Dr. Vikram .R. Lotwala

Oncology and Gynecology Check-Up Camp

2011-12-20T20:45:00.001+05:30

Dear Friends,

After the success of our Obesity, Hypertension and Diabetes free Check up camp, we conducting our 2nd Camp of our series at Our Wings Hospital. This is Oncology and Gynec free Check up camp.
The Gynec camp will be attended by Dr. Vilesh Gandhi and Sneha Gandhi, while patients registered for Oncology camp will be seen by Oncology team of Doctors like Dr. Raviraj, Dr. Tanvir Maksud, Dr. Nilesh Mahale and Dr. Vikram Lotwala.
We request your presence in large number.

This our small effort for service to society .

Obesity, Diabetes and Hypertension Camp at Wings hospital

2011-12-16T19:27:00.004+05:30

Wings Hospital, Surat is organising a Obesity, Diabetes and Hypertension screening camp on Sunday, 18 Dec 2011. Please let your family and friends know about it. The timings are 10 am - 2pm. Dr Vikram Lotwala ( Bariatric Surgeon ), Dr Nilay Desai ( Physician) and Sakshi Kochar ( Nutritionist ) will be seeing the patients.

Patients will informed regarding the possibilities and complications of these disease. Tips will be given to patients regarding control of hypertension, diabetes and Obesity. Diet councilling will be done for patients by our dietician Sakshi Kochar. These is a totally free camp and done for general awareness for the society about these chronic and dreaded disease.

Doctors too,..........Die

2011-12-11T23:38:00.001+05:30

by Ken Murray

Years ago, Charlie, a highly respected orthopedist and a mentor of mine, found a lump in his stomach. He had a surgeon explore the area, and the diagnosis was pancreatic cancer. This surgeon was one of the best in the country. He had even invented a new procedure for this exact cancer that could triple a patient’s five-year-survival odds—from 5 percent to 15 percent—albeit with a poor quality of life. Charlie was uninterested. He went home the next day, closed his practice, and never set foot in a hospital again. He focused on spending time with family and feeling as good as possible. Several months later, he died at home. He got no chemotherapy, radiation, or surgical treatment. Medicare didn’t spend much on him.

It’s not a frequent topic of discussion, but doctors die, too. And they don’t die like the rest of us. What’s unusual about them is not how much treatment they get compared to most Americans, but how little. For all the time they spend fending off the deaths of others, they tend to be fairly serene when faced with death themselves. They know exactly what is going to happen, they know the choices, and they generally have access to any sort of medical care they could want. But they go gently.

Of course, doctors don’t want to die; they want to live. But they know enough about modern medicine to know its limits. And they know enough about death to know what all people fear most: dying in pain, and dying alone. They’ve talked about this with their families. They want to be sure, when the time comes, that no heroic measures will happen—that they will never experience, during their last moments on earth, someone breaking their ribs in an attempt to resuscitate them with CPR (that’s what happens if CPR is done right).
Almost all medical professionals have seen what we call “futile care” being performed on people. That’s when doctors bring the cutting edge of technology to bear on a grievously ill person near the end of life. The patient will get cut open, perforated with tubes, hooked up to machines, and assaulted with drugs. All of this occurs in the Intensive Care Unit at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars a day. What it buys is misery we would not inflict on a terrorist. I cannot count the number of times fellow physicians have told me, in words that vary only slightly, “Promise me if you find me like this that you’ll kill me.” They mean it. Some medical personnel wear medallions stamped “NO CODE” to tell physicians not to perform CPR on them. I have even seen it as a tattoo.
To administer medical care that makes people suffer is anguishing. Physicians are trained to gather information without revealing any of their own feelings, but in private, among fellow doctors, they’ll vent. “How can anyone do that to their family members?” they’ll ask. I suspect it’s one reason physicians have higher rates of alcohol abuse and depression than professionals in most other fields. I know it’s one reason I stopped participating in hospital care for the last 10 years of my practice.

How has it come to this—that doctors administer so much care that they wouldn’t want for themselves? The simple, or not-so-simple, answer is this: patients, doctors, and the system.

To see how patients play a role, imagine a scenario in which someone has lost consciousness and been admitted to an emergency room. As is so often the case, no one has made a plan for this situation, and shocked and scared family members find themselves caught up in a maze of choices. They’re overwhelmed. When doctors ask if they want “everything” done, they answer yes. Then the nightmare begins. Sometimes, a family really means “do everything,” but often they just mean “do everything that’s reasonable.” The problem is that they may not know what’s reasonable, nor, in their confusion and sorrow, will they ask about it or hear what a physician may be telling them. For their part, doctors told to do “everything” will do it, whether it is reasonable or not.

The above scenario is a common one. Feeding into the problem are unrealistic expectations of what doctors can accomplish. Many people think of CPR as a reliable lifesaver when, in fact, the results are usually poor. I’ve had hundreds of people brought to me in the emergency room after getting CPR. Exactly one, a healthy man who’d had no heart troubles (for those who want specifics, he had a “tension pneumothorax”), walked out of the hospital. If a patient suffers from severe illness, old age, or a terminal disease, the odds of a good outcome from CPR are infinitesimal, while the odds of suffering are overwhelming. Poor knowledge and misguided expectations lead to a lot of bad decisions.
But of course it’s not just patients making these things happen. Doctors play an enabling role, too. The trouble is that even doctors who hate to administer futile care must find a way to address the wishes of patients and families. Imagine, once again, the emergency room with those grieving, possibly hysterical, family members. They do not know the doctor. Establishing trust and confidence under such circumstances is a very delicate thing. People are prepared to think the doctor is acting out of base motives, trying to save time, or money, or effort, especially if the doctor is advising against further treatment.

Some doctors are stronger communicators than others, and some doctors are more adamant, but the pressures they all face are similar. When I faced circumstances involving end-of-life choices, I adopted the approach of laying out only the options that I thought were reasonable (as I would in any situation) as early in the process as possible. When patients or families brought up unreasonable choices, I would discuss the issue in layman’s terms that portrayed the downsides clearly. If patients or families still insisted on treatments I considered pointless or harmful, I would offer to transfer their care to another doctor or hospital.

Should I have been more forceful at times? I know that some of those transfers still haunt me. One of the patients of whom I was most fond was an attorney from a famous political family. She had severe diabetes and terrible circulation, and, at one point, she developed a painful sore on her foot. Knowing the hazards of hospitals, I did everything I could to keep her from resorting to surgery. Still, she sought out outside experts with whom I had no relationship. Not knowing as much about her as I did, they decided to perform bypass surgery on her chronically clogged blood vessels in both legs. This didn’t restore her circulation, and the surgical wounds wouldn’t heal. Her feet became gangrenous, and she endured bilateral leg amputations. Two weeks later, in the famous medical center in which all this had occurred, she died.

It’s easy to find fault with both doctors and patients in such stories, but in many ways all the parties are simply victims of a larger system that encourages excessive treatment. In some unfortunate cases, doctors use the fee-for-service model to do everything they can, no matter how pointless, to make money. More commonly, though, doctors are fearful of litigation and do whatever they’re asked, with little feedback, to avoid getting in trouble.

Even when the right preparations have been made, the system can still swallow people up. One of my patients was a man named Jack, a 78-year-old who had been ill for years and undergone about 15 major surgical procedures. He explained to me that he never, under any circumstances, wanted to be placed on life support machines again. One Saturday, however, Jack suffered a massive stroke and got admitted to the emergency room unconscious, without his wife. Doctors did everything possible to resuscitate him and put him on life support in the ICU. This was Jack’s worst nightmare. When I arrived at the hospital and took over Jack’s care, I spoke to his wife and to hospital staff, bringing in my office notes with his care preferences. Then I turned off the life support machines and sat with him. He died two hours later.

Even with all his wishes documented, Jack hadn’t died as he’d hoped. The system had intervened. One of the nurses, I later found out, even reported my unplugging of Jack to the authorities as a possible homicide. Nothing came of it, of course; Jack’s wishes had been spelled out explicitly, and he’d left the paperwork to prove it. But the prospect of a police investigation is terrifying for any physician. I could far more easily have left Jack on life support against his stated wishes, prolonging his life, and his suffering, a few more weeks. I would even have made a little more money, and Medicare would have ended up with an additional $500,000 bill. It’s no wonder many doctors err on the side of overtreatment.

But doctors still don’t over-treat themselves. They see the consequences of this constantly. Almost anyone can find a way to die in peace at home, and pain can be managed better than ever. Hospice care, which focuses on providing terminally ill patients with comfort and dignity rather than on futile cures, provides most people with much better final days. Amazingly, studies have found that people placed in hospice care often live longer than people with the same disease who are seeking active cures. I was struck to hear on the radio recently that the famous reporter Tom Wicker had “died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.” Such stories are, thankfully, increasingly common.

Several years ago, my older cousin Torch (born at home by the light of a flashlight—or torch) had a seizure that turned out to be the result of lung cancer that had gone to his brain. I arranged for him to see various specialists, and we learned that with aggressive treatment of his condition, including three to five hospital visits a week for chemotherapy, he would live perhaps four months. Ultimately, Torch decided against any treatment and simply took pills for brain swelling. He moved in with me.

