Health is Wealth

Training like Rocky!

2009-11-07T18:53:00.003-08:00

A revolutionary new weight-loss program makes you workout and sweat at 15,000 feet in a High Altitude Chamber...

Hey, all obese people... disheartened by diets whose weight-loss promises bounce back? Desperately considering liposuction or bariatric surgery next? Take heart, you can now lose weight in 21 days by training like world class athletes at high altitude in South Mumbai with Qi Train 21 — a revolutionary new weight-loss program conducted in a specialised High Altitude Chamber at Qi Lifecare, the gym and wellness centre at Eros Cinema building, Churchgate.
    The chamber is located on the first floor, but the altitude within is that of a mountain, you could be training at 15,000 feet or 5,000 metres above sea level… where the oxygen content is significantly low, and where even mild exercise leads to increased cardiovascular fitness and accelerated fat loss. The condition is known as hypoxia. Even simple living at high altitude has been exploited by champion athletes (Muhammad Ali did it in his time and Sylvester Stallone for Rocky IV) to enhance their performances.
    The program involves 21 halfhour sessions over five weeks. The training is not strenuous. And theworkouts, based on individual heart rate parameters, are created after an extensive pre-program physical evaluation. The sessions are fun. They are supervised by a young team certified by the prestigious American College of Sports Medicine. And include an exciting combination of technologies including the internationally-renowned Vibrogym. This is a vibrating platform that helps conserve and build muscle mass even as it promotes fat reduction. It is being successfully used by fitness conscious celebrities around the world ranging from rockstars to astronauts!
    How does Qi Train 21 work? Very simply, the reduced oxygen in the chamber makes it difficult to exercise at the same intensity as you would in a regular gym, and you are forced to use more muscle fibres to workout... thereby burning more calories in the same time. The heart and lungs are encouraged to work harder. And the body's SAO2, that is the saturation of oxygen in the arteries — which is 97-98% at sea level, drops because in hypoxic conditions the body utilises oxygen more efficiently. This program substantially increases your caloric burn even after the session. In 30 minutes, you would burn double the number of calories than a conventional workout. The hypoxic air enhances the body's respiratory, cardiovascular and oxygen utilization systems, apart from stimulating the fat-burning process.
    "The High Altitude Chamber is an amazing fat burner with no compromise on safety because the pressure within is not changed, only the oxygen is reduced, and this combination of mainstream science and exercise acts as a catalyst to a longterm weight loss fix," said Qi Train 21 programme director Ketan Ashar. "The results achieved have been incredible; our highest weight loss was 12 kg in five weeks, but most importantly, this 39-year-old gentleman today is far stronger and fitter than ever before. It's a 21-day kickstart into healthy living. Conducted at an altitude of 15,000 feet in South Mumbai... and you're just minutes away from home at the end of it."
Qi Train 21, Eros Cinema Building, 1st Floor, Churchgate, Mumbai 400020. Tel: 9833300100 or 9819860713

A Qi Train 21 training session in the High Altitude Chamber where the display monitor shows the altitude as being 2,397 metres (9,000 feet) above sea level

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

2009-11-07T18:53:00.001-08:00

BT tells you why eating right is important to have healthy skin...

Imagine how it would be if someone had discovered the fountain of youth, or a magic wand that could reverse ageing. Every one dreams of eternal youth, but unfortunately, ageing sneaks into our lives without too many warning signs. You may have even realised when you started getting those freckles on your face or when your skin started losing its suppleness. But, fret not. Although ageing is something that you cannot avoid, you can definitely combat the signs of ageing, gracefully. And all this, just by making a few changes in your diet.

    "You are what you eat. What you consume on a daily basis has a major impact on the skin and its texture. The biggest problem with our diet is that we worry only about the taste and aroma of the food. To look good, you need to follow a certain diet pattern. Using wrong combinations in the diet will cause faster degeneration of the cells. These days, there are quite a number of blends that have been scientifically designed using the improved concepts of orthomolecular sciences," says Dr Amitabh Pandit, co-author of an antiageing book.
    Stress and pollution may be the primary factors affecting ageing, but what about the toxins in our own bodies? "A gentle detox can do wonders for your skin. Be it lemon, turmeric or other food items in your kitchen, they can do wonders for your skin. For a simple homemade blend, take a few black pepper corns, thyme and raisins. Boil the pepper and thyme, and then strain the decoction. Now, add mashed raisins and drink a glass of this blend every day. See the difference. Blends like this will help keep your vital organs healthy," says Minnie Pandit co-author.
    Facial rejuvenation, cosmetic surgery and anti-ageing treatments may be the norms today, but according to beautician Kamla, all these treatments have their backs turned on nature. "When we have natural and economical ways to fight ageing, why endure the pain of going through these harsh treatments. Your kitchen will have every thing you
need for a healthy skin," she says.
    And people must not wait till they hit their forties to start taking care of their bodies and to combat the signs of ageing. "You start giving milk to your children right from the time they are born. Then, why delay the fight against ageing? Instead of falling prey to external treatments, start taking care of your skin today," urges Minnie.
    "Avoid white synthetic sugar and
white flour (maida) in your diet. Your health will drastically improve. And last but not the least, eat and drink right," she sums up.

GREEN DIET: Eat vegetables like Arzoo Govitrikar for a youthful glow

DON’T MAKE EATING HEALTHY BORING

2009-11-07T18:51:00.001-08:00

Boring food at home is the main reason why people want to eat out and that begins the chain of unhealthy eating. Here are some healthy recipes with balsamic vinegar, a very versatile and healthy ingredient

Turning healthy is quite traumatic if you love eating out thrice a week. But for most of us its either that or discovering that the gourmet dishes of the local hospital after a bypass at 40 are ...well... edible cardboard. But eating healthy doesn't mean being on a permanent diet. A permanent diet is the fastest way of losing it simply because it's not a long term solution.

    That said, I am not a very good cook and neither am I a creator of recipes. What I do know is that if the food at home is not interesting and varied, the urge to order in or eat out is simply overpowering. So on the great adventure of finding what works there are always many failures and some great successes – time to try and test being our biggest challenge.
    One ingredient I have find very versatile but healthy is balsamic vinegar. Some balsamic vinegars have been aged for over 100 years. It is this aging process that makes true balsamic vinegar from Modena in Northern Italy so expensive. Luckily, a little balsamic vinegar goes a long way much like saffron.
    Several reasons to use it beyond the obvious one that it is a low fat ingredient – it assists in producing greater disease fighting oxidants even as the amino acids may work to slow ageing process. It aids the production of digestion enzymes thus improving metabolism even as the added minerals help in strengthening of bones and fight anaemia as well as fatigue.
RECIPES
ROASTED TOMATO SALAD
Slice large tomatoes (great anti oxidant). Season well and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Roast in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Put it on a bed of rocket or arugular salad and voila.... Salad
Hint: This recipe easily turns into a healthy snack if you simply put the mixture over a piece of toasted heatlhy bread.
CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR
2 skinless chicken breasts (about a half kg) – can be cut into pieces if you prefer Olive oil spray 2 small chopped onions 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 7-8 mushrooms sliced thiny 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup white wine 2 tablespoons of fresh or dried rosemary
    1 teaspoon of butter
    Salt and pepper to taste
Spray a non stick pan with the olive oil spray. Brown the chicken on medium high heat for two minutes each side and transfer to a plate. In the same pan add garlic, onion and mushrooms and saute on low heat for a couple of minutes till onion is midly transclucent. Add balsamic vinegar, wine, pepper, salt and rosemary. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then return the chicken to the pan. Cover the pan and let is simmer until the chicken is cooked. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cook the sauce over high heat till it is reduced to about 1/2 cup and remove from heat. Whisk the butter and pour sauce over the chicken. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

Eat Less Rice!

2009-11-06T03:37:00.001-08:00

The human body was never meant to consume rice! Our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years. However, our food choices and lifestyle have changed dramatically. The caveman would hardly recognise our food or way of life.

Caveman food was never cooked as fire was not yet tamed. Thus, he ate only those foods that you can eat without treatment with or by fire. He ate fruits, vegetables, fish (sushi anyone?), eggs, nuts and meat. Yes, even meat! You can even eat meat raw if you were starving in the forest. You have the necessary enzymes to digest meat.

However, rice, like wheat and corn, cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked. Even if you were starving in the desert, you cannot eat rice in the raw form. This is because we do not have the system of enzymes to break rice down. You were never meant to eat rice. To make matters worse, you not only eat rice, but also make it the bulk of your food.

In some parts of Asia , rice forms up to 85% of the plate. Even if you take rice, keep it to a minimum. Remember, it is only for your tongue - not your body. Actually, rice and other grains like wheat and corn are actually worse than sugar. There are many reasons:

Rice becomes sugar - lots of it!
This is a fact that no nutritionist can deny: rice is chemically no different from sugar. One bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This does not matter whether it is white, brown or herbal rice.Brown rice is richer in fibre, some B vitamins and minerals but it is still the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. To get the same 10 teaspoons of sugar, you need to consume lots of kangkong-10 bowls of it.

