Health Conscious Peoples

Circulatory System

2009-11-19T02:05:00.000-08:00

The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients (such as amino acids and electrolytes), gases, hormones, blood cells, , etc. to and from cells in the body to help fight diseases and help stabilize body temperature and pH to maintain homeostasis. This system may be seen strictly as a blood distribution network, but some consider the circulatory system as composed of the cardiovascular system, which distributes blood, and the lymphatic system,^[2] which distributes lymph. While humans, as well as other vertebrates, have a closed cardiovascular system (meaning that the blood never leaves the network of arteries, veins and capillaries), some invertebrate groups have an open cardiovascular system. The most primitive animal phyla lack circulatory system. The lymphatic system, on the other hand, is an open system.

The main components of the human circulatory system are the heart, the blood, and the blood vessels. The circulatory system includes: the pulmonary circulation, a "loop" through the lungs where blood is oxygenated; and the systemic circulation, a "loop" through the rest of the body to provide oxygenated blood. An average adult contains five to six quarts (roughly 4.7 to 5.7 liters) of blood, which consists of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Also, the digestive system works with the circulatory system to provide the nutrients the system needs to keep the heart pumping.

Two types of fluids move through the circulatory system: blood and lymph. The blood, heart, and blood vessels form the cardiovascular system. The lymph, lymph nodes, and lymph vessels form the lymphatic system. The cardiovascular system and the lymphatic system collectively make up the circulatory system.

Surface anatomy of the human heart. The heart is demarcated by:
-A point 9 cm to the left of the midsternal line (apex of the heart)
-The seventh right sternocostal articulation
-The upper border of the third right costal cartilage 1 cm from the right sternal line
-The lower border of the second left costal cartilage 2.5 cm from the left lateral sternal line.

The heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body and deoxygenated blood to the lungs. In the human heart there is one atrium and one ventricle for each circulation, and with both a systemic and a pulmonary circulation there are four chambers in total: left atrium, left ventricle, right atrium and right ventricle. The right atrium is the upper chamber of the right side of the heart. The blood that is returned to the right atrium is deoxygenated (poor in oxygen) and passed into the right ventricle to be pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs for re-oxygenation and removal of carbon dioxide. The left atrium receives newly oxygenated blood from the lungs as well as the pulmonary vein which is passed into the strong left ventricle to be pumped through the aorta to the tissues of the body.

History of discoveries A human heart with a visible gun shot wound

2009-11-18T06:23:00.000-08:00

A human heart with a visible gun shot wound

The valves of the heart were discovered by a physician of the Hippocratean school around the 4th century BC. However, their function was not properly understood then. Because blood pools in the veins after death, arteries look empty. Ancient anatomists assumed they were filled with air and that they were for transport of air.

Philosophers distinguished veins from arteries but thought that the pulse was a property of arteries themselves. Erasistratos observed that arteries that were cut during life bleed. He ascribed the fact to the phenomenon that air escaping from an artery is replaced with blood that entered by very small vessels between veins and arteries. Thus he apparently postulated capillaries but with reversed flow of blood.

The 2nd century AD, Greek physician Galenos (Galen) knew that blood vessels carried blood and identified venous (dark red) and arterial (brighter and thinner) blood, each with distinct and separate functions. Growth and energy were derived from venous blood created in the liver from chyle, while arterial blood gave vitality by containing pneuma (air) and originated in the heart. Blood flowed from both creating organs to all parts of the body where it was consumed and there was no return of blood to the heart or liver. The heart did not pump blood around, the heart's motion sucked blood in during diastole and the blood moved by the pulsation of the arteries themselves.

Galen believed that the arterial blood was created by venous blood passing from the left ventricle to the right by passing through 'pores' in the inter ventricular septum, air passed from the lungs via the pulmonary artery to the left side of the heart. As the arterial blood was created 'sooty' vapors were created and passed to the lungs also via the pulmonary artery to be exhaled.

The first major scientific understanding of the heart was put forth by the medieval Arab polymath Ibn Al-Nafis, regarded as the father of circulatory physiology.^[11] He was the first physician to correctly describe pulmonary circulation,^[12] the capillary^[13] and coronary circulations.^[14] Prior to this, Galen's theory was widely accepted, and improved upon by Avicenna. Al-Nafis rejected the Galen-Avicenna theory and corrected many wrong ideas that were put forth by it, and also adding his new found observations of pulse and circulation to the new theory. His major observations include (as surmised by Dr. Paul Ghalioungui):^[13]

1. "Denying the existence of any pores through the interventricular septum."

2. "The flow of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs where its lighter parts filter into the pulmonary vein to mix with air."

3. "The notion that blood, or spirit from the mixture of blood and air, passes from the lung to the left ventricle, and not in the opposite direction."

4. "The assertion that there are only two ventricles, not three as stated by Avicenna."

5. "The statement that the ventricle takes its nourishment from blood flowing in the vessels that run in its substance (i.e. the coronary vessels) and not, as Avicenna maintained, from blood deposited in the right ventricle."

6. "A premonition of the capillary circulation in his assertion that the pulmonary vein receives what comes out of the pulmonary artery, this being the reason for the existence of perceptible passages between the two."

Human Brain, Neuroscience Portal

2009-11-18T06:19:00.000-08:00

Illustration of the human brain and skull

The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.^[1] Most of the expansion comes from the cerebral cortex, a convoluted layer of neural tissue that covers the surface of the forebrain. Especially expanded are the frontal lobes, which are involved in executive functions such as self-control, planning, reasoning, and abstract thought. The portion of the brain devoted to vision is also greatly enlarged in human beings.

Brain evolution, from the earliest shrewlike mammals through primates to hominids, is marked by a steady increase in encephalization, or the ratio of brain to body size. The human brain has been estimated to contain 50–100 billion (10¹¹) neurons^{[citation needed]}, of which about 10 billion (10¹⁰) are cortical pyramidal cells.^{[citation needed]} These cells pass signals to each other via approximately 100 trillion (10¹⁴)^{[citation needed]} synaptic connections.

In spite of the fact that it is protected by the thick bones of the skull, suspended in cerebrospinal fluid, and isolated from the bloodstream by the blood-brain barrier, the delicate nature of the human brain makes it susceptible to many types of damage and disease. The most common forms of physical damage are closed head injuries such as a blow to the head, a stroke, or poisoning by a wide variety of chemicals that can act as neurotoxins. Infection of the brain is rare because of the barriers that protect it, but is very serious when it occurs. More common are genetically based diseases^{[citation needed]}, such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and many others. A number of psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and depression, are widely thought to be caused at least partially by brain dysfunctions, although the nature of such brain anomalies is not well understood.

1 Structure
- 1.1 Topography
- 1.2 Lateralization
2 Sources of information
3 Language
4 Pathology
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

Bisection of the head of an adult man, showing the cerebral cortex and underlying white matter

Drawing of the human brain, showing several important structures
Situated at the top and covered with a convoluted cortex, the cerebral hemispheres form the largest part of the human brain .^[5] Underneath the cerebrum lies the brainstem, resembling a stalk on which the cerebrum is attached. At the rear of the brain, beneath the cerebrum and behind the brainstem, is the cerebellum, a structure with a horizontally furrowed surface that makes it look different from any other brain area. The same structures are present in other mammals, although the cerebellum is not so large relative to the rest of brain. As a rule, the smaller the cerebrum, the less convoluted the cortex. The cortex of a rat or mouse is almost completely smooth. The cortex of a dolphin or whale, on the other hand, is more convoluted than the cortex of a human.

The four lobes of the cerebral cortex

The bones of the human skull

The cerebral cortex is nearly symmetric in outward form, with left and right hemispheres. Anatomists conventionally divide each hemisphere into four "lobes", the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe. It is important to realize that this categorization does not actually arise from the structure of the cortex itself: the lobes are named after the bones of the skull that overlie them. There is one exception: the border between the frontal and parietal lobes is shifted backward to the central sulcus, a deep fold that marks the line where the primary somatosensory cortex and primary motor cortex come together.

