Archive for August, 2008
Mix Up Your Oils
Posted on August 31, 2008, under Health.
Dietary fats and oils are combinations of glycerol with fatty acids.The type of fatty acid predominant in oil plays a major role in determining its health effects: Saturated fatty acids(SFA) is bad fatty acid, mono unsaturated fatty acid(MUFA) is good fatty acid, poly unsaturated fatty acid)PUFA) are n-6 and n-3 fatty acid, which are a combination of bad and good and trans fatty acids(TFA) are very bad fatty acids.
For Indians, using a combination of oil rich in MUFA and n-3 PUFA is preferable than using a single oil.N-3 PUFA particularly for the large chunck of vegetarians among us.Hence olive oil, which has the maximum concentration of MUFA, is not enough because it does not have n-3 PUFA.The later decreases triglyceride content, irritability of the heart and inflammation of the arteries.Fatty acid compositions differ significantly.
How to mix your oils
- Oils with a high SFA content (bad fatty acid) are: coconut oil(91%), palm oil(45%) and ghee(65%)
- MUFA rich oil(good fatty acid) include: olive oil(75%), canola oil(61%), groundnut oil(50%), rice bran oil(42.5%), and palm oil(40%)
- Oils rich in n-3 PUFA (usually lacking in Indian diet) include: linseed oil(55%), mustard oil(10%), soybean oil(7%) and rice bran oil (1%).Mustard and canola oil have shown to exhibit similar properties, but mustard oil has high concentration of erucic acid which may be harmful.
- Oils rich in n-6 PUFA include: soybean oil)50%), olive oil(10%) and mustard oil(18%).
Ways To Prevent Kidney Stones
Indian ayurveda and homeopathic experts have been addressing the problem of kidney stones for long.They have many medicines for the treatment and prevention of these stones, some of which are relevant even today.The emphasis of ayurveda is also on flushing the stones out using liquid portions.Today we have refined it by giving IV fluids and water expelling tabltes like Frusemide.
The best cure for the stone disease is of water-five litres in summers and three litres in winters.There is a misconception that beer is good for stone problems.However, water is considered as effective if not a better medicine.Recent studies have shown that cranberry juice may also be helpful in pushing the stones out because of its diuretic effect.
Homeopathic medicine is also thought to decrease the tendency to form stones.Patients suffering from certain diseases sometimes develop a propensity towards it.Renal stones are recurring may in nature.Such patients may be treated by homeopathy.Surgery can be avoided in many cases if the stones are detected at the earliest.But sometimes, surgery is the only solution.
Homeopathy increases the patient’s immunity and also helps control the recurrence of the disease.There are many drugs which help relieving pain, expelling stones, breaking stones, and the other associated complaints.
Ayurvedic medicines help in the flow of urine and cool the membranes of the urinary tract.It relax the bladder and relieve irritation.The earlier you get yourself treated, speedier the recovery and the assurance of a complete cure.It is when the treatment is not carried out in a proper manner that the disease often returns.In all natural forms of healing there is an increase in the immunity and the recurrence of the disease can be avoided.
Give Your Mind Some Rest
Posted on August 29, 2008, under Miscellaneous.
Education teaches you how to use the mind and not how to stop it so that it can relax.Even when you are asleep it continues to work; the mind knows no sleep.However, it is possible to turn the mind off when it is not required.This is helpful in two ways: One, it will give you peace, silence, which you have never known before, and secondly, it re-acquaints you with yourself, which had not been possible till now, since the chattering mind had always kept you engaged.
Learn how to say, it is enough-now go to sleep.I am awake, don’t be worried.Use the mind only when it is needed; then it remains fresh, young and full of energy.This gives your words authority, truth, sincerity and meaning.The same words that you had been words that you had been using before will now acquire more power and energy.
What the world knows as charisma, is simply a mind which knows how to relax and let the energy collect.Such a mind need not give any evidence or any logic-just its own energy is enough.A mind that is working day and night is bound to become weak, dull, unimpressive, and dragging.At the most it, would become utilitarian, just useful enough for you to go about your daily activities.It won’t have power to do anything more.Many people thus often lose their chance to become impressive by allowing their mind to get crowded and worked up.
