TICK-TOCK

Each day runs as per the clock; the clock on the wall, or the one on your wrist. But did you know that you have a body clock ticking inside you? You can be your own timekeeper and lead a healthier life

Dr Parul R Sheth

You may not realise that there is an internal clock ticking inside your body until you experience a change in sleep patterns or have a jet lag. Experts in chronobiology; the science of body time say that you can optimise your health, prevent and treat illness, by paying more attention to your internal clockwork. Being your own timekeeper, you can look forward to a much healthier life.
THE 24-HOUR CLOCK
The day and night sets the brain's circadian clock – Latin word – circa meaning 'around' and diem or dies meaning 'day'. Scientists have located the clock in the brain. The clock is regulated by light and is directly related to the body's responses.
    Dr Michael Smolensky, Director, Chronobiology Center at Hermann Hospital, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, US and Dr Lynne Lamberg, a veteran medical writer for The Journal of the American Medical Association, write in their book, The Body Clock Guide to Better Health, "The brain's clock governs whether or not you're crabby before you have your morning coffee, how quickly you can write a letter and how accurately you can proofread it, whether or not you fall asleep at the symphony, when your ulcers act up, and more."
    Says Dr V D Joshi, neurosurgeon attached to Jupiter Hospital and Divine Hospital, Mumbai, "Body clock located in the brain does influence day-to-day activities. We can enhance our performance by understanding and following the body clock. Babies too follow the body clock completely. They sleep more at night and cry for feeds at a regular time. However, as age advances, control over the body clock reduces."
    If you pay attention, you can notice the circadian rhythms or biorhythms working during the 24-hour period of day and night. Your liver enzymes get set in anticipation of food around lunch time. The pineal gland in your brain produces melatonin to put you to sleep when its late evening. Your body temperature is lowest before you wake up and rises as you wake up in the morning. In fact your heartbeat too fluctuates by as much as 20-30 beats per minute over a stretch of 24 hours, muscle contractions vary; virtually every body function shows a circadian rhythm.
INTERESTING RESEARCH
FINDINGS
    Heart attacks and strokes are twice as likely to occur in morning than at other times especially because there is a spurt in blood pressure in the morning
    For asthmatics, the airway potency is poorest at night and best at noon
    Birth peaks in early morning and early afternoon
    Chemotherapy for cancer may be more effective and less toxic if administered at night
    The best time for women to get a mammogram is 5-10 days after her period

A CURE FOR DIABETES?

With diabetes affecting over 30 million Indians, could this type of surgery mark the end of the restrictions of a diabetic life?

Dr Ramen Goel, metabolic surgeon

 Diabetes has an impact on the kidneys, eyes, heart and nerves all over the human body. With the monthly expense for treatment and control, loss of wages from reduced efficiency and incapacity, and cost of complication management, diabetes is a dreaded diagnosis to heard from your doctor.
    There is a possibility of a cure for type-1 diabetes within a decade through stem cell research or pancreatic transplant. However, for the 70-80 per cent of diabetics who are type-2, a regulated lifestyle and sustained weight maintenance for blood sugar control is the only option they have.This kind of discipline is difficult for most of people to achieve and maintain.
    However, recent developments in metabolic surgery have shown promise of a cure for diabetes in over 90 per cent type-2 diabetic patients. Performed through keyhole route, Ileal interposition surgery, where a hormone secreting part of intestine is shuffled, results in increased insulin secretion,increase in number of insulin secreting cells and overall control of sugar levels within 2-8 weeks of surgery. Patients do not require additional medication for sugar control and are able to eat the food of their choice and at desired timings.Initially operated patients in India have shown complete resolution in all of them and more patients are coming forward to be a part of this research.
    Most patients find it tedious to maintain the imposed lifestyle restrictions so they are willing to try out this treatment methodology with optimism and excitement. The prospect of avoiding damage to kidneys, vision, heart attacks and strokes or paralysis is significant enough to motivate people to consider a onetime surgical option.
    The pace of medical science advancement has not only changed the treatment approach, but has forced us to look at a disease from a new perspective. Role of hormones secreted from the intestine, is considered vital in development of diabetes and related diseases. For thousands of years, wise men had counselled healthy eating for longer life. A surgical approach has forced us to remember their significance.

