TB spike puts focus back on lung surgery

Mumbai: When extra-extremely drug-resistant (XXDR) tuberculosis made its presence felt in Mumbai last week, bureaucrats and public health experts jotted down an ingredient that was dangerously low in availability: surgeons. The BMC is planning to get surgeons to restart the surgery programme at its TB specialty hospital in Sewri, said BMC additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar. But given the city's history, this may not be the easiest of tasks. 

    The words of the former head of surgery at the same hospital decades ago show why it's difficult to get surgeons into the TB fold. "Why should doctors who have trained in cardiothoracic surgery look at the lungs when operating on the heart is certainly more glamorous,'' asks Dr Harikant Bhanushali, 76, who still operates on TB patients using a minimal access technique at Kaushalya Hospital in Thane. 
    At Sewri's TB Hospital, he operated on over 7,600 patients from 1966 to 1991. "But it's a difficult and time-consuming surgery. May be that is the reason many don't opt for it,'' he says. India to ban 'inaccurate' and costly blood tests I ndia will soon ban blood tests to detect tuberculosis. These tests are widelyavailable across the country. Following a WHO proposal, an expert group set up by the Drug Controller General of India found that blood tests are mostly inaccurate for TB detection. Experts said they are also expensive compared to the standard culture test provided free by the government. P 11 Resistance to drugs could push surgery 
Mumbai: Dr Harikant Bhanushali, a veteran surgeon, says TB surgery is both difficult and time-consuming. It takes 45 minutes to access the lungs and another 45 minutes to close them. A cardiothoracic surgeon can complete a bypass heart surgery in the same time. 
    Doctors trained in cardiothoracic surgery can operate on both vital organs — heart and lungs. "But you get Rs 30,000 for a lung surgery while you can get 10 times that amount for a bypass surgery. The choice is clear,'' says a doctor attached to a state government hospital. 
    It is not as if surgery is not done at all. Dr Yatin Dholakia of the State Anti-TB Association says that surgery is regularly offered for cases of extra-pulmonary TB or TB in any organs other than the lungs. But extrapulmonary TB forms only about 10-15% of all TB cases. In the last few decades as medicines acted well on the bulk of TB patients, surgery took the backseat. "But with drug resistance emerging now, surgery will certainly be more often. Small lesions in the lungs that don't react well to medication need surgical treatment,'' says Dr Dholakia. But he is clear that surgery is only a way to get medicines to start acting on a patient with drug-resistance TB. In medical terms, surgery is just an adjuvant or additional therapy. 
    Considering that Mumbai adds between 3,000 and 4,000 multi-drug resistant patients to its TB pool every year, the percentage—however small—of patients needing the adjuvant 
surgical therapy could be significant. Not surprisingly then, some private hospitals also offer TB surgery. Hinduja Hospital in Mahim that first reported the 12 "totally drug resistant TB'' cases is one of the major such hospitals. Fortis Hiranandani Hospital in Vashi is another. Dr Nitish Jhawar, who is a minimal access surgeon at the Vashi Hospital, gives the example of Sia Shetty (name changed). "She was diagnosed with multidrug resistant TB and was in our ICU for a month. Her family had almost given up. That is when we surgeons were called to use the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery to remove the diseases tissue or lesions form her lungs,'' says Dr Jhawar. 
    A video camera was fitted to one of three scopes that were introduced into the lungs through small holes."In less than two hours, we had removed the lesions and the patient started responding better to medicines thereafter,'' he added. 
    A doctor in the Sewri Hospital says the decision has to be taken judiciously. "One cannot operate on a patient who may just worsen due to complexity of surgery.'' However, Bhanushali feels many doctors delay surgery for too long. "A decision on surgery can be taken once the doctor notices that despite three months of medication, the patient is not responding well. Earlier such lesions or pus cells are removed, the better the TB medication can act,'' says Bhanushali, who was among the first to use video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in this part of the country. "Patients can walk away from the hospital in three days of surgery.''