Topography, Lateralization

2009-11-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

Topography of the primary motor cortex, showing which body part is controlled by each zone

Routing of neural signals from the two eyes to the brain

The corpus callosum, a nerve bundle connecting the two cerebral hemispheres, with the lateral ventricles directly below

Many of the brain areas Brodmann defined have their own complex internal structures. In a number of cases, brain areas are organized into "topographic maps", where adjoining bits of the cortex correspond to adjoining parts of the body, or of some more abstract entity. A simple example of this type of correspondence is the primary motor cortex, a strip of tissue running along the anterior edge of the central sulcus, shown in the image to the right. Motor areas innervating each part of the body arise from a distinct zone, with neighboring body parts represented by neighboring zones. Electrical stimulation of the cortex at any point causes a muscle-contraction in the represented body part. This "somatotopic" representation is not evenly distributed, however. The head, for example, is represented by a region about three times as large as the zone for the entire back and trunk. The size of a zone correlates to the precision of motor control and sensory discrimination possible^{[citation needed]}. The areas for the lips, fingers, and tongue are particularly large, considering the proportional size of their represented body parts.

In visual areas, the maps are retinotopic—that is, they reflect the topography of the retina, the layer of light-activated neurons lining the back of the eye. In this case too the representation is uneven: the fovea—the area at the center of the visual field—is greatly overrepresented compared to the periphery. The visual circuitry in the human cerebral cortex contains several dozen distinct retinotopic maps, each devoted to analyzing the visual input stream in a particular way^{[citation needed]}. The primary visual cortex (Brodmann area 17), which is the main recipient of direct input from the visual part of the thalamus, contains many neurons that are most easily activated by edges with a particular orientation moving across a particular point in the visual field. Visual areas farther downstream extract features such as color, motion, and shape.

In auditory areas, the primary map is tonotopic. Sounds are parsed according to frequency (i.e., high pitch vs. low pitch) by subcortical auditory areas, and this parsing is reflected by the primary auditory zone of the cortex. As with the visual system, there are a number of tonotopic cortical maps, each devoted to analyzing sound in a particular way.

Within a topographic map there can sometimes be finer levels of spatial structure. In the primary visual cortex, for example, where the main organization is retinotopic and the main responses are to moving edges, cells that respond to different edge-orientations are spatially segregated from one another

Pathology Sources of information

2009-11-18T06:15:00.000-08:00

Computed tomography of human brain, from base of the skull to top, taken with intravenous contrast medium.

By placing electrodes on the scalp it is possible to record the summed electrical activity of the cortex, in a technique known as electroencephalography (EEG).^[8] EEG measures mass changes in population synaptic activity from the cerebral cortex, but can only detect changes over large areas of the brain, with very little sensitivity for sub-cortical activity. EEG recordings can detect events lasting only a few thousandths of a second. EEG recordings have good temporal resolution, but poor spatial resolution.

Apart from measuring the electric field around the skull it is possible to measure the magnetic field directly in a technique known as magnetoencephalography (MEG).^[9] This technique has the same temporal resolution as EEG but much better spatial resolution, although not as good as fMRI. The greatest disadvantage of MEG is that, because the magnetic fields generated by neural activity are very weak, the method is only capable of picking up signals from near the surface of the cortex, and even then, only neurons located in the depths of cortical folds (sulci) have dendrites oriented in a way that gives rise to detectable magnetic fields outside the skull.

A scan of the brain using fMRI
There are several methods for detecting brain activity changes by three-dimensional imaging of local changes in blood flow. The older methods are SPECT and PET, which depend on injection of radioactive tracers into the bloodstream. The newest method, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), has considerably better spatial resolution and involves no radioactivity.^[10] Using the most powerful magnets currently available, fMRI can localize brain activity changes to regions as small as one cubic millimeter. The downside is that the temporal resolution is poor: when brain activity increases, the blood flow response is delayed by 1–5 seconds and lasts for at least 10 seconds. Thus, fMRI is a very useful tool for learning which brain regions are involved in a given behavior, but gives little information about the temporal dynamics of their responses. A major advantage for fMRI is that, because it is non-invasive, it can readily be used on human subjects.

Pathology

2009-11-18T06:11:00.000-08:00

A human brain showing frontotemporal lobar degeneration causing frontotemporal dementia

Clinically, death is defined as an absence of brain activity as measured by EEG. Injuries to the brain tend to affect large areas of the organ, sometimes causing major deficits in intelligence, memory, and movement. Head trauma caused, for example, by vehicle or industrial accidents, is a leading cause of death in youth and middle age. In many cases, more damage is caused by resultant edema than by the impact itself. Stroke, caused by the blockage or rupturing of blood vessels in the brain, is another major cause of death from brain damage.

Other problems in the brain can be more accurately classified as diseases than as injuries. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, and Huntington's disease are caused by the gradual death of individual neurons, leading to diminution in movement control, memory, and cognition.

Mental disorders, such as clinical depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder may involve particular patterns of neuropsychological functioning related to various aspects of mental and somatic function. These disorders may be treated by psychotherapy, psychiatric medication or social intervention and personal recovery work; the underlying issues and associated prognosis vary significantly between individuals.

Some infectious diseases affecting the brain are caused by viruses and bacteria. Infection of the meninges, the membrane that covers the brain, can lead to meningitis. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as "mad cow disease") is deadly in cattle and humans and is linked to prions. Kuru is a similar prion-borne degenerative brain disease affecting humans. Both are linked to the ingestion of neural tissue, and may explain the tendency in human and some non-human species to avoid cannibalism. Viral or bacterial causes have been reported in multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, and are established causes of encephalopathy, and encephalomyelitis.

Many brain disorders are congenital, occurring during development. Tay-Sachs disease, Fragile X syndrome, and Down syndrome are all linked to genetic and chromosomal errors. Many other syndromes, such as the intrinsic circadian rhythm disorders, are suspected to be congenital as well. Normal development of the brain can be altered by genetic factors, drug use, nutritional deficiencies, and infectious diseases during pregnancy.

Location of two brain areas that play a critical role in language, Broca's area and Wernicke's area

In human beings, it is the left hemisphere that usually contains the specialized language areas. While this holds true for 97% of right-handed people, about 19% of left-handed people have their language areas in the right hemisphere and as many as 68% of them have some language abilities in both the left and the right hemisphere. The two hemispheres are thought to contribute to the processing and understanding of language: the left hemisphere processes the linguistic meaning of prosody (or, the rhythm, stress, and intonation of connected speech), while the right hemisphere processes the emotions conveyed by prosody.^[12] Studies of children have shown that if a child has damage to the left hemisphere, the child may develop language in the right hemisphere instead. The younger the child, the better the recovery. So, although the "natural" tendency is for language to develop on the left, human brains are capable of adapting to difficult circumstances, if the damage occurs early enough.

The first language area within the left hemisphere to be discovered is Broca's area, named after Paul Broca, who discovered the area while studying patients with aphasia, a language disorder. Broca's area doesn't just handle getting language out in a motor sense, though. It seems to be more generally involved in the ability to process grammar itself, at least the more complex aspects of grammar. For example, it handles distinguishing a sentence in passive form from a simpler subject-verb-object sentence — the difference between "The boy was hit by the girl" and "The boy hit the girl."

The second language area to be discovered is called Wernicke's area, after Carl Wernicke, a German neurologist who discovered the area while studying patients who had similar symptoms to Broca's area patients but damage to a different part of their brain. Wernicke's aphasia is the term for the disorder occurring upon damage to a patient's Wernicke's area.

Wernicke's aphasia does not only affect speech comprehension. People with Wernicke's aphasia also have difficulty recalling the names of objects, often responding with words that sound similar, or the names of related things, as if they are having a hard time recalling word associations^{[citation needed]}.

Functions of the Esophagus

2009-11-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

The esophagus or oesophagus (see spelling differences), sometimes known as the gullet, is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. The word esophagus is derived from the Latin œsophagus, which derives from the Greek word oisophagos (οισοφάγος), lit. "entrance for eating." In humans the esophagus is continuous with the laryngeal part of the pharynx at the level of the C6 vertebra. The esophagus passes through a hole in the level of the tenth thoracic vertebrae (T10). It is usually about 25–30 cm long and connects the mouth to the stomach. It is divided into abdominal parts.

1 Functions of the esophagus
2 Histology
3 Gastroesophageal junction
4 In other animals
5 See also
6 Additional images
7 References
8 External links

H&E stain of biopsy of normal esophagus showing the stratified squamous cell epithelium	Layers of the esophagus.	Mid-esophageal mass	Stomach
Accessory digestive system.	Organs of the digestive tract.	Esophagus	Section of the neck at about the level of the sixth cervical vertebra.
Transverse section of thorax, showing relations of pulmonary artery.	Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx.	The position and relation of the esophagus in the cervical region and in the posterior mediastinum. Seen from behind. \|	Section of the human esophagus. Moderately magnified.

