THE PROMISE OF GOOD HEALTH!

  It's a first of its kind health movement that's aimed at creating awareness about the importance of being healthy. And Max Bupa, a specialist health insurance company is the brainchild behind 'Health Promise'. The initiative which was introduced at the Lakme Fashion Week propagates the idea of healthy living and remaining fit amongst its universal audience and at the same time encourages them to make a health promise for people they care about. As part of the initiative, Max Bupa also gave a preview of a website, www.YourHealthFirst.in, which will enable people to keep their promises for loved ones by actionable tips, health advice and health information. Speaking about the initiative, Dr Damien Marmion, CEO, Max Bupa said, "In our everyday busy lives, we often neglect our health care needs while striving to achieve material success. It is our responsibility to promote the idea of living healthy among Indians at large. In order to achieve this, we have launched a health movement — 'Health Promise', which will enable people to give priority to their health first and at the same time encourage them to make a health promise for their loved ones." The movement was endorsed by renowned fashion designers Manish Malhotra and Rina Dhaka who talked about the importance of health. They also joined the Health Promise Movement by making a health promise along with Dr Marmion.

John Abraham

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Device to sniff out heart failure

Gas Sensors Are Used To Check Odorous Molecules In Sweat

London: Scientists have developed what they claim is an 'electronic nose' which can "smell" heart failure. 
    A team at the University Hospital Jena in Germany says the 'electronic nose' system consists of an array of three thick-film metal oxide based gas sensors with heater elements. Each of the sensors had a slightly different sensitivity to various odorant molecular types. 
    "The early detection of chronic heart failure (CHF) through periodical screening facilitates early treatment application," said Vasileios Kechagias, who led a team at the University Hospital Jena in Germany. 
    Heart failure is a common, costly, disabling and potentially deadly condition. It's linked to significantly reduced physical and mental health, resulting in a markedly decreased quality of life. Although some people survive many years, disease is associated with an overall increased mortality and morbidity. 
    "We conducted a daily screening of patients with different degrees of heart failure. For the study, eligible patients were enrolled after informed consent, and the collected data was anonymous," Kechagias said. 
    In particular, the relevant laboratory parameters for heart failure (minerals, creatinine, blood gas analysis) were collected and a clinical assessment of heart failure based on the available parameters (clinical history, laboratory, echocardiography, and exercise stress test) was performed. 
    The researchers screened a total of 250 patients and included 126 in the study in which testing was optimized through a standardized skin preparation. 
    The assignment of patients to the different groups (no heart failure vs moderate heart failure vs decompensated heart failure) was performed by physicians blinded for the measured values through the electronic nose. PTI

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Water-borne ailments on the rise this yr

Mumbai: Concerted efforts by the civic body and the state have meant that malaria has lost its sting as compared to last year. But it seems water-borne ailments compensated for the declining parasite load as more people sought admission to hospitals due to enteric diseases than for malaria this year. 

    Ailments like gastroenteritis, jaundice, typhoid have only shown a persistent increase in the last three moths. According to the BMC records, enteric diseases alone have forced over 3,000 people this month to seek hospitalization, besides claiming five lives. On the other hand, malaria has affected 3,037, of which 2,120 were admitted. 
    Interestingly, statistics show that there has been an 80% reduction in the parasite load in the community as compared to last year. Yet malaria has remained the top killer. The disease claiming 22 lives in the last two months as against gastroenteritis, which claimed five. Doctors are worried about the 30% increase in gastroenteritis cases this year as compared to last year. Jaundice, too, has emerged as a major worry after 225 people were admitted to various hospitals over the last couple of months. 
    Pregnant women in particular have borne the brunt of ailments caused by contaminated water in the city. In the last three months, as many as 11 pregnant women have succumbed to hepatitis. Executive health officer of the BMC, Dr Anil Bandivadekar said that knowing the vulnerability of women during pregnancy, thumb rules like drinking boiled water should never be ignored. "Water contamination has been an issue and this year, enteric diseases have been dominant. Citizens can do a lot at their own households to prevent this," he said. 
    Intensivist of P D Hinduja Hospital Dr Khusrav Bhajan echoed the concerns of other doctors that water-borne ailments could soon overthrow others to top the disease graph. "There is a huge increase in typhoid across the city. We are treating at least three patients every day," he said. He added that in a majority of the cases, fever does not subside for the first 10 days."Blood culture reports come in only after a couple of days. But doctors should not delay treatment," he said. Over 100 people have sought admission in several hospitals for typhoid this month but private doctors say the "numbers are underreported".

