Smoking raises spouse’s stroke risk

Marriage To A Smoker Increases Risk By 42% In People Who Never Smoked

Washington: Nonsmokers married to smokers have a greatly increased chance of having strokes, according to a US study published on Tuesday showing yet another hazard from secondhand smoke.
    Being married to a smoker raised the stroke risk by 42% in people who have never smoked compared to those married to someone who never smoked, the researchers said.
    This jumped to 72% for former smokers married to a current smoker, according to the study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
    Former smokers who were married to smokers had a stroke risk similar to people who themselves were smokers.
    "Quitting smoking helps your own health and also the health of the people living with you," Maria Glymour of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and Columbia University in New York, who led the study, said in a telephonic interview. The study involved 16,225 people aged 50 and up who had never had a stroke. They were followed for an average of nine years.
    Glymour said there is accumulating evidence about the number of health problems linked to secondhand smoke.
    Previous research had suggested that secondhand smoke increases the risk of stroke, but Glymour said stroke risk has been studied more extensively in smokers than in people exposed to secondhand smoke.
    People who breathe in secondhand smoke also have a higher risk of lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer, respiratory tract infections and heart disease, among other conditions.
    A 2006 US surgeon general's report said secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or cancer-causing. These include formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.
    For this study, smoking involved cigarettes and not pipes or cigars. It looked at health consequences for the spouses of smokers, but not at the longterm stroke risk in children of smokers due to secondhand smoke. "We know that there are a lot of undesirable health consequences for kids, especially asthma and breathing problems that are exacerbated by secondhand smoke," Glymour said.
    The advice by Glymour was echoed by the Stroke Association, which said that passive smokers were nearly twice as likely to have a stroke compared with those not living in a smoky environment.
    Joe Korner, from the association, said: "Smoking is a significant risk factor for stroke with a quarter of all strokes being linked to smoking and it can also contribute to high blood pressure which is the single biggest risk factor for stroke."
    "We urge people to consider the effects that smoking has on their health and others around them and do all they can to reduce their risk of stroke." REUTERS

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‘Forget colas, sweet fruit drinks lead to diabetes too’

Chicago: Sweetened fruit drinks are often marketed as a healthier alternative to non-diet soft drinks but are just as likely to cause weight gain and increase the risk of diabetes, researchers said.
    "The public should be made aware that these drinks are not a healthy alternative to soft drinks with regard to risk of type 2 diabetes," Julie Palmer and colleagues at Boston University wrote in their report, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, is closely linked to obesity and has become more common worldwide.
    The findings came from a look at nearly 44,000 black women in the United States who were checked from 1995 through 2005.
    Those who said they drank two or more non-diet soft drinks a day had a 24% increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes than those in the study who drank fewer than one regular soft drink per month, the research team said.
    Women who drank two or more sweetened fruit drinks per day had a 31% increased risk compared to those who drank fewer than one such fruit drink a month. Diet soft drinks, grapefruit juice and orange juice were not linked to a higher diabetes risk, the researchers said.
    While pure orange and grapefruit juices also contain sugars naturally, they may have a different metabolic effect or may be more likely to be consumed as part of a meal, the investigators said.
    Soft drinks and sweetened juices are often consumed between meals and may lead to snacking, they said.
    An earlier study involving thousands of white women also linked diabetes to both soft drinks and sweetened juices, the report said. Another study in the same journal found that eating fruits and vegetables seems to ward off type 2 diabetes, perhaps by preventing obesity or providing protective nutrients, including antioxidants. REUTERS
A few extra steps help control diabetes:
Walking a bit more each day can help people control their Type 2 diabetes but obese people trying to keep weight off may need to exercise harder than they had thought, according to a studiy published on Monday. Simply walking 45 minutes more each day helped people with diabetes use blood sugar better, Michael Trenell of Britain's Newcastle University and colleagues wrote in the journal Diabetes Care. REUTERS

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Pancreatic cancer: Now log on for info