Rice is digested to become sugar.
Rice cannot be digested before it is thoroughly cooked. However, when thoroughly cooked, it becomes sugar and spikes circulating blood sugarwithin half an hour-almost as quickly as it would if you took a sugar candy. Rice is very low in the 'rainbow of anti-oxidants. '

This complete anti-oxidant rainbow is necessary for the effective and safe utilisation of sugar. Fruits come with a sugar called fructose. However, they are not empty calories as the fruit is packed with a whole host of other nutrients that help its proper assimilation and digestion.

Rice has no fibre.
The fibre of the kangkong fills you up long before your blood sugar spikes. This is because the fibre bulks and fills up your stomach. Sincewhite rice has no fibre, you end up eating lots of 'calorie dense' food before you get filled up. Brown rice has more fibre but still the same amount of sugar.

Rice is tasteless-sugar is sweet..
There is only so much that you can eat at one sitting. How many teaspoons of sugar can you eat before you feel like throwing up? Could you imagine eating 10 teaspoons of sugar in one seating?

Rice is always the main part of the meal.
While sugar may fill your dessert or sweeten your coffee, it will never be the main part of any meal. You could eat maybe two to three teaspoons of sugar at one meal. However, you could easily eat the equal value of two to three bowls (20-30 teaspoons) of sugar in one meal. I am always amused when I see someone eat sometimes five bowls of rice (equals 50 teaspoons of sugar) and then asks for tea tarik kurang manis!

There is no real 'built in' mechanism for us to prevent overeating of rice:
How much kangkong can you eat?
How much fried chicken can you eat?
How much steamed fish can you eat?
Think about that!

In one seating, you cannot take lots of chicken, fish or cucumber, but you can take lots of rice. Eating rice causes you to eat more salt. As rice is tasteless, you tend to consume more salt-another villain when it comes to high blood pressure. You tend to take more curry that has salt to help flavor rice. We also tend to consume more ketchup and soy sauce which are also rich in salt.

Eating rice causes you to drink less water.
The more rice you eat, the less water you will drink as there is no mechanism to prevent the overeating of rice. Rice, wheat and corn come hidden in our daily food. As rice is tasteless, it tends to end up in other foods that substitute rice like rice flour, noodles and bread. We tend to eat the hidden forms which still get digested into sugar.

Rice, even when cooked, is difficult to digest.
Can't eat raw rice? Try eating rice half cooked. Contrary to popular belief, rice is very difficult to digest. It is 'heavy stuff'. If you have problems with digestion, try skipping
rice for a few days. You will be amazed at how the problem will just go away.

Rice prevents the absorption of several vitamins and minerals.
Rice when taken in bulk will reduce the absorption of vital nutrients like zinc, iron and the B vitamins.

Are you a rice addict? Going rice-less may not be easy but you can go rice-less. Eating less rice could be lot easier than you think. Here are some strategies that you can pursue in your quest to eat less rice:

Eat less rice-cut your rice by half.
Barry Sears, author of the Zone Diet, advises 'eating rice like spice'. Instead, increase your fruits and vegetables. Take more lean meats and fish.. You can even take more eggs and nuts.

Have 'riceless' meals.
Take no rice or wheat at say, breakfast.. Go for eggs instead.

Go on 'riceless' days.
Go 'western' once a week.

Take no rice and breads for one day every week.
That can't be too difficult. Appreciate the richness of your food. Go for taste, colours and smells. Make eating a culinary delight. Enjoy your food in the original flavours.

Avoid the salt shaker or ketchup.
You will automatically eat less rice.

Eat your fruit dessert before (Yes! No printing error) your meals.
The fibre rich fruits will 'bulk up' in your stomach. Thus, you will eat less rice and more fruits.

It's your life. Decide what you want to eat! But eat less rice!

Mumbaikars die younger than other Indians

2009-11-02T18:41:00.001-08:00

l Lifespan: Men 52.6, Women 58.1 l Nat'l Avg For Both Is 63.7 Years

Mumbai: Living life on the edge, scrambling for a toehold on trains, snaking one's way through traffic snarls, fighting to find a roof over one's head all combine to make Mumbai the city that never sleeps—and Mumbaikars the people who die younger than the rest of the country.
    A study has found that the average Mumbaikar is likely to die at least seven years before other Indians and about 12 years before people living in the rest of Maharashtra.
    Despite economic growth and availability of good health facilities in the city, which normally lead to an increase in life expectancy in societies across the world, Mumbaikars on an average live to the age of 56.8 years. Life expectancy is 52.6 years for men and 58.1 years for women. The average all-India life expectancy figure is currently 63.7 years for both males and females. This means the average Indian's lifespan is at least seven years more than that of the average Mumbaikar.
    These figures came up in the recently published Human Development Report 2009 prepared by the National Resource Centre for Urban Poverty and the All India Institute of Local Self Government, Mumbai.The report was made with support from the United Nations Development Program, the ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation, the government of India and the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.
    Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a person is expected to live, assuming that the current mortality trends continue. It represents the average lifespan and reflects the overall health of the population and the quality of life.

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How over-exercising and lack of SLEEP can do more harm than good to the HEART

2009-10-22T21:21:00.001-07:00

MATTER OF THE HEART

Experts tell Lekha Menon and Lata Mishra how over-exercising and lack of sleep can do more harm than good to the heart

    The lessons have been spelt out time and again. For a strong heart, exercise regularly, eat well and lead a healthy lifestyle. As it turned out, even these measures weren't enough to save Ranjan Das, the 42-year-old CEO and MD of SAP, a multinational corporation, from succumbing to a cardiac arrest even as he finished a gym session at his Bandra apartment. According to reports, Das was a fitness freak, had no bad habits and had even participated in the marathon. Perhaps the only black spot in an otherwise healthy schedule was lack of sleep (reportedly Das could get only a few hours of sleep every day).
Interestingly, while exercising ranks high up there in the healthy lifestyle to-dos, if you overdo it (to compensate for lack of other healthy habits) or do not get your required quota of sleep, you are only adding to your heart troubles, say doctors. Here's why:
STRESS
"The Mumbai lifestyle is such, most of the stress goes undetected," says Dr Rajiv Bhagwat, cardiologist attached with Nanavati Hospital, Criticare and others. "The long commute, erratic timings, even environmental pollution has an impact on wellness."
    Little wonder that the age of people complaining of heart ailments is getting younger by the day. Dr Chander Vanjani, head of cardiology, Hinduja Hospital cites the case of a 28-year-old chain-smoker who died of a heart-attack despite having no family history. Another patient had no vices, yet suffered an attack because of stress. "Since the last two years, at least five-10 people in the age group of 25-39 approach me every week with cholesterol abnormality and diabetes-hypertension," he says.
LACK OF SLEEP
Sleep is often the casualty of a super busy, jet-setting lifestyle. Don't pride on your ability to function "on just a few hours of sleep". Good sleep is important for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart rate. "Our body has its own mechanism to maintain blood pressure, heart rate etc. Lack of sleep disturbs the biological clock, which no amount of exercising can rectify," says Dr Bhagwat.
OVER-EXERCISING
Being fit is fine, but excessive gymming can cause more harm than good. Yoga expert and dietician Rujuta Divekar warns against the tendency to use "exercise as a form of punishment". "Meditation works best when you do it with a calm mind, similarly for physical exercise you need a well-rested body," she says.
The biggest disservice you can cause your body is hit the gym too hard when you are already feeling exhausted. "People who are sleep deprived have a lower metabolic rate. You won't lose weight then. On the contrary, you might end up being more flabby," she adds.
TOO MUCH EXERCISE
Over-exercising causes rise in blood pressure leading to plaque rupture. The rupture exposes and even attracts the unwanted or clot forming tissues. All of which is an ideal recipe for a heart attack. "Follow the norms of exercise if you are a fitness freak," advises Dr Bhagwat. "Do natural exercises too – sporting activities, swimming, walking etc."
The key, ultimately, is to find a balance — between life, work, exercise and most importantly, sleep (a factor most always-onthe-run-professionals ignore). Don't wait for modern-day living to take a toll.
NOT SO HEARTY NUMBERS
The Saffolalife Study 2009, covering 8,469 people found that 49.1 per cent Indians were at high risk for developing heart diseases. Men in the 30-39 age group (totalling 1,598 of those surveyed) fell in this.
    Mumbai and Chennai men were worst off (with a high-risk ratio of 49.6 per cent and 53.8 per cent respectively). The reasons were familiar: long working hours, commuting, unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity as compared to other cities.
Dr Shashank Joshi, endocrinologist with Lilavati Hospital, who was associated with the survey says, "The survey only underlines what we have been seeing, abnormal cholesterol and triglycerides levels among youngsters, all due to stress and disrupted sleep patterns."