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Miracles of Egg White

BURNS

A young man sprinkling his lawn and bushes with pesticides wanted to check the contents of the barrel to see how much pesticide remained in it.  He raised the cover and lit his lighter; the vapors inflamed and engulfed him.  He jumped from his truck, screaming.  His neighbor came out of her house with a dozen eggs, yelling: "bring me some eggs!"  She broke them, separating the whites from the yolks.  The neighbor woman helped her to apply the whites on the young man's face.  When the ambulance arrived and when the EMTs saw the young man, they asked who had done this.  Everyone pointed to the lady in charge.  They congratulated her and said: "You have saved his face."  By the end of the summer, the young man brought the lady a bouquet of roses to thank her.  His face was like a baby's skin.

Healing Miracle for burns:



Keep in mind this treatment of burns which is included in teaching beginner fireman this method.  First aid consists to spraying cold water on the affected area until the heat is reduced and stops burning the layers of skin.  Then, spread egg whites on the affected are.

One woman burned a large part of her hand with boiling water.  In spite of the pain, she ran cold faucet water on her hand, separated 2 egg white from the yolks, beat them slightly and dipped her hand in the solution.  The whites then dried and formed a protective layer.

She later learned that the egg white is a natural collagen and continued during at least one hour to apply layer upon layer of beaten egg white.  By afternoon she no longer felt any pain and the next day there was hardly a trace of the burn.  10 days later, no trace was left at all and her skin had regained its normal color.  The burned area was totally regenerated thanks to the collagen in the egg whites, a placenta full of vitamins.

This information could be helpful to everyone: Please pass it on.

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AGE NO BAR FOR STAYING FIT

Increasing Number Of Elderly People Are Becoming Health Conscious & Seek Active Lives, Say Doctors

    What do actors Joan C o l l i n s, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Dharmendra and Helen Mirren have in common? Apart from the star factor, they crossed the dreaded six-zero years ago, with both Collins and Fonda well into their 70s—but they show no signs of slowing down. Leading an active life does not have to stop just because you're over 60 years ago. More and more people in their "sunset years" want to be not only young at heart, but also young at body these days. And doctors agree: By keeping your body and mind fit and active, you have a better chance of staving off diseases like Alzheimer's and heart ailments. 