SHORTCUTS TO HEALTHY LIVING

BT tells you how to eat well with a little bit of planning

Everyday, without our knowledge, a faint little feeling in the stomach prompts us to involuntarily look at the clock.Then the revelation hits us — it is evening and we have not had the time to eat our lunch.
    In today's times, where a sedentary lifestyle is the rule, it's observed that the health of people is deteriorating day by day. In this city that never sleeps, people are always on the run.
Due to their busy schedules, the stress levels are high. They have started taking themselves and their body for granted. They don't even remember when they last had a proper meal. Eating healthy just requires a little planning. Here are some shortcuts to achieve a healthy body: BREAKFAST IS A 'MUST': Start your morning with some breakfast, be it a piece of fruit or a whole wheat bread to munch. Try to make your breakfast the night before. Put oatmeal into a thermos of hot water, and let it sit overnight. In the morning you shall have hot cooked oatmeal ready to eat. Similarly a hard boiled egg can be eaten in the morning. This will prevent your body from going into starvation mode. Eating breakfast everyday will also help to increase your metabolic rate.
FIVE MEALS A DAY: Have at least five meals a day in which three can be the main meals ie breakfast lunch and dinner, while other two meals can consist of foods which are handy and nutritious at the same time. Eating frequently prevents hunger pangs, provides consistent energy, and maintains metabolism efficiency. Grab healthy foods such as a fruit that is high in fibre like apple, watermelon, muskmelon, orange, sweet lime, papaya and peaches. Instead of tea, coffee or cola as a mid meal, it can be replaced by fresh coconut water or buttermilk.
PLAN YOUR DINES: Some people's work demands frequenting restaurants for dinner. Since this cannot be avoided, one should plan ahead about what one can select from the menu before you walk in. Always watch out for hidden fats. Creamy soups, white breads, flaky pastries and mayonnaise-based salad dressings add unnecessary fats to the food. Try consuming broths instead of creamy soups. Instead of mayonnaise dressing, use variety of condiments and flavouring agents such as lemon, vinegar, herbs, onion and garlic to improve the palatability of your salad. Remember, a gram of fat contains more than twice as many calories as a gram of protein or carbohydrate. Ask for grilled, baked, boiled or broiled food rather fried foods.
HYDRATE WHEN YOU'RE TRAVELLING: Your work might involve a lot of travelling in which air travel is one of the most dehydrating experiences. Because of this people often complain of sore throats and other respiratory illnesses. To avoid these, one should not drink caffeine, cola or alcohol before or after the flights as these are diuretics and can increase the water loss. Avoid salted snacks like salted peanuts or farsan (fried foods) in order to minimise dehydration. Try consuming lots of fluids in the form of water, fruit juice, coconut water, lime water, etc. In any case one should drink at least 12 to 15
gasses of water everyday. The stress associated with travel may slightly increase the protein requirement, so one should make a conscious effort to consume a little more protein each day.
    Good quality of food: Always remember that the quality of food you eat determines your efficiency at work. Avoid refined foods like white rice and those used to make white bread and sugary breakfast cereals as most of their vitamins and minerals are striped away. They turn into blood sugar (glucose) so fast just like sugar; they can cause a spike in our insulin level. Alternate refined flour with wholegrain flour. Substitute white sugar with honey and jaggery.
    Healthy eating habits travel more easily than it seems. Let's take a conscious decision to eat healthy, let's drink coconut water instead of cola and eat a fruit instead of a samosa when the urge to binge strikes. (The writer is a dietician and sports nutritionist)

Instead of tea or coffee, drink juices

APPY HAPPY: Eat fibrous fruits like apple

Use lemon to improve the palatability of your salad

Drink plenty of water

The top five cancer-causing foods are:

1. Hot dogs
Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.


2. Processed meats and bacon
Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.
 
 


3. Doughnuts
Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.
 


4. French fries
Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acryl amides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams .
 
 
 

5. Chips, crackers, and cookies
All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.
 

Sole to soul: a crash course in reflexology

The masseur moves his hands up your foot and leg. He then kneads it and presses certain points. Almost magically, you begin to feel the tension and stress drain away from your body. The pressure eases, you are relaxed and feel lighter than before. That's the magic of reflexology. This stress busting alternative therapy is a must-try if your want to give your sagging sprits a dose of energy.
Read on to find out the science behind the art and learn a few tricks of the trade...
WHY GO FOR IT?
Simply because apart from making you feel light and easy, reflexology is also useful to alleviate certain conditions. The basic funda of this therapy is to force the body to biologically correct itself and reduce the pressure from certain points.
    Believe it or not, there are 7000 nerve endings on each foot. And different parts of the body are mirrored on the foot. So a therapist massages the different parts (points) of the foot that correspond to the particular body part, which, in turn helps bring the body into its perfect natural balance (homeostatis).
Bascially, the masseur zeroes in on the presence of lumps or thickened areas, known as 'crystal deposits'. Using his thumb and knuckles, he then breaks down these lumps to restore the balance. As the therapist applies pressure on the foot, the signals are sent to the spine, from where they are redirected to the corresponding body part.
Generally no implements are used in reflexology, it's only the therapist's hands that do the trick. It is great to maintain good health. But remember, it is an alternative therapy and cannot be used as a primary form of treatment. During an illness, it is often used in conjunction with medicine. It has been found to be particularly useful in the case of:

• Stress related aches and pains (as it interrupts the stress signals )

• Depression

• Concentration problems

• Blood pressure

• Back pain

• Arthritis

• Migraine

• Infertility

• Sleep disorders

• Hormonal imbalances

• Digestive disorders

• Menstrual disorders
    In case of chronic conditions, an hour long session may be suggested everyday or every alternate day.
A DIY GUIDE
You can give yourself a reflexology massage too. Check out the chart given above. Depending on the ailment you are suffering from, simply concentrate on a particular part of the foot and massage it. Else, just massage each and every point till you feel the pain ease away.
    How you move your hands and knuckles is important. Here are a few tips to get it right:

• While massaging, use the caterpillar movement (move your thumb, pressing at every point). A 10-minute session on each foot will give you relief.

• Often you might feel intense pain as you press a point. Don't worry, it usually implies that a block is being released. However, if the pain is too intense or sharp, reduce the amount of pressure.

• Always massage the area of the foot which corresponds to the kidneys (see chart), at the end of the session. This is because the toxins that will be released as a result of reflexology, collect in the kidneys.
AVOID REFLEXOLOGY

• If you suffer from any form of foot injury or foot ulcers

• If you are pregnant, avoid it during your first trimester and even after that consult your physician before a session.

• If you suffer from blood clots, consult your doctor before a massage.
    (Devendra Upadhyay is a master therapist associated with Franck Provost salon in Juhu and Bandra)

Eating Fish May Protect Diabetics Against Kidney Disease

Researchers in the UK studying the diet and lifestyle of middle-aged and older Europeans found that eating fish twice a week may lower the risk of kidney disease in people with diabetes.

The study was the work of Dr Amanda Adler, of the Epidemiology Unit of the Medical Research Council, based at Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge, and colleagues, and is published in the November printed issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation in the US.

Kidney disease is a serious side effect of diabetes which causes scarring in the filtering units of the kidneys and hampers their ability to clean the blood. One sign of kidneys beginning to fail is albuminuria or protein in the urine.

Eventually when the kidneys fail completely patients need kidney dialysis or a transplant. Protein in the urine is also linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

Adler and colleagues looked at the results of urine tests and diet and lifestyle questionnaires from over 22,000 middle-aged and older men and women, which included questions about how often they ate fish. 517 of the participants had diabetes. All the participants had taken part in a 10-country European study of the links between cancer and diet that ran from 1994 to 1997.

The results showed that:

• 22.6 per cent of the participants with diabetes had microalbuminuria compared to 11.4 per cent of those without diabetes.


• The participants with diabetes who ate on average less than one serving a week of fish were four times more likely to have microalbuminuria compared to those who ate at least two servings a week.


• 18 per cent of the participants who reported low fish consumption had protein in their urine versus 4 per cent who reported eating fish on a regular basis.

The researchers concluded that:

"Greater fish intake was associated with a lower risk of macroalbuminuria in a self-defined diabetic population. These findings merit confirmation in prospective studies and intervention trials and suggest that fish intake may be beneficial for albuminuria in people with diabetes."

Adler said that it was possible there might be other reasons why the fish eaters had a lower risk of albuminuria that the study was not able to account for. She said that protein in the urine was one of the earliest signs of kidney disease:

"Persistent albuminuria means that the kidney has some damage and is starting to spill protein into the urine", said Adler.

"Two positive tests for protein in the urine over several weeks indicate persistent albuminuria, a first sign of diabetic kidney disease," she added.

The researchers suggested that unique nutrients in fish may work by enhancing blood glucose control and helping to regulate an appropriate balance of blood lipids (fats).

As well as a diet that contains regular portions of fish, the National Kidney Foundation said tight glucose control also reduces the risk of albuminuria, as does reducing high blood pressure, quitting smoking and following a diabetic diet prescribed by a doctor.