Mumbai: When Hollywood star Patrick Swayze, who shot to fame for his film 'Ghost', took ill early this year, a little-known disease called pancreatic cancer was splashed across the Western press. That's the form of cancer, which doctors from super-speciality hospital Tata Memorial Hospital along with Gangaram Hospital in Delhi have set out to address after they noticed a rising incidence.
    Tata Hospital chief Dr K Dinshaw on Tuesday inaugurated a website (www.pancreaticcancerindia.com), which promises to offer patients the lowdown about the condition. "Though the cancer is less common here than in the West, we have noticed that the incidence has been steadily increasing with urbanization,'' said gastro-intestinal and hepato-bilary-pancreatic surgeon Shailesh Shrikhande.
    While there are no known causes for pancreatic cancer, Dr Shrikhande explained that certain risk factors had been identified which included smoking, alcohol consumption, hereditary factors and a diet lacking fruits and vegetables. Pancreatic cancer, which is cancer of the pancreatic gland (a digestive gland), affects 0.5 to 2.4 per lakh men and 0.2 to 1.8 women per lakh in India and is the fourth largest killer among cancers in the US. Unfortunately, most local patients seek help too late, said doctors who hoped the website would help spread the much-needed awarenesss.
    "I have noticed that patients of pancreatic cancer go through a rollercoaster of emotions—anger, feelings of 'why me' and isolation. We, as surgeons, often don't understand the difference between information and communication,'' admitted gastro-intestinal surgeon Adarsh Chaudhary from Delhi.
    The website with its interactive interface, resources on latest treatment options and useful links hopes to bridge this gap. As dean of Tata, K L Mohandas, said there are many websites which give information on pancreatic cancer, but the website was the need of the hour as there was need for a 'desi' resource that addressed problems unique to our continent.
    Tata plans
    Cancer hub Tata Memorial Hospital is all set to inaugurate a new building—12-storeyed-high—on its premises next year. Hospital chief K Dinshaw said, "The new building will house facilities such as tele-medicine and research.'' Besides being able to reach out to more patients, the facility would also cater to budding cancer specialists.
    An inspirational
    last lecture
    If there was any doubt about the place of technology in the world of diseases, one just needs to Google 'Prof Randy Pausch'. The professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh died of complications related to pancreatic cancer on July 25 but jumped to fame after he gave an inspirational 'last lecture' to students at his university. The lecture delivered even as he was 'dying of pancreatic cancer' urged students to "achieve their childhood dreams''. The speech was so inspirational that it was uploaded on You Tube and went on to be viewed by millions. He used his 'fame' to even urge the US Congress to give money for research on pancreatic cancer.

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Alternate Way to Eliminate CANCER: John Hopkins

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY           (TRY THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHN HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .


Cancer Update from John Hopkins


1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard
Tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented
From multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These
Could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9 When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Splenda, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be raw honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or Celtic sea salt.

B. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with raw milk cancer cells are being starved. 

C. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

D. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at
Temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

E. Avoid coffee, tea, and processed chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it. Drink 8 or more glasses of water a day to help flush out the cancer cells.


12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

(PLEASE FORWARD IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT)

CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS HOSPITAL , U S - PLEASE READ

1. No plastic containers in micro.

2. No water bottles in freezer.

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.

Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.
Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.
Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers.

This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.

Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper . The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

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HOME REMEDY FOR CAVITIES

CAVITIES

One crummy little tooth. Less than 1/2 square inch of your entire body, a mere pittance of your total being. But when a cavity hits deep, with its pounding and throbbing and aching and wild reactions to anything as cold as ice cream, your being can be totally in the pits.

 Sometimes it's so bad that you actually want to sit with your mouth open, staring at the ceiling, while some guy grinds into your tooth with a high-speed drill. So you know we're talking pain!

Since remedying already formed cavities is no do-it-yourself job (unless you're incredibly adept with power tools), you can help avoid this double whammy of torment by practicing that old dental hygiene adage: An ounce of prevention cures a lot of pounding.

 How? You already know the importance of brushing and flossing daily. "Hey, we get tired of saying it as much as you get tired of hearing it," says David S. Halpern, D.M.D., a dentist in Columbia, Maryland, who is spokesdentist for the Academy of General Dentistry. "But doing a good job of brushing and flossing every day is the best way to prevent cavities and keep your teeth healthy." But there are a few other secrets.

 Use a straw. Cola, fruit juice and other sugared or acidic drinks can decay teeth, causing cavities. But you can minimize their damage by "bypassing" teeth and drinking these beverages with a straw, says Dr. Halpern. "Decay is formed when teeth are literally bathed in these drinks, but when you use a straw, the drinks go directly to the back of your throat and have much less chance of affecting your teeth."

 Drink water-even when you're not thirsty. "If you can't brush and floss after eating, swish some water around your mouth," adds Dr. Halpern. "This helps flush food and debris away from teeth and dilutes some of the bacteria from your mouth that cause cavities." If you can disrupt this bacteria activity, you can nip cavity-forming decay in the bud.

 Don't milk that bottle. Kids who fall asleep with milk in their mouths are risking "baby bottle syndrome"-severe decay that affects children's primary teeth. "Just as the baby is falling asleep, replace the milk with a bottle of water to avoid this," says Dr. Halpern.