Give your mind the rest that it needs so desperately.This can be done simply, by becoming a witness to it.The mind then slowly learns to be silent and consequently powerful.Words then attain a richness, validity and quality that they have never had before.They will bypass and logical barriers and will touch the very core of the heart.
Acid Attack
If that burning sensation in your stomach is a constant, you may have acidity.Don’t ignore it, it can turn nasty.The medical term for acidity is dyspepsia.Burning, bloating, loss of appetite and pain are its common symptoms.
The stomach generally secrets acids that are essential to the digestive process.This acid helps break down food during digestion.When there is excess production of acid in the stomach, it results in acidity.But that is not the only cause.Ulcers in the lower intestine or blisters in the stomach and food pipe areas also cause acidity.Increased sensitivity of the nerves which perceives secretion of acid to be more than it is can cause acidity.But ulcers and blisters are definitely a more potent cause.
Our eating habits are squarely to blame for this.From alcohol, painkillers to spicy food, we indulge ourselves a bit too much.When you add to it our unhealthy lifestyles, problems are bound to occur.It sounds incredible but a person’s temperament can affects his/her chances of getting acidity.Acidity is common in emotional and nervous individuals.
People tend to take acidity lightly.What they do not understand is that it has many long term effects.But first they must diagnose the problem correctly because the symptoms of acidity are quite like the symptoms of a heart attack.
Acute acidity may mimic a heart attack and people often land up in the intensive care unit.It may also impersonate other abdominal catastrophes so a through investigation is needed.If ulcers are the cause of acidity, it is necessary to undergo immediate treatment.Some ulcers have the risk of bleeding which can be harmful, sometimes fatal.The ulcers could also form an obstruction in the lower intestine.And though it is extremely rare, some ulcers can be malignant.
Acidity is a lifestyle oriented disease.Though some antacids can provide immediate relief by neutralizing the excess acid secreted, other things need to be checked for long term help.You will benefits if you keep your weight in check, avoid sleeping immediately after a meal, elevate the head end of your bed, avoid chocolates, alcohol, cigarettes, soft drinks, fried and spicy food and tight clothes.
Ulcers or gastritis is often related to either painkiller drugs(such as aspirin and ibuprofen) or a bacteria called Helicobacter Pylori.Avoid painkillers for simple problems like aches and pains.If really required, take a paracetamol or consult your family doctor.People who are on aspirin and similar drugs for heart problems and have acidity should consult the doctor.Often they can be treated with anti acid drugs which are very good.
Just Face It
FAT CHANCE
The goal towards achieving the body beautiful is no longer the exclusive domain of a specific gender.Today, men and women have become conscious about diet and exercise.As a result, almost every second person you meet will, in all like hood, be following some kind of a weight loss/health schedule.
In fact, people are not just exercising, they are also reading up on health and ways in which to lose weight.But funnily enough, most of the literature available on weight gain/weight loss and exercise is not addressed to a particular gender-it’s unisex.This poses a real problem.Men and women’s bodies are fundamentally/different any form of health/fitness education that ignores this, inevitably creates more problems than solutions.
To begin with, let’s try and understand the difference in how fat metabolizes in women and men.Many hormone, epinephrine etc influence the fat cell.These hormones are not present in the same concentration in men and women.As a result, the impact these hormones have on men and women differ and this ultimately results in a difference in the way both the genders metabolize fat.
BIG DIFFERENCE
This won’t should like great news to women fitness buffs but women have hormones, which are more active in storing fat rather than in breaking down fat as opposed to men whose makeup is more prone to break down fat.What it means is that women eating foods with a high fat content will find it extremely difficult to lose that fat from their bodies even when they exercise vis-a-vis men who can burn off fat more easily.To put it simply, if the men eat butter chicken in the evening and hit the gym the next day for an extra hour they can still minimize the fat gain, but in the case of women, the fat will stick on.Ouch!