Ranjan Das,42, suffered a cardiac arrest despite a healthy lifestyle

Here’s how to get your digestive system back on track after your Diwali indulgence

2009-10-18T01:10:00.001-07:00

Beat the bloat!

So you've overdosed on sweets and rich, meaty foods yesterday?

Thanks to that mutton do piyaaza or that egg fried rice with chilli fish, zipping your pants is going to be a real struggle. Abdominal bloating not only looks bad, but can cause physical discomfort. The good news? Experts say stomach bloating is a condition you can avoid pretty easily. Here's how...
Avoid Constipation
Too little fiber, fluids, and physical activity can lead to constipation, which can result in bloating. To avoid this, eat a diet high in fiber (25 daily grams for women and 38 for men) with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Also, drink plenty of fluids (aim for 6-8 glasses a day) and aim for physical activity for at least 30 minutes, five times a week.
Rule out allergens
Food allergies and intolerances can cause gas and bloating, but these need to be confirmed by your doctor. But, don't self-diagnose. Check this out with your doctor.
Hold the sugary drinks
The fizz in carbonated drinks (even diet ones) can cause gas to get trapped in your belly. Instead, drink water flavoured with lemon, lime, or cucumber. Or just reduce the number of fizzy drinks you consume each day. Try some peppermint tea for a soothing beverage that may help reduce bloat.
Limit salty foods
Highly processed foods tend to be high in sodium and low in fiber, both of which can contribute to that bloated feeling. Get in the habit of reading food labels. When buying processed, canned, or frozen foods, shoot for no more than 500 mg of sodium per serving in any product.
Go slow with the beans and gassy vegetables
If you're not used to eating beans, they can cause that gassy feeling. So can the cruciferous family of vegetables, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. That doesn't mean you should give up on these super-nutritious, high-fiber vegetables. Just work them into your diet slowly until your body adjusts to the compounds that can initially cause gas.
Eat smaller meals more often
Instead of three big meals per day, try eating smaller meals more often. This can keep you free of the bloated feeling that often follows large meals. Eating more frequently can also help control blood sugar and manage hunger. So go for five to six small meals each day, but make sure the quantity of food and calories are proportionate to your needs.
Don't eat too fast
Eating quickly and not chewing your food well can cause air swallowing that leads to bloating. So slow down and enjoy your food. Your meals should last at least 30 minutes. Also, keep in mind that digestion begins in the mouth, and you can decrease bloating just by chewing your food more. There's another benefit to slowing things down: When you take your time to thoroughly chew and taste your food, your snack or meal becomes more satisfying. And studies have shown that if you eat more slowly, you may end up eating less.

Sure it looks great but resist the urge to gobble as the air you will ingest in the process can add to that bloated feeling

RIGHT WAY TO DRINK WATER:

2009-10-12T20:50:00.001-07:00

By Dr. Willie T. Ong

Our bodies are made up of mostly water. Just look at the facts: The brain contains 74% water, blood contains 83% water, lean muscle has 75% and bone has 22% water. Experts agree that water is one of the most powerful forms of treatment. So how come most people don't drink enough water?

10 Health Benefits of Water:

1. Water prevents kidney stones. The most common cause of kidney stones is not drinking enough water. Since water dissolves the substances that form stones in the urine, drinking 12 glasses daily helps treat kidney stones.

2. Water treats urinary tract infection. The more water you drink, the more you will urinate. "Drinking lots of water will help flush out harmful bacteria from your bladder," says Medical City kidney specialist Dr. Roberto Tanchanco.

3. Water helps patients with diarrhea by preventing dehydration. As a first-aid for diarrhea, you can make your own oral rehydration solution at home. Mix a glass of water with 2 teaspoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt, and drink as much as you can tolerate. This is similar to the dextrose solution in the hospital.

4. Water helps reduce fever. For symptoms of flu, water can help lower your body temperature when you urinate the "heat" out of your body. If you're sick, drink more water for you to recover faster.

5. Water helps treat cough and colds, sore throat, and respiratory infections. Water helps loosen sticky phlegm. A respected lung specialist told me that some mucolytics out there are just as beneficial as drinking lots of water.

6. Water reduces heartburn. Taking 2-3 gulps of water every 20 minutes or so can help flush the stomach acid away. Bananas and water are effective alternatives to taking antacids. Try it.

7. Water prevents constipation and its complications. Too little water can harden the stools and lead to hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, a disease of the large bowel. Drink water and eat lots of vegetables to soften your stools.

8. Water keeps you alert and energetic. If you're dehydrated, your blood is literally thicker. This makes it harder for the blood to circulate. As a result, the brain can become less active and you can feel confused and fatigued. Some studies also show that water may help cure migraine headaches.

9. Water helps reduce weight. By drinking a glass or two of water before a meal, you will lessen the amount of food you can take in order to feel full. Water has zero calories and will not make you fat.

10. Water keeps your skin soft and radiant. Just as a dehydrated person will have deep-set eyes and wrinkled skin, so will a fully hydrated person exhibit a normal and beautiful skin tone.

The Proper Way To Drink Water:

1. Drink water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so drink a glass before you go to sleep, and another glass when you wake up. You are naturally thirsty or dehydrated in the morning. Drinking water in the morning helps flush out the toxins that have accumulated all night.

2. Drink 8 to 12 glasses a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 120-pound individual needs 8 cups of water a day, while a 190-pound person would require 12 cups daily. Dr. Robert Tanchanco says that we should monitor our urine color and keep it on the light side. However, drink only a maximum of 16 glasses a day, and not more.

3. Drink little by little throughout the day. It is preferable to sip water throughout the day rather than to drink two glasses all at once. This will lessen the stress on the heart (especially if you have heart disease) and give your body more time to absorb it.

4. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you're probably already 2 glasses below your normal water needs. Elderly people are also less sensitive to the body's need for water.

5. Drink water, not soft drinks, alcohol or coffee. Some experts believe that tea, sodas and coffee can be potentially dehydrating. Moreover, the high phosphorus and sugar content in cola drinks can lead to conditions like osteoporosis and diabetes. One study shows that adults who drank six cups of coffee daily experienced mild dehydration. Drinking alcohol is much worse because it actually dehydrates you by making you urinate a lot.

6. Train children to drink water. Set a good example to your kids and drink water together. Make sure that children drink enough water when they're active. Pack a large bottled water in their lunch box.

7. Drink more when it's hot. People living in hot climates like the Philippines need to drink more water. They are more prone to develop kidney stones compared to those living in cooler regions.

8. Drink more as you exercise. When you exercise, you need to drink more water to compensate for fluid loss. Go for an extra 500 ml of water for a 30-minute to 1-hour exercise. Eating a banana also helps keep your potassium up.

9. Drink more when you're sick. Even though you don't feel like it, you really need to drink more water to help your body recover from various infections. If you're dehydrated, you'll feel much worse.

10. Drink more if you're pregnant. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 10 cups of fluids daily and women who breast-feed take in about 13 cups of fluids a day.

Depression linked to vitamin deficit on the rise in city

2009-10-11T00:21:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: If you thought depression was only about the mind, think again. Many a time, the genesis of the world's most common mental illness lies in your food plate, say doctors.