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Oily fish such as salmon are packed with healthy omega 3 fats. Photo: Nazma Lakhani

Thankfully, people today are living longer, but it's not much fun having extra years if you suffer from conditions that hamper your quality of life. Nutrition plays an important role in preventing diet-related diseases, so making making the right food choices is important. Here are five dietary tips geared specifically to seniors and those approaching their elder years.

1. Make sure each meal has a moderate amount of protein such as meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils or cheese. Eat fish twice per week, choosing an oily fish for one of these meals — this will provide you with omega-3 fats. Oily fish include canned sardines or salmon, fresh tuna (not canned), mackerel, herring, trout or salmon.
2. Aim to have one or two portions of vegetables or fruit with each meal. You don't need to eat fresh veg – frozen or even canned sources, may be softer and easier to chew.
3. Choose whole grain starchy foods such as granary or wholemeal bread, brown basmati rice, chapatti made with wholemeal flour, and low sugar whole grain breakfast cereals. These give you fibre, which can help prevent constipation.
4. Make sure you drink enough fluid. Poor bladder control may mean you choose to drink less so you don't need to urinate so often, but being dehydrated can have consequences on your body cells, your mental agility, and your skin. Drinking more fluid also helps to reduce symptoms of constipation.
5. Cut down on sugary, fatty and salty foods. This means eating fewer nasthas likechevda, puris, nankhatai, cakes and biscuits. Instead of butter or ghee — which are high in harmful saturated fat — cook with oils that are based on unsaturated fatty acids, such as rapeseed (canola), olive, corn or sunflower oil.

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Carrot Creativity

Gajar ka halwa may be the most common way to cook carrots in India but there is more to this winter vegetable. Try out carrot cakes, carrot subzi with bajra roti or even stuffed sandwiches

 It's difficult to say when exactly did carrots start evoking the contempt that they do in not just local Indian kitchens but folklore and colloquial expression but the fact is that the vegetable can easily grace the most interesting of menus, not just as steamed-up sides beautifying meat platters, but as the legit main ingredient for starters, soups, mains and, of course, desserts. In Hindi, we may dismiss gajar-mooli, carrots and radish, as the ultimate symbol of being a non-entity (faceless armies can be decimated like gajarmooli, or you can be a person of non-significance like these root veggies) but that is perhaps only because cooking with these was so pervasive in our community cuisines. 