We spent the next eight months doing a bunch of things that he enjoyed, having fun together like we hadn’t had in decades. We went to Disneyland, his first time. We’d hang out at home. Torch was a sports nut, and he was very happy to watch sports and eat my cooking. He even gained a bit of weight, eating his favorite foods rather than hospital foods. He had no serious pain, and he remained high-spirited. One day, he didn’t wake up. He spent the next three days in a coma-like sleep and then died. The cost of his medical care for those eight months, for the one drug he was taking, was about $20.

Torch was no doctor, but he knew he wanted a life of quality, not just quantity. Don’t most of us? If there is a state of the art of end-of-life care, it is this: death with dignity. As for me, my physician has my choices. They were easy to make, as they are for most physicians. There will be no heroics, and I will go gentle into that good night. Like my mentor Charlie. Like my cousin Torch. Like my fellow doctors.

Ken Murray, MD, is Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at USC.

Suryanamaskar - Best exercise of the world

2011-11-30T23:42:00.001+05:30

Suryanamaskar can do to your body what months of dieting cannot. And it can do to your mind what no spiritual discourse can.

Not surprising, the world is going crackers over this ancient yogic tradition of worshipping the rising sun. What with the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham and Kareena Kapoor endorsing it over gym workouts and bizarre diets. From improving your posture, strengthening muscles to whittling extra inches around the waist, the benefits of Suryanamaskar are many, provided you adapt it the right way. A set of 12 fixed, cyclic postures define Suryanamaskar which when performed repeatedly at an easy pace can bring a sense of well being, almost immediately. However, those with a heart condition, arthritis or slip-disk, need their doctor's consent before starting the routine. Suryanamaskar's surging popularity notwithstanding, jumpstarting a schedule is most definitely not the best thing to do for a fitness novice. If you have been gravely out of form in a way that you haven't stretched your muscles in ages, first give your body some time to open up, which you can do with some flexibility and stamina-building exercises before embarking on the more arduous 'Suryanamaskar'.

Health Benefits of Surya Namaskar

Surya Namaskar provides all of the key health benefits of yoga in a very succinct package. It is a holistic exercise that provides physical health benefits, but also mental or emotional as well as spiritual benefits. The obvious advantage of Surya Namaskar is the workout it provides for the muscles, but it also benefits joints, ligaments and the skeletal system by improving posture, flexibility and balance.
In addition to these physical benefits, Surya Namaskar practice stimulates and conditions virtually every system in the body. It is good for the heart and stimulates the cardiovascular system. It oxygenates the blood and helps strengthen the heart. Surya Namaskar is good for the digestive system and the nervous system. It stimulates the lymphatic system and supports respiratory system health, as well.
Practicing Surya Namaskar also benefits the Endocrine system and enables the various endocrinal glands to function properly. These include the thyroid, parathyroid and pituitary glands as well as the adrenal gland, testes and ovaries.
Like most forms of exercise, Surya Namaskar provides mental benefits to regular practitioners. You will feel wonderful after performing the Sun Salutation. It is relaxing and rejuvenating, and tension, stress and anxiety melt away as you perform Surya Namaskar.
Surya Namaskar is an excellent alternative to caffeine and other stimulants. If you suffer from insomnia or sleep disturbances, you will find practicing Surya Namaskar aids in helping you fall asleep without the need for depressants.

And once your body has registered a certain fitness level, you can begin with a set of three Suryanamaskars in the first instance and increase it to five then ten and more depending on your stamina. Anymore than clocking up numbers, it is important to get each posture right, for the very essence of this yogic ritual lies in perfecting every move. To say the least, it can be an uphill task for beginners. But our expert-backed warm-up exercises are sure to make Suryanamaskar less strenuous and ever so graceful.

Daily Exercise can boost your Confidence : Myth or reality ?

2011-11-21T21:24:00.001+05:30

Self-confidence is a product of what we believe in and what we actively set out to achieve. In modern day living, this can mean many things - physical confidence being one of them. Exercise is an important tool that helps us achieve this physical confidence. Beyond the postural imbalances, muscle tensions and day-to-day energy demands, the ability to be physically available to your day's requirements is crucial. Today, we're looking at some important benefits of exercise with respect to physical confidence and how it can go a much longer way than any retail therapy your heart can desire...

With expert inputs from Dr. Pulkit Sharma, Clinical Psychologist and Psychoanalytical Therapist at VIMHANS Hospital, Delhi.
Feeling confident in a rational and realistic manner is a sound safeguard against several physical, mental and emotional problems. Let us give you a low down of the top 10 ways in which exercise boosts confidence:

Sense of Achievement: Whenever you exercise your personal worth increases because it gives you a feeling that you have done something rather than sitting passively and brooding over issues.

Enhanced well-being: When you exercise, the body releases chemical substances known as endorphins which relieve stress and make you feel good psychologically. This boosts your confidence.

Physical Health: Regular exercise makes your immune system strong and well equipped to fight various diseases and infections. As you remain disease free, there is a sense of pride.

Appearance: Exercise gives you a good appearance and your body image improves. Feeling attractive and good about the way you look pumps up your self-confidence.

Change of Mindset: On some occasions when you are lost in anxious and negative thoughts, doing physical exercise can shake this mindset and make you feel confident and positive.

Reliable Anchor: Exercise acts as a reliable anchor point in our life and makes you feel in control. Whenever we have something constant to look forward to we feel good and confident.

Socialization: Whether it is joining a gym, walking in the neighborhood park, attending a yoga or dance class, exercise gives us space and opportunity to meet people and form bonds. Socialization adds to the confidence.

Competition: While exercising you may have a wish to challenge yourself or someone else. Going past your limit makes you feel on the top of the world.

Sexual Performance: Many people feel low due to a bad sex life. Physical exercise improves your sexual stamina and sexual performance and enhances self-reliance.

Attention and Concentration: Exercise also increases your attention and concentration, which means that you can focus on your work a lot better and this becomes an important feel good factor.

Source - Health me up website

Liposuction for weight loss - Is it effective ?

2011-10-22T21:59:00.002+05:30

Image via WikipediaWho minds losing their extra bulge with just a surgery, when all you think that's needed is some money, a day's time and an obsession with weight loss? But have you considered the actual details and repercussions of such surgical treatments?

What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure used to contour the body by removing fat cells from specific body parts prone to stubborn bulges like abdomen, hips, thighs, back, knees, buttocks, upper arms and male breasts. Fat distribution patterns in the body are determined by factors like genetics, age and lifestyle. Sometimes diet and exercise may be ineffective in getting rid of these stubborn fat deposits and bulges. Liposuction is considered to be the safest and most effective surgical way to rid the body of these fat cells.

How does the procedure work?
To contour the body and remove the fat cells from under the skin’s layer the surgeon uses a small instrument called a cannula. He directs this in a back and forth method to break up the fat cells and pull them out through suction. Liposuction can be performed under local or general anesthesia depending on the amount of fat removal and the areas addressed during the session.

What are the techniques available?
As a result of technological advancement and continuous improvement, liposuction has moved beyond the standard traditional method of using plain suction during extraction. Newer techniques are safer and gentler on the body and unlike traditional liposuction do not cause injury to surrounding tissues. The latest Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction or UAL technology uses high frequency sound waves to liquefy fat before the suction process.

How soon are the results visible?
A noticeable difference in the body shape is visible soon after the surgery, however this might appear to be a minimal change since the final contours will become visible only after the swelling has completely subsided. To get the most noticeable results there may be a time of 4 to 6 months, however changes are noticed within 4 weeks. To make the achieved results last long, it is important to make lifestyle changes and follow a healthy diet and exercise regime.

What are the post-surgery symptoms?
Most patients suffer from temporary swelling, bruising, numbness, and some pain immediately after the surgery; however, most of these symptoms disappear within a few weeks. Stiches are also removed after a week or 10 days. To speed up the recovery process, it is advisable to start walking soon after the surgery to prevent blood clots from forming. The patient is usually required to wear a pressure garment for 3 to 6 weeks following surgery.

A quick fix for obesity?
Liposuction is not an ideal weight loss method suitable for obese people. It is a surgical procedure to balance and sculpt the body and remove stubborn fat cells from select body parts. It works best for those who are near their normal weight and yet have few areas that do not respond to weight loss or exercise.

Liposuction requires aftercare to maintain results.
Even though the fat removal from liposuction is permanent if one gains weight after liposuction, the fat will be distributed equally throughout the body, including the area where the procedure was performed. After liposuction, one should follow a healthy diet with regular exercise since significant weight gain may annul the results of liposuction.

Liposuction does not remove cellulite and no way removes stretch marks.