Spleen Disambiguation

2009-11-18T05:43:00.000-08:00

The spleen, an organ found in virtually all vertebrate animals, satiates important roles in regards to red blood cells and the immune system^[1] Located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, It removes old red blood cells, holds a reserve in case of hemorrhagic shock in some animals such as horses, but not humans), and recycles iron while simultaneously removing from the blood circulation antibody-coated bacteria and antibody-coated blood cells.<.^[2] It synthesizes antibodies in its white pulp ref name="Mebius"/>^[3] Recently, it has been found to contain, in its reserve, half the body's monocytes , which is located in its red pulp, that, upon moving to injured tissue such as the heart, turns into dendritic cells and macrophages while aiding wound healing.^[4]^[5]^[6] It is one of the centers aiding to the activity of the reticuloendothelial system, and can be considered analogous to a large lymph node; the spleens absence leads to a predisposition to certain infections.

The celiac artery and its branches.	The celiac artery and its branches.	Horizontal disposition of the peritoneum in the upper part of the abdomen.	Transverse section through the middle of the first lumbar vertebra.
The duodenum and pancreas.	The visceral surface of the spleen.	Transverse section of the spleen, showing the trabecular tissue and the splenic vein and its tributaries.	Transverse section of the human spleen, showing the distribution of the splenic artery and its branches.
Section of the spleen, showing the termination of the small blood vessels.	Back of lumbar region, showing surface markings for kidneys, ureters, and spleen.	Side of thorax, showing surface markings for bones, lungs (purple), pleura (blue), and spleen (green).	Lymphatic system

Reproductive system

2009-11-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

This article is about sexual reproductive systems. For the reproductive systems of asexual organisms, see Asexual reproduction.

The reproductive system or genital system is a system of organs within an organism which work together for the purpose of reproduction Which is when a woman and a man get freaky then the woman gets knocked up in the end. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are also important accessories to the reproductive system.^[1] Unlike most organ systems, the sexes of differentiated species often have significant differences. These differences allow for a combination of genetic material between two individuals, which allows for the possibility of greater genetic fitness of the offspring.^[2]

The major organs of the human reproductive system include the external genitalia (penis and vulva) as well as a number of internal organs including the gamete producing gonads (testicles and ovaries). Diseases of the human reproductive system are very common and widespread, particularly communicable sexually transmitted diseases.^[3]

Most other vertebrate animals have generally similar reproductive systems consisting of gonads, ducts, and openings. However, there is a great diversity of physical adaptations as well as reproductive strategies in every group of vertebrates.

pictorial illustration of the human male reproductive system.

1 Human reproductive system
2 Other vertebrates
3 Invertebrates
- 3.1 Cephalopods
4 See also
5 References

Human reproduction takes place as internal fertilization by sexual intercourse. During this process, the erect penis of the male is inserted into the female's vagina until the male ejaculates semen, which contains sperm, into the female's vagina. The sperm then travels through the vagina and cervix into the uterus or fallopian tubes for fertilization of the ovum. Upon successful fertilization and implantation, gestation of the foetus then occurs within the female's uterus for approximately nine months, this process is known as pregnancy in humans. Gestation ends with birth, the process of birth is known as labor. Labor consists of the muscles of the uterus contracting, the cervix dilating, and the baby passing out the vagina. Human's babies and children are nearly helpless and require high levels of parental care for many years. One important type of parental care is the use of the mammary glands in the female breasts to nurse the baby.

Male reproductive system (penis)

Main article: Male reproductive system (human)

Partially shaved erect male genitalia. 1. Testicles, 2. Epididymis, 3. Corpus cavernosa, 4. Foreskin, 5. Frenulum, 6. Urethral opening , 7. Glans penis, 8. Corpus spongiosum, 9. Penis, 10. Scrotum.

The human male reproductive system is a series of organs located outside of the body and around the pelvic region of a male that contribute towards the reproductive process. The primary direct function of the male reproductive system is to provide the male gamete or spermatozoa for fertilization of the ovum.

The major reproductive organs of the male can be grouped into three categories. The first category is sperm production and storage. Production takes place in the testes which are housed in the temperature regulating scrotum, immature sperm then travel to the epididymis for development and storage. The second category are the ejaculatory fluid producing glands which include the seminal vesicles, prostate, and the vas deferens. The final category are those used for copulation, and deposition of the spermatozoa (sperm) within the female, these include the penis, urethra, vas deferens, and Cowper's gland.

Major secondary sexual characteristics include: larger, more muscular stature, deepened voice, facial and body hair, broad shoulders, and development of an adam's apple. An important sexual hormone of males is androgen, and particularly testosterone.

Female reproductive system

Main article: Female reproductive system (human)

Photograph of the vulva. 1. Pubic hair (shaved), 2.Clitoral hood, 3. Clitoris, 4. Labia majora, 5. Labia minora (enclosing the Vaginal Opening), 6. Perineum.

The human female reproductive system is a series of organs primarily located inside of the body and around the pelvic region of a female that contribute towards the reproductive process. The human female reproductive system contains three main parts: the vagina, which acts as the receptacle for the male's sperm, the uterus, which holds the developing fetus, and the ovaries, which produce the female's ova. The breasts are also an important reproductive organ during the parenting stage of reproduction.

The vagina meets the outside at the vulva, which also includes the labia, clitoris and urethra; during intercourse this area is lubricated by mucus secreted by the Bartholin's glands. The vagina is attached to the uterus through the cervix, while the uterus is attached to the ovaries via the fallopian tubes. At certain intervals, typically approximately every 28 days, the ovaries release an ovum, which passes through the fallopian tube into the uterus. The lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, and unfertilized ova are shed each cycle through a process known as menstruation.

Major secondary sexual characteristics include: a smaller stature, a high percentage of body fat, wider hips, development of mammary glands, and enlargement of breasts. Important sexual hormones of females include estrogen and progesterone.

NOW IN URDU CLICK

Introduction to ears and hearing

2009-11-18T05:32:00.000-08:00

The ear is the organ that detects sound. The vertebrate ear shows a common biology from fish to humans, with variations in structure according to order and species. It not only acts as a receiver for sound, but plays a major role in the sense of balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system.

The word "ear" may be used correctly to describe the entire organ or just the visible portion. In most animals, the visible ear is a flap of tissue that is also called the pinna. The pinna may be all that shows of the ear, but it serves only the first of many steps in hearing and plays no role in the sense of balance. In people, the pinna is often called the auricle. Vertebrates have a pair of ears, placed symmetrically on opposite sides of the head. This arrangement aids in the ability to localize sound sources.

The outer part of the ear collects sound. That sound pressure is amplified through the middle portion of the ear and, in land animals, passed from the medium of air into a liquid medium. The change from air to liquid occurs because air surrounds the head and is contained in the ear canal and middle ear, but not in the inner ear. The inner ear is hollow, embedded in the temporal bone, the densest bone of the body. The hollow channels of the inner ear are filled with liquid, and contain a sensory epithelium that is studded with hair cells. The microscopic "hairs" of these cells are structural protein filaments that project out into the fluid. The hair cells are mechanoreceptors that release a chemical neurotransmitter when stimulated. Sound waves moving through fluid push the filaments; if the filaments bend over enough it causes the hair cells to fire. In this way sound waves are transformed into nerve impulses. In vision, the rods and cones of the retina play a similar role with light as the hair cells do with sound. The nerve impulses travel from the left and right ears through the eighth cranial nerve to both sides of the brain stem and up to the portion of the cerebral cortex dedicated to sound. This auditory part of the cerebral cortex is in the temporal lobe.

The part of the ear that is dedicated to sensing balance and position also sends impulses through the eighth cranial nerve, the VIIIth nerve's Vestibular Portion. Those impulses are sent to the vestibular portion of the central nervous system. The human ear can generally hear sounds with frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz (the audio range). Although the sensation of hearing requires an intact and functioning auditory portion of the central nervous system as well as a working ear, human deafness (extreme insensitivity to sound) most commonly occurs because of abnormalities of the inner ear, rather than the nerves or tracts of the central auditory system.

Rhinoplasty Surgical procedures and types

2009-11-18T05:27:00.000-08:00

Rhinoplasty (Greek: Rhinos, "Nose" + Plassein, "to shape") is a surgical procedure which is usually performed by either an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon, maxillofacial surgeon, or plastic surgeon in order to improve the function (reconstructive surgery) or the appearance (cosmetic surgery) of a human nose. Rhinoplasty is also commonly called "nose reshaping" or "nose job". Rhinoplasty can be performed to meet aesthetic goals or for reconstructive purposes to correct trauma, birth defects or breathing problems. Rhinoplasty can be combined with other surgical procedures such as chin augmentation to enhance the aesthetic results.