Usha Mantri, a retired college professor, makes it a point to exercise and perform yoga asanas every day for 45 minutes. And four times a week, she enjoys brisk 30-minute long walks. "I stick to a regular meal schedule and eat a hearty breakfast and lunch. But at night, I stick to fruits and milk, which keeps my digestive system in order," she said.      Doctors have noticed that more and more elderly people are becoming increasingly health conscious. It's not only about their physical appearance, said Dr Hemant Thacker, physician with Jaslok Hospital in south Mumbai. Their desire to preserve or maintain their youth is not limited to something trivial as say colouring one's hair. "There's conscious attempt to replenish their lost health as well," he said.      Those in the medical and fitness industry highlight the importance of elderly people following a regular exercise routine to keep their muscles toned and avoid stiffness in the bones. One of India's luminaries BKS Iyengar has been practising and teaching yoga for over 75 years.      Dr Ashish Contractor from the Asian Heart Institute said: "Many elderly people—out of choice or circumstances—live on their own. They need to be active just to preserve their normal pace of life. They have to prevent the loss of muscle mass that is a part of the ageing process. It is thus never too late to start exercising."      The most important factor of an ageing body is the protein. "The protein synthesis is slowed down in a body as one grows old. It is thus important for senior citizens to ensure that their diet is rich in protein. And while carbohydrates and fats are important too, they should be kept in check," said dietician Sonal Modi. "If chewing is a problem, then softer food substitutes should be inculcated in the diet. Never let the body get under nourished."      At 85 years, Sheila George as battled breast cancer and other age-related medical diseases. And while she's no longer lifting weights, she makes it a point to go down to her building compound for a 20-minute walk every day.      Sheilu Sreenivasan, founder president of Dignity Foundation—an NGO which works with the elderly—says it's difficult to get senior citizens to be physically active. "Most of the time, they are plain lazy; a kind of childish stubbornness takes over them. It becomes difficult to make them exercise," she said. In such situations, activities like Tai Chi and laughter clubs become fun options. "It's not uncommon for senior citizens to watch TV all day. It is important for them to get out of their homes at least once a day to keep the mind fresh and the body fit," she added.      What matters the most is our attitude, said Mantri. "If the attitude is positive, then there is nothing that can stop you from doing anything."  A GENTLE PATH TO FITNESS  Endurance Exercises | They are activities that increase your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. Such exercises help build up your endurance and stamina. You can start gradually with as little as five minutes of endurance activities at a time. Then try to build up to at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity endurance activity on most days of the week Examples | Walking, jogging, swimming, raking, sweeping, dancing, playing tennis  Strength exercises | They      help build muscle.      Even a very small      changes in muscle      strength can make      a real difference in your ability to perform everyday activities such as carrying groceries, lifting a grandchild, or getting up from a chair Examples | Wrist curls, arm curls, side arm raises, elbow extensions, chair dips, seated rows with resistance band, back leg raises, knee curls, leg straightening exercises, toe stands Balance Exercises |      Along with      certain      strength      exercises,      balance exercises can help improve your ability to control and maintain your body's position, whether you are moving or not Examples| Standing on one foot, walking heel to toe, balance walk, back leg raises, side leg raises, hip extensions  Flexibility Exercises | They can improve your flexibility but will not improve your endurance or strengthExamples | Neck stretch, shoulder stretch, shoulder and upper arm raise, upper body stretch, chest stretch, back stretch, ankle stretch, back of leg stretch, thigh stretch, hip stretch, lower back stretch, calf stretch  CAUTION | If you have chronic or acute back/ knee problems, or any other medical complication, it's best to check with your doctor or physiotherapist before beginning an exercise routine  EATING RIGHT Do eat A protein rich diet Light and frequent meals instead of three heavy meals If you have a problem chewing food, then add soft foodstuff to your diet. Porridge and khichdi are always good protein options. Chapatis can be soaked in dal Have more milk and milk products and lean meat (unless advised otherwise by your physician) to get more calcium Micronutrient supplements like calcium and Vitamin B 12 are required in most cases, but shouldn't be taken without consultation

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SALT USES YOU MAY HAVE NOT KNOWN BEFORE

1. If you drop a whole egg on the floor, pour salt all over the egg, let it sit for awhile, then use dustpan, the egg will come right up, without all that mess.

2. Soak stained hankies in salt water before washing.

3. Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away.

4. Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will come off easier.

5. Put a few grains of rice in your saltshaker for easier pouring.

6. Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.

7. Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh eggs sink;bad ones float.

8. Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.

9. A tiny pinch of salt with egg whites makes them beat up fluffier.

10. Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to perk them up.

11. Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't stick.

12. Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them; they will last longer.

13. Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.

14. Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl.

15. Soak your nuts in salt brine overnight and they will crack out of their shells whole. Just tap the end of

       the shell with a hammer to break it open easily.

16. Boil clothes pins in salt water before using them and they will last longer

17. Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and vinegar, thickened with flour

18.. Add a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand in for a longer life.

19. Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let the salt soak up the stain.

20. Clean your iron by rubbing some salt on the damp cloth on the ironing surface

21. Adding a little salt to the water when cooking foods in a double boiler will make the food cook faster .

22. Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys.

23. To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and starch, with just enough water to make stiff putty.

24. Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water.

25. Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash. Use it hot for a sore throat gargle.

26. Dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher.

27. Use salt for killing weeds in your lawn.

28. Eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.

29. A dash of salt in warm milk makes a more relaxing beverage.

30. Before using new glasses, soak them in warm salty water for a while.

31. A dash of salt enhances the taste of tea.

32. Salt improves the taste of cooking apples.

33. Soak your clothesline in salt water to prevent your clothes from freezing to the line; likewise, use salt in your final rinse

       to prevent the clothes from freezing.

34. Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to prevent yellowing.

35. Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water.

36. Add raw potatoes to stews and soups that are too salty.

37. Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt water in them next day to remove burned-on stains..

38. Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt.

39. Gelatin sets more quickly when a dash of salt is added.

40. Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not discolor .

41. Fabric colors hold fast in salty water wash.

42. Milk stays fresh longer when a little salt is added.

43. Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth.

44. Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean.

45. Soaked discolored glass in a salt and vinegar solution to remove stains.

46. Clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt.

47. Salty water boils faster when cooking eggs.

48. Add a pinch of salt to whipping cream to make it whip more quickly.

49. Sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odour.

50. A dash of salt improves the taste of coffee.

51. Boil mismatched hose in salty water and they will come out matched.

52. Salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator.

53. Cover wine-stained fabric with salt; rinse in cool water later..

54. Remove offensive odours from stove with salt and cinnamon.

55. A pinch of salt improves the flavor of cocoa.

56. To remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to four parts alcohol.

57. Salt and lemon juice removes mildew.

58. Sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks where you don't want grass growing.

59. Polish your old kerosene lamp with salt for a brighter look. Remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot solution of salt water.

60. If a pie bubbles over in your oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spilled juice. The mess won't smell and will bake into a dry, light

      crust which will wipe off easily when the oven has cooled.

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Anna in ‘danger zone’, may need to be hospitalized in 24-48 hours

Docs Fear Fast May Affect BP, Kidney & HeartNew Delhi: Anna Hazare's health became a serious cause of concern on Monday as his fast entered the seventh day, adding to the worries of the Manmohan Singh government which seems to be groping to find a solution to the standoff over the Lokpal bill. 

    Doctors said the Gandhian was in the "danger zone" and may require urgent hospitalization in the next 24 to 48 hours. Hazare, who used to address the gathering at the Ramlila Maidan twice every day until Sunday, did not speak even once on Monday. He spent most of the time lying down while thousands stepped out to reach the maidan in support of his agitation. Hazare's weight is down to 67 kg from 72 kg—he has lost five kg in seven days-—his blood pressure is 130/80 and pulse rate 90, according to the health bulletin issued by his doctors. 
    The longest he has fasted until now is for 12 days. Anna brigade takes fight to netas' door A nswering Anna Hazare's clarion call, people all over the country are assembling outside homes or offices of their elected MPs to show support for the anti-corruption movement. In Mumbai, while Priya Dutt said she favoured some provisions of the Jan Lokpal like bringing the judiciary under its ambit, Sanjay Nirupam showed his solidarity with Team Anna by wearing a Gandhi topi. P 2 & 11 Muslim clerics slam Imam Bukhari's call There are few takers for Syed Ahmed Bukhari's 
call to Muslims to shun Anna's anti-corruption movement. In Delhi, the All India Ulema Council described the Jama Masjid chief cleric's appeal as his "personal view'' and said corruption affects the weaker sections, including Muslims, the most. In Mumbai, Muslim NGOs and clerics described Bukhari's statement as divisive. P 2 At Maidan, 80,000 celebrate carnival against corruption The 80,000-strong crowd turned the seventh day of Anna Hazare's fast at the Ramlila Maidan into a carnival against corruption. They waved the tricolour, sang patriotic songs and turned a muggy day into a celebration of a vibrant democracy. In fact, police sources at the ground put the figure at more than a lakh. While a group from Lucknow rendered its latest YouTube hit, actor Kabir Bedi, flute player Ronu Majumdar and singer Kailash Kher sent the crowd into a tizzy. P 11 Anna discontinues yoga, advised to speak less 
New Delhi: Cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan, who is leading the team monitoring Anna Hazare's health, on Monday said, "His condition is not life-threatening is what I can say." But there is a rise in ketone levels — the presence of certain acids and acetone in blood and urine — which means the body is breaking down stored fat instead of the usual glucose. 
    Dr Anoop Misra of Fortis Hospital told TOI, "The patient has already entered the danger zone. He will need medical attention within the next 24-48 hours. The fast may affect the heart, kidney and blood pressure depending on how fast Anna's ketone level rises." 
    While Hazare does not yet require hospitalization, his failing health complicates the Centre's political risk as any mishap will prove catastrophic for the Manmohan Singh government. But removing the fasting leader for forced-feeding from the Ramlila Maidan or administering drips there is a fraught job, not the least because of the 24x7 media coverage of the protest. Increased ketone levels are caused by fasting or starvation when the body is deprived of carbohydrates. Persistent high levels after a prolonged hunger strike can harm kidney function. Despite increased water intake, the 74-year-old Gandhian's health condition is deteriorating and he is very weak. He has discontinued morning yoga and has been advised to speak less. 
    Sources said if Hazare's condition was not rectified, he might need to be hospitalized soon to administer insulin intravenously. Hazare has earlier declared that if the government tries to force-feed him or admit him to a hospital against his wishes, he would give up water intake as well. 
One-hour toilette before stage routine 
New Delhi: He's the public face of a mass campaign, but few know that at heart, Anna Hazare is a private man. Every day, after the curtain comes down at Ramlila Maidan around 10pm, Anna retires to a makeshift room backstage, where he remains away from public eye for at least 11 hours. Back in Ralegan Siddhi, his reclusive nature is well-known. His confidants say Anna uses this time to rest and focus his thoughts. He devotes two hours every morning to writing. But before that, he, surprisingly, spends the better part of an hour on his toilette, says a Tihar jail official. "Anna is very particular about getting ready... Given his army background, he wants a spic-and-span dhoti in the morning, and even shaving is a must." How does he reconcile his nature with his very public role? "He likes privacy but is aware of his immense popularity and is humbled by it," an aide said. TNN 
How long can Anna fast? 
High ketone level is dangerous. Ketones are acidic compounds produced when the body burns fat or energy. It can cause complications in functioning of kidney and heart and in brain consciousness. Doctors say Anna might require immediate hospitalization if ketone level keeps rising 
During fast, body gets energy from | Stored glycogen in liver, protein in body tissues, stored fat 
Effects on hormonal system | Insulin levels drop as body ceases to ingest carbohydrates 
Risks associated with fasting | Prolonged fast can cause renal and heart failure

