Healthy with Candle Therapy

Have you ever heard Ear Candle therapy? Ear Candle therapy is the therapy candles that use a special candle burned.

Ear Candle therapy has been already done centuries ago. It is said that this therapy comes from ancient Indian tribes in South America. Initially using corn skin dipped in a beehive. Now it is used special candle made of quality linen coated wasp nest. There is holes in the middle.

How to use it is putting a candle in a container such therapy coasters that have been drilled, so the candle can be through. Place the tip of the candle in the ear canal, while the other end was burned. After about 15 minutes, make the fire of candle off, then repeated for the other ear.

After that, cut both ends of the candle and there will be visible dirt. That's the dirt from the ears of the reach of ear cleaning. How? Smoke or steam from the candle takes all the dirt.

Ear Candle therapy is best done by experts or mistakenly you can burn your ear. Besides ear discharge, ear therapy can eliminate insomnia, vertigo, overcome ear infections, hearing sharpens, overcoming insomnia, reduce sinusitis, overcome ear buzzing, cure asthma, coughs and colds, and respiratory relief.

This therapy was not only useful for ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat). We have a lot of beauty salons as well as providing care services Ear Candle Therapy. This therapy can help to eliminate acne and gives freshness to the face. Besides, this therapy also can be used for relaxation. The smoke produced from burning candles can make us relax.

If undertaken regularly, this therapy can get rid of ear diseases mentioned above. After Ear Candle therapy, the effect will be felt immediately, you'll sleep even more soundly.

‘Low-cal’ foods are everywhere, but if you pick the wrong ones you could end up fatter.

LOW& BEHOLD  Here are some which are worthwhile and those that aren't WORTH BUYING Diet drinks  A standard can of cola has around seven teaspoons of sugar and about 130 calories. By comparison, artificially sweetened versions are virtually calorie and sugar-free, so there's really no contest if you're watching your weight. But it's worth remembering that additive-free water is still the healthiest drink.  Low-fat spreads  Fats you spread on bread make up a significant proportion of the total fat in the average diet, so choosing a low-fat one is a very easy way to make a significant impact on how much fat you eat.  Skimmed milk  If you consume half a pint of milk daily you can cut your saturated fat intake by 6.5g daily (one-third of the daily maximum recommended for women) by swapping from full fat to skimmed. Choosing semiskimmed instead gives a 2.3g reduction. MAYBE WORTH IT Reduced fat crisps  These have a third less fat than the standard ones, but with more than 20 per cent fat they are still a high-fat food.  Healthy ready meals  These can be a good bet if you want convenience and low calories. But you can find healthy meals in the standard ranges too. As a guide, look for those that have less than 20g fat and 5g saturated fat and fewer than 400 cals. Better, do yourself a quick chicken and veg stir fry which can be ready in virtually the same time as a microwave meal.  Low-fat sausages  If you love sausages these represent a much healthier choice. But they are still high in fat compared with lean meat. Have them no more than once a week.LEAVE ON THE SHELF Diet yoghurts  Diet yoghurt is likely to be loaded with artificial sweeteners, starch and gelatine. Natural yogurt with added ripe, sweet fruit is healthier, tastier and no higher in calories.  Reduced-fat biscuits  Although reduced-fat biscuits contain 25 per cent less fat, their sugar content is higher, and the overall calorie saving per biscuit is too marginal to bother about. A reduced fat digestive has only four calories fewer than a full fat one for example. — DAILY MIRROR