 Change your toothbrush often. Some people keep the same toothbrush for years, which does practically nothing to help prevent cavities. "When the bristles get frayed and wear out, the toothbrush doesn't do an efficient job of cleaning," says Wistar Paist, D.M.D., a dentist in Allentown, Pennsylvania. "Once the bristles start curving or leaning over, it's time to toss it and get a new one. Certainly don't keep the same brush more than three months."

 Brush up on good brush buying. Some toothbrushes are better than others, according to the American Dental Association (ADA), which puts the label "professionally recognized" on about 45 toothbrushes. Studies show that curved-bristle brushes (called Collis-Curve toothbrushes) improve plaque removal 63 percent compared with traditional straight-bristle brushes. (They're available at some health food stores.) And brushes with soft, round-ended, polished bristles are less likely to cause gum damage than those with ordinary bristles. Also, a brush with a curved head may be more effective than a straight-handled toothbrush: "I think that's because most people find curved brushes are easier to use," says Dr. Paist. So look for these characteristics--and the ADA label-next time you go brush shopping.

 Time your snacks. Even more important than what you eat is when you eat it in relation to brushing and flossing your teeth. "The decaying process starts the moment sugar enters your mouth and lasts for about 20 minutes afterward," says Barry Dale, D.M.D., an Englewood, New Jersey, cosmetic dentist who is also assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

 Adds Dr. Halpern: "Believe it or not, if you ate a pound of chocolate and immediately brushed and flossed, you'd have less of a problem than if you had just one chocolate kiss and then went to bed without brushing."

 

Wax: An Emergency Fix-It Losing a filling can be quite a loss. When raw nerve endings are suddenly exposed, just breathing is painful, let alone consuming hot or cold foods and drinks. So how can you pamper your sensitive tooth until the dentist can do his handiwork? "You can temporarily replace a lost filling with a piece of wax from a birthday candle, which will relieve the pain until you can see your dentist," says Wistar Paist, D.M.D., a dentist in Allentown, Pennsylvania. "If you cover the exposed area, it won't be as sensitive to hot and cold. Wax is great because ifs soft and goes in easily, but you can use any soft, easily moldable item. Don't use bubble gum."

 

Say "cheese" for a healthy smile. Studies by Ralph Burgess, D.D.S., head of preventive dentistry at the University of Toronto Dental School, revealed that topping off a meal with a piece of aged cheese also helps take the bite out of tooth decay. "The chewiness and taste stimulate saliva tremendously, which washes away the sugars from food," says Dr. Burgess. "And the high levels of calcium and phosphate in the cheese form a kind of protective barrier in the plaque. (The acids that cause tooth decay also reduce the calcium and phosphate in your teeth; eating cheese helps prevent this loss.) Cheddar works best, but a few bites of any kind of hard aged cheese will do." (Other aged cheeses include Gouda, provolone, Edam and Gruyere-not processed or American.)

 Chew some sugarless gum. Chew a stick of sugarless gum for about 20 minutes immediately after eating and you'll actually help prevent cavities. That's because sugarless gum is made with xylitol, a natural sweetener (also found in fruits and vegetables) that helps knock out microorganisms that form plaque and encourage cavities. "The gum mixes up bacteria before they have a chance to organize; once the bacteria get organized in one place, they can do a lot of damage," says Dr. Halpern. "The gum also stimulates saliva flow, which helps flush away food debris." But note that he specifies sugarless gum, which doesn't add sugar-a main ingredient in the bad guy bacteria.

 Clean your teeth with toothpicks. A blunt-tipped toothpick, used carefully, is an excellent way to dislodge food before it can form into harmful, decaying bacteria, says Dr. Halpern.

 Take antacids if you need them. "People who bring up a lot of acid from stomach problems such as gastritis need to take Tums or another antacid to counter the acidic environment in their stomachs," says Dr. Halpern. "That's because these acids can erode the enamel of their teeth--usually the backs of their front teeth-making them more susceptible to decay and increasing tooth sensitivity."

 Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
The service is provided as general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Y for Yoghurt

 You have it as a refreshing drink in summer; you dip your chapatti in its tangy, spicy variant; and you soak your rice in its thinner flavoured form — yes, yoghurt is one of the most popular dairy products, always present on our dining tables during meals.

Yoghurt is a fermented dairy product containing live bacterial cultures that have proven to be beneficial for health. Not only is it rich in calcium, iodine, phosphorous, vitamin B2 or riboflavin and protein, but it is also an integral part of a complete Pakistani meal.

On average, one cup or 245 grams of yoghurt contains 58.1 per cent iodine and around 44 per cent calcium. Anyone wanting to increase their calcium, iodine or protein intake can simply substitute their supplements with a cup or small tub of yoghurt.

But the specialty of yoghurt remains to be the teeming load of healthy bacteria that is present in it. The bacteria abundant in yoghurt help boost a person's immune response and fortify the immune system. One study has also found that lactobacillus casei, a friendly bacteria found in yoghurt can help improve the body's ability to fight pneumonia.