    They call it the vitamin theory of depression: skip taking vitamin B12 and increase your risk of depression, or so goes the new psychiatric advice on the occasion of the World Mental Health Week, which ends on October 10.
    Studies in medical journals have already linked low levels of vitamin B12 to depression. "The link is known, but not widely recognised,'' says city psychiatrist Harish Shetty. But a dose of vitamin B12 supplements or injectables can brighten up the lives of those with the blues.
Know Your B12
Vitamin B12 is a member of the vitamin B complex. It contains cobalt, and so is also known as cobalamin
It is necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells, the maintenance of the nervous system, and growth and development in children
Its deficiency can cause anaemia. Vitamin B12 neuropathy, involving the degeneration of nerve fibres and irreversible neurological damage, can also occur
Meat, liver, eggs, shrimps, and dairy products like cheese are valuable sources of this vitamin
For vegetarians, it is best to increase their intake of milk or take vitamin B12 in a tablet form as a supplement. Fortified breakfast cereals are particularly good source. Soya milk is another source Poor eating habits aiding depression
Mumbai: Doctors are particularly worried about the growing numbers of people who are afflicted by depression that is linked to vitamin B12 deficiency. Says Harish Shetty, consulting psychiatrist with Hiranandani Hospital in Powai, "There is a sudden increase in the number of kids and adults with B12 deficiency reporting mood swings and learning issues.''
    They come to him with reports of falling grades, crying spells, sadness, anger and suicidal intent. As a matter of routine, they are put through blood tests, including an assessment of B12 levels. "Very often, those with depression have a deficiency of vitamin B12,'' he adds. One can blame this growing trend either on poor dietary habits in urban centres—the culture of fast food and high-calorie drinks.
    What isn't yet established beyond doubt is whether is it low levels of B12 that leads to depression or vice-versa? "We need focused studies to establish this,'' says endocrinologist S Joshi, who consults at Lilavati Hospital.
    The experience of Jatin Mehta (name changed) underlines the vitamin theory of depression. Seven years ago, the then 15-year-old Jatin's doctor parents took him to neurologists to understand why their son was listless, both at school and at home. "After nearly two years of running around, a doctor told us to check the B12 levels, and sure enough they were low. Within two weeks of taking my first vitamin B12 shot, I started feeling better,'' says Jatin.
    Now his parents are amazed that their boy, who battled dyslexia and depression as a highschooler, is now on the verge of completing his Masters degree in medicine. As a resident doctor, his working day stretches to over 19 hours, managing scores of patients as well as his own studies. But as every quarter draws to a close, Jatin feels his interest levels flagging and a sense of helplessness taking over. "I then know that it is time for the B12 shots that I take once every three months,'' says Jatin.
    Joshi points out that Indians, as a rule, are deficient in Vitamin B12. "It is mainly vegetarians whose diet is deficient in the vitamin. Its deficiency affects neurological function,'' he says. It is only in the last few years that doctors are exploring the nutritional angle to depression which roughly affects 5% of thepopulation. "It is well known that anaemic persons can get depressed. But there is new research to show that people with vitamin and folate deficiency could get depressed. Nutritional deficiencies affect not only the poor but even the upper class,'' says Shetty.
    Incidentally, the American Journal of Psychiatry (2007 issue) propagates the homocysteine hypothesis of depression. Homocysteine is an amino acid whose high levels suggest heart disease. However, homocysteine levels get high because there is a deficiency of vitamin B12 and folate in the body to process this amino acid. "Homecysteine causes heart disease, which causes depression,'' says the authors of the homocysteine hypothesis of depression, adding that the theory needs further validation.
    What is the way to battle this deficiency? In their book, Stop Depression Now, Columbia University psychiatrist Richard Brown and Baylor University neuropharmacologist Teodoro Bottiglieri had suggested that that all psychiatric patients should take a daily megadose of 1 mg of oral vitamin B12. For those who cannot absorb vitamin B12 directly, doctors recommend injections.
DARKER SECRETS OF DIET Signs, symptoms and health problems associated with vitamin B12 deficiency
    Anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite and weight loss
    Deficiency also can lead to neurological changes such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
    Additional symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are difficulty in maintaining balance, depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory and soreness of the mouth or tongue
Depression is a serious illness that should be distinguished from the feeling of sadness that one feels after, say, the loss of a relative or friend
    Causes
It is a result of a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental and psychological factors Symptoms (At least 5 of these symptoms for at least 2 weeks) Feeling sad or empty Decreased interest or pleasure in activities Appetite change with weight loss/gain Decreased or increased sleeping Fatigue or loss of energy Feeling worthless or guilty Being either agitated or slowed down Difficulty in thinking or concentrating Recurrent thoughts of death/suicide
In children A child with depression may pretend to be sick, refuse to go to school, cling to a parent, or worry that a parent may die Older children may sulk, get into trouble at school, be negative and irritable, and feel misunderstood

Flossing first: Better dental hygiene improves heart health

2009-10-11T00:17:00.001-07:00

Although very few of us count flossing as an essential part of an after-meal or once-a-day routine, it's importance cannot be stressed enough. Even more surprising is the fact that hardly anyone is aware of the necessity of flossing. Some are rather incorrectly inclined to believe that regular brushing is enough to keep their tooth healthy. To illustrate this importance, a study was carried out 51 twins on the importance of flossing which published in American journal of periodontology a few years ago. One of them was instructed to just brush and the other to brush and floss. Their dental health was examined before and after the study. The results showed the group that flossed had 38 per cent fewer bleeding gum sites than before the intervention and overall gum bleeding improved by an average of 42 per cent.

Some flossing facts
    Brushing sans flossing is comparable to cleaning only 65 per cent of your body leaving the 35 per cent dirty which simply means you are not completely clean.
    Flossing removes the tiny trapped food particles and also the plaque trapped between the teeth which a tooth brush cannot reach. It also prevents the formation of calculus or tartar which if formed can only be removed by your dentist.
    Recent studies have indicated flossing reduces the risk of heart attack. Hard to believe? Well, this is attributed to the close relation between gum disease and heart attack. The gum disease is prevented by regular flossing which decreases the risk for heart attack.

Floss your way to a sunshine smile!

Give your child’s mental and emotional health a boost with these yogasanas by expert Yogesh Chavan

2009-10-07T18:59:00.001-07:00

FOR CHILD'S SAKE

As with everything else in life, starting young is the best route in fitness too. So if you want your child to be smart, alert and healthy, take him/her to a yoga session. Introducing kids to yoga can help them imbibe its benefits even better. Forget the complicated poses and explanations, these are few asanas a child can easily perform:

BETTER HEIGHT
A child's height is determined to a large extent by
his/her genes but yoga can help your kid become
slightly taller. Try the following:
TADASAN
The palm tree pose. Stand with feet together and hands to the side stretched at the shoulder level. Breathe in and lift hands above the head with palms touching. Raise your heels such that you balance on your toes. Hold this position. Keep your eyes open, concentrate on a spot on the wall at eye-level. Once you feel that you can balance yourself, try lifting up higher and feel the stretch. Slowly lower your hands and body back to the starting position.
How it works:
Since children tend to spend a lot of time on the PlayStation or the computer, they develop a tendency to slouch. Tadasaan helps counter this tendency by making the spinal cord stronger and more flexible which improves posture and remove stiffness which is common after long hours of sitting (tuitions, school etc).

TO STAY FOCUSSED
Kids get easily distracted during lectures. The following asana will help
your child concentrate better.
VRUKSHASAN
Stand with feet together. Lift your right leg, place it on the inner thigh of the left leg. The toes should point downwards and the bent knee should be parallel to the floor. Focus on any spot ahead of you which is at eye-level. Lift your hands above your head and let your arms touch your ears, with palms touching each other. Feel the stretch and continue to breathe normally.
How it works:
You are required to concentrate your entire attention at a spot in front of you. This calls for a great amount of focus from a child. Also, regular practice helps you hold the final pose longer and thereby improve concentration. Thereafter, the same focus can be easily applied to academics.

BETTER IMMUNITY
With new viruses doing the rounds, your child needs to build a strong immunity. Follow this asana:
ANULOM- VILOM
Sit in Padmasan or any comfortable pose. Fold the index and middle fingers of your right hand. Use your ring finger and little finger to close the left nostril. Take a deep breath from your right nostril. Hold your breath. Use your thumb, close your right nostril, and exhale from the left nostril. Repeat the same procedure, starting with your right nostril. Repeat this entire cycle about 10 –12 times or ideally for a minute.
How it works:
Immunity refers to the correct composition of the blood, wherein there is enough hemoglobin to keep you healthy, and enough white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria or virus. This can be achieved by supplying blood with ample quantity of oxygen. That is exactly what happens during Anulom-Vilom.

FOR CONFIDENCE
Work this asana into your child's
schedule to ensure (s)he grows into a
self-assured adult.
AKARNA DHANURASAN
Sit with your left leg outstretched and the right leg bent and placed over the thigh of the left leg. Using your left hand, hold the toes of your right foot. The toe is to be held in between the curved index and middle finger. Breathe in and lift your right leg up towards your ear. Breathe deeply and lower the leg. Repeat the same process with the right leg outstretched and the left leg bent.
How they work:
This asana is slightly tough but strengthens and stretches the thighs and hands. By practising this asana, the child pushes himself/herself physically. Mastering this asana itself acts as a confidence-booster which then automatically applies in tasks too.