Source - Times of India Website

As per World Health Organization , The only effective way to loose weight for an obese is Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric Surgery Improves your Cardiac disorder status

2011-10-19T22:42:00.000+05:30

Weight loss after bariatric surgery improves patients' cardiovascular risk profile, a systematic review of the medical literature confirms.
"The bariatric community has recognized the remarkable metabolic benefits of weight loss surgery for several years, so we were not too surprised by the findings reported in this study," said lead investigator Dr. Helen M. Heneghan in an email to Reuters Health.
"However, these findings may surprise cardiologists and physicians who treat obese patients for weight-related illnesses on a daily basis, yet are less familiar with the dramatic metabolic effects of bariatric surgery."
Dr. Heneghan, from Ohio's Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues reviewed 52 studies involving 16,867 patients who had bariatric procedures.
Weight loss after bariatric surgery averaged 52% of excess weight, according to a report of their findings published online August 30th in the American Journal of Cardiology.
Excess weight loss was greater after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (65%) and biliopancreatic diversion (69%) than after laparoscopic gastric banding (42%).
The Framingham risk score (reported in 3 studies) decreased significantly after bariatric surgery, from 6.3% preoperatively to 3.8% postoperatively, representing a 40% relative risk reduction for 10-year coronary heart disease risk.
Postoperatively, patients had remission or resolution of hypertension in 68% of cases, diabetes in 75%, and dyslipidemia in 71%, with improvements seen as early as three months and persisting through up to 155 months of follow-up.
Bariatric surgery and weight loss were also associated with reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, improvements in lipid profile, and decreases in fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin.
In the only study that reported cardiovascular mortality, bariatric surgery appeared to cut by half the rate of mortality secondary to myocardial infarctions, from 1.2% to 0.65%.
"We hope that after reading this (systematic review), physicians will recognize that their obese patients with cardiovascular risk factors or established cardiovascular disease would benefit immensely from weight loss surgery," Dr. Heneghan said.
"We would like to encourage all health care providers to seek more information on the benefits of bariatric surgery and would like to direct them to the bibliography of our article, which contains many important references in this field," she added. "Furthermore, we hope that physicians will collaborate with their surgical colleagues in conducting prospective studies, further examining the cardiovascular and other metabolic effects of surgically-induced weight loss in the morbidly obese."
Two of the five authors of this study reported financial associations with companies that manufacture equipment used in bariatric surgery.

Is Zinc Supplement really required after Gastric Bypass Surgery ?

2011-10-14T21:30:00.000+05:30

Plasma zinc levels drop as absorption of the mineral decreases after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) surgery, according to findings published in the October Issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"RYGBP decreases intestinal capacity to absorb zinc and increased amounts of this element should be used," Dr. Manuel Ruz from the University of Chile in Santiago told Reuters Health in an email. "We are not sure what the right amount is at this moment, but certainly it should be somewhere around 25-30 mg/d on a regular basis." Dr. Ruz and colleagues assessed zinc status and zinc absorption before and 6, 12 and 18 months after RYGBP in 67 women.

The women were randomly assigned to two groups: group A received a standard vitamin and mineral supplement (with 7.5 mg/d elemental zinc), and group B received a specially designed vitamin and mineral supplement that provided at least the recommended daily allowance of selected nutrients (with 15 mg/d elemental zinc). Both groups also received daily calcium and vitamin D supplementation.
he level of zinc supplementation had no effect on any of the indices of zinc status, so the groups were combined for further analyses.

Plasma zinc, erythrocyte membrane alkaline phosphatase activity, and the rapidly exchangeable zinc pool (EZP) were significantly lower 12 and 18 months after RYGBP. Erythrocyte metallothionein remained unchanged throughout the study, and hair zinc unexpectedly increased at 6 and 12 months (but not at 18 months) after surgery.Zinc absorption decreased from 32.3% before surgery to 13.6% by 6 months after surgery and recovered slightly to 21.0% by 18 months.

Dr. Ruz said zinc status should be measured routinely after RYGBP."Unfortunately, there are not good and reliable methods to do so. However, repeated (every 3 or 6 months) serum or plasma zinc could help. It is important to avoid the presence of inflammation when analyses are carried out (plasma zinc is reduced under these conditions)."

"Chronic high zinc intakes can be toxic," Dr. Ruz cautioned. "In fact, the immune system is affected. Therefore, my guess is that supplements should not exceed 50 mg/day. We don't have experimental data yet to be sure about the upper limit of intake under these conditions, so the 50 mg/d should be considered just an approximation."He said his group is currently studying the effects of higher-dose zinc supplements after RYGBP.

"Besides we are looking into the effects of other types of bariatric surgeries, particularly sleeve gastrectomy," Dr. Ruz added. "Results are expected to be published in early 2012."

Source - Medscape news website

The further the food comes from the further your navel will be from your spine

2011-10-13T22:00:00.000+05:30

Unpronouncable names, tall claims, exotic looks, tastes like cardboard, advertised for weight loss and super expensive… any guesses what we're are talking about? Well, these are diet foods. Normally fitness and weight loss diets come with fewer do's and many don'ts.

There are a few ground rules that must be kept in mind to stay healthy. A fit person is one who will manage to lose weight and stay toned. The main ingredients that form a wholesome meal are rice providing the carbs, dal providing the protiens and vegetables, coconut and groundnut, filtered oil providing the other essesential nutrients. This is what makes the complete meal. Rujuta Diwekar's workshop in Chennai was an extensive session to help people eat right. These are her tips that can change your lifestyle and the way you look.

Eat local food (Eat what is grown in your State and surroundings). The further the food comes from the further your navel will be from your spine
Avoid storing, eating, reheating and plastic. Plastic has a compound similar to estrogen. So the more food is in contact with plastic the more the chances of a hormonal imbalance resulting in PCOD and PCOS.
The amount you should eat is a question that should be only answered by you. Establish a rapport with your stomach and try as far as possible to eat in silence so that you can hear your stomach tell you to stop.
Always make sure you sleep at the same time every day.
Follow an exercise that you can not only enjoy but will want to pursue for the next 15 years. Make sure to improvise and stay consistent.
Change your attitude and respect your body.
Never count calories. Always count the nourishment it provides.
Fruits have fructose that are necessary for the body. Any fruit can give you that. Make sure to consume seasonal fruits. For example it's the season to have custard apple. With its other properties it can help you combat monsoons, boosts the immunity system has fibre iron and B6 needed for a flat stomach.
Give yourself a sweet visa to avoid cravings and then bingeing.

Use filtered oil in as it the one which retains the necessary nutrients.

Rice

Rice is a must-have. Grown regionally, eat rice as it has Methionine needed for lustrous hair. If you are dieting and cutting out rice, you will notice how the diet leads to hairfall. Always check for rice in which you can see a couple of red lines. That's the rice you should be eating.

Ghee

Always add ghee in your food. Ghee or clarified butter increases the immunity needed in a body. It should be an integral part of your diet as it increases the flexibility needed for bones. It is also an important anti ageing agent. Make it at home to avoid impurities.

Coconut

Coconut is wholesome. Every part of it can be used. Coconut has anti fungal and anti viral properties that are useful for the body.

Groundnuts

Groundnuts has anti oxidants which very few plants have and it's called reservetol. It has properties that can burn the stubborn fat in your bodies. Eating some peanuts will keep the heart healthy. It helps you mobilise the fat deposited areas that need to be worked on.

Source - The HIndu Online edition

Things that make you gain weight

2011-08-24T12:50:00.000+05:30

1. Your Reading Comprehension

We all know that person, the one who eats burgers and still loses weight while you eat salad and yogurt and can’t shed a pound. Turns out the problem may not be your appetite; it could be your reading skills. According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, healthy-sounding labels are duping dieters. Read: Are Your Reading Skills Making You Fat?

2. Your Diet Soda Habit

Put down the pop! Studies have shown that subjects who drink two or more diet sodas a day have waist size increases up to six times greater than those of people who don’t drink diet soda. These insidious sodas may be free of calories, but they're not free of consequences!

Read: Is Diet Soda Making You Fat?

3. Lack of Sleep

New research suggests sleepless nights don’t just ruin your mood the next day—they could also damage your waistline. Researchers at the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital found that while sleepy folks seem to burn the same number of calories as well-rested people, they consume about 300 more calories a day.

Read: Why Lack of Sleep Could Be Making You Fatter

4. The Room Temperature

Trying to lose weight? Turn down the thermostat. A cozy home could be contributing to making you fat, suggests research in the journal Obesity Reviews. When our bodies are cold, we shiver, causing our muscles to contract to generate heat—and burn calories.

Read: Can Turning Down the Thermostat Help You Lose Weight?

5. Your Overweight Friends

A New England Journal of Medicine study declared that people can actually ''catch'' obesity from close friends. When researchers followed 12,067 people over 32 years, they concluded that those of us with very close friends who are obese have a 171 per cent higher chance of becoming obese too. The theory goes: you're influenced by your friends, and if they overeat, you may unwittingly follow their lead. Surprisingly, spouses have less sway over the belly than close friends of the same sex. The good news is that it may also work in reverse. Hang out with thin people and you might lose weight.