As a result, women have to be extra careful about what they eat if they want to lose weight.The scientific explanation for this is that women who are of child-bearing age have a metabolism which promotes and prepares the body to carry a child i.e. the body helps in fat deposition for pregnancy.And because the hips and thighs are the storage areas for this fat, biologically a fertile woman’s body will try to store more fat than lose it.So it’s only logical that eating less fat and fat-forming foods is the way to go if you want to get the body to lose fat.
CYCLICAL CHANGES
Also, don’t forget that women have a hormonal cycle, which occurs every month.During the first half of this cycle, the body prepares for pregnancy and in the latter portion, the body flushes out the sloughed off uterine tissues.This whole process is dominated by estrogenic influences in the first half and progesterone in the second half.The estrogen promotes fat storage and progesterone, mobilization.That is why just before a woman gets her periods; she tends to eat more as the body is getting ready for pregnancy.Water retention will help prevent any weight loss during this time.
This question arises-what is the best way to lose weight?The secret is to eat less fat laden food in the phase before the 15th day of the cycle so that the net fat intake is low and as a consequence less is stored.After the 15th day of cycle, eat more iron and fibre rich food.This will help the body to flush out excess water.Needless to say, not eating salt at night will help in a big way.
Face Forward
Facial muscles weaken due to inadequate blood supply, in cases of paralysis.Do the following set of exercises twice daily.These regulate blood flow, strengthen facial muscles and get rid of numbness.Repeat every exercise 6-8 times.
- Open your mouth to the fullest, exerting pressure on the jaws.Then close your mouth tightly.
- Fill your mouth with air such that your cheeks expand to their fullest.Keep your lips closed.If you have trouble keeping them closed, use your fingers to close them.
- Put your tongue out as far as you can.Then put it back into the mouth and roll it upwards and downwards.
- Inflate a balloon with your mouth.
- Extinguish a candle by blowing on it.
- Open and close your eye to their fullest.Do it slowly.
- Blink your eyes in quick succession.
- Rotate your eyes in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.
- Massage your face, in upward strokes.
IMPORTANT TIPS
- Avoid getting stressed, tense or depressed, as these states of mind can aggravate the problem.
- Ensure that you get proper sleep of at least 7-9 hours.
- Try to keep your bowels clean.
DIET TIPS
- Consume a diet rich in proteins, by increasing intake of pulses and green vegetables.However, avoid urad, chana, rajma and okra.
- Completely avoid yoghurt,rice, kadhi and yam.
- Soak 2-4 garlic pearls in water overnight and consume them in the morning with water.
Preventing Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are solid mineral deposits that accumulate inside the kidney or in the other parts of the urinary tract.It can cause acute pain.There can be one or more stones present at the same time in the kidney or in the ureter.
Some symptoms are severe back or abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting along with excessive sweating.If there is fever also, one should consult a doctor.
To prevent kidney stones
- Drink at least three litre of water daily as this is prevent dehydration and reduces the risk of forming stones.Additional water should be taken while performing strenuous exercise.One should drink more water if one notices yellow colored urine which is a sign of less water in the body.
- Eating a tender coconut daily prevents stone formation.
- Eat low-fat diet rich in proteins.Increase intake of fruits and vegetables.
Self-care at home
- Remain well hydrated and keep the urine dilutes.
- If you are taking calcium stones, avoid consuming animals protein from meat and dairy products.
- Discontinue consumption of calcium supplements and food rich in calcium like ice creams, chocolates, tea etc.
- Patients suffering from oxalate stones should avoid consumption of green vegetables, balck pepper, almonds and peanuts.
- Salt intake should be restricted.
- People suffering from uric acid stones must avoid citrus fruits.
Point to remember
- Most stones pass out of the body without a doctor’s help.
- When you pass a stone, try to catch it in a strainer to show your doctor
Consult your doctor if you have severe back pain and it does not subside.Or, you spot blood in urine.
How To Lose Weight After 30
Losing weight in your 3os is not as easy as it is in the 20s. This is because the metabolism slows down by about 5-percent each decade.As one grows older, the metabolic rate progressively slows down due to the natural muscle and bone needs around two percent less calories with each passing decade to maintain the same body weight.