The active cultures found in yoghurt encourage the right kind of bacteria to multiply in the stomach, the antibiotic qualities of which help combat and prevent infections. Yoghurt can also prevent diarrhoea and dysentery because of the high levels of prostaglandins it contains.

The healthy bacteria in yoghurt known as probiotics not only increase cellular immunity but are also said to have a positive effect on metabolism. In its role of bolstering cellular immunity, some researchers have suggested that yoghurt can protect and prevent certain types of cancer.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition pointed out that the immuno-stimulatory effects of yoghurt prevent diseases such as cancer, infection, gastrointestinal disorders and asthma. The lactobacillus in yoghurt has also been found to improve respiratory illnesses.

Probiotics found in yoghurt have proven to be particularly helpful in treating gastrointestinal problems like ulcers and inflammatory bowel diseases. Interestingly, probiotics can also help prevent food poisoning. Hence it is always a good idea to devour a healthy cup of yoghurt after you have given in to your temptations and indulged in that not-so-hygienic kebab roll. Yoghurt consumption can also be a means for preventing osteoporosis because of its high calcium content. And it is not just calcium that makes yoghurt bone-friendly. Lectoferrin, an iron building protein present in yoghurt also helps build bones.

Yoghurt has long been used as an important food item to promote health and treat various diseases. A century ago, a Russian microbiologist by the name of Elie Metchnikoff put forward the finding that the consumption of live microbes present in fermented milk products may in part be responsible for the long life of certain ethnic groups.

Yoghurt is an ideal food item for people of all ages. You can have it plain, or mix it with fruits or vegetables or top it with syrups, nuts or herbs. It can be presented and eaten in a myriad of different forms. Have it with lunch or as a dessert. And you can be sure that as you savour its smooth texture and taste, it will work its way through your body improving your health in many ways.

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Six effective diet rules

Almost all of us have at some point in our lives tried to diet to lose weight. We've all attempted to knock off one food group or item from our plates. I am guilty of banishing sugar from my food for months, only to come back and devour it with a vengeance! Now I'm wiser thanks to advise given by fitness instructors and nutritionists and here's sharing with you what I've learnt about diets. Believe me these tips work!     1. Healthy substitutes: This is for all those who need an occasional nibble at work. Stay away from biscuits and other fattening foodstuff. Keep a jar of assorted nuts handy in your office drawer. Carrot and cucumber sticks are also a very healthy option. If these are 'boring' go for good old 'khakra', but make sure it's from a health food store, most of the commercially available 'khakras' contain high levels of oil. Baked snacks like baked 'sev', sesame or peanut 'laddoos' made with jaggery, multigrain rusks or toasted brown bread are healthier options. But make sure you don't overindulge in these. These are only meant to control the insane urge to order a hi-calorie smoothie or chocolate doughnut during the 4 pm craving. So learn to ration the portions.   2. Ordering in? If you are really tempted to order in a 'biryani', that is if wild horses can't help in keeping the urge down, then go ahead, order. But right at the beginning give away half of the 'biryani'. This will ensure that you eat less!   3.Go slow at night: Most of the working folk tend to attack food at night, the only time they have the leisure of scanning the fridge and hunting for hidden temptations. Precisely for such times do refrigerators come with a lock and key. Once dinner's over, lock the fridge and brush your teeth. If you have a supportive partner, you could hand over the keys to him for safekeeping with a clause that no amount of cajoling or bribing should bend him! This will ensure that the chocolate pastry remains in the fridge and your brushing of teeth will remind you that you are done for the day and you cannot brush again!   4. Don't reward yourself with food: Do you think because you've spent an hour at the gym you've earned a slice of pizza or cheesecake? Get realistic. If your goal is serious weight loss, restrain yourself from such indulgences, or it will be an exercise in futility, whatever you sweat out will all come back with the pizza and dessert.   5. Give in to your craving: Mark two days in a week when you will give in to your craving. But remember to stick to this schedule. And once again don't go overboard. A small slice, a small piece or a half a glass, that's it. Remember the rest is poison!   6. Healthy cuppa: If you cannot do without your coffee and tea fix, then it would be in your interests to go sugar free. Or else substitute the sugar with a healthy option like palm jaggery. Think of white sugar as your ace enemy and you will strike a lifelong friendship with your weighing scale!