Read: 5 Diet-Friendly Date Ideas for Friends

6. Eating Too Much

If you prescribe to the idea that eating small meals frequently throughout the day makes it easier to reduce overall calories, you could be doing yourself in. Turns out we're programmed to think that a meal is a perfect combination of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. In reality, the mini-meals in some studies are much more like small—very small—snacks. How small? Check out the story below for a reality check.

Read: Are 6 Meals a Day Making You Fat?

7. Toxic Chemicals

While you may never have heard of phthalates—a family of chemicals used to make plastics flexible—new evidence linking these and other so-called “endocrine-disrupting” chemicals with obesity has been growing. In fact, researchers have taken to calling many of these substances obesogens (obesity-promoting chemicals). A healthy immune system can help ward off the dangers of these chemicals, but why not boost your body's efforts by not packing your produce in plastic the next time you buy groceries?

Read: Are Toxic Chemicals Making You Fat?

8. Your Stress Level

When you have chronic stress, your body steps up its production of cortisol and insulin. Your appetite increases, and so do the chances you’ll engage in “hedonistic” eating in the form of high-calorie sweets and fats. When you try to combat stress with food, you activate the reward center of your brain. After that initial feel-good spell wears off, you’ll reach again for the same thing that made you feel good, calm, and relaxed in the first place: more food.

Source - Readers Digest

LIEUTENANT NAVDEEP SINGH YOU DID NOT DIE IN VAIN!

2011-08-24T12:17:00.001+05:30

I learnt about your demise from the ticker tape on one of the news channels, last evening. It was a big encounter and a very fierce one at that. A feeling of deep saddness enveloped me as I reflected on your youth which had been sacrificed in Gurez Sector,in the line of duty. What does your death mean?

By now your mortal body would be lying embalmed at the Base Hospital and will be flown out of Srinagar later in the day,on its final journey to the cremation ground in your native town or village.

You were too young to die,far too young! For whom and for what did you die then? This question haunted me last night and I will attempt to answer you.

You were probably from a village or a small town of India . You were perhaps the son of an army officer or JCO, or from an urban or rural civilian background. You could not be from one of the big cities where iron has entered the soul of our youth and where the only driving motivator is quest for money in the surreal environment of the corporate world.

Why did you join the army? Ofcourse to get a job. But than that is over simpliying the question. You were possibly motivated by the traditions in your family and clan,you were probably enthused by the sight of your elder brothers,uncles or other men from your community in uniform,you were perhaps enchanted by the cantonement life where you may have spent your growing years.

As your body comes home, you will not get the adulations from the Government which a soldier's body gets in the USA . Your name will not be read out in any obituary reference in Parliament,as is done in the UK for all soldiers who fall in combat in the line of duty.Your name will not be etched on any national memorial because we do not have one! Symbolically you will become the unknown soldier for the Nation, for whom the flame burns at India Gate, but your name will not be etched there.The names engraved on that monument are of the soldiers who died fighting for the British Indian Army and not those who have made the supreme sacrifice for independent India! Can it get more ironic?

But do not despair Lieutenant. Your comrades will do you proud! The seniormost officer will lead the homage that your brother officers will pay you before you leave the Valley of Kashmir one last time. Your unit representatives will escort your body home. You will be carried to the funeral pier draped in the flag for which you died fighting.The darkened and tearful eyes of your grief-stricken mother and the stoic figure of your father, benumbed by the enormity of this tragedy, will move even the most cynical.

I do not know Lieutenant at what stage of the encounter you fell, mortally wounded. But the fact that you were there on the lonely vigil across the Line of Control in Gurez, is enough to vouch for your valour. Your unit and formation commanders will see to it that you get the gallantry award which you so richly deserve. In due time your father or your mother will be presented the medal and parchment of your gallantry,which will be framed and find the pride of place in your home.Time will dull the bitterness of this tragic parting, which right now is the only feeling that engulfs your parents and siblings, in its enormity.

Lieutenant you were lucky. You did not live long enough to get married and leave behind a grieving widow. You did not live long enough to have children. For when they would have come of age you would have seen in them a cynicism towards the army for which you died. You will not see a young son who thinks his father is a hero and wants to follow his footsteps in joining the army only to be harshly disuaded by his mother (or even father!) from following a profession which ranks so low for the youth of our country. You were lucky not to serve long enough to see the army getting belittled . You did not live long enough to see the utter indifference and even disdain for the army. Like you a large number of valiant soldiers laid down their lives on the rocky heights of Kargil,fighting against self-imposed odds. Today it is not even felt fit to publicly commemorate the anniversary of that stupendous military victory,won by blood and gore,in a befitting manner.

But do not despair Lieutenant. Your name will be etched for posterity in the annals of your Unit and your Regiment. A silver trophy with your name inscribed on it,will grace the centre table of the unit mess.You will also find your name in the unit Quarter Guard,where annual homage will also be paid to you.The war memorials at the Formation HQ where you served and at your Regimental Centre will proudly display your name for eternity.If you joined the Army through the NDA, your name will be written in the Hut of Remembrance through which each cadet will pass,paying homage before his Passing Out Parade.

There will be an obituary reference to you from your comrades in the papers, which will be flipped over by most but which will be read in detail by people who have a connect with those who wear or wore the uniform.

As your parents head into the evening of their life,memories of your valour will be their most precious possession. When ever your mother will think of you her eyes will mist over but there will be more stars in them than you ever wore on your shoulders.Your father may speak quietly about you but no one will miss the swell of pride in his chest. For your siblings you will always remain the real hero,and for that matter even for your community and village. A school or a road may well be named after you and you will become a part of the local folk-lore.

You died Lieutenant, because when the test came, you decided that you could not let down your family,your clan and your comrades, who always expected you,without ever saying so, to do your duty.You, Lieutanant, have done more than your duty and made your memory their hallowed possesion.

LIEUTENANT YOU DID NOT DIE IN VAIN!

Source - Indian Army fans (Facebook Page)

15 minutes of exercise per day can extend life by 3 yrs: Study

2011-08-16T23:37:00.000+05:30

As little as 15 minutes of exercise everyday can extend your life by as much as three years, a new research has found.
Taiwanese researchers examined more than 400,000 study participants in a 12-year period, where patients self-reported their weekly exercise regimen and were then placed in one of five groups: inactive, low, medium, high or very high exercise activity.
The study found that people in the low-exercise group, who spent 15 minutes on fitness per day, reduced their risk of dying from cancer by 10 percent and had a three-year longer life expectancy than the inactive group.
“The 30-minute a day for five or more days a week has been the golden rule for the last 15 years, but now we found even half that amount could be very beneficial,” ABC News quoted Dr Chi-Pang Wen, lead author of the study, as saying.
With every additional 15 minutes of exercise per day, participants reduced their risk of dying from cancer by another 1 percent, the research found.

Researchers found the benefits went on growing for up to 100 minutes of exercise a day.
Men and women of all ages shared the benefits, including those at risk of heart disease.
The research report said: “If inactive individuals engage in low-volume daily exercise, one in six all-cause deaths could be postponed.”

Source - Indian Express.com

Wings Hospital is organising Health Check Camps

2011-08-16T18:55:00.004+05:30

Hello Friends.

Our new Venture - Wings Hospital is organising a series of camps, next week onwards.

The schedule is as follows -

21st August, Sunday - Breast and cervical Cancer Awareness
23rd August, Tuesday - Laparoscopy
25th August, Thursday - Infertility and Management
27th August, Saturday - Obesity and associated disorders Awareness

All the patients will be seen by experts doctors from Mumbai and Surat in their respective fields. The patients will be offered 25% discounts in Treatment ( Medicine as well as Surgery0 and in Investigations.

Please pass this on to your Patients and friends.

Dr. Vikram R Lotwala

How to prevent your Wi -Fi Thefts

2011-08-08T20:38:00.000+05:30

The data LED of your wireless router is constantly blinking and none of the family members are using the Internet at home. This might indicate that someone outside – probably one of your neighbors - is enjoying the web using your Wireless network. Are neighbors using your Wi-Fi network?
If you would like to confirm this, type the router’s IP address in the browser – here’s how to find the router’s IP Address – and open the DHCP Client Table (it is under Status –> Local Network –> DHCP Server for Linksys routers). This shows a list of all devices connected to your wireless network including those of strangers.
What can you do prevent Wi-Fi theft?
You can’t block the Wi-Fi signals from reaching your neighbor’s house but there are several things you may do to prevent them from piggybacking on your wireless network. Some of the well-known techniques to secure your Wireless network include:
1. Setup a password for your Wi-Fi network - Open your router’s admin dashboard and set the wireless security mode to either WPA, WPA2 or WEP (use WPA2-mixed if possible). Now people would have to know the password before they can join your Wi-Fi network.
2. Use MAC Address Filtering – Your laptop computer, mobile phone, tablet and all other gadgets have a unique MAC address. Go to your router’s dashboard and under the Wireless Mac Filter section, add the MAC addresses of all your known devices so that only whitelisted devices can access your wireless Internet.
Discourage neighbors from using your Wi-Fi
Most people in the neighborhood, who are connecting to your Wi-Fi network without permission, could be doing so unintentionally just because their computer showed them that an open wireless network in available in that area.
Mikko Hypponen has a brilliant idea to discourage such people from connecting to your wireless network – rename your network name (SSID) to something scary - like c:\virus.exe - and the non-techies are very unlikely to use your Wi-Fi network ever.