Patient, three days post-op. Procedures included dorsal bone reduction and re-setting and refinement of nasal tip cartilage. The typical orbital discoloration is also present due to trauma and disruption of blood vessels around the eyes. Also present is a splint.

Skin incision for an open rhinoplasty. The incision may be “v-shaped” or a “stair-step” shaped incision. This aids the surgeon in attaining a precise closure and for camouflaging the resulting scar.

Exposing the cartilages inside the nose

Planning excision of a nasal hump

One technique to narrow the nasal tip

Designing the cuts in the nasal bones

At the end of the rhinoplasty

Reconstructive rhinoplasty refers to restoring the normal shape and function of the nose following damage from a traumatic accident, autoimmune disorder, intra-nasal drug abuse, previous injudicious cosmetic surgery, cancer involvement, or congenital abnormality. Rhinoplasty can restore skin coverage, recreate normal contours, and re-establish nasal airflow. To improve nasal breathing function, a septoplasty may also be performed. If there is turbinate hypertrophy, an inferior turbinectomy can be performed.

Rhinoplasty may be sought in the aftermath of traumatic deformity. Traumatic accidents are the most common cause of nasal deformity. Typically the nasal bones are broken and displaced. Occasionally, the nasal cartilages are disrupted or displaced, and in the worst cases the nasal dorsum is collapsed. Rhinoplasty allows shaving of the displaced bony humps, and re-alignment of the nasal bones after they are cut. When cartilage is disrupted, stitching of the cartilage for re-suspension, or use of cartilage grafts to camouflage depressions allows re-establishment of normal nasal contour. When the dorsum is collapsed, grafts of rib cartilage, ear cartilage, or cranial bone can be used to restore continuity to the dorsum. Although synthetic implants are also available for augmenting the nasal dorsum, cartilage or bone graft from the patient’s own body poses fewer risks of infection or rejection.

Human Gastrointestinal Tract

2009-11-18T05:25:00.000-08:00

Upper and Lower human gastrointestinal tract

The human gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), digestive tract, guts or gut is the system of organs within humans that takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining matter. The major functions of the gastrointestinal tract are ingestion, digestion, absorption, and defecation.

In an adult male human, the GI tract is approximately 6.5 metres (20 ft) long and consists of the upper and lower GI tracts. The tract may also be divided into foregut, midgut, and hindgut, reflecting the embryological origin of each segment of the tract.

The upper Gastrointestinal tract consists of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and duodenum proximal to the ligament of Treitz (or the Suspensory muscle of the duodenum).

The mouth (or buccal cavity) contains the openings of the salivary glands; the tongue; and the teeth.
Behind the mouth lies the pharynx which prevents food from entering the voice box and leads to a hollow muscular tube, the esophagus.
Peristalsis takes place, which is the contraction of muscles to propel the food down the esophagus which extends through the chest and pierces the diaphragm to reach the stomach.

Small intestine, two of the three parts:
- Duodenum - Here the digestive juices from pancreas and liver mix together
- Jejunum - It is the midsection of the intestine, connecting Duodenum to Ileum.
- Ileum - It has villi in where all soluble molecules are absorbed into the blood.
Large intestine, which has three parts:
- Cecum (the vermiform appendix is attached to the cecum).
- Colon (ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon and sigmoid flexure)
- Rectum

Gallbladder

2009-11-18T05:20:00.000-08:00

The gallbladder (or cholecyst or gall bladder) is a small non-vital organ that aids in the digestive process and stores bile produced in the liver.
The gallbladder is a hollow organ that sits in a concavity of the liver known as the gallbladder fossa. In adults, the gallbladder measures approximately 8 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter when fully distended.^[2] It is divided into three sections: fundus, body, and neck. The neck tapers and connects to the biliary tree via the cystic duct, which then joins the common hepatic duct to become the common bile duct.

The gallbladder has a simple columnar epithelial lining characterized by recesses called Aschoff's recesses, which are pouches inside the lining.
Over the epithelium there is a layer of connective tissue (lamina propria).
Above the connective tissue is a wall of smooth muscle (muscularis externa) that contracts in response to cholecystokinin, a peptide hormone secreted by the duodenum.
There is, in essence, no submucosa separating the connective tissue from serosa and adventitia, but there is a thin lining of muscular tissue to prevent infection.

^ Ginsburg, Ph.D., J.N. (2005-08-22). "Control of Gastrointestinal Function". in Thomas M. Nosek, Ph.D.. Gastrointestinal Physiology. Essentials of Human Physiology. Augusta, Georgia, United State: Medical College of Georgia. pp. p. 30. http://www.lib.mcg.edu/edu/eshuphysio/program/section6/6ch2/6ch2line.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
^ Jon W. Meilstrup (1994). Imaging Atlas of the Normal Gallbladder and Its Variants. Boca Raton: CRC Press. pp. 4. ISBN 0-8493-4788-2.
^ "Slide 5: Gall Bladder". JayDoc HistoWeb. University of Kansas. http://www.kumc.edu/instruction/medicine/anatomy/histoweb/epithel/epith05.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
^ Romer, Alfred Sherwood; Parsons, Thomas S. (1977). The Vertebrate Body. Philadelphia, PA: Holt-Saunders International. p. 355. ISBN 0-03-910284-X.

Anatomy of cells

2009-11-18T05:17:00.000-08:00

Diagram of a typical prokaryotic cell

The prokaryote cell is simpler, and therefore smaller, than a eukaryote cell, lacking a nucleus and most of the other organelles of eukaryotes. There are two kinds of prokaryotes: bacteria and archaea; these share a similar overall structure.

A prokaryotic cell has three architectural regions:

on the outside, flagella and pili project from the cell's surface. These are structures (not present in all prokaryotes) made of proteins that facilitate movement and communication between cells;
enclosing the cell is the cell envelope – generally consisting of a cell wall covering a plasma membrane though some bacteria also have a further covering layer called a capsule. The envelope gives rigidity to the cell and separates the interior of the cell from its environment, serving as a protective filter. Though most prokaryotes have a cell wall, there are exceptions such as Mycoplasma (bacteria) and Thermoplasma (archaea). The cell wall consists of peptidoglycan in bacteria, and acts as an additional barrier against exterior forces. It also prevents the cell from expanding and finally bursting (cytolysis) from osmotic pressure against a hypotonic environment. Some eukaryote cells (plant cells and fungi cells) also have a cell wall;
inside the cell is the cytoplasmic region that contains the cell genome (DNA) and ribosomes and various sorts of inclusions. A prokaryotic chromosome is usually a circular molecule (an exception is that of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease). Though not forming a nucleus, the DNA is condensed in a nucleoid. Prokaryotes can carry extrachromosomal DNA elements called plasmids, which are usually circular. Plasmids enable additional functions, such as antibiotic resistance.

Eukaryotic cells are about 15 times the size of a typical prokaryote and can be as much as 1000 times greater in volume. The major difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is that eukaryotic cells contain membrane-bound compartments in which specific metabolic activities take place. Most important among these is the presence of a cell nucleus, a membrane-delineated compartment that houses the eukaryotic cell's DNA. It is this nucleus that gives the eukaryote its name, which means "true nucleus." Other differences include:

The plasma membrane resembles that of prokaryotes in function, with minor differences in the setup. Cell walls may or may not be present.
The eukaryotic DNA is organized in one or more linear molecules, called chromosomes, which are associated with histone proteins. All chromosomal DNA is stored in the cell nucleus, separated from the cytoplasm by a membrane. Some eukaryotic organelles such as mitochondria also contain some DNA.
Many eukaryotic cells are ciliated with primary cilia. Primary cilia play important roles in chemosensation, mechanosensation, and thermosensation. Cilia may thus be "viewed as sensory cellular antennae that coordinate a large number of cellular signaling pathways, sometimes coupling the signaling to ciliary motility or alternatively to cell division and differentiation."^[7]
Eukaryotes can move using motile cilia or flagella. The flagella are more complex than those of prokaryotes.

Kedney

2009-11-18T04:48:00.000-08:00

man kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed

The kidneys are paired organs, which have the production of urine as their primary function. Kidneys are seen in many types of animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are an essential part of the urinary system, but have several secondary functions concerned with homeostatic functions. These include the regulation of electrolytes, acid-base balance, and blood pressure. In producing urine, the kidneys excrete wastes such as urea and ammonium; the kidneys also are responsible for the reabsorption of glucose and amino acids. Finally, the kidneys are important in the production of hormones including vitamin D, renin and erythropoietin.