    Today, in the face of round-the-year vegetables that significance and many of those recipes may have been lost. But still, if you apply yourself, carrots, so beautiful and abundant during winters, can be much more than a reluctant glass of Vitamin A that mother hands out to improve vision and the complexion. One of the most ancient of Indian vegetables, carrots exist in both the desi version today as well as in the more orange "English" avatar (during colonial times, a newer variety was planted in Shimla). And then there are those pretty little baby carrots, increasingly making their way into our salad bars. Should you be able to lay your hands on these, serve them lightly steamed with an assortment of dips. 
    However, the most common way in which Indians know how to cook carrots traditionally is perhaps as gajar ka halwa. Though terrible khoya-enriched, bazaar-bought versions are convenient and increasingly common, the recipe is no-fuss and deserves to be tried. It was also the first recipe that I possibly picked up — when as a precocious three year old (truly), my grandmother made me learn by heart the proportions she used: 2 litre milk, 1 kg carrot, ½ kg sugar. The trick to a good halwa is to bhuno it well after the milk soaks up, adding a dash of ghee. My grandmother would set this into thin katlis. 
For Diverse Tastes 
If you want to eat healthily, try making a simple sweet and sour carrot subzi with bajra roti, a homely winter lunch. Methi dana or bitter fenugreek seeds are spluttered in oil and the carrots lightly sautéed. Once done, finish with a little khatai sour (dried mango is the souring agent of choice in my part of the world) and sugar. 
    Today, chefs consciously juxtapose diverse tastes (and textures) in any dish. With carrots, it seems almost instinctive. Caperberry's immensely talented chef Abhijeet Saha suggests a simple Tunisian dip omi huriya, which is quite doable: boil carrots and coarsely grind to paste, add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, roasted cumin powder and chilli flakes. You can also add roughly ground (roasted) almonds and use this as a sandwich spread. 
    Or, make a pickled salad/cold appetiser: cut into batons and pickle in white wine vinegar. Mix 250 ml of vinegar in 1 litre of water, add pepper, chilli, bay leaves or any spices plus salt and sugar and boil. Soak the carrot batons in this and leave overnight. 
    The traditional kanji served in Delhi and UP homes around Holi is similar to this pickling process, except the sourness comes from fermentation. To make this at home, grind mustard seeds (the red ones, rai) into a paste and mix in warm water. Add some jaggery and allow it to ferment for three-four days. Add lightly steamed carrot batons once the water is sour enough. 
Winter Tales 
In winters, nothing can be better than carrot soup. Chef Saha suggests a warming lemon, coriander and carrot one. Saute carrots with onion and garlic, add stock and cook till soft. Then, puree these, adjust seasoning and add stock if required. Finish with lemon juice and freshly-chopped coriander. Another option is the vichyssoise, which, though a cold soup typically, can be served warm. And though typically made of pureed potatoes, leeks, onions, cream (no, this is certainly not for weight-watchers) and stock, it can be wonderful with carrots added on. 
If you are serving grilled or roasted meats/fish, you can saute blanched carrot in butter and herbs or rustle up a sweetish, bright orange carrot puree. From spicy samosas (carrots and green chillies go into Irani samosas in Hyderabad) to "spring rolls" to Kerala stew to whole cabbage stuffed with green peas, diced carrot and a generous sprinkle of garam masala, the veggie can enhance many dishes. But the one thing you cannot go without this winter is carrot cake. Take equal quantity of flour and grated carrot (squeeze out the water for that crunch) and use spices like cinnamon and all-spice (kebabchini) for a treat. 
HEALTH BENEFITS 
Carrots contain huge amounts of carotene that the body converts into Vitamin A, good for the eyes. Carrots also have Vitamin B and C They are a good source of potassium, folic acid and can help lower cholesterol 
Because raw carrots have tough cellular walls which makes it difficult to free up nutrients inside, these are one of the few vegetables, studies say, that are better when consumed cook or juiced than raw But most of the goodness is contained in the skin or just below it. Peeling takes away these nutrients

The author is a Delhi-based food writer and curates food festivals

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Nippon Life to buy 26% in Rel MF

In Biggest FDI Flow In MF Industry, Japanese Co To Pay $286M For Stake

Mumbai: Japanese insurance major, Nippon Life Insurance, will buy a 26% stake in Reliance Mutual Fund, the Anil Ambani-controlled group's asset management business, for about Rs 1,450 crore ($286 million). This is the single-largest foreign direct investment (FDI) in the MF industry, and also the largest deal in this sector. 