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Ultrasound waves to help an ailing heart

Little-Known Device Uses Non-Invasive Methods To Increase Blood Flow To The HeartMumbai: At a time when ultrasound technology is being reviled as a tool for sex determination, doctors have brought to town a device that uses ultrasound waves to increase blood flow to an ailing heart. Called the Extracorporeal Shockwaves Myocardial Revascularization or ESMR, the machine has been in Mumbai for a month, but few even among the medical community, are aware of it. "It's new technology that is still to be tested to its full potential,'' said a senior cardiologist. 

    But heart surgeon Dr Zainlabedin Hamdulay, who bought this machine in his Bandra clinic, is convinced that ESMR has a place in the bouquet of treatments available for the heart. "It is a non-invasive therapy to boost angiogenesis or development of new blood vessels,'' he said. The logic seems simple enough: It uses sound waves to deliver gentle shocks at a site on the heart that is most likely to develop capillaries. In nine sittings costing Rs 1.5 lakh, patients should develop new capillaries providing extra blood to weakened heart muscles. "The heart's pumping function would thus improve and the patient would feel better,'' said Dr R Merchant, preventive cardiologist with Hamdulay. 
    Can ESMR be qualified as an ultrasound device? Dr Hemant Deshpande, who heads the teaching hospital KEM Hospital's radiology department, makes a distinction: "ESMR uses ultrasound as a guiding technique to deliver sound waves. So, it does qualify as a use of ultrasound, but it's mainly sound waves that are meant to create new blood vessels.'' 
    According to Dr Ashwin Mehta, head of cardiology at Jaslok Hospital, ESRM seems to be one of the many technologies to boost circulation of blood around heart. "But it is not yet a widely studied proposition. There is a large ongoing study in Germany, which will end this year.'' Another cardiologist said there had been several such technologies that have been tried out but faded. "There was a largescale trail using lasers, but it was given up when doctors realized there was no appreciable change. Nowadays, some centres offer stem cell injections as a complementary therapy,'' he said. 
    Hamdulay offers it as an option for patients who are too weak to either undergo a bypass surgery or even an angioplasty. "For years, we have been using an Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP)—a pain-free therapy that promotes a natural bypass to blocked vessels. ESMR is another option for patients who don't want surgery.'' 
DOCS DIVIDED OVER THE POWER OF ESMR 
HOW IT WORKS 
It uses shock waves (like ultrasound) with high intensity and short duration. A form of this technology is used to break kidney stones 
The sound waves are generated by an underwater high-voltage spark, which is delivered non- invasively, focused by a special reflector 
The reflector's focal distance into the patient's body is adjusted after doing a PET (positron emission tomography) Scan to find which part of the heart's muscles are still working 
USES OF ULTRASOUND 
    Routinely used to check patients for gall stones To get image of organs such as the pancreas, aorta, inferior vena cava, liver, gall bladder, bile ducts, kidneys, and the spleen 
    Can be used for foetal scans. Can locate bleeds as well as flow of blood into brain arteries, etc Pelvic sonogram can point out an anomaly in the uterus, ovaries or urinary bladder Can be used to locate possible obstruction of arteries, diagnose DVT (deep vein thrombosis) Used in some forms of liposuction A version of ultrasound can break kidney stones