Located behind the abdominal cavity in the retroperitoneum, the kidneys receive blood from the paired renal arteries, and drain into the paired renal veins. Each kidney excretes urine into a ureter, itself a paired structure that empties into the urinary bladder.

Renal physiology is the study of kidney function, while nephrology is the medical specialty concerned with diseases of the kidney. Diseases of the kidney are diverse, but individuals with kidney disease frequently display characteristic clinical features. Common clinical presentations include the nephritic and nephrotic syndromes, acute kidney failure, chronic kidney disease, urinary tract infection, nephrolithiasis, and urinary tract obstruction.

The kidney has a bean-shaped structure, each kidney has concave and convex surfaces. The concave surface, the renal hilum, is the point at which the renal artery enters the organ, and the renal vein and ureter leave. The kidney is surrounded by tough fibrous tissue, the renal capsule, which is itself surrounded by perinephric fat, renal fascia (of Gerota) and paranephric fat. The anterior (front) border of these tissues is the peritoneum, while the posterior (rear) border is the transversalis fascia.

The substance, or parenchyma, of the kidney is divided into two major structures: superficial is the renal cortex and deep is the renal medulla. Grossly, these structures take the shape of 8 to 18 cone-shaped renal lobes, each containing renal cortex surrounding a portion of medulla called a renal pyramid (of Malphigi).^[2] Between the renal pyramids are projections of cortex called renal columns (of Bertin). Nephrons, the urine-producing functional structures of the kidney, span the cortex and medulla. The initial filtering portion of a nephron is the renal corpuscle, located in the cortex, which is followed by a renal tubule that passes from the cortex deep into the medullary pyramids. Part of the renal cortex, a medullary ray is a collection of renal tubules that drain into a single collecting duct.

The tip, or papilla, of each pyramid empties urine into a minor calyx, minor calyces empty into major calyces, and major calyces empty into the renal pelvis, which becomes the ureter.

Liver

2009-11-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

Liver of a sheep: (1) right lobe, (2) left lobe, (3) caudate lobe, (4) quadrate lobe, (5) hepatic artery and portal vein, (6) hepatic lymph nodes, (7) gall bladder.

Anterior view of the position of the liver (red) in the human abdomen.

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. The liver is necessary for survival; there is currently no way to compensate for the absence of liver function.

This organ plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, hormone production, and detoxification. It lies below the diaphragm in the thoracic region of the abdomen. It produces bile, an alkaline compound which aids in digestion, via the emulsification of lipids. It also performs and regulates a wide variety of high-volume biochemical reactions requiring highly specialized tissues, including the synthesis and breakdown of small and complex molecules, many of which are necessary for normal vital functions.

left lobe Liver tumor

Many diseases of the liver are accompanied by jaundice caused by increased levels of bilirubin in the system. The bilirubin results from the breakup of the haemoglobin of dead red blood cells; normally, the liver removes bilirubin from the blood and excretes it through bile.

There are also many pediatric liver diseases, including biliary atresia, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, alagille syndrome, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, and Langerhans cell histiocytosis to name but a few.

Liver diseases may be diagnosed by liver function tests, for example, by production of acute phase proteins.

After Resection of left lobe Liver tumor

MDCT image. Arterial anatomy contraindicated for liver donation.

MDCT image. Portal venous anatomy contraindicated for liver donation.

Animal skeletons

2009-11-18T04:30:00.000-08:00

Clicking on a skeleton in the picture causes the browser to load the appropriate article

Endoskeleton of an Elephant

The Skeletons of a Man and a Horse placed in a lifelike pose in a museum display

Endoskeleton of a Frog

Skeletons of Snakes and other reptiles

Exoskeleton of an Ant

In biology, a skeleton is a rigid framework that provides protection and structure in many types of animal, particularly those of the phylum Chordata and of the superphylum Ecdysozoa. Exoskeletons are external, as is typical of many invertebrates; they enclose the soft tissues and organs of the body. Exoskeletons may undergo periodic moulting as the animal grows. Endoskeletons are internal, as is typical of many vertebrates; they are usually surrounded by skin and musculature, though they often enclose vital organs. Endoskeletons are attachment points for musculature and act as leverage for movement, and in many animals contain marrow, which produces blood cells. Skeletons may or may not be mineralized - human skeletons are calcified, while shark skeletons are cartilaginous - and may be jointed for flexibility and motility or rigid for structural strength.

The average adult human skeleton has around 206 bones.^[1] These bones meet at joints, the majority of which are freely movable. The skeleton also contains cartilage for elasticity. Ligaments are strong strips of fibrous connective tissue that hold bones together at joints, thereby stabilizing the skeleton during movement.

Nervous System

2009-11-18T04:23:00.000-08:00

The Human Nervous System. Red is CNS and blue is PNS.
The nervous system is a network of specialized cells that communicate information about an organism's surroundings and itself. It processes this information and causes reactions in other parts of the body. It is composed of neurons and other specialized cells called glial cells (plural form glia) that aid in the function of the neurons. The nervous system is divided broadly into two categories: the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system. Neurons generate and conduct impulses between and within the two systems. The peripheral nervous system is composed of sensory neurons and the neurons that connect them to the nerve cord, spinal cord and brain, which make up the central nervous system. In response to stimuli, sensory neurons generate and propagate signals to the central nervous system which then processes and conducts signals back to the muscles and glands. The neurons of the nervous systems of animals are interconnected in complex arrangements and use electrochemical signals and neurotransmitters to transmit impulses from one neuron to the next. The interaction of the different neurons form neural circuits regulate an organism's perception of the world and what is going on with its body, thus regulating its behavior. Nervous systems are found in many multicellular animals but differ greatly in complexity between species.

Nervous system in humans

Para-sagittal MRI of the brain(central nervous system)

Central Nervous System

Main article: Central nervous system

The central nervous system (CNS) is the largest part of the nervous system, and includes the brain and spinal cord. The spinal cavity holds and protects the spinal cord, while the head contains and protects the brain. The CNS is covered by the meninges, a three layered protective coat. The brain is also protected by the skull, and the spinal cord is also protected by the vertebrae.

Lungs

2009-11-18T04:19:00.000-08:00

The human lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity.^[1]

Air enters and leaves the lungs via a conduit of cartilaginous passageways—the bronchi and bronchioles. In this image, lung tissue has been dissected away to reveal the bronchioles^[1]

The lung or pulmonary system is the essential respiration organ in all air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located in the chest on either side of the heart. Their principal function is to transport oxygen from the atmosphere into the bloodstream, and to release carbon dioxide from the bloodstream into the atmosphere. This exchange of gases is accomplished in the mosaic of specialized cells that form millions of tiny, exceptionally thin-walled air sacs called alveoli.

In order to completely explain the anatomy of the lungs, it is necessary to discuss the passage of air through the mouth to the alveoli. Once air progresses through the mouth or nose, it travels through the oropharynx, nasopharynx, the larynx, the trachea, and a progressively subdividing system of bronchi and bronchioles until it finally reaches the alveoli where the gas exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen takes place.^[2]

The drawing and expulsion of air (ventilation) is driven by muscular action; in early tetrapods, air was driven into the lungs by the pharyngeal muscles, whereas in reptiles, birds and mammals a more complicated musculoskeletal system is used.

Anatomy

In humans, the trachea divides into the two main bronchi that enter the roots of the lungs. The bronchi continue to divide within the lung, and after multiple divisions, give rise to bronchioles. The bronchial tree continues branching until it reaches the level of terminal bronchioles, which lead to alveolar sacs. Alveolar sacs are made up of clusters of alveoli, like individual grapes within a bunch. The individual alveoli are tightly wrapped in blood vessels and it is here that gas exchange actually occurs. Deoxygenated blood from the heart is pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where oxygen diffuses into blood and is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the hemoglobin of the erythrocytes. The oxygen-rich blood returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins to be pumped back into systemic circulation.

