10 steps to better heart health!!

1. Stop smoking. Nourish yourself with a handful of sunflower seeds and a cup of nettle or oatstraw infusion daily for 4 to 6 weeks before quitting. Sunflower seeds reduce the body's craving for nicotine by filling the nicotine receptor sites. The infusions strengthen blood vessels and nerves and cushions the impact of withdrawal.

2. Touch and be touched. Many scientific studies have shown that people who were touched lovingly every day had significantly fewer heart problems than the control group.

3. Eat seaweeds. They have been shown to stabilize blood pressure, regulate levels of triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterols, they dissolve fatty build-ups in the blood vessels, they can restore cardiac efficiency and prolong the life of the heart muscle, and they encourage a steady heartbeat.

4. Eat foods rich in beta-carotenes: it can cut your risk of a stroke by 40 percent. Foods rich in beta-carotenes are orange, green, yellow and red. They include carrots, cabbage, winter squash, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, apricots, and seaweed.

5. Eat garlic. Study after study has confirmed garlic's abilities to lower blood pressure, reduce phospholipids and cholesterol, strengthen heart action, increase immune response, reduce platelet clumping and clotting (thus reducing strokes) and stabilize blood sugar levels. Eat garlic raw or lightly cooked, several cloves a day.

6. Eat foods rich in essential fatty acids. Fresh pressed oils of wheat germ or flax seed are especially nourishing.

7. Drink lemon balm tea. It is so strengthening to the heart that there's an old saying about it: Those who drink lemon balm tea daily will live forever! You can also steep a handful of fresh leaves in a glass of white wine for an hour or so and drink it with dinner. Or make lemon balm vinegar to use on your salads.

8. Move! Go for a walk, jump rope, swim, or do leg lifts and arm raises from your bed or wheelchair: however you can do it, do it! Regular exercise is key.

9. Avoid restrictive diets. Frequent dieting, fasting, binging and purging imbalance your electrolyte levels, causing weakening of the heart muscle and damage to the heart.

10. Eat as much as you want of: whole grains, vegetables, beans, greens, fruits, fish, seeds, and yogurt. Go easy on: nuts, cheese, and milk

What does a healthy diet really mean?

Is it a Diet or a Lifestyle Change?

Think of the word "diet" and what springs to mind? Restrictive meal plans? Best-selling books by skinny celebrities? Guilt producing health nuts who make us feel like anything that we might want to eat is not only bad for us but will ultimately cause our unfortunate demise and it will be all our fault because we didn't listen to them and follow their diet?!? OK, maybe that last one is just me.

Anyone who has been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes has heard the word "diet", usually in the context of a health care professional telling us that we need to change to a healthier diet. But these days, we tend to think that there must be a detailed diet we need to follow, a book we have to read a membership we have to buy, or a guru we need to pledge our allegiance to.

But "diet" actually has another meaning. According to our good friend Merriam Webster, the word "diet" can also mean "food and drink regularly provided or consumed." Another definition is "habitual nourishment".

Here in this country, there is so much talk of diets, that we start to think that we have to be "on a diet." The other meaning of the word diet gets lost in the hype: Your diet is what you eat everyday.

People can have a healthy diet, a junk food diet, or a steady diet of Steven King novels. It's just another way of saying... something you consume on a regular basis.

So when we hear in the news that we should add something, say, like olive oil, to our diet, it just means that we should chuck the trans-fat laden hydrogenated gunk we're eating and substitute something that's kinder to our heart instead.

No fancy diet required. Just tossing out some bad stuff and adding some healthier choices to what we already eat everyday.

More unhealthy items to limit or eliminate from our diets:
Beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup
Packaged salty, fried snacks
Other packaged snacks that contain trans fats or high fructose corn syrup
Deep fried or breaded, battered foods
Creamy sauces or soups
Processed foods like hotdogs, luncheon meats, or high-fat frozen foods
Sugar-laden foods like packaged cookies, cakes and breakfast cereals

Healthy things to add to our diets:
Fresh or frozen vegetables and salads
Lean meats
Water and other unsweetened beverages like green tea
Homemade low fat, low sugar treats
Fresh fruit
Monounsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds
Whole grain breads, brown rice, and other sources of fiber

A diet doesn't have to be rigid, it doesn't have to cost a lot of money and it doesn't have to be on

The New York Times Bestseller List. It just has to be something that we can follow everyday. Good choices that fit our preferences and our lifestyles. In other words, an everyday diet that we can follow for life.