Body composition, genes, activity level and dietary habits affect metabolism.Symptoms include weight gain, fatigue and low energy levels.Here are a few tips to get your metabolism working faster
- Include strength training and cardiovascular exercises: Strength training helps build and maintain mean a faster metabolism as muscles utilize calories for their maintenance.Good choice include weight bearing exercises like push ups, working out on machines or using dumbbells.Metabolic rates can increase up to 25% after a vigorous cardiovascular workout.This will help improve the heart and the lungs and also decrease levels of body fat.Good choice include walking, swimming and cycling.
- Avoid drastic dieting: If you drastically cut down on caloric intake, your body perceives this as a starvation threat.It is not being fulled efficiently and as a result, the body’s metabolism slows down.
- Set a scheduled eating pattern: Eating erratically affects the metabolism adversely.Set regular time table for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
- Sip green tea: Green tea contains catechins, which boosts the metabolism.
- Lead an active life: If you lead a sedentary life, the metabolism becomes sluggish.It is important to increase your activity levels.
That Numbing Sensation
Here are some simple asanas to help you cure paralysis and also keep your blood pressure in check
1 Anulom-Vilom Pranayam
Form the pranayam mudra with the right hand, close your right nostril woth your right thumb and exhale slowly through the left.Now breathe in deep and slow.When your lings are full, close the left nostril with your ring and little fingers and lift the thumb off the right and exhale slowly next, inhale slowly and deeply from the right nostril to maximum capacity.Then close the right nostil with your thumb, lift fingers off the left and exhale.This is one round.Repeat 11 times.
Benefits: Excellent for the nervous system, lungs and heart; curbs hypertension, phobia, insomnia, nervous weakness and other mental problems.
2 Bhramari Pranayam
Close both your ears with your thumbs.Keep your index fingers on your forehead near the agya chakra and the other three fingers on your closed eyes.Exhale fully, then inhale slowly and fill your lungs with air.As you exhale slowly, hum like a bee.Focus your attention on this sound.Repeat 10-12 times.
Benefits: Counters mental problems like tension, stress, anxiety, insomnia and nervous weakness; greatly improves concentration and mental stability.
3 Deep Breathing
Inhale to your lings full capacity and then exhale fully.While doing so make sure that only your chest expands and contracts.Focus your attention only on your breathing.
Benefits: One of the best distressing exercise and the simplest way to meditate.
4 Aum Chanting
Inhale to your lings maximum capacity.Open your mouth and say ‘aaa’.Then close your mouth slightly, say ‘o’ and close your mouth fully, saying ‘mmm’ as you exhale.Repeat this cycle a few times.
Benefits: Boosts overall energy circulation in your body.
Live Life As A Celebration
Posted on August 21, 2008, under Miscellaneous.
This week, Janmashtami, Lord Krishna’s birthday will be celebrated around the country.Krishna’s fundamental message is to live life as celebration.Krishna set the example with his own life which was colorful and multidimensional.By imbibing the spirit of celebration in our daily lives, we could be practicing Krishna’s message.
If one knows that art of celebration one is in meditation forever.Unfortunately, today people prefer to sit back and be entertained rather than be part of a celebration.Makes a distinction between being entertained and participating in entertainment one is only a passive spectator.For example, one may entertain oneself by watching a dance performance and on the other hand one can dance and enjoy.There is a world of difference between dancing and watching.
One can feel rejuvenated and refreshed by participating in an activity and celebrating life.Obsession work and other daily concerns have taken away celebration from our lives and deprived us of the excitement and thrill that comes with celebration.Suffering the become the basic tone of mankind.For Krishna, work is play.And for the modern man even play has become work.Even while watching films we tend to enjoy the various emotions at display, be it love, friendship or joy.
However, watching these emotions at display cannot substitute for actually experiencing them.Krishna is all for celebration; he takes life as a great play, a mighty drama.Let this world be filled with song and dance, with music and festivity.That will be a real tribute to Lord Krishna.