10 m Indians suffer food allergies

Mumbai: The nightmare began even before three-year-old Piyush Patil had finished his cupful of a popular health drink. Clutching his throat as though choking and his skin breaking into hives, the child collapsed even as panic-stricken members of the Mulund household ran helter-skelter looking for doctors' numbers.      It was Piyush's mother, Sheela, who recognised the signs immediately: an allergic reaction to peanut. The Patils, who live in New York but were visiting relatives in Mulund when the accident occurred, had known about Piyush's allergy for a year. Piyush—who was in a condition called anaphylatic (neartoxic) shock that many people fail to recognise—was rushed to a nearby nursing home for a life-saving shot of steroids. He was fine after the injection, but the Patils, who returned home a few days ago, are scarred.      "I have been meticulously avoiding anything that even vaguely mentioned peanut, but in Mumbai I found no labels on food or drinks to suggest the inclusion of peanut,'' says Sheela. For instance, the health drink that she had bought from a local shop in Mulund only mentioned "edible oils''. "Had it specifically mentioned groundnut oil, I would never have forced Piyush to drink it,'' she says. What got her worked up is the fact that packets of, say, Glucose biscuits or Kurkure chips exported to New York from India compulsorily carry a special label delineating the kind of edible oils and salts used in the product. "One wonders why the same labelling system isn't practised in India,'' she asks.     The Patils' experience underlines the inadequate labelling system in India and also shows how widespread food allergies are. "Food allergies affect 1% of the population, a sizeable one crore people,'' says Dr Pramod Niphadkar, the specialist who treated Piyush. Lax labelling on food items abets allergies  Mumbai: Food allergies account for 5% of all allergies in India. In the United States, studies show that one in every 25 adults suffers from some form of allergy to food items such as eggs, nuts and milk (see box alongside).      According to Dr Pramod Niphadkar, many Indians are unaware that they could be allergic to besan or chickpea (chana dal) or even amla. He suggests that people who have suffered episodes of food allergy should carry an alert card. "Not only medical staff but even the public should be educated about an anaphylatic attack, which is a serious allergic reaction and can result in death,'' he says.      Niphadkar recollects the case of an engineer, son of a well-known doctor, who suffered an anaphylatic shock twice in one week. Detailed history-taking revealed that the Silicon Valley engineer, who was visiting his parents in Dadar, was allergic to alma and has been avoiding the Vitamin C-rich fruit.      The other serious issue is the inadequate labelling mechanism. While India has the Food Safety and Standards 2006 Act in place, the labelling mechanism is still nascent. "We have achieved some success,'' says Bejon Misra, CEO of Consumer VOICE, a New Delhi-based NGO.      "At present, many foodstuffs carry labels detailing the presence of colours and additives as well as the nutritional value of ingredients. There is a move to help patients with diabetes and cholesterol by stating details of sugar and cholesterol.''      However, Misra concedes that India still lags far behind other countries who are members of the CODEX Alimenatrius Commission of the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation, which was set up two decades ago to draw up standardised guidelines for foodstuff.      "If the United States has detailed labels even on Indian imports, it is because of the local laws there. Only when India follows it will people with food allergies benefit,'' says Misra.  WHAT IS A FOOD ALLERGY?      It is the body's immune system response to a food that is mistakenly perceived as harmful      Ingestion of the offending food may trigger the release of chemicals, including histamine, resulting in symptoms of an allergic reaction      Symptoms may be mild (rashes, hives, itching, swelling, etc) or severe (trouble breathing, wheezing, loss of consciousness etc)      One could be allergic to any food, but eight foods—milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, cashews etc), fish, shellfish, soy and wheat—account for 90% of all reactions      Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death      According to US stats, one in 25 adults suffers from some form of food allergy. The corresponding figure for children is one in 17  (Source: American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology)

Why does a woman’s heart skip a beat?

On World Heart Day, doctors advise Indian men to have a heart and look after their wives  Empowerment at the price of a healthy heart? More Indian women than ever before are joining the workforce, their hearts are skipping more than just a beat and it's not always because of a man. It's part of the global picture, which has women accounting for 15-20% of heart disease.      Dr Ashok Seth, chairman of Delhi's Escorts Hospital, says, modern women face more stress than their mothers and grandmothers. "More of them are coping with high-pressure jobs, and also looking after their homes, giving them heart disease 10 years earlier." Seth warns women to "pay more attention to themselves" because heart disease is likely to be the number one killer within five years.      Doctors agree heart disease afflicts women at least a decade before they could expect it. Earlier, it would strike women over 60, but now, it's hitting them at 50, says Dr Praveen Chandra, director of Cardiac Cath Lab of Delhi's Max Hospital.      Stress is often compounded by neglect. Dr Kushagra Kataria, CEO and chief cardiothoracic surgeon of Gurgaon's Artemis Hospital says it is very noticeable "that when women come in with their sick husbands, they wait till they have get treated first and then tell me they too have the same symptoms." Perhaps the best advice for Indian men on World Heart Day should be 'Have a heart' and look after your women.      Do they face the same risks? Women initially have the advantage because the female hormone, estrogen, protects the heart. But menopausal women have declining estrogen levels and the risk equals that of men, say cardiologists. Women who pop the pill are more at risk because oral contraceptives are thought to increase the risk of blood clots, says Chandra.  The changing mindset of the Indian woman means the rise of what Kataria calls "the Type A" personality (aggressive, ambitious, impatient), often seen in men. Type As are more prone to heart disease.  Most scary is women exhibiting atypical symptoms of an attack. Seth says "women may not always show typical angina symptoms, but could just suffer from breathlessness." He adds this "is often dismissed as lack of fitness. Their treadmill exercise test too shows greater negative results."  Women need to know that the pain preceding a heart attack could be just about anywhere – the upper arms, shoulder, back, jaws, tooth, groin, head, adds Kataria. This, because the heart itself has no nerves but the outer membrane does and "when the heart is deprived of oxygen during an attack, these nerves send out signals to nerves elsewhere and the pain manifests itself in any of these areas."      But the heart of the matter is that women respond worse to angioplasty and bypass, says Seth, probably due to their smaller arteries. Chandra adds that a woman generally has a more severe heart attack than a man, so it is more likely to be fatal.  FOR A SAFE HEART  Have a check-up once you're over 30, or if you have a family history of heart disease  Check your cholesterol and sugar levels and have a Treadmill Exercise Test  Breathlessness and indigestion, which is unrelieved by medicine, could be symptoms