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You may be leaving out vital nutrients as you peel your food

2009-10-03T00:46:00.001-07:00

PEELING BAD

Nutritionist Dr Nandita Shah shares more such tips to give your food a plant-based makeover

Granted, you're living in a concrete jungle where you have no control over pesticides in your baingan and adulteration of your milk. You are also too busy to bother about what you feed yourself, often rushing to grab a burger, gorge on a pizza and wash these down with a cola. Indeed, the reasons trotted out for treating our body to junk are many. Health foods? — Too expensive. Counting nutrients? — impractical. Organic and natural food? — not always possible in a city like Mumbai. But the wrong diet is the root cause of all illnesses. The way out? Make small changes in your eating patterns. Don't make a 360-degree change, go one step at a time. Try to be as natural as possible, gradually include more raw foods and get rid of unhealthy eating patterns. Here are easy-to-adopt plant-based diet practices that can help ward off (and in most cases, reverse) ailments like obesity, diabetes, gastric problems etc.
NO TO ANIMAL PROTEIN
Don't pack in protein from animal sources — cheese, milk, meat, butter, eggs etc. Unlike plant-based protein sources, these take more time to digest, making you feel heavy and bloated. To make matters worse, unknowingly there is a tendency to have acidic food to help digest the protein (eg. gulping cola along with a cheesy pizza or alcohol with meat). And as is commonly known, one of the bottomlines of a good diet is to avoid acidic food (animal products, sugar, dairy, sugar and colas) and have more alkaline stuff (fruits, vegetables). Too much acid also leads to long-term thinning of the bones and lower muscle mass. Moreover, meat contains huge amount of animal fat that's a direct cause of obesity, heart diseases, cholesterol etc.
Moral of the story? If you want to avoid the afore-mentioned diseases, give your body a protein shake up with normal greens and fruits.
DAIRY CAN BE AVOIDED
Have soya milk or almond milk if you can't do without your daily glass of milk. Dairy products, especially the ones available after all the processes and adulteration in cities these days, do your body no good.
OILY FACT
You can fry onions in water. Watch your oil consumption. The best way to consume oil is through nuts and seeds rather than the refined form where all fibre is lost. Think you cannot make your sabji without a generous dollop of ghee? Here's how you do it. Add a little salt to soften the onions and fry them in a pan without oil or fat. If you feel it sticks, just sprinkle a little water. Your onions will get fried just as well.
CHANGE YOUR COOKING STYLE
Healthy, oil-free cooking might take a little longer than usual, but it's worth the wait. Begin using vegetable broth to cook your sabjis and curries. Can't do without tasty (oily) temptations like ragda patties or cutlets? Simply coat your patties in fine peanut powder and roast them. It might take a while, but the oil released from the peanuts is enough to cook them. Try it to believe it.
HAVE WHOLE FOODS
Eat only whole foods because most of the nutrients and flavour is in the skin and when you peel them, you throw away the nutrients. Ever wondered why you add sauces and masalas to spice up vegetables? It's because while peeling the skin,you are ridding it of its flavours too. If you learn to cook with whole foods, you won't feel the need to artificially flavour them with sauces. Similarly, have unpolished rice instead of white rice, atta instead of maida.
USE WATER SPARINGLY
Washing vegetables, grains and fruits well is necessary but don't overdo it, else you'll lose all nutrients. Steam your veggies instead of boiling them, you'll require less water and retain nutrients too. Also, never wash vegetables after chopping them.
HAVE FRUITS SEPARATELY
Do not combine fruits with a meal. Fruits digest very quickly compared to other foods, is very sugary and therefore 'ferments' in your stomach. This is fine normally, but if you eat fruit after eating a lot of other foods that digest more slowly, then the fermenting fruit sits in your stomach a lot longer and can cause bloating, gas and discomfort. Also have fruits whole, instead of juices. The calories are higher in juices and with fruits, you'll get your fibre too.
FOLLOW THE MONKEY
Nature is the best teacher and among all animals, man's closest relative monkey leads the way. Ever seen a monkey peel an apple? But it certainly does so for a banana or an orange. Follow the principle in your diet too! Never peel fruits and vegetables that don't need peeling. (Dr Nandita Shah is the founder of SHARAN, an organisation promoting healthy lifestyle and organic farming). CO-ORDINATED BY LEKHA MENON

‘Low-cal’ foods are everywhere, but if you pick the wrong ones you could end up fatter.

2009-09-29T18:01:00.001-07:00

LOW& BEHOLD

Here are some which are worthwhile and those that aren't

WORTH BUYING Diet drinks
A standard can of cola has around seven teaspoons of sugar and about 130 calories. By comparison, artificially sweetened versions are virtually calorie and sugar-free, so there's really no contest if you're watching your weight. But it's worth remembering that additive-free water is still the healthiest drink.
Low-fat spreads
Fats you spread on bread make up a significant proportion of the total fat in the average diet, so choosing a low-fat one is a very easy way to make a significant impact on how much fat you eat.
Skimmed milk
If you consume half a pint of milk daily you can cut your saturated fat intake by 6.5g daily (one-third of the daily maximum recommended for women) by swapping from full fat to skimmed. Choosing semiskimmed instead gives a 2.3g reduction. MAYBE WORTH IT Reduced fat crisps
These have a third less fat than the standard ones, but with more than 20 per cent fat they are still a high-fat food.
Healthy ready meals
These can be a good bet if you want convenience and low calories. But you can find healthy meals in the standard ranges too. As a guide, look for those that have less than 20g fat and 5g saturated fat and fewer than 400 cals. Better, do yourself a quick chicken and veg stir fry which can be ready in virtually the same time as a microwave meal.
Low-fat sausages
If you love sausages these represent a much healthier choice. But they are still high in fat compared with lean meat. Have them no more than once a week.LEAVE ON THE SHELF Diet yoghurts
Diet yoghurt is likely to be loaded with artificial sweeteners, starch and gelatine. Natural yogurt with added ripe, sweet fruit is healthier, tastier and no higher in calories.
Reduced-fat biscuits
Although reduced-fat biscuits contain 25 per cent less fat, their sugar content is higher, and the overall calorie saving per biscuit is too marginal to bother about. A reduced fat digestive has only four calories fewer than a full fat one for example. — DAILY MIRROR

10 m Indians suffer food allergies

2009-09-29T17:57:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The nightmare began even before three-year-old Piyush Patil had finished his cupful of a popular health drink. Clutching his throat as though choking and his skin breaking into hives, the child collapsed even as panic-stricken members of the Mulund household ran helter-skelter looking for doctors' numbers.

    It was Piyush's mother, Sheela, who recognised the signs immediately: an allergic reaction to peanut. The Patils, who live in New York but were visiting relatives in Mulund when the accident occurred, had known about Piyush's allergy for a year. Piyush—who was in a condition called anaphylatic (neartoxic) shock that many people fail to recognise—was rushed to a nearby nursing home for a life-saving shot of steroids. He was fine after the injection, but the Patils, who returned home a few days ago, are scarred.
    "I have been meticulously avoiding anything that even vaguely mentioned peanut, but in Mumbai I found no labels on food or drinks to suggest the inclusion of peanut,'' says Sheela. For instance, the health drink that she had bought from a local shop in Mulund only mentioned "edible oils''. "Had it specifically mentioned groundnut oil, I would never have forced Piyush to drink it,'' she says. What got her worked up is the fact that packets of, say, Glucose biscuits or Kurkure chips exported to New York from India compulsorily carry a special label delineating the kind of edible oils and salts used in the product. "One wonders why the same labelling system isn't practised in India,'' she asks.
    The Patils' experience underlines the inadequate labelling system in India and also shows how widespread food allergies are. "Food allergies affect 1% of the population, a sizeable one crore people,'' says Dr Pramod Niphadkar, the specialist who treated Piyush. Lax labelling on food items abets allergies
Mumbai: Food allergies account for 5% of all allergies in India. In the United States, studies show that one in every 25 adults suffers from some form of allergy to food items such as eggs, nuts and milk (see box alongside).
    According to Dr Pramod Niphadkar, many Indians are unaware that they could be allergic to besan or chickpea (chana dal) or even amla. He suggests that people who have suffered episodes of food allergy should carry an alert card. "Not only medical staff but even the public should be educated about an anaphylatic attack, which is a serious allergic reaction and can result in death,'' he says.
    Niphadkar recollects the case of an engineer, son of a well-known doctor, who suffered an anaphylatic shock twice in one week. Detailed history-taking revealed that the Silicon Valley engineer, who was visiting his parents in Dadar, was allergic to alma and has been avoiding the Vitamin C-rich fruit.
    The other serious issue is the inadequate labelling mechanism. While India has the Food Safety and Standards 2006 Act in place, the labelling mechanism is still nascent. "We have achieved some success,'' says Bejon Misra, CEO of Consumer VOICE, a New Delhi-based NGO.
    "At present, many foodstuffs carry labels detailing the presence of colours and additives as well as the nutritional value of ingredients. There is a move to help patients with diabetes and cholesterol by stating details of sugar and cholesterol.''
    However, Misra concedes that India still lags far behind other countries who are members of the CODEX Alimenatrius Commission of the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation, which was set up two decades ago to draw up standardised guidelines for foodstuff.
    "If the United States has detailed labels even on Indian imports, it is because of the local laws there. Only when India follows it will people with food allergies benefit,'' says Misra.
WHAT IS A FOOD ALLERGY?
    It is the body's immune system response to a food that is mistakenly perceived as harmful
    Ingestion of the offending food may trigger the release of chemicals, including histamine, resulting in symptoms of an allergic reaction
    Symptoms may be mild (rashes, hives, itching, swelling, etc) or severe (trouble breathing, wheezing, loss of consciousness etc)
    One could be allergic to any food, but eight foods—milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, cashews etc), fish, shellfish, soy and wheat—account for 90% of all reactions
    Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death
    According to US stats, one in 25 adults suffers from some form of food allergy. The corresponding figure for children is one in 17
(Source: American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology)

Why does a woman’s heart skip a beat?

2009-09-27T18:02:00.001-07:00

On World Heart Day, doctors advise Indian men to have a heart and look after their wives

Empowerment at the price of a healthy heart? More Indian women than ever before are joining the workforce, their hearts are skipping more than just a beat and it's not always because of a man. It's part of the global picture, which has women accounting for 15-20% of heart disease.