10 Tips for Better Health!!

1. "Eat it, it's good for you." - Listen to your mother and eat breakfast every morning. People who eat breakfast regularly are 5 times less likely to put on weight.

2. "How do you know you don't like it, if you haven't tasted it?" – Remember to add fish to your diet. The omega 3's found in cold water fish can cut your risk of heart disease and decrease symptoms of depression.

3. "I can't believe you can sleep in this filth!" - Get plenty of rest. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night on average are 2½ times more likely to die prematurely.

4. "You can say just about anything about anyone, as long as you "bless their heart" somewhere in the sentence." -Remembering those social skills come in handy when meeting new friends. Elderly people who are more involved in communal activities live longer and have less medical problems.

5. "If you're going kill each other, do it outside" - Get outdoors and experience nature. It raises brain serotonin (the feel-good hormone). It's easy, start with a daily walk.

6. "Don't put that in your mouth, you don't know where it's been." – Brush your teeth and floss already. Studies have shown that practicing good dental hygiene can add 6.4 years to your life.

7. "You WILL eat it, and you WILL like it!" - Eat your vegetables, your mother was right, again - bless her soul(or heart!). Fruits and vegetables are chock full of good things - fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Remember fiber keeps things moving.

8. "Why didn't you go before we left the house?"- Another of life's mysteries. Remember peeing is good, so drink lots of water. For every ounce of coffee or soda pop you consume, ½ ounce of water is siphoned from your tissues.

9. "Why? Because I said so, that's why!" - Need to think about the logic of that one? Maybe a little meditation is in order. Take time for quiet reflection and prayer-- it is shown to reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

10. "A little soap & water never killed anybody." - Wash your hands. Yup, we are channeling mom, again. By frequently washing your hands you wash away germs that you have picked up from other people, or from contaminated surfaces, or from animals and animal waste. One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with the cold virus.

Mobiles can be cancerous than smoking!!

A new study by an Indian-origin neurosurgeon has shown that cell phone use could kill more people than smoking, because of its possible association with brain cancer.

Dr Vini Khurana, a staff specialist neurosurgeon at the Canberra Hospital and an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Australian National University, said heavy usage of mobile phones might turn out to be a greater threat to human health than smoking and even asbestos.

To support his finding, Khurana conducted a 15-month 'critical review' of the link between mobile phones and malignant brain tumours, and said that using mobiles for more than 10 years could result in more than double the risk of brain cancer.

In order to curb this danger, he has urged for 'immediate and decisive steps' by industry and governments to reduce people's exposure to invisible electromagnetic radiation emitted by handsets.

He has also asked to begin a 'solid scientific study' observing heavy mobile phone users for a period of at least 10-15 years.

'It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking, and directly concerns all of us, particularly the younger generation, including very young children,' the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Khurana, as saying.

However, he added that it is not that smoking was better for people than using mobile phones, but mobile-phone related health issues were a lot more dangerous and affected a far greater number of people.

He pointed out that currently there were 3 billion mobile phone users worldwide, and the number is growing with each passing day. In fact, people started using them as young as three.

He underlined that mobile phone radiation could result in heating up the side of the head or potentially thermoelectrically interact with the brain, while Bluetooth devices and 'unshielded' headsets could 'convert the user's head into an effective, potentially self-harming antenna'.

Khurana indicated that there had been increased reports of brain tumours linked with heavy and prolonged mobile phone use, particularly on the same side as the person's 'preferred ear' for making calls.

However, Chris Althaus, chief executive of the industry body, the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, rejected Khurana's conclusions, saying handsets were designed, built and tested to comply with strict science-based guidelines.

He also pointed out to a 2000 World Health Organisation fact sheet, which said no recent reviews had concluded that exposure to the radiofrequency fields from mobile phones and their base stations caused any adverse health consequences.

But this was denied by WHO, saying that there were 'gaps in knowledge' that required further research to better assess health risks, which would take several years to complete. Even Khurana said that the WHO fact sheet was irrelevant in this instance because 'most of the worrisome data has been surfacing in the last 12-24 months'.

Another fact sheet on the NSW Cancer Council's website said stressed for further research as not much was known on the long-term effects of electromagnetic field exposure.

Khurana said there is a time-gap of 10-20 years between the starting of regular mobile phone usage to the diagnosis of a malignant solid brain tumour. And the link between mobile phones and brain tumours had not yet been 'definitively proven' because widespread mobile phone usage started in the mid-1980s and solid tumours might take several years to form.