1:Trachea 2:Pulmonary artery 3:Pulmonary vein 4:Alveolar duct 5:Alveoli 6:Cardiac notch 7:Bronchioles 8:Tertiary bronchi 9:Secondary bronchi 10:Primary bronchi 11:Larynx

Human lungs are located in two cavities on either side of the heart. Though similar in appearance, the two are not identical. Both are separated into lobes by fissures, with three lobes on the right and two on the left. The lobes are further divided into segments and then into lobules, hexagonal divisions of the lungs that are the smallest subdivision visible to the naked eye. The connective tissue that divides lobules is often blackened in smokers and city dwellers. The medial border of the right lung is nearly vertical, while the left lung contains a cardiac notch. The cardiac notch is a concave impression molded to accommodate the shape of the heart. Lungs are to a certain extent 'overbuilt' and have a tremendous reserve volume as compared to the oxygen exchange requirements when at rest. Such excess capacity is one of the reasons that individuals can smoke for years without having a noticeable decrease in lung function while still or moving slowly; in situations like these only a small portion of the lungs are actually perfused with blood for gas exchange. As oxygen requirements increase due to exercise, a greater volume of the lungs is perfused, allowing the body to match its CO₂/O₂ exchange requirements. Additionally, due to the excess capacity, it is possible for humans to live with only one lung, with the other compensating for its loss.

The environment of the lung is very moist, which makes it hospitable for bacteria. Many respiratory illnesses are the result of bacterial or viral infection of the lungs. Inflammation of the lungs is known as pneumonia; inflammation of the pleura surrounding the lungs is known as pleurisy.

Vital capacity is the maximum volume of air that a person can exhale after maximum inhalation; it can be measured with a spirometer. In combination with other physiological measurements, the vital capacity can help make a diagnosis of underlying lung disease.

Intestine Structure and function

2009-11-18T04:15:00.000-08:00

The structure and function can be described both as gross anatomy and at a microscopic level. The intestinal tract can be broadly divided into two different parts, the small and large intestine. Grayish-purple in color and about 35 millimeters (1.5 inches) in diameter, the small intestine is the first and longer, measuring 6 to 7 meters (20-23 ft) long average in an adult man. Shorter and relatively stockier, the large intestine is a dark reddish color, measuring roughly 1.5 meters (5 ft) long on average.^[2] People will have different sized intestines according to their size and age.

Microanatomy

The lumen is the cavity where digested food passes through and from where nutrients are absorbed. Both intestines share a general structure with the whole gut, and are composed of several layers. Going from inside the lumen radially outwards, one passes the mucosa (glandular epithelium and muscularis mucosa), submucosa, muscularis externa (made up of inner circular and outer longitudinal), and lastly serosa.

Along the whole length of the gut in the glandular epithelium are goblet cells. These secrete mucus which lubricates the passage of food along and protects it from digestive enzymes. Villi are vaginations of the mucosa and increase the overall surface area of the intestine while also containing a lacteal, which is connected to the lymph system and aids in the removal of lipids and tissue fluid from the blood supply. Microvilli are present on the epithelium of a villus and further increase the surface area over which absorption can take place.

The next layer is the muscularis mucosa which is a layer of smooth muscle that aids in the action of continued peristalsis and catastalsis along the gut. The submucosa contains nerves, blood vessels and elastic fibre with collagen that stretches with increased capacity but maintains the shape of the intestine.

Surrounding this is the muscularis externa which comprises longitudinal and smooth muscle that again helps with continued peristalsis and the movement of digested material out of and along the gut.

Lastly there is the serosa which is made up of loose connective tissue and coated in mucus so as to prevent friction damage from the intestine rubbing against other tissue. Holding all this in place are the mesenteries which suspend the intestine in the abdominal cavity and stop it being disturbed when a person is physically active.

The large intestine hosts several kinds of bacteria that deal with molecules the human body is not able to break down itself. This is an example of symbiosis. These bacteria also account for the production of gases inside our intestine (this gas is released as flatulence when eliminated through the anus). However the large intestine is mainly concerned with the absorption of water from digested material (which is regulated by the hypothalamus) and the reabsorption of sodium, as well as any nutrients that may have escaped primary digestion in the ileum.

Best Health Tips

2009-10-15T06:09:00.002-07:00

"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it’s a stress buster. Think ‘move’ in small increments of time. It doesn’t have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that’s great when you’re up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we’ve seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or ‘tough guy’ stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can’t live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It’s a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: ‘Smoke gets in your eyes’…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it’s because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don’t? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body’s boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There’s a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can’t be unhappy when you’re smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn’t mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.

Importance and Benefits of Vitamins

2009-10-15T06:09:00.001-07:00

The normal tension of day-to-day life, along with deficiencies of essential daily nutrients, put our bodies under a tremendous amount of stress. That’s why it is so essential to take nutritional supplements for daily nutrition. These include vitamin C, important for ensuring immunity and overall health, vitamin K, vital for bone health, vitamin E, which increases immune and cardiovascular function, as well as overall bodily health, and the various nutrients under the vitamin B complex.

Within the vitamin family, one can find a supplement for any health concern, including the eyes, heart, brain or immune system, as well as formulations for specific conditions, including allergies, bones/joints, skin, energy and vitality, and cardiovascular and digestive health. There are even nutrients for effective and stable weight management, and healthy sexual stamina, as well as formulas for overall men and women’s health.

Different Vitamins play different role in our body.

Some vitamins act in groups with each other whereas others act alone. Functions of different vitamins are given below:

1. Vitamin A helps in regeneration of visual purple, prevents night blindness and helps to maintain good eyesight. It also prevents the condition known as urolithiasis where urinary calculi in the form of calcium phosphate are present. It is also essential for growth.

2. Vitamin D is essential for bone development and also prevents rickets. Vitamin D maintains normal structure of bone and helps to maintain the equilibrium between bone calcium and blood calcium. It also helps in the normal development of teeth.

3. Vitamin E prevents sterility and muscular dystrophy.

4. Vitamin K is essential for the formation of prothrombin of blood, hence essential for blood clotting and prevents haemorrhage or excessive loss of blood from the body during injury or accidents. The haemorrhagic disease in the newborn is believed to be due to lack of vitamin K, since vitamin K deficiency in the newborn is due to absence of bacteria in their gut.

5. Vitamin B1 prevents the disease known as Beri beri. It has a potential role in the oxidation of sugar in tissues, including brain. In its absence, pyruvic and lactic acid fails to be metabolized with a result of accumulation of these substances in blood and tissues. It also helps the enzyme system, which is responsible for the synthesis of fats from carbohydrates and proteins.

6. Vitamin B2 is concerned with oxidative processes in the cells. It acts as a coenzyme for flavoprotein enzymes in the body. Deficiency produces loss of appetite and weight. Therefore it is essential for growth.

7. Nicotinic acid prevents the disease known as pellagra. It helps in the formation of fats and carbohydrates. It is also essential for growth.

8. Vitamin B6 prevents skin diseases, especially itching and redness of the skin. It is also related to the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids and also helps in the synthesis of fats from carbohydrates. This vitamin with the help of thiamine increases the formation of fats from proteins.

9. Folic acid prevents macrocytic anemia in human being. It takes part in the formation and maturation of the red cells. It is also required to maintain the normal pregnancy.

10. Vitamin B12 prevents pernicious anaemia. Essential for the formation and maturation of red blood cells. It also increases the white cell count and the platelets through its action in the bone marrow. It is also concerned with the normal health and activity of certain parts of the nervous system. This vitamin is also essential in the biochemical conversion of carbohydrate to fat or fat to carbohydrate.

11. Vitamin H deficiency in man causes peculiar dermatitis. Absence of this vitamin produces lassitude and sometimes gastro-intestinal symptoms.

12. Para-amino-benzoic amino acid (PABA) prevents premature graying of hair in rats. Its role in human nutrition is not definitely established.

13. Vitamin B4 and B5 are essential for the growth of pigeons. Their value in human dietary is not yet proved.

14. Vitamin C prevents human scurvy. It is also involved in many other important physiological functions. It is essential for the proper functioning of the formative cells of various tissues, such as fibroblasts, osteoblast etc. it plays an important role in wound repair. The synthesis of insulin in the beta cells of islets of Langerhans is impaired during vitamin C deficiency, resulting in hyperglycemia and disturbance in carbohydrate metabolism.

15. Vitamin P acts as a permeability factor. It is closely related to vitamin C and helps its action.

16. Vitamin B3 takes part in carbohydrate metabolism. The condition of alopecia (falling of hair) and certain gastro- intestinal disorders are produced by the deficiency of this vitamin. Vitamin B3 in the form of CoA takes part in the reaction of both the synthesis and metabolism of fatty acids and cholesterol.

A variety of potent and essential antioxidants, that defend the body against the dangers of free radicals, should be included in any vitamin or multivitamin. Among the most popular antioxidants are: coenzyme Q 10, which is vital for heart and liver health, as well as for the production of cellular energy; selenium for immune functioning and possibly a reduction in certain degenerative diseases, such as cancer; and lutein, which has been shown to offer unbelievable visual benefits.