    The transaction values Reliance MF, India's second largest fund house by assets under management (AUM), at about $1.1 billion. This is the second deal between the Japanese insurance major and the Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Group after it earlier picked up a 26% stake in Reliance Life Insurance. Reliance MF is an arm of Reliance Capital. 
    Nippon Life, also called Nissay, is a 122-year-old life insurer which manages over $600 billion (Rs 30 lakh crore) in assets, among the largest total assets in the world for any life insurer. As of September 30, 2011, Reliance MF managed a little over Rs 93,000 crore in assets across mutual funds, client accounts and hedge funds. As of December 31, Reliance MF's average AUM was about Rs 82,300crore, data published by AMFI, the fund industry trade body, showed. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two groups was signed in Mumbai on Thursday by Nippon Life president Yoshinobu Tsutsui and Reliance Capital chairman Anil Ambani. Morgan Stanley was the financial advisor to Nippon Life in this acquisition. 
    Under the deal, no new shares will be issued and USbased hedge fund Eton Park will continue to have a 5% stake in the Indian asset manager, Nippon Life will have 26% while the remaining 69% will be with Reliance Capital. Eton Park has been a stakeholder in the company since 2007, when it paid Rs 501 crore to get this minority interest. The funds that the company got from the current deal will be used in its other businesses, like commercial lending, mortgage finance, etc, officials said. 
    Ambani said that the mutual fund partnership with Nippon Life strengthens the relationship between Reliance Group and its Japanese partner further and "takes it to a new level". Nippon Life said that since the opening up of the Indian MF sector to foreign players, it has grown rapidly. Speaking to TOI, Sam Ghosh, group CEO, Reliance Capital, said that after this partnership, Reliance MF would advise and manage Nippon Life's investments in India, and would also explore the opportunity for the Japanese major to distribute its products in Japan and other south Asian markets. In addition, "like in life insurance, Nippon Life would also extend their technical support in terms of systems and products," Ghosh said. 
    Last March, Osaka-based Nippon Life signed an agreement with Reliance Group to acquire a 26% stake in Reliance Life Insurance at an aggregate value of Rs 3,062 crore ($680 million). The transaction had valued the Indian life insurer at about Rs 11,500 crore ($2.6 billion). In Thursday's strong market, the RCap stock closed at Rs 330, up 3.7% on the day. Since touching a 52-week low at Rs 226, the stock is currently up 46%.

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Flower power Having flowers at home not only adds colour but also hashealth benefits

 Why wait till you're gifted a bouquet of flowers to put them up — having floral arrangements at home not only makes your abode look more vibrant but is also known to improve mood. A behavioural research study reveals that people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety, and feel less depressed and agitated when fresh-cut flowers are present in the house. Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness, say experts. Participants of the study expressed delight and gratitude while receiving flowers — a reaction that was universal, across all age groups. 

    You can place flowers in your kitchen, dining room, living room or balcony— essentially areas where you spend a lot of time when you're at home. Living with flowers can also provide a boost of energy, happiness and enthusiasm at work. The study added that people were more likely to feel happier and more enthusiastic and energetic at work when flowers were present in their home. When you start the day in a positive mood, one is more likely to transfer that happy feeling to others. 
    The aroma of roses is supposed to aid in elevating mood while marigold or genda have antiseptic and stimulant properties. Magnolia blossoms, lilac, gardenia, lily, jasmine, lavender, chamomile, evening primrose, hibiscus and several other flowers are available at local, neighbourhood florists — choose whichever appeals most to your senses! 
    The vase you choose is based on the size and shape of the flowers you want to display. For longstemmed flowers (roses or sunflower) use a tall, slender vase. For short-stemmed flowers with round, full blossoms (gardenias) use a smaller, spherical vase to accentuate the shape. When you have a large arrangement of a variety of flowers, use a vase that has a wide, heavy base for extra support. Individual flowers simply need a narrow vase of medium height.

VIBRANT: Flowers liven up spaces and moods

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KING OF NUTS Walnut tops health chart, can help lower cholesterol: Study

London: It's official now: Walnuts are the healthiest nuts to eat. Scientists have discovered that walnuts are loaded with antioxidants and snacking on as few as seven a day could help ward off disease and lower cholesterol.      They found that walnuts contain very high levels of polyphenol, an anti-oxidant which can protect the body from molecules which damage tissue.      Tests carried out on nine commonly eaten types of nuts showed that walnuts contained the most polyphenol than others.      Brazil nuts and pistachios were close behind, and cashews and hazelnuts had slightly lower levels of antioxidants, said the researchers from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania. "Walnuts rank above Brazil nuts, pistachios, pecans, peanuts, almonds, macadamias, cashews and hazelnuts," Joe Vinson, who led the study. PTI

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SHAMEMATERNAL MORTALITY 13L kids die before 1st birthday

Infant Mortality Rate In Rural India Is 55, Urban Less Than 34

Over 55,000 women die during child birth in India every year. Of the total children born in one year, a mind boggling 13 lakh die before they reach their first birthdays, most of them within a few weeks of entering this world. Another indicator that the world watches is how many children cannot survive beyond five years of age. In India every year, over 16 lakh under-5 years children die. 

