdo Women

      This Women’day and in celebration of women hood we present a study on Ovulation in women and how the study shows that women are more aggressive when they ovulate. ACCORDING to the new research by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, ovulation alters women’s behaviour on a subconscious level, prompting them to focus more on social standing in comparison to other females.   Researchers from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management conducted three studies, one of which featured the popular “dictator game experiment”. Fifty-eight ovulating and non-ovulating women were each given a set amount of money, which they could share with another if desired. Non-ovulating women shared about 50% of their money with others, while ovulating women shared about 25% of funds and kept the rest. “We found that ovulating women were much less willing to share when the other person was another woman. They became meaner to other women,” said Kristina Durante, assistant professor of marketing at the UTSA College of Business and lead study author. In another experiment, 309 women were asked to choose between “Option A” – to have a US$25,000 car while other women received US$40,000 cars – and “Option B” – a US$20,000 car while the other women received US$12,000 cars. Ovulating women preferred “Option B,” which provided “higher social standing” compared to the others. “What’s interesting about this finding is that ovulating women are so concerned about their relative position that they are willing to take less for themselves just so that they could outdo other women,” said study coauthor Vladas Griskevicius, associate professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. Ovulating women had different reactions when playing the same games against men. While ovulation seemed to make women meaner to one another, it resulted in “nicer” behaviour towards men. The results, entitled “Money, Status, and the Ovulatory Cycle,” were published in the February issue of Journal of Marketing Research. It builds on previous studies from Durante and colleagues, including the role of ovulation in consumer choices and behaviour towards men. Such studies found that ovulation subconsciously encourages women to choose “sexier” outfits in hopes of outdoing other attractive women, and to flirt more heavily, especially with men who have assorted genetic fitness markers. Source: AFP/Relaxnews