Every man ’s health guide

How much red wine is too much? Is your sex drive at an all time low? Medical experts address your deepest fears

1 I've heard that men are prone to a sudden heart attack at an early age. What could be the cause and how can I avoid it? ANS: The causes of heart attack at an early age are: Genetic Predisposition: The Indian race is more prone to an attack.
Multiple risk factors like:
- Family tendency - Hypertension - Diabetes Mellitus - Lipids - Smoking
Prevention:
- Screen for HT, DM, Lipids at an early age - Regular exercise - Eat more green vegetables and fruits - Avoid fat and junk food. 2 How frequently should I have a cardiac examination after 35 years of age? ANS: After the age of 35, once in 3 years, and it's best to have it done once a year after you touch 40. 3 Can I engage in an active sex life after undergoing a Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)? ANS: You can resume an active sex life after 3 months of the CABG. 4 Is it advisable to marry after a heart attack? ANS: Yes, with early treatment.
5 Does smoking really kill and how soon? ANS: Smoking can cause early death due to: - Heart disease - Lung disease - Various cancers - Strokes — CVA One cigarette a day reduces life by about 11 minutes and accelerates the chances of a heart attack, particularly between the ages of 30-40.
6 Sitting on my workstation has given me a chronic back ache. How do I tackle it?
ANS: This is called RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). To avoid it, correct your posture and use a proper chair with your knee/hip bent at a 90 degree angle. Alternately, use a foot rest to achieve proper height or use a chair with an armrest. Your laptop screen must be at the same level as your eyes. Sit with your back straight.
7 My dad is bald and I fear I may be soon heading in that direction. What are my options? ANS: If your dad had become bald prematurely, then there are higher chances of you following suit, as you can't change your genes. Consume a proteinrich diet and take care of your hair. Baldness can be treated with medication and surgical procedures. 8 I believe red wine is good for the heart. Is that true? How many pegs of whiskey or cans of beer can one safely consume in a day? ANS: Red wine is good for the heart as it reduces cholesterol. Only two pegs of whiskey or one can of beer are advisable (only if you must) in a party atmosphere. 9 If I'm having trouble performing in bed, should I worry about becoming impotent? ANS: Yes, you should worry about becoming impotent as there are systemic causes like diabetes, hypertension, hormonal disturbances and certain drugs that can cause impotency. 10 If a condom breaks during sex, do I need to get myself checked for sexually transmitted diseases? ANS: If involved in a high risk sexual behaviour with an unknown person, get yourself tested. 11 Is diabetes genetic? Can wrong food/lifestyle also cause the disease?
ANS: Improper food habits (aerated beverages, fast food etc) along with an irregular lifestyle, lack of exercise and sedentary habits often lead to Type 2 Diabetes in genetically predisposed persons.
12 Can lifting heavy weights cause hernia or impotency?
ANS: Not if it's done properly. Otherwise, the improper use of weights often leads to strains, fractures, tendonitis and other sorts of dislocation.
13 How do I know I am depressed enough to resort to medication or seek help?
ANS: When a person feels a lingering sadness, a loss of interest in life, along with a lack of sleep, appetite and work impairment for more than two weeks, the patient is likely to be depressed and in need of help. If his condition advances with an addition of suicidal tendencies, inertia towards professional life and weeping without reason, he may need medication. 14 What problems does stress create? How can I avoid getting stressed out? ANS: Stress precipitates body aches, hyper tension, diabetes mellitus, easy fatigue, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease (heart disease). The impact of stress can be buffered by maintaining a regular routine, doing exercise, yoga or meditation. Simple deep breathing techniques help. 15 How much exercise must I indulge in to ensure I stay healthy? ANS: 30-40 minutes walking 5 days a week or 30 minutes aerobics/strengthening 3 days a week is a basic must.
Our Medical Experts: Dr Jagdish Prasad, Medical Superintendent, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi and Dr OP Sharma, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru.