'In the years 2008-2012, we will have reached the appropriate length of follow-up time to begin to definitively observe the impact of this global technology on brain tumour incidence rates,' said Khurana.

However, he stressed that there was already enough evidence to warrant industry and governments taking immediate action to reduce mobile phone users' exposure to electromagnetic radiation and inform them of potential dangers.

'Worldwide availability and use of appropriately shielded cell phones and hands-free devices including headsets, increased use of landlines and pagers instead of current mobile and cell phones, and restricted use of cellular and cordless phones among children and adults alike are likely to limit the effects of this physically invisible danger,' said Khurana.

Reducing Weight Naturally

In ayurveda, Charak Samhita describes eight different types of bodies that are disease prone. Out of these, the obese body is described as the one afflicted with the most diseases and troubles. Obesity is the condition or physical state of the body when excessive deposition of fat takes place in the adipose tissue.

Extra fat puts a strain on the heart, kidneys, liver and the joints such as the hips, knees and ankles and thus, overweight people are susceptible to several diseases like coronary thrombosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, gout, liver and gall bladder disorders. Chief cause of obesity is overeating, irregular eating habits and not following the rules of eating or mixing non-compatible food items in one meal.

To decrease weight and get rid of obesity three things must be kept in mind:

>>Controlling eating habits.
>>Regular exercise.
>>Avoiding the causes of weight gain.

Diet recommended to lose weight


>>Early morning
Juice of half a lemon mixed in a glass of warm water and a teaspoon of honey.

>>Breakfast
Wheat or Mung bean sprouts and a cup of skimmed milk.

>>Midmorning
A glass of orange, pineapple or carrot juice.

>>Lunch
>Salad of raw vegetables such as carrot, beet, cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes. Steamed or boiled vegetables.
>Whole grain bread or whole wheat chapatis (Indian bread) and a glass of buttermilk.
>Roasted cumin seeds, green coriander leaves, a little salt and some grated ginger mixed in the buttermilk.

>>Mid-afternoon
Coconut water
>Dry fruits
>Lemon tea
Fresh vegetable soup

>>Dinner
>Whole grain bread or chapatis
>Steamed vegetables
>Seasonal fruits except banana and apple.

Home Remedies for Losing Weight
.Increase the quantity of fruits and vegetables and low calorie foods.
.Avoid intake of too much salt as it may be a factor for increasing body weight.
.Milk products like cheese, butter etc. and non-vegetarian foods should be avoided as they are rich in fat.
.Mint is very beneficial in losing weight. A chutney of green mint with some simple spices can be taken with meals. Mint tea also helps.
.Spices like dry ginger, cinnamon, black pepper etc. are good for loosing weight and can be used in a number of ways.
.Regular intake of carrot juice.
.Avoid rice and potato, which contain a lot of carbohydrates. Among cereals wheat is good.
.Vegetables like bitter gourd (Karela), and bitter variety of drumstick are useful in loosing weight.
.Honey is an excellent home remedy for obesity. It mobilizes the extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilized as energy for normal functions.
Dosage: One should start with small quantity of about 10 grams or a tablespoon, taken with hot water early in the morning. A teaspoonful of fresh lemon juice may also be added.
.Fasting on honey and lime- juice is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity without the loss of energy and appetite. For this, mix one teaspoon of fresh honey with the juice of half a lime in a glass of lukewarm water.
Dosage: Take several times a day at regular intervals.
.Raw or cooked cabbage inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight reduction.
.Exercise is an important part of any weight reduction plan. It helps to use up calories stored in body as fat.
.Walking is the best exercise to begin with and may be followed by running, swimming or rowing.
.The gum of Commiphora Mukul called 'guggulu' is the drug of choice for the treatment of obesity.

Preparation of Home Remedies
According to ayurveda home remedies are prepared in the same way and with the same purpose as other ayurvedic medicines. The main aim is to obtain the maximum therapeutic benefit while making it palatable.

Some common methods of preparing home remedies are:
>Juice
The juice may be taken from the fresh leaves, flowers or stems of the herb. The part of the herb used should be crushed or ground in a mortar and pestle, to make a paste. This paste should be put in a piece of cloth and squeezed to take out the juice.
Dosage: One to two tablespoons twice a day.