To change the SSID of your wireless router, log in to your router’s admin console and rename the network under Basic Wireless setting as shown in this screenshot.

[*] Find the MAC Address of your devices

If you type “ipconfig /all” at the command prompt, you can easily find the MAC address of your computer’s network card – just look for the string “Physical Address.” The Wi-Fi Mac address of mobile devices is often listed on their Settings page.
The MAC Addresses are also listed inside the DHCP Client Table of your router.

Source - http://www.labnol.org/internet/prevent-wifi-theft/19919/

Do you have Belly Fat - Try this !!

2011-07-01T19:14:00.000+05:30

Are you tired of having belly fat? Now, eat two small apples, one cup of green peas and one-half cup of pinto beans and exercise vigorously for 30 minutes, two to four times a week.

According to the researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre, vegetables, fruit and beans contain more soluble fibre and will help reduce visceral fat, or belly fat, around the midsection. They found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fibre eaten per day, visceral fat was reduced by 3.7 per cent over five years. In addition, increased moderate activity resulted in a 7.4 per cent decrease in the rate of visceral fat accumulation over the same time period.

“We know that a higher rate of visceral fat is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease,” said Kristen Hairston, assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist and lead researcher on the study. “Our study found that making a few simple changes can have a big health impact,” he added.

The researchers examined whether lifestyle factors, such as diet and frequency of exercise, were associated with a five-year change in abdominal fat of African Americans and Hispanic Americans.

At the beginning of the study, which involved 1,114 people, the participants were given a physical exam, an extensive questionnaire on lifestyle issues, and a CT scan. Five years later, the exact same process was repeated.

The researchers found that increased soluble fibre intake was associated with a decreased rate of accumulated visceral fat, but not subcutaneous fat.

“There is mounting evidence that eating more soluble fibre and increasing exercise reduces visceral or belly fat, although we still don’t know how it works,” said Hairston. The results are published in the June 16 online issue of the journal Obesity.

Source : The Hindu

Do you know, loosing excess weight can improve your Memory and Concentration ?

2011-06-30T22:46:00.000+05:30

John Gunstad and a team of researchers have discovered a link between weight loss and improved memory and concentration. The study shows that bariatric surgery patients exhibited improved memory function 12 weeks after their operations.

"The initial idea came from our clinical work," Gunstad said. "I was working at Brown Medical School in Rhode Island at the time and had the chance to work with a large number of people who were looking to lose weight through either behavioral means or weight loss surgery."

Gunstad said he kept noticing that these patients would make similar mistakes. "As a neuropsychologist who is focused on how the brain functions, I look for these little mental errors all the time," Gunstad explained.

The research team studied 150 participants (109 bariatric surgery patients and 41 obese control subjects) at Cornell Medical College and Weill Columbia University Medical Center, both in New York City, and the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute in Fargo, N.D. Many bariatric surgery patients exhibited impaired performance on cognitive testing, according to the study's report.

The researchers discovered that bariatric surgery patients demonstrated improved memory and concentration 12 weeks after surgery, improving from the slightly impaired range to the normal range.

"The primary motivation for looking at surgery patients is that we know they lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, so it was a good group to study," Gunstad said. "This is the first evidence to show that by going through this surgery, individuals might improve their memory, concentration and problem solving."

Gunstad thinks the study is reason for optimism. "One of the things about obesity, relative to other medical conditions, is that something can be done to fix it," Gunstad said. "Our thought was, if some of these effects are reversible, then we're really on to something - that it might be an opportunity for individuals who have memory or concentration problems to make those things better in a short amount of time. And that's what we found."

The team is following study participants for two years. They tested subjects before surgery, 12 weeks after surgery and one year after surgery, and will also test at the two-year mark.

Gunstad wasn't surprised by the study's findings. "A lot of the factors that come with obesity – things such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea - that might damage the brain are somewhat reversible," Gunstad said. "As those problems go away, memory function gets better."

The team's next project will examine whether people who experience behavioral weight loss see the same effects as those who have had bariatric surgery. Gunstad said he expects to see similar results.

"One of the things we know is that as individuals become more cardiovascular fit and their heart health gets better, their brain health also improves," Gunstad added. "Even if we take young adults and put them through an exercise program, their memory and their concentration get better by the end of the program."

Source : http://www.ahealthblog.com/20110413500/link-between-weight-loss-and-improved-memory-and-concentration.html

Dangers of Diet Pills

2011-06-23T23:34:00.000+05:30

Americans spend $50 billion on diet pills and weight loss products per year, $6 billion on fraudulent diet pills. Some are prescription and some are over-the-counter diet pills. And they can destroy your health, yet doctors continue to prescribe diet pills knowing that they most likely do cause damage to your health.

Banned Diet Pills and Heart Damage
Phentermine has been and still is the most-prescribed diet pill, first approved by the FDA in 1959, and becoming available in the early 1970s. Since it was first approved in 1959, almost no clinical studies have been done on Phentermine itself. Phentermine is a generic name with brand names Adipex-P, Ionamin, Zantryl, Obenix, Oby-Cap and Teramine.
Fen-phen became a popular combination of phentermine with fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine (Redux) in 1992 until it was pulled from the market in 1997 after 24 cases of heart valve problems were found.
In 1997, the Mayo clinic, in conjunction with a group of doctors at a Fargo, ND clinic, conducted a study with 24 women who had taken a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine (fen-phen). The average weight of these women was 211 pounds (96 kg) with an average age of 44. At the start of the weight loss study, all of these women were free of cardiovascular disease. At the end of the 12 month study, it was found that the women had clinically significant valvular heart disease. Since then, studies have found that 30% of the people who took fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine had abnormal heart valves. Fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine were taken off the market in 1997.

Banned and Not-So-Banned Diet Pills
Phen-pro. Today there is a new cocktail mixing phentermine with one of the following anti-depressants; Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, Trazadone or Effexor. The reason stated is that phentermine used alone stops working after a few weeks, so these other drugs are needed to make the weight loss pill work longer. These anti-depressant drugs have their own side effects, including being addictive.
Ephedra (ma huang) was another popular diet and weight loss pill. The FDA banned Ephedra in 2004 for diet pill and weight loss usage due to hundreds of reports of stroke, heart attack and some deaths. The law concerning ephedra and ephedrine is a very confusing subject. It is illegal to buy in the US, yet you can find it all over the Internet sold as diet pills and weight loss pills. Some of it is real ephedra and some is not.
Hydroxycut was another popular diet pill. In May of 2009, the FDA urged consumers to stop taking 14 hydroxycut products after one death and 23 serious liver injuries due to this product. The company, Iovate Health Sciences voluntarily recalled the products. One month later in June 2009, Iovate reformulated Hydroxycut and it is now back on the market.

So-called Natural Diet and Weight Loss Pills
With some of the diet pills and weight loss pills, you can take a drug test and fail because they will show traces of amphetamines and you could lose your job.
The FDA recently has become concerned about tainted diet pills from Brazil and Peru. People reported becoming sick and fainting and being taken to the hospital. Other so-called natural weight loss pills, along with amphetamines, had the diuretic bumetanide in it. For a list of the FDA list of tainted diet pills, see the link at the end of this article.

More Health Risks From Diet Pills
Rimonabant and Acomplia from Sanofi-Aventis are new diet pills since 2007. FDA studies found that these diet pills caused a risk of depression, anxiety, irritability, panic attacks, insomnia, aggression and suicide in people taking these drugs. These drugs were never approved for sale in the US but were approved for sale in European countries until they were pulled from that market in 2008. Yet you can buy these drugs all over the Internet.

The Fat Blockers
In June 2009, Alli (orlistat), another popular non-prescription weight loss drug and the prescription version Xenical have been reported to the FDA as potentially harmful to the liver. Between 1999 and 2008, there have been 32 reports of serious liver injury including six cases of liver failure. The investigation continues into this; if you take one of these diet pills and have weakness or fatigue, fever, brown urine or jaundice (yellowing of the skin), tell your doctor immediately.
These diet pills work by blocking and removing the fat you eat from your intestines. That can’t be good. We all need some fat, not to mention these fat blockers stop your body from absorbing fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K and beta-carotene. They also have nasty side effects including uncontrolled bowel movements, stomach cramps and worse.

Addiction to Diet Pills
Today there are drugs called Adderall, Concerta and Straterra. They are amphetamine-based and not marketed as weight loss medicines; they are only approved for ADHD and narcolepsy. Yet their sales have doubled from 4.2 million to 9.5 million in the last five years. Some doctors are prescribing them for weight loss; and they are highly addictive and can cause liver problems.