Celebrate World Heart Day tomorrow with these tips

TAKE HEART Celebrate World Heart Day tomorrow with these tips by Dr B K Goyal that will keep your heart beating   The fact that our heart functions 24x7 can easily be taken for granted. A healthy heart, in one hour, produces enough energy to lift a one-ton weight off the ground. But recent studies show that 50 per cent of Indians are prone to heart disease, with men in their 30s at a greater risk. But the good news is that few key steps are all that you need to ensure its well-being.  TAKE A CHILL PILL  Stressful situations are accompanied by increased heart rate and blood pressure, which increase the demand for oxygen. This additional demand may lead to chest pain. Our nervous system releases hormones that raise blood pressure which can damage the lining of our arteries. So stay positive and find ways to manage stress.  LOW FAT, CARB  Eat a well-balanced diet that includes fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It is important to keep note of the total saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, fat and sodium in your everyday menu. And follow these tips: Eat fruits without peeling Have grilled, baked or roasted fish and chicken, not fried Steam vegetables before seasoning to reduce fat intake Limit oil to two to three teaspoons per day Eat 30 gm raw garlic daily.  CHECK YOUR WEIGHT  Extra weight raises cholesterol level, blood pressure and increases risk of coronary artery disease. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute defines being overweight as having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of over 25. Those with BMI over 30 are considered obese.  KICK THE BUTT  Famed for increasing the risk of lung cancer, smoking also increases risk of heart disease. It causes rise in blood pressure and leads to the build-up of fatty plaque in the arteries. This accelerates the formation of blood clots which cause a heart attack.  CHECK FOR DIABETES  If you are diabetic, then you are three times more likely to develop coronary heart disease. Control of blood sugar levels will keep your heart safe.  GET MOVING  Exercise burns calories, helps control cholesterol and keeps diabetes away. It also lowers blood pressure and makes the arteries more flexible. Those who actively burn about 3,500 calories a week, either at work or through exercise, live longer than those who don't.  CONTROL ALCOHOL  Excessive alcohol can trigger high blood pressure, stroke, irregular heart beat and disease of the heart muscle. Calories from alcohol adds to body fat.  KNOW YOUR ROOTS  If heart disease runs in your family, precaution is a must. Risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, obesity are passed from one generation to another.  KNOW YOUR BP  Keep a track of errant blood pressure and immediately consult your physician in case of heaviness in the chest, severe headache, short temper and uncommon bouts of anger. Blood pressure can vary with activity and age, but a healthy adult at rest generally has a systolic pressure reading between 120 and 130 and a diastolic pressure reading between 80 and 90 (or below).      (Dr B K Goyal is Director      Cardiology from Bombay Hospital      and Medical Research Centre)  — CO-ORDINATED BY VIKAS HOTWANI

Refreshing Mint Leaves for Health

Mint is a popular plant that contains a lot of benefits for health. Mint leaves (Mentha cordifolia) have a fragrant aroma and refreshing taste of cool. Light fragrant aroma of mint oil content caused asiri of menthol oil. Aroma and taste of mint combined with other ingredients to make this plant used as beauty products, toothpaste, chewing gum, shampoo and others. This leaves contain vitamin C, pro-vitamin A, phosphorus, iron, calcium and potassium.

Some toothpaste manufacturers have often used the scent of peppermint as a natural flavor. Peppermint is also used to treat teeth, it can protect the content of teeth from microbes and germs by its antiseptic. Diligently consume peppermint will make a healthy mouth and fresh breath.

Peppermint can also eliminate stress. A cup of mint tea can make the mind becomes calm. In addition, mint can also remove existing toxins in the body because mint is a diuretic and anti-microbial.