Top 10 Health Tips

2009-10-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

Have you been wondering what an article on "Top 10 Health Tips" doing on a website dedicated to Beauty?

Are you one of those individuals who think "Top 10 Health Tips" and "Top 10 beauty Tips" are two separate concepts and need to be dealt individually? Have you been splurging an awful lot of money trying to look "good" by getting Spa treatments, visiting Beauty Salons, Buying Designer Labels, Eating Health Foods, and yet every time you look into the mirror, you feel there’s something "lacking?"

If you think that way, you’re not the only one. Whereas most of us spend a whole lot of time, money and effort to make our skin, hair, face, hands and feet look beautiful, we often miss out on the critical role our health and wellness plays in making us look physically and mentally beautiful.
Follow these Top 10 Health Tips in your daily life to stay beautiful on the inside and outside:

1.Follow A Healthy, Balanced Diet: A balanced diet is the first step towards a beautiful, healthy body. Follow a healthy balanced diet that complements your lifestyle. An ideal diet should be high on fiber, low on fat, and must be supplemented with adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. Besides knowing what to eat, it is equally important to know the right proportions, meaning how much or how little to eat. Talk to a fitness expert and find out what’s your daily calorie intake. Make food choices that have high nutritional value but are low in calories.

2.Eat Different Types Of Foods: According to Ayurveda, the Ancient Indian science of healing, rotating your food habits not only strengthens your immune system, it can also protect you from most illnesses. Try to eat vegetables and fruits of different colors each day. Try eating a different food at least thrice a month. Begin your day with an apple a day as the apple pectin cleanses the body’s digestive system by removing toxins and therefore preventing degenerative health problems such as cancer.

3.Don’t Skip Your Breakfast: Are you surprised to see how some people manage to stay so fit, energetic and active the whole time and are able to stabilize their weight while you continue to put on weight and feel exhausted most of the time? Well, chances are, they eat a good breakfast and you don’t! According to nutritionists and health experts, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping your breakfast can lead to serious health problems besides adding those extra pounds as a result of binging on unhealthy snacks later in the day. Besides re-charging your energy levels, eating regular breakfast has several long-term benefits like:

* It results in faster weight loss
* Your body get more nutrients everyday
* Breakfast rich in fiber foods and wholegrain helps keep the heart healthy especially if you suffer from metabolic disorders like fluctuating blood pressure, obesity and cholesterol. It also helps stabilize blood sugar levels
* A good breakfast early in the morning sets your mood right and enables you to handle stress better
* You stay overall healthy! So begin your day with fresh fruits, fruit juices, hard-boiled eggs, wholegrain cereals and breads and stay healthy all day!

4. Drink Lots Of Water: Drinking a minimum of 7 to 8 glasses of water everyday cleanses all the impurities and toxins from your body and helps to get healthy, flawless skin.

In addition, the fluid in your body is responsible for the functioning of your internal organs including the metabolic processes. So if you’re dehydrated, this whole process gets affected and your body tends to slow down leaving you feeling low and lethargic.

5. Exercise Regularly: Who does not dream of getting those six-pack abs? Besides making you look sexy and popular, regular exercising is also the best natural "anti-aging" recipe because it helps you stay and feel young by raising your energy levels, stabilizing your body weight, and enhancing flexibility, which reduces the wear and tear in your body.

You don’t need to exercise for hours everyday, just take 15-20 minutes off your busy schedule everyday to sweat out that pot-belly or burn those extra-pounds that have been making it difficult for you to get into your favorite outfit! If you can’t, make one of these a part of your routine: take the stairs instead of elevators and escalators to climb; Make it a habit to walk about 15 minutes everyday. If holistic healing is your thing, enroll yourself for yoga classes. If not, go swimming, take aerobics lessons or start shaking a leg or two at the local dance academy-whatever keeps you going, juts do it! If you’re into sports, you can make it part of your fitness routine.

Remember, your external fitness is only a reflection of your inner fitness and a beautiful, healthy body reflects a fit, healthy mind.

6. Quit Smoking: Okay, so you’ve heard this countless times from your doctor, but here it comes again as one of our most important health tip-Quit Smoking! If you’re one of those people who smoke to lose or gain weight, we’d stay think again! While smoking may have been related to an increase in metabolism, it is certainly not a good enough reason to substitute it with the huge risk of dying from lung cancer!

If that doesn’t make you change your mind, this will. Recent studies have proved that smoking is also one of the leading factors that stimulate the process of aging in both men and women. So say no to cigarettes and stay young and healthy for the rest of your life!

7. Say No To Stress: We know what you’re thinking-easier said than done! Agreed, but leading a stressful life can only make matters worse. On the other hand, leading a relaxed, stress-free life will not only reduce the risks of health related disorders, it will also calm you down and let you enjoy your life better.

While planning your day, strike a balance between home and work. If you have trouble remembering things-make a list of all the "things-to-do" before going to bed each night or simply set a "reminder" in your cell phone so you don’t have to run around at the last minute. Staying positive and thinking happy thoughts is one of the most effective stress buster technique you can easily follow in your daily life.

Spend atleast 15 minutes doing something you love and enjoy each day. It could be a simple activity, like cuddling up in bed by yourself and watching a funny movie, enjoying a glass of your favorite wine, socializing with friends, reading, sweating it out at the gym, pampering yourself with a stress-releasing body massage, soaking in a hot tub, taking a stroll on the beach, playing with your dog, listening to your favorite music or simply lazing around and doing nothing!

8. Take Care Of Your Teeth: Remember the phrase "million dollar smile?" Well, your teeth have a lot to do with your smile and they can make or break your looks depending on how much or how little you’ve cared for them over the years! Dental health is an important aspect of your overall heath. One of the best ways to have healthy teeth, prevent gum-related infections and protect your heart is by flossing your teeth every day. Few of us know that gum infections if left untreated can cause inflammatory reactions in the body, which can lead to stroke and heart ailments.

9. Sleep Well: A good 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is a must for our body to reboot itself and feel energetic next day. Lack of sleep affects our hormone levels and slows down metabolism often resulting in weight gain. Studies have shown that deep, uninterrupted sleep helps cell growth and cell repair, which can increase the metabolism and help in burning calories. If you suffer from sleeplessness, try some of these simple remedies:

* Avoid alcohol before going to bed
* Stay away from stimulants like coffee, tea and chocolates before going to sleep
* Regularize your sleeping habit
* Keep your bedroom clean and uncluttered; Use decors and furnishing with peaceful and soothing colors
* Avoid taking longer daytime naps
* Follow relaxation techniques (for ex-meditation) to reduce stress

Keep Your Brain Active: Keeping your mind in "good shape" is just as vital as taking care of your physical health, so be sure to indulge your brain on a daily basis. An idle mind is not only the devil’s workshop, often the feeling of "aimlessness" or "nothingness" can cause boredom and can lead to depression and anxiety-related disorders.

One way to keep your brain engaged and busy is to constantly challenge yourself with new ideas and by learning new skills. Studies have shown than an active brain makes new connections between nerve cells that help cells communicate with one another. This allows our brain to store and access information easily, regardless of our age. Try some of these activities to keep your mind active and free from boredom:

* Learn to play a new musical instrument
* Learn a new language
* Indulge in crossword puzzles
* Play scrabble with a friend
* Participate in discussions and forums
* Maintain a blog and update it daily
* Switch careers or make a new beginning
* Read books on unfamiliar topics
* Pursue a new hobby
* Stay aware about what’s going on in the world

Follow these "Top 10 Health Tips" to stay physically and mentally beautiful for the rest of your life. Remember-"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!"

6 Benefits of Yoga For Maintaining Body Fitness

2009-10-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

Yoga has begun to be considered as one of the greatest boons upon mankind. It is a very old practice, and still has millions of followers spread out across the whole wide world. The reason is very simple. People feel that yoga and body fitness work in tune with each other. A daily dose of yoga can work wonders for the diseased body and for the troubled mind as well. There is nothing so good as a session of meditation, which can help ease out the stiffness of the body and the mind. Even if your body does not suffer from any kind of acute illnesses, it is still worth finding out how yoga and body fitness work in tandem.

Let us take a quick look at the several reasons which make yoga so appealing:

1. All day our mind suffers stress and tension, be it personal or professional. Yoga helps in clearing out all the clutter from our mind and makes it absolutely clear and calm, ready to take on any challenge!

2. Yoga can help tons to people who are nervous or are vulnerable to panic attacks. It simplifies breathing and restores normalcy in the body.