The Side Effects
The side effects of the diet and weight loss pills are dangerous and terrible. They include blood pressure rising to dangerous levels, heart attacks, seizures, stroke, psychotic behavior, addiction, digestive disorders, gastrointestinal problems, chronic abdominal pain, heart valve problems, liver problems, kidney problems, depression, lung problems, dizziness, fainting, heart palpitations, panic attacks, insomnia, uncontrolled bowel movements, inability to absorb nutrients, diarrhea, constipation, hallucinations and death.

New FDA Warning for Meridia
On November 20, 2009, the FDA issued a warning about the diet pill Meridia (generically sibutramine hydrochloride). This diet pill has been on the market since 1997. The new warning from the FDA has found a link between Meridia and heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest. The FDA says, "Proceed with caution when using the diet drug Meridia"

Drug Interaction:
There are serious and life-threatening side effects when mixing some diet pills with MAO inhibitors. There are numerous other serious drug interaction warnings depending on which diet pills you took or take. Ask your doctor.
Note: Mixtures like Phen-fen, Phen-pro or any drug that is used for something other than what it was approved for is referred to as “off-label”. Like using anti-depressants or ADHD approved drugs for weight loss is off-label.

Warnings
In 1999, Medsafe wrote that if you have taken the diet pills Ponderax or Adifax for more than three months, you should tell your doctor and be checked for heart damage, even if you took these pills years ago. They were on the market between 1966 to 1997 for Ponderax and 1993 to 1997 for Adifax. The active ingredient is Ponderax is fenfluramine and the active ingredient in Adifax is dexfenfluramine. In fact if you have taken any diet pills and weight loss pills, you should tell a doctor and at least have your heart checked.

Cancer Survivors - 3 factors that influence the outcome

2011-06-12T19:30:00.000+05:30

Smoking, exercise, and diet are behavioral aspects of health that are of increasing interest, because they might influence survival and disease risk in cancer survivors American Association for Cancer Research 2008 Annual Meeting.

Smoking Cessation
Tobacco remains the most preventable cause of death in the United States, but many patients diagnosed with cancer continue to smoke. Although some patients see a cancer diagnosis as an impetus for quitting, others feel that because they already have cancer, there is no reason to stop, and may feel that the damage is already done."
There are many benefits of smoking cessation that are cancer-specific. Patients who stop smoking have improved survival and fewer treatment complications, particularly those diagnosed at an early stage who are undergoing curative resections. However, there are a number of barriers to smoking cessation like heavy nicotine dependence, withdrawal symptoms, inadequate coping strategies, treatment factors, and the presence of smokers in the social network. Educate patients but provide them with referrals and smoking-cessation tools. Staff members might need training to successfully implement smoking-cessation programs.

Exercise
There is strong interest in the role of exercise in cancer survivors, "Cancer survivors may have less time to benefit from exercise, or they may feel that exercise didn't prevent them from getting cancer in the first place."As of right now, observational research is preliminary but consistent.

Diet
There is strong evidence to date about how diet can help prevent some of the diseases that affect cancer survivors. The American Cancer Society and the World Cancer Fund both have dietary guidelines for cancer patients. The guidelines are similar, although there are variations. Both point to weight control as an important component, "They advise to be as lean as possible without being underweight."

Both sets of guidelines stress consumption of fruits and vegetables and limit red meat consumption. One study that compared the typical Western diet with the so-called Prudent (plant based) diet found that there was almost a doubling of death from all causes among those who ate the Western diet.

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2008 Annual Meeting. Presented April 12, 2008.

Source - http://www.indiacancer.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111:smoking-cessation-diet-and-exercise-may-influence-survival-in-cancer-survivors&catid=2:news&Itemid=6

Study that proves that Weight loss/ Bariatric surgery helps in control of Diabetes.

2011-06-11T23:59:00.000+05:30

Researchers from Columbia University and Duke University complicated two groups of portly diabetic patients at a sanatorium in New York. 10 people had a sort of gastric alternative route surgery that basically reduces the size of the stomach,and 11 people were put on a despotic diet. People in both groups mislaid from 22 to 26 pounds on average.

Scientists measured and assessed the circulating amino acids and acylcarnitines in the blood of subjects — animal studies have suggested they might be related to insulin resistance. (Amino acids are the office building blocks of proteins; acylcarnitines are oily acids that have held to carnitine ). And truly they found a significant decrease in “branched chain” amino acids inside of a month amid the patients who had weight-loss surgery. But even after two months, the patients on dietary involvement had really small or no change in branched-chain amino acids.This WebMD story offers a fuller mural of the research.

Essentially, the descend the concentration of branched-chain amino acids, the reduction insulin resistant the patients were, the researchers reported online in Science Translational Medicine . They replicated their commentary in a not as big organization of portly patients at Duke and found the branched-chain amino-acid levels were still descend after 6 months amid those who had gastric alternative route surgery.

In short,something about the surgery, not the weight loss itself,seems to be enhancing glycemic manage –and amino-acid levels appear to have a role.But it’s unclear if the amino acids result in descend insurgency to insulin. Two cardiologists from Massachusetts General Hospital write in a connected Perspective : “Further work is indispensable to settle either the reduction in concentrations of present amino acids after weight loss is the result in or effect of improvements in insulin sensitivity.”

But, protected to say,the investigate adds to a flourishing accord that the benefits of gastric alternative route surgery need to be serve explored.

Source - http://downsizing1.com/bariatric_/weight-loss-surgery-weight-loss-surgery-can-help-diabetes-disappear-new-study-suggests-why/

Whats the Fuss - Do Cellphones really cause cancer ?

2011-06-11T23:01:00.000+05:30

TARA PARKER-POPE

This is the first time a major health organization has suggested a link between cellphones and cancer, and it was promptly disputed by many scientists, who have been saying for years that there is scant evidence cellphones cause cancer and that it is biologically implausible to think they could.
So what do we really know about cellphones and health? Here are some answers to common questions about the issue.

What is the source of the latest claim?
The panel, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acts as an adviser to the WHO, focusing on environmental and lifestyle factors that may contribute to cancer.
Since 1971 the agency’s “monographs” programme has evaluated more than 900 such factors, assigning each of them to one of five classification groups. It has found that 107 are carcinogenic to humans, including asbestos, estrogen and tobacco, and 59 are “probably carcinogenic”, including the human papillomavirus and night-shift work.

In addition, 266 agents — including certain industrial chemicals, coffee and now cellphones — are “possibly” carcinogenic. The panel has been unable to reach a conclusion on 508 agents, calling them “not classifiable”; these include chlorinated drinking water, fluorescent lighting and tea. Only one of more than 900 factors studied — a nylon-manufacturing chemical found in drinking-water supplies — has been declared “probably not carcinogenic”.

What was the basis of the panel’s findings?
Cellphones give off a weak form of energy called non-ionizing radiation, and the panel said it performed an exhaustive review of numerous studies of this type of radiation in animals and humans. The human studies all are observational, showing only an association between cellphone use and cancer, not a causal relationship. Some of the research suggests links to three types of tumours: cancer of the parotid, a salivary gland near the ear; acoustic neuroma, a tumour that essentially occurs where the ear meets the brain; and glioma, the aggressive brain tumour whose victims have included Senator Edward M Kennedy.

All these tumours are rare, so even if cellphone use does increase risk, the risk to any individual is still very low.

The largest and longest study of cellphone use is called Interphone, a vast research effort in 13 countries, including Canada, Israel and several in Western Europe. The results, published in The International Journal of Epidemiology last year, found no overall link between cellphone use and brain tumours. But the investigators reported that study participants with the highest level of cellphone use had a 40 per cent higher risk for glioma.
Another study, in The American Journal of Epidemiology, published data from Israel finding a 58 per cent higher risk of parotid gland tumours among heavy cellphone users.

So it sounds as if the research has, in fact, found “possible” links between cellphones and cancer. Why do scientists dispute that?
The research is plagued by methodological problems. Over all, the Interphone study suggested that cellphone users are less likely to get cancer. Nobody believes that cellphones protect you from cancer, so the finding is considered an anomaly, attributable to biases and errors in the data. Critics say if one finding must be dismissed because of faulty data, then so must the others.
If cellphones caused brain tumours, we should have seen a worldwide increase in brain tumours pandemic as the phones became ubiquitous. “If you look at brain cancer around the world over 25 years that cellphones have been in use, there’s no suggestion at all of any increase in rates,” said Dr Meir J. Stampfer, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and a consultant to the cellphone industry.

But cellphones do emit radiation. Doesn't radiation cause cancer?
The non-ionizing radiation given off by cellphones is too weak to break chemical bonds or damage DNA. Scientists have said repeatedly that there is no known biological mechanism to explain how it might lead to cancer or other health problems.
That does not entirely close the argument. This year The Journal of the American Medical Association reported on research from the National Institutes of Health finding that less than an hour of cellphone use can speed up brain activity in the area closest to the antenna. The study offered a hypothetical mechanism for harm from low levels of non-ionizing radiation: Perhaps it sets off free radicals or an inflammatory response in the brain.