    These are hair-raising numbers, the highest in the world, mainly because India has the highest number of births in the world — over 2.62 crore per year. But how can one compare this with other countries with lower population or lower birth rates? That is done by expressing mother's deaths in terms of how many per 1 lakh live births. For India this maternal mortality rate works out to 212. And for infant deaths the ratio is written as so many per 1000 live births. For India this works out to 50. Under-5 mortality in India is 63. 
    Although maternal mortality has fallen drastically from 570 in 1990, this should not be a matter of complacency. In highly advanced countries, like those in Western Europe, it is below 15, and even in countries with medium human development, such as Russia or Brazil, it is below 133. China has maternal mortality of just 38. Death of the mother during or immediately after child birth is a direct function of health infrastructure, says Dr Amit Sengupta of the People'sHealth Movement. "Child birth is a natural function. Death will occur only if there is an emergency, like an obstruction. For that you need trained personnel and facilities. If people have to rush 30-40 kms in an emergency, a tragic and avoidable death results," he explains. 
    Infant mortality rates are still high in India, despite slowly reducing from about 65 in 2000. Our neighbours, though poorer, have done better — IMR is 48 in Nepal and 52 in Bangladesh. In China it is just 19. Most infant deaths occur in the first few weeks because, again, health facilities and doctors are not easily available or cost too much. A clear indication of this comes from the wide difference between rural and urban rates. In rural areas, infant mortality is 55 while in urban areas it is much less at 34. 
    Infant mortality varies from 67 in MP, 65 in Orissa and 63 in UP to just 12 in Kerala, 28 in Tamil Nadu and 33 in West Bengal. Maternal mortality varies from 390 in Assam and 359 in Uttar Pradesh to 81 in Kerala. Obviously there are some lessons in all this: better education, better infrastructure, better nutrition. But what is perhaps most direly needed is political will across the board.

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Marathon grows along with Mumbai’s FITNESS

Mumbaikars' Desire To Stay In Shape Has Received A Great Impetus From The City's Most Famous Athletic Event

 You need to be a runner to know the pain and stringent training it takes to get to the finish line. And over the past eight years, running has been taken seriously by many in this city, thanks to the Mumbai marathon. Today's Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2012, the ninth edition of the event, in which The Times of India is the print partner, is another milestone in Mumbai's tryst with international competition. 

    Running the Mumbai marathon might mean various things to different people, but for a major chunk of Mumbaikars it's a way of staying fit and healthy. 
    Last year, Harpeet Singh, 24, was one of those standing outside the racetrack cheering on participants. This year he chose to take the challenge himself. "I was never an athlete and fitness and health never made sense to me. But after I attended the marathon last year I realized that men and women the age of my grandparents were fitter than me. So I decided to change," said Singh, who has since been religiously practising and is all set to run the half marathon today. "My body is fit and I feel much healthier now, so I might keep participating in the event every year," added the second-year MBA student of Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. 
    The marathon has also made many Mumbaikars more aware of fitness, even though they may not choose to run. Fitness instructors across the city have noticed an upsurge in the number of people aiming at leaner and fitter bodies. "The marathon is publicized on a great level and carries a lot of weight. But it is not the kind of event that one can get through by practising once a week," said Samir Purohit, a fitness expert. He is currently training a group of runners aiming to participate on Sunday, but added that there's an equal number of people who have started exercising regularly to stay fit. "There's increased awareness and a desire to be fit. The general public is taking personal fitness very seriously now," he said. 
    For 68-year-old Mahendrabhai Mehta, it's his fifth Mumbai marathon, but it's his son for whom this year holds a lot of importance. "I was always sure that I was healthy and fit, until recently when I heard about a friend who suffered a stroke at the age of 33. That's when I decided to take my health seriously," said Chirag Mehta, 36, who has been going for regular walks and runs at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park with his father for the past year. 
    Dheeraj Gupta, 36, took up the challenge of running the half marathon for the same reason. "For the initial month, I started walking 3 to 5 km regularly to build my stamina. Now I'm sure that I will finish the event," said Gupta. 
    Many fitness experts believe that the marathon has changed people's psyche. "People now are not looking at just preparing for the run, but looking forward to maintaining their fitness even after the run. It is a welcome change," said John Gloster, a fitness expert. 
BRAND AMBASSADORS 
Vijay Amritraj | John Abraham 
PARTICIPANTS TO WATCH FOR CELEBRITIES: Madhuri Dixit | Ranbir Kapoor | Prateik Babbar | Chitrangada Singh 
CORPORATE HONCHOS: 
Anil Ambani | Anand Mahindra | Neeraj Goenka | Siddharth Mallya 
ON RACE DAY 
Water available | 1.12 lakh litres Water stations | 24 Medical stations | 12 (including 2 base camps) Ambulances | 8 Doctors on duty | 350 Police on duty | 1,869 Security guards | 1,000 Volunteers | 800 
Money raised last year | 12.16 crore