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Time your meals to your body rhythms

1. Yang energy (digestive fire) is highest from 11am to 1 pm, therefore; we must eat our biggest meal at this time of the day. At this time we are able to metabolically process the most food. We are unable to process food at night time. Eating heavy at the end of the day leads to the accumulation of wastes and undigested food in the digestive tract. The liver becomes overburdened and is unable to perform its functions of detoxification and repair of the tissues. Therefore the body becomes weakened and susceptible to Candida, allergies, eczema and toxic overload. Eating at night will also cause insomnia as the body does not allow itself to shut down and make the transition towards the sleep state. If we remain awake past 11pm we interfere with our livers function of detoxification and rebuilding of our body. At this time we often get a second wind as well, making it even more difficult to fall asleep. Therefore, we should aim to go to sleep around 10:00-10:30pm to regulate our autonomic nervous system and avoid depletion of our vitality and Yin (body fluids/hormones/glandular tissue).

   It is also important to allow the digestive system to clean itself after you eat. This happens naturally two hours after you eat. The digestive tract secretes more digestive juices and enzymes to clean and sterilize the bowels. You may feel the urge to snack at this time. If necessary you could eat a piece of fruit, however it is best to allow the body to be free of more work. If we eat during this time we disturb this process of self-cleansing which again leads to bacterial/candida overgrowth and dysbiosis and digestive upset and myriad health problems.

   Take home message: Meals should be timed appropriately.
   Breakfast = 7-9 am. Lunch = 11-1pm. Supper = 5-7pm. (These are the Stomach, Heart and Kidney times)

2. Relax when you eat

   The digestive system only works properly when we are relaxed and at ease. This is because the first level of digestion occurs in the mind and brain. When we eat in a relaxed manner we will taste our food and become absorbed in the process of nourishing ourselves. This is natural. Eating in a distracted way, for example watching TV or having involved conversation during our meals will take us away from the relaxed and absorbed state. This will disengage the brain and mind from digestion and lead to all sorts of digestive and systemic difficulties.

3. Avoid all cold food and drink

   When cold food and drink makes contact with your stomach, the secretions of the stomach are decreased. Food will sit in the stomach longer to be warmed before it can be digested. The food we eat cold is not properly digested leading to illness.

4. Avoid drinking water with meals

   Water dilutes the acid and enzymes of the stomach. The stomach functions to turn the food we eat into a 100 degree soup. Therefore it needs some fluid, but this fluid must be in the form of broth or light tea which does not dilute digestive secretions like water. Sipping hot tea or eating soup will help our stomach to make our meal the appropriate consistency. This will decrease the workload and energy expenditure of the stomach and digestive system and increase our absorption power and overall vitality

5. Decrease raw and concentrated (heavy and fatty) foods

   Raw foods are densely packed with vitamins, minerals and are very fibrous. This makes them difficult to break down and digest. Steaming vegetables briefly until they become brighter will make them much easier to digest and therefore will provide you with much more nutritional value. Boiling and stir frying are also good ways to prepare foods. Thick sauces, high fat foods and too many vitamin pills/supplements will also weaken the digestive system over time and should be moderated.

Dr. Maria Papasodaro, ND
www.naturestouchnd.ca

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Treat yourself right

Being your own doctor and popping pills without prescription can be fatal. It's not always advisable to consider yourself to be a medical authority and manage diseases on your own In US cough and cold medications have been linked to a significant number of adverse effects like convulsions, rapid heart rates, and unconsciousness and several deaths Kiran Yadav