Are Bluetooth earpieces safer than putting a cellphone to the ear?
Bluetooth is a technology that allows electronic devices to communicate wirelessly. To do so, the device emits very low levels of radiation. Nobody has conducted research looking at the health effects of Bluetooth earpieces. One concern is that even though the device emits less radiation than a cellphone, it goes directly inside the ear, closer to the brain. Short of not using a cellphone, the lowest exposure would come from using the speaker phone or a wired headset or ear buds.
That said, any risk from the electromagnetic fields emitted by a Bluetooth device is negligible, according to William G. Scanlon, professor of wireless communications at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland. “Bluetooth is so low-power,” he wrote in an e-mail, that devices using it “would be well down the list of things to avoid (including anything with WiFi)”.

If everyone says the risk is low, what's all the fuss about?
It’s important to remember that all of the humans studied so far began using cellphones as adults. “But, we’ve hit the point where today’s children are going to use a cellphone for most of their lives,” said Dr Jonathan Samet, a professor of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California and the chairman of the panel that suggested the cellphone-cancer link. “We do need to understand if there is a risk of cancer or anything else.”

Source - http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hello-do-cellphones-cause-cancer/802130/0

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - These diet tips will surely help !!

2011-06-09T13:19:00.000+05:30

Deciding what to eat when you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be tremendously confusing.
There's no one list of foods that works for everybody, but there are principles to follow that will help you prevent digestive distress naturally and have a more comfortable life.

Here are seven tips on what to eat for IBS:

1) Drink plenty of pure water. Chemicals in tap water can interfere with good digestion. If you are drinking tap water and you're NOT filtering it, at least do this...
Pour a pitcher of tap water and let it stand for an hour to evaporate the chlorine. Drinking chlorine-free water makes life a lot easier for your sensitive digestive system. Adding mineral drops to drinking water will give you added nutrition that is easy to absorb.

2) Take essential fatty acids (EFA's.) These vital nutrients are needed for good digestion AND for brain function. They help your mental functioning as well as your emotional balance. So take small amounts of flax oil, fish oil, or balanced omega oil at one or more meals. Or sprinkle ground flax seeds on your serving of soup, cereal, or veggies. But don't cook EFA-rich oils and seeds! Cooking destroys the nutrients.
Cooked fats, especially animal fats, are one of the hardest foods to digest. Dr. D.S. Khalsa says they also stimulate the production of cholecystokin, a hormone that makes the colon go into contractions - i.e. spasms. So watch out for the animal fats and anything deep-fried.

3) The right kind of fiber helps both constipation and diarrhea. This is one of the most important aspects of what to eat for IBS.
To soothe the intestines, eat foods containing soluble fiber at the beginning of a meal. Soluble fiber is found in oatmeal, peeled apples, bananas, mango, papaya, winter squash, most root vegetables, white rice, mushrooms, avocado, and several other foods.
On the other hand, whole grains and leafy green vegetables contain insoluble fiber which acts like a broom, whisking out the intestines to clear away toxins. You need the nutrients in these foods too, but when there are digestive problems, eat the soluble fiber foods first to get your gut ready for the other foods. And when you're under a lot of stress, focus on the soluble fiber foods since the INsoluble ones may be too much to handle temporarily.

4) Take digestive enzymes, especially if you eat a lot of cooked and processed foods. Heating and processing destroy many of the enzymes that help you to digest and absorb your food. Look for a broad spectrum enzyme that includes bile.

5) Take probiotics. Drugs such as antibiotics and pain killers kill off many of the helpful bacteria in your intestines, contributing to gas and digestive discomfort. To combat this and restore your bacterial balance, take a good probiotic supplement. Don't rely on yogurt - even the "enhanced" versions do not provide enough active bacteria to be effective.

6) Avoid dairy products. Even if you are not lactose intolerant, you may not be able to digest the protein in milk products. Dairy is the top food allergen and one of the most common causes of digestive distress. Dr. D. Dahlman believes it's the most important food group to leave OFF your list of what to eat for IBS.
Will you have problems with osteoporosis if you leave out milk and dairy? No. A Harvard University study of 78,000 women found that the women who consumed two daily glasses of milk - or their equivalent - were 40 percent more prone to fractures than those who consumed less!

7) Watch out for unsuspected food sensitivities. Dr. James Braly says one out of three people have digestive and other health problems because of wheat and grain-based foods such as pasta, cereal, bread and other flour products.
Other typical trouble foods are citrus, peanuts, caffeine, chocolate (especially avoid this if you are prone to diarrhea), sugar, artificial sweeteners, and foods containing additives and preservatives. Any or all of these can contribute to tummy and bowel problems. Sensitivity testing or an elimination diet will show you which foods are worst for you.
Of course, deciding what to eat for IBS is only one aspect of dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. There's much more to IBS than food choices and it's important to use a "whole person" approach for the best results in controlling IBS.

Visit No IBS at http://www.no-ibs.com for more information about IBS relief, diet for IBS, and anti-anxiety tips. The No IBS Program gives you detailed information about what to eat for IBS and how to stop the "hidden" triggers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome that cause painful and embarrassing symptoms. These unsuspected threats are getting to you even if you don't know what they are! And they're costing you in hours of pain, lost income, and missed opportunities to enjoy your life fully.
You'll find relief from the anxiety and depression that often go with IBS. And you'll learn how to effectively calm the stress that can trigger your symptoms in social situations, at school, or at work. The No IBS Program even addresses one of the biggest and most ignored problems for irritable bowel sufferers; a problem that hardly anyone else helps you with.
The No IBS Program offers you a wealth of information and techniques you can use to take control of irritable bowel syndrome for major relief from symptoms. The program was co-developed by Karen Alison out of 20 years experience and research in natural health and mind-body healing. The goal is to empower you to decrease your symptoms and feel great by learning how to take charge of your own health. Visit the No-IBS website to learn more. http://www.no-ibs.com/products-for-ibs-relief
© Karen Alison 2011 Results in Healing

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Alison

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6331135

Why does your weight loss plan fail !

2011-06-08T23:36:00.000+05:30

If you’re overweight, you are not a bad person. You’re simply overweight. But it’s important to lose the extra pounds so you’ll look good, feel healthier and develop a sense of pride and self-esteem. Once you’ve lost the fat, you’ll need to maintain your weight.

Most Americans pack on those extra pounds by eating the wrong things. Changing these poor eating habits is the key to long-term success. Knowledge – along with the right food – is the key.

When humans lived in caves, they didn’t know anything about preserving and storing food. They spent all their waking time and energy hunting and gathering food. When they had it, they gobbled it down fast. Instead of storing food in pantries or cupboards, they stored energy in their bodies in the form of fat to burn during periods when there was little or nothing to eat.

Each year, it was absolutely vital for them to put on a good layer of fat during the warm spring and summer months. That was the only way they could guarantee their survival during the lean and mean winter months.

And since women bore the young, they needed more energy to sustain themselves and their babies, and that meant they were usually heavier.

Even though we no longer live in caves, we have inherited and maintained this basic mechanism for fat storage from our hunting and gathering ancestors.

Each one of us is born with a certain number of fat cells. How many of these fat cells you possess depends on genetics. If you have a lot of fat cells, maybe your ancestors were the biggest people in the tribe, which was a good thing because they had the best chances of survival.

You can never get rid of fat cells, but – unfortunately – you can add to them. Depending upon what you eat, your body will manufacture new far cells. And like those you were born with, they never go away.

That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to be fat once you put on extra pounds. It is possible to shrink fat cells. That’s what happens when you lose weight. You burn up the fat stored in those big fat cells. Think of them as balloons. Burning off the fat inside them has the same effect as letting the air out of a balloon.

A good weight loss program requires a certain amount of intake restriction – the consumption of fewer calories. You burn off the fat by eating less fat and becoming more active.

To guarantee a lifetime of weight-control success, you have to change the type of foods you eat, so that you ingest less fat and still get the vitamins, minerals, trace elements, protein, fat and carbohydrates your body needs to thrive.

Extremely low-calorie diets may help you shed pounds quickly, but they’ll lead to failure in the long run.

That’s because humans are genetically protected against starvation. During food shortages, our bodies slow down our metabolisms and burn less energy so we can stay alive.

A part of our brain called the hypothalamus keeps us on an even weight keep by creating a “set point.” That’s the weight where we feel comfortable. The hypothalamus determines this point based on the level of consumption it’s used to. It seeks to keep our weight constant, even if that point is over what it should be.

When we drastically cut back our food intake, the brain thinks the body is starving, and in an effort to preserve life, it slows the metabolism. Soon the pounds stop coming off. Consequently, we grow hungry and uncomfortable and then eat more. And then the diet fails.

How can you compensate for this metabolic slow-down? The answer is that you have to change the nutritional composition of the foods you eat. You will have to cut down on total calories – that’s absolutely basic to weight loss. More important, however, is reducing the percentage of total calories you are getting from fat.

That’s how you’ll avoid starvation panic in your system. At the same time, you reduce the amount of fat in your food, replacing it with safe, low calorie, nutrient-rich plant foods. This will convince your brain that your body is getting all the nutrition it needs.

In fact, you’ll be able to eat more food and feel more satisfied while consuming fewer calories and fats.