HEELS OVER HEAD: A trainer helps a runner work out

MORNING WALKER MEETS PRO RUNNERS: Athletes do work-outs at Marine Drive in preparation for the big race

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Walnut tops health chart, can help lower cholesterol: Study

KING OF NUTS

London: It's official now: Walnuts are the healthiest nuts to eat. Scientists have discovered that walnuts are loaded with antioxidants and snacking on as few as seven a day could help ward off disease and lower cholesterol. 

    They found that walnuts contain very high levels of polyphenol, an anti-oxidant which can protect the body from molecules which damage tissue. 
    Tests carried out on nine commonly eaten types of nuts showed that walnuts contained the most polyphenol than others. 
    Brazil nuts and pistachios were close behind, and cashews and hazelnuts had slightly lower levels of antioxidants, said the researchers from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania. "Walnuts rank above Brazil nuts, pistachios, pecans, peanuts, almonds, macadamias, cashews and hazelnuts," Joe Vinson, who led the study. PTI

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Owning a car, TV ups heart attack risk 27%

Mumbai:Owning a car or television set could be injurious to health. 

    A new study mapping people's possessions and physical activity against their risk for heart problems found a 27% increase in heart attacks among people who had a car and/ or TV in comparison to those who didn't. 
    But the INTERHEART study spanning 52 nations and 25,000 people holds out the heartiest 
promise ever: the risk of heart attack can be neutralized with the mildest of physical activity. The study was published in the European Heart Journal on Wednesday. 
    Said Dr Aashish Contractor, a preventive cardiologist who is medical in-charge of Sunday's marathon, "The study is heartening because it makes it clear that people don't need strenuous exercises to reduce the risk of a heart attack. Even mild physical activity can be useful.'' 
    The INTERHEART study is a long-running global study (from February 1999 onwards) on heart attacks that includes data from India as well. A couple of years back it showed that Indians got heart-attacks a decade before their Caucasian counterparts; part of this study was done at Parel's KEM Hospital. 
    The new study was undertaken for obvious reasons: rising urbanization has led to a sedentary lifestyle across the world. 'Mild exercise can cut heart attack risk' 
Mumbai: The INTERHEART study shows the link between a sedentary lifestyle and heart problems. 
    "A sedentary lifestyle has become common in many developing countries, and with it, the incidence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disease has also risen,'' said the study's main author, Claes Held of Uppsala University in Sweden. 
    The team identified various factors leading to illhealth: increasing urbanization, mechanization at work, more motorized transportation, "a societal structure that discourages walking but encourages the use of physical activity limiting devices (cars and elevators), and the widespread availability of appliances that promote sedentary behaviour such as the television and computers''. 
    The researchers began mapping possessions—a TV at home or car to work—versus the risk of a heart attack among people. After comparing the possessions of people who have undergone a heart attack against those who hadn't, the association was clear: while people with a TV or car or both had a 27% greater risk of a heart attack, people who had none of these machines or owned cattle had the lowest risk. 