AMAZING FACTS YOU HAVE TO KNOW - Dr Edward Group Research

As a healing remedy, honey can address multiple issues. There are far more benefits from taking honey than I will include here. Scientific research is ongoing surrounding the benefits of this remarkable substance. I’ve included some interesting benefits you may not know about.

1. Taking organic raw honey is a healthy way to get an energy boost. Its carbohydrates supply us with energy and strength. It can boost your endurance and reduce muscle fatigue.

2. Honey is a great aid in relieving morning sickness, reportedly even more effective than traditional soda crackers. It’s also good for sore throats including laryngitis and pharyngitis.

3. Honey and cinnamon can help in many areas including relief from bladder infections, arthritis, upset stomach and bad breath. It’s even supposed to be able to slow down hair loss.

4. Honey can be used as a medication for men with problems of impotence and women with problems related to infertility. Warm raw goat milk and raw honey is believed to increase sperm count considerably.

5. A salve made of honey, for diabetic ulcers, has been proven effective when other topical antibiotics are not well tolerated. It can be applied to eczema, canker sores or bleeding gums.

6. Honey and apple cider vinegar can be used for many ailments like stomach aches, constipation and even migraines.

7. Honey and lemon goes to work in the body shifting the extra fat stores, thus making it usable energy for regular body functions. And, honey is cholesterol-free. It reportedly can even help to keep cholesterol levels in check

8. Honey has a viscous texture due to its low water content. It also establishes a poor environment for bad bacteria to grow, and is a good natural preservative.

Honey is a remarkable natural substance that is receiving a lot of well deserved attention. Remember that it’s best to use locally grown, organic raw honey. Seek out local markets for organic goods to get the freshest products. Support your local independent farmers; helping them to stay in business is good for them and for your economy.

And for more information about honey, visit the sites listed in our Related Articles section below.

Organic and Organic Raw Honeys
Honey and its Benefits
Milk & Honey — Recipe for Good Health
Raw Honey: Exploring the Benefits of this Ancient Superfood

__________________________________________________

Articles exracted from http://www.ghchealth.com

Honey Effective In Killing Bacteria That Cause Chronic Sinusitis

ScienceDaily (Oct. 1, 2008) — Honey is very effective in killing bacteria in all its forms, especially the drug-resistant biofilms that make treating chronic rhinosinusitis difficult, according to research presented during the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.*

The study, authored by Canadian researchers at the University of Ottawa, found that in eleven isolates of three separate biofilms (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and methicicillin-resistant and -suseptible Staphylococcus aureus), honey was significantly more effective in killing both planktonic and biofilm-grown forms of the bacteria, compared with the rate of bactericide by antibiotics commonly used against the bacteria.

Given the historical uses of honey in some cultures as a homeopathic treatment for bad wound infections, the authors conclude that their findings may hold important clinical implications in the treatment of refractory chronic rhinosinusitis, with topical treatment a possibility.

Chronic rhinosinusitis affects approximately 31 million people each year in the United States alone, costing over $4 billion in direct health expenditures and lost workplace productivity. It is among the three most common chronic diseases in all of North America.

*Title: Effectiveness of Honey on S. aureus and P. aeruginosa Biofilms. Authors: Talal Alandejani, MD (presenter); Joseph G. Marsan, MD; Wendy Ferris, BSc, MLT, MSc; Robert Slinger; Frank Chan, PhD. Date: September 23, 2008.


Article extracted from http://www.sciencedaily.com
___________________________________
Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Tomato Chetney

Southindian Style
Cut 2 big ripe tomatoes, 1 smallbunch corriender leaves, 1 big onion ,5 green chillies. Heat a kadai and saute onion cut into small slices, tomatoes,greenchilies and finally corriender leaves washed and cleaned. Allow it to cool and add 1 teaspoon salt. Grind it in a mixer. You can have it as an accompliment to idly,dosa, and pongal. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and add mustard seeds allow it to splutter and add the ground paste. cook in slim fire and mix it throughly till it reaches the jam consistency. Cool and store it an airtight container, refrigerate. Tastes well as a side dish for curd rice and other variety rice. can mix with steamed rice and have it as a tomato rice with potato chips

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."