Senior Vice President for Scientific Activities at the National Kidney Foundation, Dr Kerry Willis said:

"Diet is a relatively simple lifestyle change to make and the benefits could be significant."

Whole Grains Lower Risk of Heart Failure

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Keep eating whole grains and reduce your consumption of eggs and high-fat dairy food to improve your odds against suffering heart failure, a new long-term study shows.

The study, which looked at more than 14,000 people over 13 years, found that participants had a 7 percent lower risk of heart failure (HF) per one-serving increase in whole grain consumption. The risk increased by 8 percent per one-serving increase in high-fat dairy intake and by 23 percent per one-serving increase in egg consumption. Other food groups did not appear to directly affect risk of heart failure.

The findings were published in the November issue of theJournal of the American Dietetic Association.

"The totality of literature in this area suggests it would be prudent to recommend that those at high risk of HF increase their intake of whole grains and reduce intake of high-fat dairy and eggs, along with following other healthful dietary practices consistent with those recommended by the American Heart Association," article co-author Jennifer A. Nettleton, an assistant professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, said in an association news release.

More information

The American Heart Association has more about heart failure.

SOURCE: American Dietetic Association, news release, Oct. 27, 2008

Health Capsule

How to Treat Constipation (masalah sembelit) With Honey

The uncomfortable effects of constipation have plagued humans for millennia, and it seems that all through history, countless remedies and tonics have been made to ease constipation--from senna pods and aloe to dandelion tea and herbal infusions. Another time honored remedy to treat constipation is honey and lemon juice.

Select a few smaller, nearly ripe lemons from the produce aisle. Look for a bright waxy peel and clean citrus smell. Lemons are a natural disinfectant and eating them greatly improves your overall health as well as helps to maintain healthy immune function and healthy digestive function in the body.

Honey is a proven, powerful antioxidant and eating honey native to your region also helps to alleviate symptoms from environmental allergens and irritants.

Drink a cup of warm water or herbal tea mixed with fresh lemon juice and honey every morning on an empty stomach to treat your constipation. You want to use about half a squeezed lemon and around three tablespoons of honey for each cup that you make.

Continue taking this honey and lemon juice natural remedy for at least a week. This natural laxative should have you regular again in no time, and then keep drinking it to help maintain your overall health for a lifetime.

Article taken from: http://www.ehow.com/how_2079057_treat-constipation-honey-lemon-juice.html

China poisoned milk

China milk poisoning incidents make everyone afraid to look at the daily news report. Everyday, the reports are changing. No one can clearly tell us what to eat and not to eat..

1.What really is poisoned milk?

It is the milk powder mixed with "MELAMINE"



What is Melamine use for?

It is an industrial chemical use in the production of melawares.



It is also used in home decoration. "US resistant board"






Do you understand! Melamine is use in industrial production! It cannot be eaten.

2.Why is Melamine added in milk powder?
The most important nutrient in milk is protein. And Melamine has the same protein that contains "NITROGEN"



Adding Melamine in milk reduces milk content and it is cheaper then milk so it lowers capitalization.
It can give the business man more profit! Below is Melamine. Doesn't it look like milk? It doesn't have any smell, so cannot be detected.






3.When was it discovered?
Year 2007!! US cats and dogs died suddenly, they found that pet food from China contains Melamine.



Starting 2008, In China , an abnormal increase in infant cases of kidney stones.



August 2008 China Sanlu Milk Powder tested with Melamine



Sept. 2008 - New Zealand gov't ask China to check this problem
Sept. 21, 2008 - Lots of food products in Taiwan tested with Melamine

4.What happens when Melamine is digested?
Melamine remains inside the kidney. It forms into stones blocking the tubes. Pain will be eminent and person cannot urinate. Kidney will then swell.


Although surgery can remove the stones, but it will cause irreversible kidney damage. It can lead to loss of kidney function and will require kidney dialysis or lead to death because of uremia.

What is dialysis?

In fact, it should be called "blood washing". It is filtering all of the body's blood into a machine and then go back to the body.



The whole process takes 4 hours and it is necessary to dialysis once for every 3 days for the rest of your life.

Here is a dialysis center


Large dialysis center



A small hole is required in the arm to insert the
sub-dialysis catheter.



Why is it more serious in babies?

Because the kidney is very small and they drink a lot of milk powder.

Here is a baby undergoing dialysis.



China currenty has 13,000 infants hospitalized

It does not matter how much a human being took Melamine. The important point is "It cannot be EATEN!"