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I T'S an easy reference check you can do open the medicine box you have at home and count the number of drugs you actually bought on prescription. Chances are that all the antidotes you have in there, for fever, cold, cough, indigestion, headache, constipation, painkillers etc, were bought over the counter. A few other antibiotics in the box may remind you of the indiscriminate advice on dosage your friendly neighbourhood chemist gave you. Worse is when the chemist doesn't hesitate to administer a full course of medication over the counter, just as doctors do. Well, if you thought that you don't really need to consult a doctor for common ailments it might help to read on. In India, according to a study done by Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, fever, headache, general body pain, knee-joint pain, vomiting and asthma are some of the illnesses for which people take medicines on their own. "Only a few drugs such as antipyretics, antacids, multi-vitamins, and cough suppressants belong to the OTC (over-thecounter) category. Most others, like antibiotics, tranquillisers, cardiac drugs, hypnotising drugs and several analgesics or painkillers, belong to Schedule H category, and therefore shouldn't be sold without prescription," says Sushum Sharma, HoD, Preventive Health Program and senior consultant Internal Medicine at Max Healthcare in Delhi. He adds that even OTC drugs should be used only in an emergency and that too in the lowest possible denominator. The doctor must be contacted soon after. Self-medication becomes risky when some disease, unknown to the patient, gets suppressed for a long time. For instance, what you consider to be fever, can turn out to be dengue, a recurring headache can actually be meningitis, what you perceive as simple knee pain might be a severe orthopaedic problem, says Sharma. "Parents need to be particularly careful in case of administering drugs to children below the age of two. Most people, for instance, take cough and cold casually. Even nonconcentrated cough and cold formulations are easily available over-the-counter. In the US these medications have been linked to a significant number of adverse effects like convulsions, rapid heart rates, and unconsciousness and several deaths. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommend against their use for children less than two years old," says Rajiv Chabbra, Consultant Paediatric and Neonatal Intensivist, Artemis Health Institute. In fact, more than 40% of parents use cough syrups for children younger than two, even though it is not recommended, nor proven effective for this age group. Though persistent cough is the body's mechanism for shedding viruses and the duration of a cough is commonly two weeks in children and three weeks in adults, it's better to exercise caution. Research scholar Misel Trajanovska from the University of Melbourne found 98% of the respondents purchased an over-the-counter medication in the past year and Paracetamol was the most commonly used drug (95.9%). The implications are startling: 16% of poisonings reported in the emergency department were due to Paracetamol and 11% were caused by cough and cold medicines. A lot more is happening globally. Earlier this week the US FDA imposed an urgent warning on Cipro and similar antibiotics, citing risks that they can cause tendon ruptures, a serious injury that leaves some patients incapacitated. Indiscriminate use of medicines should also be avoided because the sensitivity levels of people vary - what might be an appropriate dose for one might be an overdose for another. There's also the possibility of different drugs reacting to each other. Adults need to be as careful. It is important to go beyond the symptoms and investigate the real cause, says Dr Khusrav Bajan, Head of Internal Medicine department in P D Hinduja, Mumbai. "A person having cardiac or hypertension history needs to be extra cautious. For example a person, already on medication for blood pressure, can suffer from increased BP and even a cardiac arrest if he pops in the wrong pill. A medicine taken for mild giddiness can cause severe swelling. Antibiotic overdose can result in resistant bacteria. There are several combinations of the same drug available under different names and you need to pick the right thing," adds Bajan.

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US cancer death rate drop tied to education levels

US cancer death rate drop tied to education levels
Declines in death rates from the four leading types of cancer in the US since the early 1990s have been driven largely by progress among college-educated men and women, researchers said. The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, was the latest to illustrate how a person's health can be closely tied to socioeconomic factors such as education and income level. Researchers at the American Cancer Society and Emory University in Atlanta calculated death rates for lung, breast, prostate and colorectal cancer by level of education among US blacks and whites ages 25 to 64 for 1993 through 2001.
Obesity levels in China rising fast:
Obesity levels in China are rising fast, with more than a quarter of the adult population overweight or obese, as people add more and more meat and dairy products to their diet, causing serious health problems, a new study says. Of all the developing countries, only in Mexico is the rate of increase in obesity among adults faster than in China, the study, published in Health Affairs, says. Chinese people now derive a far larger proportion of energy from fat and animal-based foods, such as meat and eggs, compared with in the past, the study found.
Common wildlife is alien to UK kids:
UK children's knowledge of wildlife comes a poor second to their ability to identify science fiction creatures such as Star Wars characters, says a survey. The National Trust poll said that while only 50% knew what an oak leaf looked like, nine out of 10 were able to identify Jedi grand master Yoda. Only 29% of children were able to recognise a magpie, while 50% could not differentiate between a bee and a wasp. As part of its campaign, the NT plans to tour England's major cities in a specially adapted red bus, complete with an outdoor garden on the top deck.
'Green Wall' to check spread of Sahara:
Preparations for an African 'wall of trees' to slow down the southwards spread of the Sahara desert are getting underway. North African nations have been promoting the idea of a green belt since 2005. The project has been scaled down to reinforce and then expand on existing efforts, and will not be a continent-wide wall of trees, despite the name of the project. According to a report in Environmental News Network, the 'Great Green Wall' will involve several stretches of trees from Mauritania in the west to Djibouti in the east, to protect the semi-arid savannah region of the Sahel, and its agricultural land, from desertification.

BARING HER SOLE: A model presents shoes to promote 'Soulexpress', a shoe fair in Duesseldorf on Wednesday. About 100 young designers will present their latest shoe designs in the western German city

FASTER THAN A BLINK
Researchers at the University of Utah have found that certain songbirds can contract their vocal muscles 100 times faster than humans can blink an eye — placing the birds with a handful of animals that have evolved superfast muscles. They found that two types of songbirds produce tunes with superfast muscles, similar to those used by rattlesnakes, several fish and the ringdove. "We discovered that the European starling and the zebrafinch control their songs with the fastest-contracting muscle type yet described," said Coen Elemans, who conducted the study.