    Incidentally, a Mumbaicentric study done by Lilavati Hospital's endocrinologist Dr Shashank Joshi, who is the editor emeritus of the Journal of Association of Physicians of India, had shown a similar association. "This study ties in with our study that showed that for every gadget a family acquired it also put on eight kilos,'' said Dr Joshi. "People put on ectopic fat (fat that gets deposited in cells and tissues that are not meant to store it). Considering that Indians have more body fat and less muscle than their Caucasian or African counterparts, this results in obesity that could lead to development of heart problems,'' added Dr Joshi. 
    But all is not lost. Said Dr Prafulla Kerkar, who heads the cardiology department of KEM Hospital, "The West went through this a few decades back. Their growing realization has led them to shed sedentarianism. Some European buildings have lifts available only from the second floor onwards, forcing people to climb stairs." 
    The INTERHEART study in fact focuses a lot on physical activity at leisure that can help control heart problems. "The study shows that people doing any activity can reduce their heart attack risk (compared to those who don't do any activity at all) by almost 50%,'' said Dr Aashish Contractor, who is attached to the Asian Heart Institute in BKC. 
    "The study says that people who do 30 minutes of activity per week in their leisure time could reduce their heart attack risk by 21%. Those who do 210 minutes of activity per week can reduce the risk by over 44%,'' he said. Those who pursued activity for 60-180 minutes per week could reduce their risk by 40%. "The INTERHEART study shows that one need not do fabulously hard work to stay fit. Even small steps—just 30 minutes per week—will help keep your heart healthy.''

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Practical or positive?

A recent study says that positive psychology doesn't have any effect on physical health 

Positive attitude does not play any role in making people physically healthier or speeding up their recovery, a new study has revealed. One of the studies, which took into consideration 4,600 people with cancer over 30 years, found that irrespective of whether the patients were extrovert or neurotic, their attitude to life had no relationship with how long they survived their illness. 
    It is not an isolated finding. An analysis of research by Dr James Coyne, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, found that there were no good quality studies showing that 'positive psychology' had any effect on physical health, the Daily Mail reported. In one of his own large studies, he found that the sense of emotional well-being of cancer patients had no impact on how long they lived. 
    Claire Murrell, head of nursing at the Barts and the London Hospital Cancer Unit, asserted that too many people are being told to 'be positive' after a cancer diagnosis, when they need to be realistic and realise they will experience emotional lows. "I think that some people with cancer do come down with a bump when they realise that, for all their positive attitude, they haven't been cured," she said. 
    Dr Gerard Molloy, chair of the UK Society For Behavioural Medicine's scientific committee, said that while psychological traits such as optimism may be linked to longer survival from illness, there is no evidence that such traits can be cultivated by 'positive thinking'. "Remaining positive is sometimes harder than dealing with the chemo side effects and having cancer," he said. 
    ANI

BE REALISTIC: Just being happy and positive won't help deal with diseases

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How to check obesity? Give extra marks to children who are slim

HEALTH GETS SPECIAL WEIGHTAGE

Paris: Pierre Dukan, the nutritionist behind the popular but controversial Dukan diet, has suggested that France tackle child obesity by giving extra exam marks for slimness. Dukan, who has sold 8 million copies of his diet book worldwide, made the proposal in a 250-page book called 'An Open Letter to the Future President', which he sent out Tuesday to 16 candidates for France's presidential election. 