Fiber, chlorophyll and phytonutrients contained in many mint. Mint leaves is believed to restore stamina, relieve headaches, prevent fever, has cancer-preventing antioxidant properties and maintain eye health.

Many people confuse how to process mint. Some people consider merely mint leaves for garnish cake, pudding or beverages. Yet this leaves could be processed into a variety of dishes, such as seafood seasoning, mixed salad, a mixture of juice, tea or stir the mixture.

Mint tea mixed into the water bath can eliminate fatigue. Mixture of two drops of mint oil and two ounces of water are incorporated into a bottle you can use as a conditioner with the way the hair spray.

Other benefits of peppermint are:

• Eliminate dandruff on the scalp.
• Used as an aromatherapy that can refresh and hydrate skin.
• Improve blood circulation.
• Eliminate fatigue and increase energy.
• Eliminate swelling in the legs.

Benefits of Honey for Our Health

Almost everyone knows that honey is an important food source for humans and beneficial to human health, but very few people who noticed the characteristic of the producer, namely honey bees.

Bees produce honey not for themselves, but also for humans. Like other creatures in nature, bees are also dedicated himself to serve mankind; the same as the egg-laying chickens every day despite they are not need it and cows that produce milk far exceeds the needs of her children.

Honey is composed of several sugar compounds such as glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, chlorine, sulfur, iron, and phosphate. Honey also contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6 and B3 that composition changes according to the quality of nectar and pollen. In addition, honey is also a small amount of copper, iodine, and zinc, as well as several types of hormones.

Today, apiculture and bee products have opened a new branch of research in countries advanced in science. Other benefits of honey can be described below:

Easily digested:

Because sugar molecules in honey can convert into other sugars (eg. fructose to glucose), honey is easily digested by the most sensitive stomach though, despite having a high acid content. Honey helps kidneys and intestines to function better. Low calorie: Quality honey is, when compared with the same amount of sugar, honey calories 40% less.

While giving a lot of energy, honey can not cause gaining weight. It diffuses more rapidly through the blood: When mixed with warm water, honey diffuses into the blood in seven minutes. Free sugar molecules make the brain function better since the brain is the largest sugar consumer.

Helps blood formation:

Honey provides the energy needed by the body for blood formation. Furthermore, he helped clean the blood. Honey has a positive effect and helps regulate blood circulation. Honey also acts as a protection against capillary problems and arteriosclerosis.

Kill the bacteria:

The nature of the honey kills bacteria called "inhibition effect". Research on honey show that these properties more than doubled when diluted with water. It is interesting that the newly born bees in the colony fed diluted honey by the bees responsible for their care, as if they know the capabilities of this honey.

Here are other benefits of honey for human health:
1. increase endurance,
2. increase sexual arousal,
3. increase the milk production,
4. cure high blood pressure,
5. launch blood and urine,
6. heartburn cure,
7. treat rheumatism,
8. smooth functioning of the brain,
9. heal burns,
10. good for skin care,
11. treat sinusitis,
12. colds, coughs, etc..

Hmm .. there many other benefits that can be exploited by humans from honey, even from the days before, honey has been known as a drug and a potent drink to cure various diseases.

Finally, a vaccine to combat HIV?

Application Of Sanofi Pasteur & VaxGen Vaccine May Be Limited, Say Researchers AN experimental combination of two vaccines from Paris-based Sanofi Pasteur and US-based VaxGen has made significant progress in finding a way to combat the illness, researchers said.      Results of a six-year long phase III clinical trial in Thailand has proved that the combination of Sanofi-Pasteur's ALVAC canary pox vaccine and the failed HIV vaccine AIDSVAX of VaxGen can lower the rate of HIV infection by 31.2%. But its application may be limited and a commercial vaccine may require more time, researchers said.      The HIV vaccine trial was executed by the Thai Ministry of Public Health and included a team of leading Thai and US researchers. The trial was sponsored by the US army and conducted by the Thai Ministry of Public Health. The trial involved 16,000 volunteers.      In a press statement, which was jointly issued by the vaccine makers, Michel DeWilde, senior vice president (research) of Sanofi Pasteur said: "This is the first concrete evidence that a vaccine against HIV is eventually feasible. There is still a lot to be done. These results are significant, but do not provide a definitive answer. On the other hand, they do provide a number of possibilities for exploration and the scientific base for new studies."      The WHO, UNAID and both the vaccine firms feel that results of the combination provide a lot of possibilities for research as well as a new scientific base for studies. "The HIV virus is similar to the cold virus in that the base is unstable and keeps changing. If scientists have managed to isolate a portion of this base which is stable and can work on that it can be very significant for future studies," said a scientist working with an Indian firm, who did not want to be named.      WHO and UNAID said that while no vaccine safety issues were observed in the trial, licenser at this point in time may not be possible solely on the basis of this study's results.