    Dr Ashok Seth, chairman of Delhi's Escorts Hospital, says, modern women face more stress than their mothers and grandmothers. "More of them are coping with high-pressure jobs, and also looking after their homes, giving them heart disease 10 years earlier." Seth warns women to "pay more attention to themselves" because heart disease is likely to be the number one killer within five years.
    Doctors agree heart disease afflicts women at least a decade before they could expect it. Earlier, it would strike women over 60, but now, it's hitting them at 50, says Dr Praveen Chandra, director of Cardiac Cath Lab of Delhi's Max Hospital.
    Stress is often compounded by neglect. Dr Kushagra Kataria, CEO and chief cardiothoracic surgeon of Gurgaon's Artemis Hospital says it is very noticeable "that when women come in with their sick husbands, they wait till they have get treated first and then tell me they too have the same symptoms." Perhaps the best advice for Indian men on World Heart Day should be 'Have a heart' and look after your women.
    Do they face the same risks? Women initially have the advantage because the female hormone, estrogen, protects the heart. But menopausal women have declining estrogen levels and the risk equals that of men, say cardiologists. Women who pop the pill are more at risk because oral contraceptives are thought to increase the risk of blood clots, says Chandra.
The changing mindset of the Indian woman means the rise of what Kataria calls "the Type A" personality (aggressive, ambitious, impatient), often seen in men. Type As are more prone to heart disease.
Most scary is women exhibiting atypical symptoms of an attack. Seth says "women may not always show typical angina symptoms, but could just suffer from breathlessness." He adds this "is often dismissed as lack of fitness. Their treadmill exercise test too shows greater negative results."
Women need to know that the pain preceding a heart attack could be just about anywhere – the upper arms, shoulder, back, jaws, tooth, groin, head, adds Kataria. This, because the heart itself has no nerves but the outer membrane does and "when the heart is deprived of oxygen during an attack, these nerves send out signals to nerves elsewhere and the pain manifests itself in any of these areas."
    But the heart of the matter is that women respond worse to angioplasty and bypass, says Seth, probably due to their smaller arteries. Chandra adds that a woman generally has a more severe heart attack than a man, so it is more likely to be fatal.
FOR A SAFE HEART
Have a check-up once you're over 30, or if you have a family history of heart disease
Check your cholesterol and sugar levels and have a Treadmill Exercise Test
Breathlessness and indigestion, which is unrelieved by medicine, could be symptoms

Celebrate World Heart Day tomorrow with these tips

2009-09-26T11:35:00.001-07:00

TAKE HEART

Celebrate World Heart Day tomorrow with these tips by Dr B K Goyal that will keep your heart beating

  The fact that our heart functions 24x7 can easily be taken for granted. A healthy heart, in one hour, produces enough energy to lift a one-ton weight off the ground. But recent studies show that 50 per cent of Indians are prone to heart disease, with men in their 30s at a greater risk. But the good news is that few key steps are all that you need to ensure its well-being.
TAKE A CHILL PILL
Stressful situations are accompanied by increased heart rate and blood pressure, which increase the demand for oxygen. This additional demand may lead to chest pain. Our nervous system releases hormones that raise blood pressure which can damage the lining of our arteries. So stay positive and find ways to manage stress.
LOW FAT, CARB
Eat a well-balanced diet that includes fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It is important to keep note of the total saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, fat and sodium in your everyday menu. And follow these tips: Eat fruits without peeling Have grilled, baked or roasted fish and chicken, not fried Steam vegetables before seasoning to reduce fat intake Limit oil to two to three teaspoons per day Eat 30 gm raw garlic daily.
CHECK YOUR WEIGHT
Extra weight raises cholesterol level, blood pressure and increases risk of coronary artery disease. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute defines being overweight as having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of over 25. Those with BMI over 30 are considered obese.
KICK THE BUTT
Famed for increasing the risk of lung cancer, smoking also increases risk of heart disease. It causes rise in blood pressure and leads to the build-up of fatty plaque in the arteries. This accelerates the formation of blood clots which cause a heart attack.
CHECK FOR DIABETES
If you are diabetic, then you are three times more likely to develop coronary heart disease. Control of blood sugar levels will keep your heart safe.
GET MOVING
Exercise burns calories, helps control cholesterol and keeps diabetes away. It also lowers blood pressure and makes the arteries more flexible. Those who actively burn about 3,500 calories a week, either at work or through exercise, live longer than those who don't.
CONTROL ALCOHOL
Excessive alcohol can trigger high blood pressure, stroke, irregular heart beat and disease of the heart muscle. Calories from alcohol adds to body fat.
KNOW YOUR ROOTS
If heart disease runs in your family, precaution is a must. Risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, obesity are passed from one generation to another.
KNOW YOUR BP
Keep a track of errant blood pressure and immediately consult your physician in case of heaviness in the chest, severe headache, short temper and uncommon bouts of anger. Blood pressure can vary with activity and age, but a healthy adult at rest generally has a systolic pressure reading between 120 and 130 and a diastolic pressure reading between 80 and 90 (or below).
    (Dr B K Goyal is Director
    Cardiology from Bombay Hospital
    and Medical Research Centre)
— CO-ORDINATED BY VIKAS HOTWANI

Finally, a vaccine to combat HIV?

2009-09-24T19:11:00.001-07:00

Application Of Sanofi Pasteur & VaxGen Vaccine May Be Limited, Say Researchers

AN experimental combination of two vaccines from Paris-based Sanofi Pasteur and US-based VaxGen has made significant progress in finding a way to combat the illness, researchers said.

    Results of a six-year long phase III clinical trial in Thailand has proved that the combination of Sanofi-Pasteur's ALVAC canary pox vaccine and the failed HIV vaccine AIDSVAX of VaxGen can lower the rate of HIV infection by 31.2%. But its application may be limited and a commercial vaccine may require more time, researchers said.
    The HIV vaccine trial was executed by the Thai Ministry of Public Health and included a team of leading Thai and US researchers. The trial was sponsored by the US army and conducted by the Thai Ministry of Public Health. The trial involved 16,000 volunteers.
    In a press statement, which was jointly issued by the vaccine makers, Michel DeWilde, senior vice president (research) of Sanofi Pasteur said: "This is the first concrete evidence that a vaccine against HIV is eventually feasible. There is still a lot to be done. These results are significant, but do not provide a definitive answer. On the other hand, they do provide a number of possibilities for exploration and the scientific base for new studies."
    The WHO, UNAID and both the vaccine firms feel that results of the combination provide a lot of possibilities for research as well as a new scientific base for studies. "The HIV virus is similar to the cold virus in that the base is unstable and keeps changing. If scientists have managed to isolate a portion of this base which is stable and can work on that it can be very significant for future studies," said a scientist working with an Indian firm, who did not want to be named.
    WHO and UNAID said that while no vaccine safety issues were observed in the trial, licenser at this point in time may not be possible solely on the basis of this study's results.

10 Surprising Reasons to Eat Less Meat

2009-09-23T19:08:00.001-07:00

It's not just about animal rights ... not by a long stretch.

You don't need to be a complete vegetarian for your diet to help protect the planet. Just eat less meat. Here's why:

1. Save the rain forest

World Wildlife Fund estimates that, every year, an area of the world's rain forests larger than the state of New York is destroyed to create grazing land. In Latin America, says the United Nations, some 70% of forests in the Amazon basin have been cut down to raise cows.

2. Refresh the air

If you've ever driven by a feed lot, you've probably had to hold your nose. No wonder. About 1.4 billion metric tons of solid manure are produced by U.S. farm animals each year - 130 times the quantity produced by people. This figure includes pigs and chickens as well as cattle, but cattle are the single largest source.

3. Keep water clean

Two-thirds of the beef cattle raised in the U.S. are fattened up using hormones like steroids, testosterone and progesterone. When the cows pee, they can pollute surface and ground water with all these chemicals, affecting the ability of frogs and fish to reproduce, too.

4. Save water

It takes 600 gallons of water to produce one hamburger patty. Just one.

5. Feed more people

It takes about 2 pounds of grain to produce a quarter-pound of burger meat. Why not convert that grain (and the resources used to grow it) into food more people can eat?

6. Stop climate change

"Hamburgers are the Hummers of food" when it comes to climate change, say scientists. Switching from steak to salad could cut as much carbon as leaving the car home a couple of days a week. Food is the third largest contributor to the average household's carbon footprint after driving and utilities. If people simply cut their meat intake from the average 90 kg/year to 53 kg/yr, meat-associated carbon emissions would drop by 44 percent.

7. Be nice

Many livestock and dairy cattle are raised in cruel and inhumane conditions where they must be injected with antibiotics so they'll fatten up and seem healthy. The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that about 70% of all antibiotics made in the U.S. are used to fatten up livestock.