    The plan calls for high school students to be allowed to take a socalled "ideal weight" option in their final year exams, the "baccalaureat", under which they would earn extra points if they kept a body mass index of between 18 and 25. 
    Those already overweight at the start of the two-year course would score double points if they managed to slim down over a period of two years. "It's a fantastic motivator," Dukan said. 
    "The baccalaureat is really important in France. Kids want to get it, their parents want them to even more, so why not get them to work together on nutrition?" 
    Weight gain is becoming an increasing problem in France and experts say sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition are to blame. 
    "There's a real problem. Since the 1960s the number of overweight people in France has risen from 500,000 to 22 million and it's going up every year," Dukan said. "When you reach those levels, it's no longer a health problem, it becomes a political problem, and leaders of the nation need to worry about it." REUTERS

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12 Health resolutions for 2012

To bring in 2012 with a health bang, here are 12 resolutions for the mind, body and soul

Zoha Tapia

Posted On Wednesday, December 28, 2011   

Go for your health checkups
A lot of tend to ignore are health, either by citing time constraints or because we feel nothing is wrong with us. This year, let us give our body first priority and go for an annual health check up. For women do make time for a breast exam and pap smear and for those with problems make sure you get your important tests, like blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid, done from time to time.

Quit smoking
We all have said it an umpteenth amount of times that smoking is bad for health. In 2012, let all the non-smokers and smokers come together to make this world and our body's smoke free. While non-smokers can lend the necessary support, the smokers need to make a plan to kick the butt. Click here for a three step plan to stop smoking.

Protect yourself
Protect yourself from seasonal diseases by getting yourself vaccinated. Click here for the vaccines that would be useful to you and your family in 2012.

Don't indulge in self medication
This year a lot has been said about anti microbial resistance, which has made most viruses immune to the medicines we usually take. Lets do our bit to stop this by taking drugs and medicines only when prescribed and to desist from self-medication. A wrong medicine can make the situation worse at times, so always buy and have medicines as per your doctors advice.

Exercise for 45 minutes daily
The benefits of exercise are endless from losing weight to increasing your bone density and muscle mass to releasing endorphins and so on. Hence, to keep diseases at bay and to live a healthy lifestyle, all you need to do is reserve 45 minutes of your time for some exercise. Join a gym or a dance class, run, walk or use the stairs… there are many ways to stay fit. 

Spend more time outdoors
In this digital world, lets give our eyes and body a break from the compute screens and televisions and venture oudoors. Go for a stroll in the park or start playing an outdoor game. Plan your holidays on the country side or go for a trek or a hike. 

Eat healthy 
A healthy diet goes a long way. So stop yo-yo dieting and maintain a balanced meal plan. Have 5-6 mini meals and ensure you get your 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. Cut down on the oil, fried and processed food and maida. Keep one cheat day during the week so you don't feel deprived and a bit of dark chocolate is good for health, so indulge your sweet tooth at times. 

Drink healthy fluids
Thirst often masquerades as hunger and many a times we tend to ignore the need of hydrating ourselves. So, let us promise ourselves this year to drink our 12 glasses of water and to add to that a few refreshing healthy drinks like fresh fruit juices or limbu paani during the day. For those of you who drink, don't stop but cut down on the alcohol and limit your intake to twice a week.

Pamper your skin
Being healthy is not only about feeling good but also looking good. So take care of your skin and hair as much as you would take care of the rest of your body. Pamper your skin with suitable moisturises and go for your monthly face cleanups. When it comes to your hair wash it daily with a compatible shampoos and indulge in some oil massages and hair spas.

Sleep for 7 hours
Unbroken, peaceful sleep is important for your mind and body to function well. So get yourself into the routine to sleep for seven hours at night and avoid having alcohol or caffeine around those times along with avoiding those tempting but not so healthy midnight snacks. 

Relax
In today's fast paced life, stress seems to be something everyone is suffering from. It can lead to poor digestion, a weak immune system, high blood pressure and not to mention the mental strain. Drop the load of your shoulders once in a while and de stress with some breathing exercises, meditation or maybe a spa treatment.

Build your support network
Meaningful relationships are the much needed support system we need for mental and spiritual peace. This year lets invest more of our time in developing and nurturing the relationships we share with our family and friends, thus prioritising our heart over our mind.

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