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Jewellery can be a reason for backache

London: Those shiny earrings, neck chains and even fillings might be giving you the 'bling' edge over the others, but in the bargain you're putting your back at stake, that's what a leading chiropractor says.
    Simon King from New Zealand said earrings, neck chains, watches and even fillings and gold crowns could trigger debilitating muscle ache. His theory is "irritation from metal causes muscle inhibition which means muscles are weaker than is normal."
    Muscle weakness causes pain and injury resulting in back and neck pain, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, repetitive strain injury and slipped discs, he says.
    "Nobody wants to remove dental work or jewellery unnecessarily, but if an injury or health problem is going to cost you your job or sporting career or cause you years of pain and suffering, it may be worth having a crown or a filling replaced or going," the Mirror quoted him as saying.
    Explaining the science behind the theory he's been researching for the past eight years, Simon says wearing metal jewellery causes the nervous system to move body parts away as it's uncomfortable to the skin that surrounds them.
    The muscles used in that movement then place strain on other larger muscles as they try to maintain a distance. "One of the great advantages of this theory is that the treatments are all natural, completely safe and can be reversed at any time," he said. ANI

BLING AT A PRICE

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Eating less a surefire way to longer life

LESS IS BETTER

Calorie Restriction Found To Cut Risk Of Many Diseases Such As Cancer, Heart Disease And Stroke

In the quest for the Fountain of Youth, researchers say that there is one antiaging trick that has been found to work — eating less. The formula for extending human lifespan by up to five years has now been accepted by leading researchers.
    Eating less could add years to your life, several experts now say. And done in moderation, it could at least help you live a more healthy life, reports LiveScience.
    While little short of a nip-and-tuck will make you look younger, calorie restriction, as it is called, is as close to a real Fountain of Youth as any known technique comes. Even scientists who are cautious about anti-aging hype say it works, both by cutting risks for some diseases and by allowing all body cells, somehow, to hang in there longer.
    "There is plenty of evidence that calorie restriction can reduce your risks for many common diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease," says Saint Louis University researcher Edward Weiss, who last week announced a new study that brings fresh understanding to how it works. "And you may live to be substantially older."
    Here's a rough rule of thumb that many experts generally agree on now: Eat 15% less starting at age 25 and you might add 4.5 years to your life, says Eric Ravussin, who studies human health and performance at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana.
    One important caveat: Ravussin's estimate is based mostly on studies of other animals and only preliminary research in humans. But the work by Weiss and others is unlocking the mysteries of aging and suggesting the animal studies apply to humans. "There is absolutely no reason to think it won't work," Live-Science quoted Ravussin as saying.
    Perhaps even more promising, though in early stages of research, are drugs designed on the basis of what's been learned from calorie-restriction studies. Those drugs would target human cells to deliver the same benefits, turning off bad things and turning on good things to extend cell life in general, or offer new therapies and cures to vexing diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer.
    If you can hang in there until these promising new drug therapies are developed, you may live in a world where lifespan increases by 10 to 15 years, researchers say. Don't plan on living to be 200, Ravussin said, "but I think we're going to gain quite a few years."
    Scientists aren't sure exactly why calorie restriction slows aging. But they're on the verge of a firm understanding. In a nutshell, it is thought to lower metabolic rate and cause the body to generate fewer damaging "free radicals". One hypothesis is that it decreases a thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine (T3), which then slows metabolism and tissue aging.
    Evidence that calorie restriction boosts lifespans in rodents is solid. Christiaan Leeuwenburgh of the University of Florida's Institute on Aging showed in 2006 that eating just 8% less and exercising a little more over a lifespan can reduce or even reverse aging-related cell and organ damage in rats.
    Various studies have shown that cutting calories by 20 to 40% significantly both extends life and, with a little exercise, leaves old animals in better shape.
    Eating fewer calories also reduces agerelated chronic diseases such as cancers, heart disease, and stroke in rodents. That's important because it suggests ways to not just make us live longer, but to allow us to age more gracefully, healthwise. AGENCIES

Calorie Restriction Found To Cut Risk Of Many Diseases Such As Cancer, Heart Disease And Stroke