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Why break fast with dates

*Break the Ramadhan fast with dates

*Why is it considered healthy to break the Ramadhan fast with dates.... Why is it considered healthy to break the Ramadhan fast with dates, and why are Muslims recommended to pray before iftar??

Breaking the fast with dates is a Ramadhan tradition, as most of its
benefits are unique to this particular fast. 

Breaking one's fast with Dates, as well as praying before iftar, are both mentioned in the Hadith literature:

"The Messenger of Allah would break his fast with ripe dates before he would pray. If those were not available, he would eat dried dates. If those were not available, he would drink some water."

 One of the many physical benefits of breaking the fast with dates is that our body benefits from the date's high level of natural sugars. 

Sugars travel most quickly to the liver, where they are converted into energy more quickly than any other nutrient. 

Muslims have an immediate need for this energy when they break their fast, for they need energy to perform their sunset prayers. 

Ironically, one also needs this energy to consume the iftar
meal. 

When a person eats, the body uses energy to digest the food. Eating
large quantities of food immediately after fasting is not healthy for the body, which is in a weakened condition.

Eating a date first helps the body start its digestive process and gives it the energy to deal with the secondary, more complex foods, eaten during iftar.

Dates are also high in 
vitamins A and B6, 
folic acid, 
potassium,
Natural sodium, 
iron, and 
magnesium. 
Thus, eating dates daily during Ramadhan is like taking a daily multivitamin. 

This daily multivitamin can create a stronger and healthier body, one more fit for fasting. 

Dates also contain large amounts of dietary fiber, which can prevent any constipation that might result from eating the traditionally rich foods served during Ramadhan. 

Additionally, dates protect the stomach and intestinal tract from
parasites and bacteria, and thus is a good preventative medicine when eating iftar at unfamiliar locations. 

Dates also have a special place in Islam. In fact, they were one of the Prophet's (SAW) most frequently consumed foods.

For this reason, their benefit is most likely spiritual as well as physical. If their benefit were purely physical, one could perhaps consume any fruit high in natural sugars before iftar to gain similar benefits. However, the act of following the Prophet's (SAW) tradition is one way of connecting and remembering him, this is spiritually beneficial for Muslims. 

One should pray after eating dates and before eating the main meal, because this short break gives the body time to metabolize the dates and water that have been consumed and to start the body's digestive processes, which has been resting all day. 

Eating large amounts of food immediately after breaking the fast
resembles starting a car and the driving it without giving it enough time to warm up. As we know, this can damage the engine's internal mechanics. 

The same is true with the body, for jump starting the body's digestive processes can shock the entire organ system. In some cases, this shock could be dangerous. In most cases, however, it is simply an unhealthy way to break the fast. The immediate dangers are apparent in the increased need to sleep after the iftar. This sleepy feeling comes about because the body has expended so much energy on the digestive system that it needs to lower its other bodily functions in order to perform it's digestive duties properly. Over time, this habit can cause long-term damage to the body.