5.What are the foods to be avoided?

Foods that contain dairy products should be avoided.


Remember: Foods with creamer or milk should be avoided.

6.Which companies are affected?
Hereunder are the companies affected with Melamine.



7.What do we do next?

Avoid the above foods for at least six months.

If you have snack bar, restaurant or coffee shops, Stop selling dairy products for the meantime.

If you have infants at home, change to mother's milk or find other substitutes.

Finally, share this information with friends so they will understand the risk of milk poisoning.

10 symptoms you shouldn't ignore

Most of us recognize the signs of a heart attack and the life-and-death stakes of reacting quickly. And while few would blithely ignore such symptoms as chronic chest pain or shortness of breath, we also need to pay attention to the more subtle signs our bodies give us that something could be wrong.

While some signals are certainly more urgent than others, milder symptoms can also signal trouble and can impact on your quality of life.

When denial can be deadly

Here are 10 symptoms you ignore at your own peril, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Unexplained weight loss. While for many of us, weight loss isn't necessarily a bad thing, if you're losing excessive weight without intending to do so, it's time to consult your physician. (Unintentional excessive weight loss is considered to be 5 per cent of your weight within one month and/or 10 per cent of your weight within six to 12 months.) Unexplained weight loss could be caused by an overactive thyroid, depression, liver disease, cancer, or disorders that interfere with how well your body absorbs nutrients.

Persistent fever. A persistent low-grade fever -- over 38 C or 100.4 F -- could signal hidden infections ranging from a urinary tract infection to tuberculosis. It could, however, also be linked to malignant conditions such as lymphomas. Note: If you have an immune system problem or take immune-suppressing drugs, fever may not be a reliable warning sign. Also fever can be a reaction to certain treatments or medications, such as chemotherapy for cancer.

Shortness of breath. If you're feeling short of breath, and it's beyond the usual stuffy nose or feeling winded from exercise, this could point to an underlying health problem. Causes for breathlessness could include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, asthma, heart problems, anxiety, panic attacks, pneumonia, a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism), pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension.

Note: Seek immediate medical attention if you begin wheezing or feel breathless with or without exertion or when reclining.

Unexplained changes in bowel habits. Changes in bowel habits may indicate a bacterial infection such as campylobacter or salmonella, or a viral or parasitic infection. Other possible causes are inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.

Experts recommend seeing your doctor if you have any of the following:

- Severe diarrhea lasting more than two days
- Mild diarrhea lasting a week
- Constipation that lasts for more than two weeks
- Unexplained urges to have a bowel movement
- Bloody diarrhea
- Black or tarry-colored stools

Mental status changes. Significant changes in thinking or behaviour can be caused by infection, head injury, stroke and low blood pressure.. They can also be a result of medications, especially those you've only recently started taking. See your doctor if any of the following occur:

- Sudden or gradual confused thinking
- Disorientation
- Sudden aggressive behavior
- Hallucinations in someone who has never had them

New or more severe headaches (especially if you're over age 50).. A sudden or serious headache can be caused by stroke, blood vessel inflammation (arteritis), meningitis, brain tumor, aneurysm or bleeding on the brain after head trauma. Be particularly aware of a headache accompanied by fever, stiff neck, rash, mental confusion, seizures, vision changes, speaking difficulties and scalp tenderness or pain with chewing.

Short-term loss of vision, speaking or movement control. These are signs of a possible stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) -- so minutes count. Seek immediate emergency medical care if you have any of the following:

- Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of your body
- Sudden dimness, blurring or loss of vision
- Loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech
- A thunderclap headache (a severe headache that strikes like a clap of thunder)
- Sudden dizziness, unsteadiness or a fall

Flashes of light. The sudden sensation of flashing lights may signal the beginning of retinal detachment. To save vision in the affected eye, seek immediate medical care.

Feeling full after eating very little. Feeling full sooner than usual? If you're full after eating little food and have persistent nausea and vomiting that last more than a week, consult with your doctor. There are many possible causes, including pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer and ovarian cancer.

Hot, red or swollen joint. These could be caused by a joint infection, which requires emergency care to save the joint and keep bacteria from spreading elsewhere. Other possible causes include gout or certain types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Don't be alarmed, just aware

Many signs and symptoms are caused by conditions that aren't chronic, but very treatable -- but the adage 'better safe than sorry' certainly applies with it comes to your health. The bottom line: don't ignore any symptoms or concerns, but consult with your doctor.

To read more click here.

Source: The Mayo Clinic