    In the quest for the Fountain of Youth, researchers say that there is one antiaging trick that has been found to work — eating less. The formula for extending human lifespan by up to five years has now been accepted by leading researchers.
    Eating less could add years to your life, several experts now say. And done in moderation, it could at least help you live a more healthy life, reports LiveScience.
    While little short of a nip-and-tuck will make you look younger, calorie restriction, as it is called, is as close to a real Fountain of Youth as any known technique comes. Even scientists who are cautious about anti-aging hype say it works, both by cutting risks for some diseases and by allowing all body cells, somehow, to hang in there longer.
    "There is plenty of evidence that calorie restriction can reduce your risks for many common diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease," says Saint Louis University researcher Edward Weiss, who last week announced a new study that brings fresh understanding to how it works. "And you may live to be substantially older."
    Here's a rough rule of thumb that many experts generally agree on now: Eat 15% less starting at age 25 and you might add 4.5 years to your life, says Eric Ravussin, who studies human health and performance at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana.
    One important caveat: Ravussin's estimate is based mostly on studies of other animals and only preliminary research in humans. But the work by Weiss and others is unlocking the mysteries of aging and suggesting the animal studies apply to humans. "There is absolutely no reason to think it won't work," Live-Science quoted Ravussin as saying.
    Perhaps even more promising, though in early stages of research, are drugs designed on the basis of what's been learned from calorie-restriction studies. Those drugs would target human cells to deliver the same benefits, turning off bad things and turning on good things to extend cell life in general, or offer new therapies and cures to vexing diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer.
    If you can hang in there until these promising new drug therapies are developed, you may live in a world where lifespan increases by 10 to 15 years, researchers say. Don't plan on living to be 200, Ravussin said, "but I think we're going to gain quite a few years."
    Scientists aren't sure exactly why calorie restriction slows aging. But they're on the verge of a firm understanding. In a nutshell, it is thought to lower metabolic rate and cause the body to generate fewer damaging "free radicals". One hypothesis is that it decreases a thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine (T3), which then slows metabolism and tissue aging.
    Evidence that calorie restriction boosts lifespans in rodents is solid. Christiaan Leeuwenburgh of the University of Florida's Institute on Aging showed in 2006 that eating just 8% less and exercising a little more over a lifespan can reduce or even reverse aging-related cell and organ damage in rats.
    Various studies have shown that cutting calories by 20 to 40% significantly both extends life and, with a little exercise, leaves old animals in better shape.
    Eating fewer calories also reduces agerelated chronic diseases such as cancers, heart disease, and stroke in rodents. That's important because it suggests ways to not just make us live longer, but to allow us to age more gracefully, healthwise. AGENCIES

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Does Your Blood Type Reveal Your Personality?

Blood type and Rh How many people have it? O + 40 % O - 7 % A + 34 % A - 6 % B + 8 % B - 1 % AB + 3 % AB - 1 %   Does Your Blood Type Reveal Your Personality?   According to a Japanese institute that does research on blood types, there are certain personality traits that seem to match up with certain blood types. How do you rate?   TYPE O You want to be a leader, and when you see something you want, you keep striving until you achieve your goal. You are a trend-setter, loyal, passionate, and self-confident. Your weaknesses include vanity and jealously and a tendency to be too competitive. TYPE A You like harmony, peace and organization. You work well with others, and are sensitive, patient and affectionate. Among your weaknesses are stubbornness and an inability to relax. TYPE B You're a rugged individualist, who's straightforward and likes to do things your own way.  Creative and flexible, you adapt easily to any situation. But your insistence on being independent can sometimes go too far and become a weakness. TYPE AB Cool and controlled, you're generally well liked and always put people at ease. You're a natural entertainer who's tactful and fair. But you're standoffish, blunt, and have difficulty making decisions. MOST IMPORTANT INFO NOW: ANIKANDAN, You Can Receive If Your Type Is O- O+ B- B+ A- A+ AB- AB+ AB+ YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES AB- YES YES YES YES A+ YES YES YES YES A- YES YES B+ YES YES YES YES B- YES YES O+ YES YES O- YES   KNOW ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF HAVING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES   REGARDS, MANIKANDAN, Fruit Benefit Benefit Benefit Benefit Benefit     apples Protects your heart prevents constipation Blocks diarrhea Improves lung capacity Cushions joints   apricots Combats cancer Controls blood pressure Saves your eyesight Shields against Alzheimer's Slows aging process   artichokes Aids digestion Lowers cholesterol Protects your heart Stabilizes blood sugar Guards against liver disease   avocados Battles diabetes Lowers cholesterol Helps stops strokes Controls blood pressure Smoothes skin   bananas Protects your heart Quiets a cough Strengthens bones Controls blood pressure Blocks diarrhea   beans Prevents constipation Helps hemorrhoids Lowers cholesterol Combats cancer Stabilizes blood sugar   beets Controls blood pressure Combats cancer Strengthens bones Protects your heart Aids weight loss   blueberries Combats cancer Protects your heart Stabilizes blood sugar Boosts memory Prevents constipation   broccoli Strengthens bones Saves eyesight Combats cancer Protects your heart Controls blood pressure   cabbage Combats cancer Prevents constipation Promotes weight loss Protects your heart Helps hemorrhoids   cantaloupe Saves eyesight Controls blood pressure Lowers cholesterol Combats cancer Supports immune system

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