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That puff hurts women’s hearts more

They Have 25% Greater Chance Of Coronary Heart Disease Than Men, Says Study

New Delhi: Women smokers are at a 25% higher risk of developing coronary heart diseases than men, a study published in British medical journal The Lancet on Thursday says. The authors of the study said this could be due to physiological differences between the two sexes, with smoke toxins having a more potent effect on women. 

    In India, more and more women are now taking to smoking. According to the Tobacco Atlas, the country ranks third among the top 20 female smoking populations across the globe. With around a crore women smokers in India, only the US with 2.3 crore female smokers and China with 1.3 crore female smokers, are worse off. 
    The study by Dr Rachel R Huxley from University of Minnesota and Dr Mark Woodward from Johns Hopkins University involved a meta-analysis of around four million individuals and 67,000 coronary heart disease events from 86 studies. The researchers found that the pooled adjusted female-to-male relative risk ratio (RRR) of smoking compared with not smoking for coronary heart disease (CHD) was 1.25 (25%) higher for women. 
    This RRR increased by 2% for every additional year of follow-up, meaning that the longer a woman smokes, the higher her risk of developing CHD compared to a man who has smoked for the same time. 
    The authors say: "The finding lends support to the idea of a pathophysiological basis for the sex difference. For example, women might extract a greater quantity of carcinogens and other toxic agents from the same number of cigarettes than men. This occurrence could explain why women who smoke have double the risk of lung cancer compared with their male counterparts." 
    Worldwide, there are 1.1 billion smokers, of whom a fifth are women. 
    Every year, more than 5 million deaths occur that are directly attributed to tobacco, with 1.5 million of these deaths occurring in women. These figures are projected to increase to 8 million female smokers and 2.5 million deaths in women by 2030 if present patterns of smoking persist. 
    Dr Matthew Steliga from the University of Arkansas says: "What makes the realization that women are at increased risk worrisome is that the tobacco industry views women as its growth market." 
    Cigarette smoking is one of the main causes of coronary heart disease worldwide. 
STOKING THE FIRE 
India 3rd on list of top 20 female-smoking populations in world with a crore of women smokers 
The longer the woman smokes, her risk of developing CHD rises by 2% compared to men 
Every year, about 1.5 million women die of smoking 
"What makes the realization worrisome is that the tobacco industry views women as its market growth" 
—Dr Matthew Steliga, University of Arkansas

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THE CLINIC OF TOMORROW

When you walk into a dispensary in the near future, a doctor will be able to immediately get your medical records off your phone, diagnose your ailment instantly, and administer suitable drugs with a pain-free needle. What sounds like science fiction is fast being turned into reality by talented scientists across the world

    Great technology is rarely something that revolutionizes our routines and habits. More often than not, great technology is something that seamlessly blends into our routines and habits to make them hassle-free. 