8. Avoid drugs

In addition to hormones and antibiotics, conventional meat producers routinely process their products using chemical additives and preservatives like phosphates and sodium nitrites. That makes them pinker, but not necessarily healthier. Sodium nitrites may react with amino acids to form carcinogenic nitrosamines; various studies have found a link between high processed-meat consumption and colon cancer, possibly attributable to preservatives like sodium nitrite.

9. Live longer

Speaking of health, eating a lot of meat can increase the likelihood of heart attacks and high blood pressure.

10. Save money

Meat is usually the most expensive item you put in your shopping cart. Buy less meat, and shift the savings to organic fruits and vegetables.

Good health through homeopathy

2009-09-20T00:18:00.001-07:00

HEAL WITH HOMEOPATHY

I am a 56-year-old man who has developed erectile dysfunction since the past few months. Please guide.

    Erectile dysfunction could be due to a number of reasons. At your age, there could be many causative factors — physical and psychological. Hormonal changes, diabetes, increased cholesterol levels, anxiety, depression and stress could be some of the causes. You may need to get investigated to rule out such conditions. Exercise regularly, try to relax mentally, and eat a balanced diet. You may take Lycopodium 30C, five pills once daily.
My sister who has delivered two weeks back is showing signs of depression and even avoids her child. We wish to avoid psychiatric medications. Can homeopathy help?
    Your sister seems to be suffering from puerperal depression, a condition that occurs in the first few weeks after childbirth. Interpersonal psychotherapy for your sister along with counselling for her husband and other family members will be needed so that they put conscious efforts to keep her comfortable. A detailed case history will be required to prescribe the appropriate homeopathic remedy. In the meanwhile, you may give her Kali Phos 6X, two tablets twice daily.
I'm 23-years-old and have been diagnosed with varicose veins. Please advise me.
    Varicose veins are caused due to weakness of their valves that leads to pooling of blood, which in turn causes the veins to elongate and become tortuous. Common in people who remain standing for long hours — a hereditary tendency to develop it, is also seen. Avoid standing for prolonged periods and if you need to do so at times, keep flexing your knees at regular intervals. Wear compression stockings whenever you go out. You may try Calc Fluor 6X, two tablets twice daily.
Can homeopathy help treat mouth inflammation in my three-year-old son?
    Homeopathy can certainly treat inflammation of the mouth, medically called stomatitis. Homeopathic remedies, being natural and miniscule in dose, can be safely administered even in children. Increase your child's intake of vitamin B containing foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You may give him Merc Sol 30C. Giving him curds everyday will help replenish the healthy bowel flora.

Dr Mukesh Batra

Fitness expert Leena Mogre shows you how to chisel your body, part by part

2009-09-10T18:38:00.001-07:00

Ever since Barack Obama came into power, his first lady's toned arms have become the most sought-after accessory amongst high-fliers and the common woman alike. Michelle Obama, who is obviously proud of her big guns, is seen showing them off in sleeveless shifts. Recently an International news agency interviewed her trainer, Cornell McClellan, and revealed just how she manages to keep those 'bingo wings' at bay. If you want to mould your assets like her or an idol closer home, follow this guide.

TAUT BUTT LIKE KATRINA AND JOHN
SQUATS: Stand with feet shoulderwidth apart. Bend your knees while looking straight ahead, back erect. You can hold a bar behind your neck on your shoulders to make sure your posture stays erect or hold your arms out in front of you. Carry weights depending on your fitness level. When bending, your knees shouldn't go further than your feet. To maintain this, jut your hip out at the back. Repeat a set of 15 squats three times. WALKING LUNGES: Take your right leg into a long stride and bend it at a right angle. Feel the stretch at the back of the left leg. Place the left leg in front of the right one and repeat. Cover the length of a long room by doing this. Repeat a set of five laps three times. BACK KICKS: On a functional training machine, put the strap around your ankle and start with 10 pounds of weight. Kick your leg back, all the way to your hips while squeezing your butt. Repeat a set of 15 kicks three times.
STANDING SPINS:
Set the spinning machine on the highest resistance and spin while standing for short bursts of 15 to 30 counts. Repeat 3 times. SPRINTS: On an athletic track, intersperse sprinting for 15 to 30 metres with walking the same distance. Do this as part of your cardio work out. HIGH KNEE JOGGING: While spot jogging bring your knees up at right angles to your pelvis. Do this as fast as you can for 30 counts. Repeat thrice.
ABS LIKE SHILPA OR AKSHAY
It's not crunches that make the concave abs, it's the low fat per centage. So to tuck in the tummy you need to do power yoga for an hour on an empty stomach, preferably first thing in the morning. Also follow a kickboxing or Pilates routine three times a week and a low fat diet. Martial arts also tighten the core muscles.CARDIO: The importance of sprints and interval training cannot be underestimated if you want a flat stomach. Within 15 minutes of your cardio routine, sprint for one minute and jog for two minutes and break back into a sprint. You can even cycle or jog uphill three times a week or swim. AB CRUNCHES: Lie on your back and fold up your knees. Place your palms behind your head and come up from your stomach. Point your chin at the ceiling. The strain should be on your stomach muscles, not your neck. Repeat a set of 30 crunches three times.
ARMS LIKE ESHA DEOL
For good arms, pay attention to your shoulder muscles which give your arms definition. FRONT RAISES: Hold dumbbells of minimum poundage in both your hands. Now raise them in front of you, with your fingers facing downwards, up to 90 degrees. Do it slowly, concentrating on your muscles. Repeat a set of 15 raises, three times. LATERAL CURLS: Hold dumbbells of minimum poundage (2.5) with arms at your side. Raise arms to shoulder level, using your elbows to lead the way. Make sure your wrists face downwards. Do three sets of 15 repetitions.
BENT-OVER LATERAL RAISES: Bend forward from your hips, bringing your chest parallel to the floor. You can even do this while sitting on a chair. Now repeat the motions of the lateral curls. Do three sets of 15 repetitions.HAMMER CURLS: Hold the dumbbell vertical such that it looks like you are hammering your fist down. Flex your elbow and bring the weights to your shoulder and back down. Do not move your upper arms. Do three sets of 15 repetitions.
ARMS LIKE SHAHID
BICEP CURLS: Hold weights in both arms or on the bar. Lock your elbows and pull up to your shoulders. Weightage depends upon fitness levels. Do three sets of 15 repetitions. TRICEPS: Use a table or a chair. Push yourself off the seat, keeping your palms on the edge. Pull yourself up and down, legs outstretched in front of you. Do three sets of 15 repetitions. Also, push down the bar of a pulley machine to chest level and push it all the way down, while sitting. Do three sets of 15 repetitions. PREACHER CURLS: Sit on a preacher bench, lean forward and do three repetitions of 15 curls. Increase the weight with your fitness levels.
LEGS LIKE KANGANA
For the thighs, start with 15 suryanamaskars. Also, weave walking lunges (5 laps) and interval training into your routine. STIFF LEG DEAD LIFTS: Hold a bar with minimum weight. Bend down from your hip, keeping your back straight and arched till you reach your knees/ankles. The bar should be close to your legs. This also works the lower back. Do a set of 10 to 12 bends three times. HAMSTRING CURLS: Do the curls on the hamstring machine. Three sets of 15 repetitions. CALF RAISES: Do standing and seated calf raises on the calf machine. You need to use 20/30/40-kg weights. You can do standing and sitting calf raises, with three sets of 15 repetitions.
(LEENA MOGRE
IS THE DIRECTOR OF LEENA MOGRE FITNESS)
— CO-ORDINATED BY MITALI PAREKH

Work out, but watch out for that extra bite

2009-09-08T18:34:00.001-07:00

New Study By US Researchers Finds That Even Strenuous Exercise May Not Lead To Weight Loss If Diet Is Not Controlled

Aarti (name changed) opened a packet of salted peanuts when a colleague piped in: ''Why are you eating that when you are trying to lose weight?'' Aarti, a regular at the office gym, replied confidently: ''I'll burn them.'' She may just have fallen into the trap millions of other people the world over succumb to on a daily basis — the myth of ''burning calories'' by exercising.