>Powder
Dried herbs are used for powders. The herbs are usually dried in a cool, shady and well-ventilated place, although some herbs are dried in direct sunlight. The herbs are then ground into a fine powder and stored in a dry, airtight bottle. The powder may be taken with water, or if specified, with milk or honey.
Dosage: Half to one teaspoon twice a day.

>Decoction
A decoction is prepared by boiling the herb in water (ratio: 1 part herb to 16 parts water). The herbs are broken into pieces and soaked in water overnight. This mixture is then boiled until it reduces to one quarter of the original volume. It is then filtered and stored in a glass bottle.
Dosage: One to two tablespoons twice a day.

>>Infusion
Herbs are soaked in water to make an infusion (ratio: 1 part herb to 8 parts water). Hot infusions result from adding herbs to hot water, or gently heating but not boiling the mixture. This is strained and taken internally. Herbal teas are forms of hot infusions. Cold infusions are made from soaking the herb overnight. Honey can be added.
Dosage: half to one cup once or twice day.

>>Paste
A paste can be made from either fresh or dried herbs. The flowers, roots, stems, leaves or bark are ground and mixed with water. Pastes are mainly used for external application, in cases of cuts, burns and swellings. The paste should be thick enough to be applied in a layer to the skin.

>>Tablets
The herbs should be first dried separately and then mixed together in a powder form, in fixed proportions. Water or herbal juice can be added to this powder to make a paste, from which tablets of a specific size or weight are made. Tablets remain potent longer than juices, powders, pastes or decoctions.
Dosage: 1 or 2 tablets twice a day.

>>Medicated ghee and oil
Ghee is cooked with herbal juices, decoctions or pastes. The ghee should be heated with the herbal mixture at a moderate, controlled temperature. High temperatures can easily burn the ghee or oil, destroying its effectiveness. Medicated ghee and oils are either used internally or massaged externally.
Dosage: Half to one tablespoon.

Obesity Can Double The Risk of Cancers!!

According to a recent report published in the Lancet medical journal, obesity can cause the risk of several cancers like those of the bowel, kidney, and breast to almost double up. Risk of numerous blood cancers such as adult leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma also increases with increase in body fat.

Andrew Renehan, a cancer specialist at the University of Manchester led the study. Renehan made his analysis after looking into the results of about 282,000 men and women, of what happened to people whose body mass index (BMI) increased from the normal range (18 to 25) to overweight ( more than 25) or from overweight to obese (above 30).

The study also showed that gender too plays a very important role between obesity and certain cancers. For eg, for men, the risk of thyroid cancer rose by a third, while colon and kidney cancers rose by almost 24 percent. When women gained more than necessary weight, their risk gall of bladder cancer rose by almost 59 percent, while 34 percent was the increase in the kidney cancer rate.

Obesity has become a world-wide phenomenon now days; the reasons are multiple some of them include more fast food, less exercise and unhealthy eating habits.

The mantra for staying lean and cancer-free is really simple, all you need to do is to eat sensibly and exercise regularly. Follow it, for not only will you look good, you will stay disease-free too.

Smoking kills almost a million in India per year!!

“Smoking is harmful to Health” - This is a statutory warning printed on all cigarette packets. Yet the question arises as to how many people pay heed to this warning. Statistics will reveal a very small number. Majority knowingly jump in the fire or continue to smoke, risking even the lives of those around them, due to passive smoking.

A recent research has revealed that smoking kills almost a million people in India per year. More so the high smoking risk among Indians was a surprise when actually Indians start smoking at a later age and even smoke less than their European and American counterparts.

Also smoking results in most Indians dying from Tuberculosis rather than cancer as Indians prefer Beedis, that are traditionally leaf wrapped and hand rolled rather than manufactured brand filters. And since most of them never quit till death, the risk just doubles.

The study also revealed that almost 120 million people smoke in India, majority being men. Due to smoking most men in India get infected with asymptomatic tuberculosis - that is, smoking damages the lungs to such an extent that the latent infection cannot be sustained, eventually leading to death.

Illiteracy is one of the evil causes of smoking, for half of the Indian smokers are illiterate and barely 2% quit smoking in their lives. For the other half literate people who continue to smoke in spite of being aware of the dangers involved, the Indian health authorities are rooting for tobacco companies to print images of diseases that are tobacco related. But politicians want to save their vote banks in the name of protecting jobs of tobacco workers.

The research which was recently published was based on a study of the smoking history of 74,000 Indian who had recently died and 78,000 Indians living.

Well research or no research, smoking is injurious to health - is a known fact. And yet people continue to...smoke!

Courtsey:Rueters