    In the future, the procedure of a check-up at your local doctor's clinic will be the same as what you go through today. The three steps will remain the same: Establishing the patient's history, diagnosing the disease, and then treating the malady. But the way these three steps are carried out is what will mark the medical breakthroughs, making our routines easier and painless. 
ESTABLISHING PATIENT HISTORY 
The first thing that any doctor wants to know is the patient's medical history. Now, at some point or the other, we have all forgotten to carry an important piece of paper during a visit to the clinic. But you have never forgotten to carry your phone, have you? 
    Storing all your medical records on your cellphone ensures that the doctor can always get the information he or she wants. Research companies such as Vital Record already have systems to digitize all your medical records, which are then stored on a secure server on the web. 
    They have also developed a mobile app called Med Records To Go—available for all major mobile operating systems—that will let you access your online medical records securely on your phone to show to the doctor. 
    The types of personal medical information that can be viewed on the cellphone include identification and general medical data, vital signs information, physicians, prescription and non-prescription drugs, medical history, treatments, emergency contacts, and so on. 
    Apart from clinical visits, this data could prove to be crucial if you find yourself in an accident or any emergency situation, since an attending doctor would be in a position to access your medical history immediately. 
DIAGNOSING THE DISEASE 
Once the doctor has your medical records, a few tests are usually needed to be able to diagnose your disease. Today, it means running around several departments of a hospital and waiting for hours or days to get the results. In the future, the doctor would get instant results through revolutionary lab-on-a-chip technologies. 
    Take, for example, the new "health chip" by European boffins at SINTEF (the largest independent research organisation in Scandinavia), which looks like a credit card and contains a complete laboratory. The chip is engraved with a number of very narrow channels that contain chemicals and enzymes in the correct proportions for each individual analysis. 
    "The health chip can analyze your blood or cells for eight different diseases," say Liv Furuberg and Michal Mielnik of SINTEF. "It is capable of carrying out the same processes as a large laboratory, and not only does it perform them faster, but the results are also far more accurate. The doctor simply inserts the card into a little machine, adds a few drops of the sample taken from the patient via a tube in the cardholder, and out come the results." 
    The device has been successfully tested to detect cervical cancer, and the researchers are now working on other diseases. 
    Still, this method does require the painful procedure of drawing blood. But if a group of US-based scientists have their way, your entire diagnoses could be done simply by breathing into their gizmo. 
    A team at Purdue University has developed a special material to rapidly diagnose patients by detecting chemical compounds called "biomarkers" in a person's respiration, in real time. 
    "We are talking about creating an inexpensive, rapid way of collecting diagnostic information about a patient," said researcher Carlos Martinez, adding that this would just give an indicative result, which would require further tests to confirm or pinpoint the disease. 
    The team was able to successfully detect diabetes in lab tests, but warned that such breathalyzers are a decade away in actual practice. 
TREATING THE MALADY 
When the doctor knows the ailment, you finally get what you came for: the medicine to make you better. But given that each patient's needs are individual, it's important for a doctor to figure out which drugs are helpful, and which will cause side-effects. 
    British researchers at Imperial College London invented a handheld device called the "Snip Doctor", which analyses a person's saliva for specific 
signs that could indicate a reaction to prescribed medications. It looks for specific DNA sequences that may be used by doctors to indicate how people are likely to respond to certain drugs, providing results in under 30 minutes. 
    "If the most appropriate drug dosages could be determined at the earliest stage, it could reduce the number of people admitted to hospital 'when medication goes wrong'. Most importantly, it could also minimize the trauma that repeat hospitalisations have on people and their families," says chief scientist, professor Chris Toumazou. 
    As for administering the injection itself, there are several studies being conducted to make pain-free needles, given the number of people across the world who are scared of it – not to mention kids. 
    The 'Ouchless Needle', developed by medical design company BellaNovus, is a disposable attachment for syringes, which delivers a short spray of vapo-coolant onto the skin before the needle goes in. The vapocoolant spray immediately refrigerates the skin, thereby reducing the feeling of needle penetration and making the injection more comfortable. 
    But this still doesn't take away the trauma and initial fright of seeing a big, fat needle about to prick your skin. 
    That's where 
    microneedle patches come 
    in. An array of tiny needles, 
    no longer than the width of a hair, are placed over a larger surface (usually the size of a small coin) to distribute the force of impact. By just pressing the patch into your arm, the drug is administered, and it's practically pain-free. 
    It's a bit like how a nicotine patch works, but not all drugs can be absorbed by the skin itself – some need to be pumped in. For this purpose, Babak Ziaie, a researcher at Purdue university, and his team have developed a tiny pump that's activated by touch from the heat of your finger and requires no battery. 
    "It takes 20 to 30 seconds," Ziaie said. "It's like a bandage – you would use it and discard." 
1. 'Med Records To Go' lets you access your online medical records securely on your cellphone 2.SINTEF's health chip can analyze a patient's blood cells for eight diseases. The doctor simply adds a few drops of the sample taken from a person via a tube in the cardholder for instant results 3.BellaNovus's 'Ouchless Needle' is a disposable attachment for syringes, which delivers a short spray of vapocoolant onto the skin before the needle goes in. The spray refrigerates the skin thereby reducing the needle prick 4. Microneedle technology that could replace injections is made up of tiny needles placed over a large surface. By just pressing the patch into your arm, the drug is administered pain-free 5. The 'Snip Doctor' can analyse saliva samples to indicate how a patient is likely to respond to certain treatments

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