10 Surprising Reasons to Eat Less Meat

It's not just about animal rights ... not by a long stretch.

You don't need to be a complete vegetarian for your diet to help protect the planet. Just eat less meat. Here's why:

1. Save the rain forest

World Wildlife Fund estimates that, every year, an area of the world's rain forests larger than the state of New York is destroyed to create grazing land. In Latin America, says the United Nations, some 70% of forests in the Amazon basin have been cut down to raise cows.

2. Refresh the air

If you've ever driven by a feed lot, you've probably had to hold your nose. No wonder. About 1.4 billion metric tons of solid manure are produced by U.S. farm animals each year - 130 times the quantity produced by people. This figure includes pigs and chickens as well as cattle, but cattle are the single largest source.

3. Keep water clean

Two-thirds of the beef cattle raised in the U.S. are fattened up using hormones like steroids, testosterone and progesterone. When the cows pee, they can pollute surface and ground water with all these chemicals, affecting the ability of frogs and fish to reproduce, too.

4. Save water

It takes 600 gallons of water to produce one hamburger patty. Just one.

5. Feed more people

It takes about 2 pounds of grain to produce a quarter-pound of burger meat. Why not convert that grain (and the resources used to grow it) into food more people can eat?

6. Stop climate change

"Hamburgers are the Hummers of food" when it comes to climate change, say scientists. Switching from steak to salad could cut as much carbon as leaving the car home a couple of days a week. Food is the third largest contributor to the average household's carbon footprint after driving and utilities. If people simply cut their meat intake from the average 90 kg/year to 53 kg/yr, meat-associated carbon emissions would drop by 44 percent.

7. Be nice

Many livestock and dairy cattle are raised in cruel and inhumane conditions where they must be injected with antibiotics so they'll fatten up and seem healthy. The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that about 70% of all antibiotics made in the U.S. are used to fatten up livestock.

8. Avoid drugs

In addition to hormones and antibiotics, conventional meat producers routinely process their products using chemical additives and preservatives like phosphates and sodium nitrites. That makes them pinker, but not necessarily healthier. Sodium nitrites may react with amino acids to form carcinogenic nitrosamines; various studies have found a link between high processed-meat consumption and colon cancer, possibly attributable to preservatives like sodium nitrite.

9. Live longer

Speaking of health, eating a lot of meat can increase the likelihood of heart attacks and high blood pressure.

10. Save money

Meat is usually the most expensive item you put in your shopping cart. Buy less meat, and shift the savings to organic fruits and vegetables.

Good health through homeopathy

HEAL WITH HOMEOPATHY I am a 56-year-old man who has developed erectile dysfunction since the past few months. Please guide.      Erectile dysfunction could be due to a number of reasons. At your age, there could be many causative factors — physical and psychological. Hormonal changes, diabetes, increased cholesterol levels, anxiety, depression and stress could be some of the causes. You may need to get investigated to rule out such conditions. Exercise regularly, try to relax mentally, and eat a balanced diet. You may take Lycopodium 30C, five pills once daily.  My sister who has delivered two weeks back is showing signs of depression and even avoids her child. We wish to avoid psychiatric medications. Can homeopathy help?      Your sister seems to be suffering from puerperal depression, a condition that occurs in the first few weeks after childbirth. Interpersonal psychotherapy for your sister along with counselling for her husband and other family members will be needed so that they put conscious efforts to keep her comfortable. A detailed case history will be required to prescribe the appropriate homeopathic remedy. In the meanwhile, you may give her Kali Phos 6X, two tablets twice daily.  I'm 23-years-old and have been diagnosed with varicose veins. Please advise me.      Varicose veins are caused due to weakness of their valves that leads to pooling of blood, which in turn causes the veins to elongate and become tortuous. Common in people who remain standing for long hours — a hereditary tendency to develop it, is also seen. Avoid standing for prolonged periods and if you need to do so at times, keep flexing your knees at regular intervals. Wear compression stockings whenever you go out. You may try Calc Fluor 6X, two tablets twice daily.  Can homeopathy help treat mouth inflammation in my three-year-old son?      Homeopathy can certainly treat inflammation of the mouth, medically called stomatitis. Homeopathic remedies, being natural and miniscule in dose, can be safely administered even in children. Increase your child's intake of vitamin B containing foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You may give him Merc Sol 30C. Giving him curds everyday will help replenish the healthy bowel flora. Dr Mukesh Batra