    The answer to why your weight does not budge despite all those hours spent on the treadmill, in the swimming pool, on the yoga mat... the list goes on — may lie in a new study conducted by US researchers which says that people who work out for long durations often tend to lose the advantage through ''compensation'' of the predicted weight loss by increased calorie intake. Think of the umpteen times you rewarded yourself with that post-exercise piece of pizza.
    The study, conducted by researchers from Louisiana State University, University of Missouri and University of South Carolina on 464 postmenopausal overweight women, randomly divided the women into four groups. While three of the groups
were assigned various doses of exercise, one was the control group.
    The first two groups — which did 72 and 136 minutes of exercise per week — showed the same weight loss as predicted but the third group which exercised for more than 194 minutes per week showed only half of the predicted weight loss. All the women though showed reduction of waist circumference. The study was published in the peer reviewed journal PloS One (PLoS stands for Public Library of Science).
    What the researchers in their staccato scientific terms call ''compensation'' may actually mean the oily samosa, worth 150 Kcal, which can be
offset by 25 minutes of running on the treadmill or that one scoop of ice cream, worth 120 calories, that may be neutralised with 30 minutes of table tennis that you occasionally reward yourself with. Predictably city experts do not appreciate what they call an attempt to undermine the importance of exercise but at the same time accept the inherent finding of the study that diet is as important as exercise in achieving weight loss.
    Says Dr Anoop Misra, head of the department of diabetes, obesity and metabolism, Fortis Hospital: ''I have seen the study. It does not take away in any way from the known advantages of regular exercise like prevention of diabetes, heart disease fatty liver etc. As for weight loss, we are always very clear that diet and exercise go hand in hand and there are various combinations of the two that work for different people. It is a fact that exercising does not mean the licence to eat what you want and unhealthy eating will show.''
    He added that for Indians who are prone to abdominal obesity, the international standards of exercise of 30-40 minutes a day have been revised to 60 minutes. ''It is true that exercise enhances the appetite but adjustments have to be made in the diet for that. For example, instead of a bar of chocolate, drinking a glass of nimbu pani with salt with five almonds is far healthier and it has calories too,'' Dr Misra adds.
    Clinical nutritionist Ishi Khosla who accepts that the study reinforces the message that diet is as important, however, says that she would take the findings ''with a pinch of salt principally because it does not deal with the quality of weight loss. There is no mention of the changes in metabolic rate. In fact, for people who are obese because of a hormonal imbalance — a condition which is called metabolic obesity — weight loss is impossible without exercise. In case of simple obesity, merely watching your diet can cause weight loss but then you would also end up losing a lot of muscle mass in the process which will lower your metabolic rate because muscle spends more energy.''
    According to figures published in medical journals, a kg of muscle burns about three kilo calorie a day in the resting body while fat burns just a third of that. Which means 5 kg fat replaced by muscle will help you burn just 40 kcal extra per day. One small glass of cola has 110 kcal.

Unhealthy habits can spoil your memory

2009-09-06T18:41:00.002-07:00

DID YOU KNOW?

If you're having trouble remembering where you left your keys or recalling a word, mull over the number of times and how many years you've continued unhealthy behaviour.

    Previous research has linked declining thinking and memory skills with unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, abstaining completely from alcohol, not getting enough physical activity, and not eating enough fruits and vegetables daily. In the current study, Dr Severine Sabia and colleagues found the more each of the 5,123 adult participants reported these behaviours the greater their "risk of cognitive deficit," said Sabia.
    Over a 17-year period, adult men and women who accumulated the most versus the least number of unhealthy behaviours were nearly three times more likely to show poor thinking skills, and about two times more likely to have declining memory, Sabia and colleagues report in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Sabia, of Hospital Paul Brousse in Villejuif, France, and fellow researchers surveyed health behaviours of civil service office workers in London, UK, when the workers were 44 (earlymidlife), 56 (mid-life), and 61 (late-midlife) years old.
    After allowing for the impact of age, gender, and social and economic status, the investigators found current smokers more likely to show the lowest memory, verbal, and math-related thinking and reasoning skills at each survey.
    The investigators noted similar findings among non-drinkers versus those who had between 1 and 14 alcoholic drinks a week, and those who ate fewer versus more than 2 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Men and women who reported lower levels of physical activity during mid-life and late-mid-life also showed greater risk for cognitive deficit. Considering the unhealthy behaviours assessed in the current study are modifiable, Sabia's team calls for greater promotion of healthy lifestyles to protect against later-life cognitive deficits. REUTERS

WATCH THOSE SMOKES! Habitual smoking takes a toll on brain cells

Lose inches, have fun

2009-09-06T18:41:00.001-07:00

Do you equate weight loss with boring, mundane gym routines? It's time for a change. Rachel Fernandes tells you some fun ways to not only cut the flab, but also learn a new skill

Ladies and gentlemen, this one's for all you gym haters. If you are among those who dreads the sight of the treadmill and can't bear to get onto the exercise cycle and are still dying to lose those extra inches, don't worry. We give you a lowdown of some fun activities that you can indulge in. Now here's the catch. Not only will these activities help you in your weight loss quest, indulging in them will also help you learn a new skill. So are you ready to burn those calories and have fun too?
    Read on.
Bollywood Aerobics
Step aside plain, simple aerobic routines, this is the day and age of Bollybics — that's what Bollywood Aerobics is popularly called. Have you realised, those super sexy jhatkas and matkas our Bollywood heroines do with so much ease can indeed make for a perfectly fun workout. "Adapted to the beats of popular filmi music, Bollybics is an aerobic workout that helps burn intense calories while dancing to your favourite songs," says Anchal Gupta, owner of a popular Sion based dance studio. The sequence consists of a warm up and aerobic routine — using signature movie dance steps — targetted at specific body parts and then, a cool down session. "The music is fast paced and non stop, and if done right, one can burn upto 700 calories per session," says trainer Rupesh Pednekar.
    While ghazals are used for the warm-up and the cool down sessions, fast paced movie tracks are used for the aerobic routine. This dance cum exercise form uses signature movie dance steps. "It's a fun and exhilarating workout. And, when you do it in a group, you feel motivated to go on, even if you get tired," says Anchal. So put on some rocking movie songs and adapt a few regular dance steps to it and lo behold, it's Bollybics you're doing.
Kickboxing:
Martial arts have always been very popular. But the newest rage in town in kickboxing. Whoever's into it swears by how amazing a workout it is. A part of the martial arts family, kickboxing combines the style of boxing with kicking. A full contact sport often practiced as self-defence, it also makes for a perfect workout. And here's why. "Kickboxing is intensive cardio. Also, unlike a gym workout, it is a total body workout. Kickboxing involves both, cardio and contact which helps in increasing flexibility and toning up. Besides these, there are various stretching exercises and abdominal workouts that one is made to do," explains kickboxing trainer Amit Lalwani. Another form, Muay Thai, meanwhile, is the art of eight limbs which uses the whole body especially the hips and core. "A Muay Thai workout helps increase not only agility, speed, strength but also, cardiovascular endurance," says Amit. And while this exercise form is a great stress reliever, you can also pick up a few important self-defence techniques.
Dancersize:
This is a fun activity that consists of half an hour of an intensive workout and half an hour of a dance routine which includes steps from hip-hop and jazz. And the routine is simple. The first half of the session consists of warm ups including stretching which helps tone up the muscles and burn away the inches. The second half meanwhile is a cardio session which helps give the body a total workout. "Apart from the exercise that one gets, this is also a good way to learn a form of dance and develop a sense of style. The routines are never repeated making it a perfect option for people who detest going to the gym," says participant Purvi Shah.
Power Yoga:
While you may extol the benefits of practising yoga daily, if weight loss is your goal, it may not be enough. The solution? Step it up a notch with power yoga. Put simply, power yoga is yoga adapted to the beats of music. This form of yoga is fast paced and quite a strenuous exercise. How's it done? There are no fixed poses to be followed, the variations depend on the instructor. "In power yoga, the emphasis is on strength and elasticity of the body. A 45-minute power yoga workout done even just thrice a week will show wondrous effects on your body," says Laxmi Wagle who is learning this yoga form.
Capoeira:
What do you get when you combine elements of martial arts, games, music and dance? The Afro-Brazilian art form called Capoeira. And why is it a good workout? That's because as a form of exercise, Capoeira engages all the muscle group and offers significant toning and cardiovascular benefits. It also helps develop flexibility, balance, coordination an endurance.
Pilates
This is a form of exercise that emphasises on the balanced development of the body through core strength, flexibility and awareness. As a form of exercise, it works well for everyone. Pilates training focuses on core strength as it trains the body as an integrated whole. The workouts promote strength and balanced muscle development as well as flexibility and increased range of motion for the joints. If practiced regularly, Pilates helps improves muscle tone, balances musculature, supports beautiful posture, teaches you to move with ease and grace and also, improves one's posture.
    rachel.fernandes @timesgroup.com

TIME FOR A STRETCH! Rupesh Pednekar (left) and Anchal Gupta (right) at a bollybics class

GETTING THEIR KICKS! Amit Lalwani (left) at a kickboxing class

Home remedies:Fever

2009-08-30T05:24:00.001-07:00

A decoction made of about twelve grams of Tulsi leaves, boiled in half a liter of water, should be administered twice daily with half a cup of milk, one teaspoon of sugar and a quarter teaspoon of powdered cardamom will bring down the temperature.

Home remedies: Bad throat

2009-08-30T05:20:00.001-07:00

Gargle with a solution containing 1/2 teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water several times a day. Be careful with the quantity of salt as excess salt could further irritate your throat.

Fresh ginger can help soothe inflamed mucous membranes of the larynx. Try sucking on candied ginger if available or drink a cup of ginger tea. Performing steam inhalation twice or thrice a day will help cure laryngitis.