Plant foods break down slowly in your stomach, making you feel full longer, and they are rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements, carbohydrates and protein for energy and muscle-building. This allows your body to burn off its excess stored fat.

Fat Burning Foods

Each one of the following foods is clinically proven to promote weight loss. These foods go a step beyond simply adding no fat to your system – they possess special properties that add zip to your system and help your body melt away unhealthy pounds. These incredible foods can suppress your appetite for junk food and keep your body running smoothly with clean fuel and efficient energy.

You can include these foods in any sensible weight-loss plan. They give your body the extra metabolic kick that it needs to shave off weight quickly.

This Article was brought to you by www.bcshealthyliving.com

Does Yoga help in Breast cancer ?

2011-06-02T23:15:00.000+05:30

The Answer is ..... YES, yoga does help the patients with breast cancer

For women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy, yoga offers unique benefits beyond fighting fatigue, according to new research.
While simple stretching exercises improved fatigue, patients who practiced yogic breathing, postures, meditation and relaxation techniques as part of their treatment plan experienced improved physical functioning, better general health and lower stress hormone levels.
They also were better able to find meaning in their cancer experience, the study done at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has found. The research was conducted in collaboration with Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana ( SVYAS) in Bangalore.
Patients from different hospitals including the Bangalore Institute of Oncology come to the institute, said N V Raghuram of SVYAS. The study assessed yoga's benefits to cancer patients, compared with a control group. "The combination of mind and body practices that are part of yoga clearly have tremendous potential to help patients manage the psychosocial and physical distress associated with treatment and life after cancer, beyond the benefits of simple stretching," said Cohen.
During the study, at one, three and six months after radiation therapy, women who practiced yoga during the treatment period reported greater benefits. Women who practiced yoga also had the steepest decline in their cortisol ( stress hormone) across the day, indicating that yoga had the ability to regulate this stress hormone. Cancer is a fight within the cells of the body and the yogic method reduces the restlessness that results from it, Raghuram explained.

Courtesy: Mail Today

Obese women suffer more than other in terms of Quality of life !

2011-06-02T00:33:00.000+05:30

By Meredith Melnick

A lot of factors determine your health-related quality of life, including your weight. In general, the heavier you are — that is, the further you veer into overweight territory — the worse your quality of life. But a new survey finds that some groups, such as women, are more negatively affected than others.

For the survey, researchers asked 3,844 U.S. adults aged 35-89 a series of questionnaires designed to gauge the respondents' physical and mental quality of life. The questions included measures of mobility, pain, cognition, "vitality," anxiety and depression, among other factors.
Overall, the survey found, people with "normal" body mass index (ranging from 18.5 to 24.9) reported better health-related quality of life than overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) or obese (BMI of 30 to 50) respondents. But when researchers looked more closely at African American participants, they found that those in the overweight group reported higher quality of life scores than their normal-weight and obese peers.
Why that's so isn't clear, but the researchers say the findings are in line with past studies that have found a smaller association between increasing BMI and mortality among blacks than among non-blacks. "The mechanisms by which overweight and obesity affect daily living and mortality may also differ between races," the authors wrote. "Lifestyle, roles, bodily pain, or vitality may simply be less affected by overweight among blacks than they are among non-blacks."
The questionnaires also suggested that obese women were more likely to suffer lower quality of life than obese men, especially when it came to measures of mental health. The authors wrote:

Although there has been some emerging evidence that obesity may be negatively associated with mental health among women in non-U.S. settings, our analysis is the ﬁrst to indicate that such an inverse relationship may be signiﬁcant among American women, while conﬁrming evidence that among men, the association appears signiﬁcant only with physical health.

That may be due in part to the fact that obese women tend to suffer more stigma and bias than equally portly men. A study last year that examined salary differences among obese Americans found that obese women tended to earn less than their normal-weight counterparts, while obese men didn't suffer in pay for their size. (For both genders, however, the cost of obesity was high after factoring in increases in sick days and medical costs, premature death, higher grocery bills and even the cost of extra gasoline — the heavier your car load, the more gas you guzzle.)
"Our study did not look at why extra weight seems to be less of a burden for blacks and more of a burden for women, but there are several possible explanations," said David Feeny of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., a co-author and investigator of the current study. "These are questions that should be addressed in future studies."

How to Stop Sweet Cravings

2011-06-01T21:48:00.000+05:30

Many people suffer cravings for sweets. The causes of these cravings can vary widely but chief among them are hormonal imbalances especially in insulin and serotonin, unhealthy dieting, Adrenal Fatigue, various eating disorders from the Body Dysmorphic Disorder group of symptoms, and even in premenstrual syndrome (National Institute of Health). To fully combat the root cause for your sugar cravings you will need to consult at least one doctor, and specific steps for stopping or decreasing cravings depend on an accurate diagnosis. That said many agree that some basic steps are effective for all the various causes of sugar cravings.

Steps -

Increase your protein intake. Often our bodies will exhibit cravings for sweets when what they really need is more protein. This isn't true for everyone, so if having an egg or a steak doesn't improve your cravings please consider the recommendations below.
Remove temptations. Go through your refrigerator and food pantry. Get rid of the cakes, ice cream, cookies, etc. When you go food shopping, make a conscious effort not to buy sweets. A good habit to get into is to take a walk instead of eating dessert. If, after 10 minutes, you still want sweets, gargle with an antiseptic mouthwash or brush your teeth. The aftertaste doesn't mix well with sweets and you'll probably lose your craving quickly. Or for a more dramatic altering of the taste sense, try getting Gymnema Sylvestre leaves and chewing a pinch of them thoroughly. In the following hour or two anything that is unsweetened will taste better than anything containing sugar.
Replace sweets and sugar with fruits. The sugars in fruits are digested differently than the empty calories of white sugar that are in most candy and processed foods. The fiber in fruit also slows the absorption of the sugars so you don't get as high a sugar rush (and as low a crash).
Go for quality, not quantity. Eat a small piece of 70% dark chocolate instead of a candy bar. Have a small scoop of gourmet ice cream instead of an entire bowl of light ice cream. The treat will be more satisfying and you'll be consuming less sugar in the long run.
Read labels. You might be surprised to learn how much sugar there is in a lot of the foods that you eat. Being aware of sugar content can help you avoid high-sugar foods and kick the addiction.
Improve your diet overall. There are several ways to do this, but the following may to help with sugar cravings in particular:
- Eat more protein and fat, both of which make you feel full and satisfied.
- Have small, frequent meals to help keep your blood sugar level stable and eliminate your body's need for a quick sugar fix. Avoid skipping meals (especially breakfast).
- Take a daily multivitamin. Some nutrients help keep blood sugar stable, so ensure you get those by supplementing your diet appropriately.
Combat hypoglycemia, or low-blood sugar by trying the following:
- Eat a breakfast that is NOT sweet, for example brown rice, or lean protein and blanched vegetables.
- Have no sweets (that includes fruit, refined flour, and all sweeteners) until after 3:00 pm. After that eat either fruit or a fruit or grain-sweetened dessert rather than sweets that contained refined sugars. Eating sweets in the morning or early afternoon tend to stimulate sweet cravings throughout the day. You might feel sick from eating sugars in the early morning
- If you have the sugar blues in the morning around 10-10:30 and again in the afternoon around 2-4:00, drink 1 cup of sweet vegetable drink (see tips for recipe).
- Avoid artificial sweeteners. Research has shown that artificial sweeteners cause intense cravings for sweets.
Tips -
- Some women tend to get sweet cravings the week before or week of their menstruation. If you know you have powerful cravings during a certain time of the month, prepare yourself by keeping sweets out of the house and having healthy snacks available. If the cravings are for chocolate in particular, make sure you're getting enough iron and magnesium in your diet or supplements: in some women, low levels appear to stimulate chocolate cravings.
- To make Sweet Vegetable Drink combine 1/2 cup finely chopped green cabbage, 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot, 1/2 cup finely chopped squash, 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, and 4 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, and cool. Store in the refrigerator. Drink warm or at room temperature.
- Do your own home-baking with Xylitol. Despite its chemical-sounding name, it's a natural sweetener, made from plant fibre. See ref 2
- Some people find out that food-combining and drinking more water or herbal tea really helps. See ref 3
- When you have finished your meal, brush your teeth. The toothpaste will take away the food taste in your mouth (and many of us keep eating more because the food just tastes 'moorish'). The minty taste will reduce the likelihood of you reaching for something sweet.
- Eat frozen grapes or bananas. Put a bag of grapes or a banana in the freezer overnight and eat the next day when they have frozen. These fruits will satisfy your sweet cravings and are healthier than a candy bar.
- If you're low on time and resources, chewing a piece of long-lasting gum can keep for hours, and alleviates sugar-cravings.
Warnings -
- Don't set targets that you know you can't achieve. Take the process slowly and you'll see the results gradually - don't expect a quick fix.
- Consult your doctor before starting a drastic diet change - even though it's for the better, your body needs to have a thorough check-over before you start!
Source - http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Sweet-Cravings