3. Obesity is a problem faced by many. Over weight people can resort to yoga and see how body fitness is not a faraway dream. It steadily burns excess calories from the body and helps you to regain the lost stamina required for various exercises.

4. Yoga can lead to having a better diet and food habits. One, who regularly performs yoga, can gradually learn to self control his/her diet and thereby have a fit body.

5. Our body acts as a machine to the various challenges or tasks that it faces each day. It needs a certain tonic which can rejuvenate it before the onset of a strenuous day, and yoga has all the qualities in it to become an energy boosting tonic for the body. In short, yoga and body fitness, are in a way essential for people who need to thrive in a competitive world.

6. To view yoga`s importance from a much broader angle, it can well be said that it helps purify the soul. It supports a person in achieving contentment and peace within this materialistic world.

Yoga literally means fusion – it is a fusion of our body and mind achieved through various postures. It is just a regular exercise which needs focus on our part. Yoga does not take up much time, but requires immense devotion while doing it. Many of us fail to understand the fact that performing yoga and body fitness are interconnected, but it is true.

A fit body and mind can recognize the worth of a devoted session of yoga done regularly. The results begin to show very soon but that does not mean that yoga should be discontinued after the problems disappear. It should be viewed as a habit which needs to inculcate within. If performed daily, our body shall remain prepared to face any disease/challenge. Both, yoga and body fitness should be every person`s lifelong partner.

However there are some first time precautions which need to be taken care of before venturing into yoga. These precautions are very important, if you consider yoga and body fitness to be perpetual: Make sure that you have no injury before starting the yoga sessions; Preferably, Yoga should be done with empty stomach; Perform the yoga postures barefoot. It yields best results and prevents slipping; Do stop whenever you feel nauseous.

The Style Of Yoga Suited To You?

2009-10-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Yoga is one of the fastest growing types of exercise. Though it has been practiced for centuries, it has only gained mainstream approval, meaning you can easily find yoga classes in your local fitness club or video store. If Yoga is an interest, then it’s essential to find out which style of yoga is suited to you. There are many styles of Yoga that are practiced today. The different styles are all based on the same basic poses but they each differ slightly in their emphasis. There are many more styles than listed here, with many gyms offering their own style, which is often a combination of several other styles. Here is a list of the most popular Yoga styles and what they represent so you can decide on the best one for you.

Hatha
Hatha Yoga encompasses many physical types of yoga. This traditional style yoga is typically slow-paced with gentle movements. This is a good starting place as the exercises are likely to be easy and basic.

Vinyasa
Vinyasa Yoga is another widely used term to describe a yoga style. It generally provides a more vigorous style of yoga in which breathing is synchronized to movements. One of the warm-up exercises is typically the Sun Salutation, which is followed by more intense positions and stretching.

Astanga and Power Yoga
The word Astanga means ‘eight limbs’ in Sanskrit. This Yoga is a faster paced and more intense style. In this yoga style a set group of poses is done in the same order, as a routine. There is much movement or flow and it is more physically demanding than other methods of yoga. Power Yoga stemmed from Astanga yoga and is a popular type of yoga at many gyms and studios. Similar to Astanga in movement, Power Yoga may not follow a set routine.

Iyengar
This style of Yoga is based on the teachings of yogi B.K.S. Iyengar. The main emphasis on this style of yoga is body alignment. This type of yoga stresses holding the poses for long periods of time. This type of yoga also uses props such as blocks and straps, which help keep the body aligned during exercise.

Kundalini
In Kundalini Yoga the emphasis is on breathing in conjunction with the physical movements. It is believed that this allows the body’s lower body energy to be freed to move upward. This style emphasizes controlling the breath along with more rapid and repetitive poses and may use chanting to keep the breath in rhythm.

Anusara
A relatively new style of yoga, it is popular at some studios because it uses a positive philosophy, which is derived from Tantra. There is a general belief that all things are good. These types of classes are usually less strict than other classes in nature so the atmosphere is often more casual and fun. Props are often used in this style.

Sivananda
This style of yoga was founded in 1957 and is popular in many locations worldwide. It is based on five principles: exercise, breathing, relaxation, diet and meditation. This is a widely accepted yoga style.
Reference: articlecircle.

How to Diagnosis and Cure Yellow Jaundice?

2009-10-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

The main symptoms of jaundice are headache, fever, extreme joint weakness, yellow eyes, skin, tongue, dark urine, and light-colored stool. Jaundice may be caused by a diseased or damaged liver, which affects the normal secretion of bile pigment.

Jaundice may be caused by a diseased or damaged liver, which affects the normal secretion of bile pigment. The flow of bile from the liver to the intestines may be blocked by gallstones, tumors, or parasites. This type of jaundice is characterized by clay-colored stools and light yellow or brownish-green urine. The liver is enlarged in this case and could be damaged unless the obstruction is removed.

Infectious diseases such as malaria and pneumonia cause jaundice. They may damage the blood, excessively destroying blood cells whose pigment may be deposited in the tissues.

There are other causes for jaundice, which are not quite as benign. A very rough birth that has caused bruising to a baby, or large hematomas, may cause jaundice within the first 24 hours after birth. Jaundice so early may also indicate infection or RH incompatibility.

The latter two are serious matters that need to be brought to the attention of a physician right away. Usually, babies are screened before leaving the hospital, but some women do leave before 24 hours has passed from the birth of their child. It’s a good idea to be watchful if you see jaundice in newborns within the first 24 hours.

From cowards being branded ‘yellow’ to tying yellow ribbons on trees in hopes of a soldier’s safe return, yellow has earned a very diverse range of meanings. Yellow shines like the sun, fills us with joy and imparts a generally cheerful outlook. Of all the colors, yellow is definitely the mellowest.

Yellow warns us of coming dangers as seen in construction signs and the amber light that warns us of the impending red. Yellow stimulates the mind. Communication, memory, logic, and concentration will be amplified in a room with yellow walls – this makes it a wonderful choice for an office, library or child’s playroom.

The main symptoms of jaundice are headache, fever, extreme joint weakness, yellow eyes, skin, tongue, dark urine, and light-colored stool. The patient also feels abdominal pain or swelling in the liver region. Early in the process, jaundice also irritates with intense itching.

Because jaundice is not a specific disease, it is important for you that your doctor should diagnose all the specific causes of the jaundice and provide treatment directed at the specific cause – such as removing a gallstone that is blocking the bile duct. Your jaundice will then disappear.

One of the home cures for jaundice is the green leaves of radishes – a very valuable remedy.

Jaundice may be confused with serious and dangerous liver conditions. A simple blood test is done to determine if Gilbert’s Disease is present. In most cases, a CBC count will be taken to rule out other causes, along with a lactate dehydrogenates level.

In people with hemolytic jaundice, the level will be high. However, patients with Gilbert syndrome will be normal. A liver function test may also be done to ensure that there are no other known causes. Typically, no treatment is necessary. More often, the treatment focus is on the underlying condition that brought on the flare up.

Jaundice is a malfunction of the liver when too much bilirubin is produced and the liver is unable to remove it, or when the liver has a defect and cannot remove the bilirubin from the blood. The third reason is a blocked bile duct; the flow of bilirubin and bile to the intestines is restricted. The bile duct could be blocked for several reasons, such as gallstones, cancer, or an inflammation of the bile duct.

Different Types of Skin and Their Care

2009-10-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

Knowing the different skin types, and which one you have, is the first step toward choosing a skin routine that makes you look and feel your very best. This article helps you to determine what skin type you have and its optimal care.

Knowing the different skin types, and which one you have, is the first step toward choosing a skin routine that makes you look and feel your very best.

The way your skin behaves and reacts determines the type of skin you have. Basic skin types include oily, dry, combination, normal, and sensitive. The skin on your face is the best guide to classifying your skin type.

Skin is made up of many layers of epithelial tissue protecting the internal organs and muscles. The skin is the largest organ of the integument system. There are many skin types.

Just like the skin on our face, we have a skin type for our bodies, and this might not necessarily be the same as what we have on our face. Read the information below to help determine which body skin type you have and look for products that match these conditions.

Dry Skin Skin feels tight after showering and if left un-moisturized, will easily flake and crack.

Tip: If you are exposed to air-conditioning, try keeping a bowl of water near the unit or air vent to prevent your skin from drying out.

Sensitive Skin Skin feels irritated; reactions can vary from itchy breakouts to blistering, just a genuine irritated feel to the skin.

Tip: If you are wanting to try new products and are unsure how your skin will react, patch test the product on the inside of your wrist before buying and wait 24 hours to see if the skin reacts.

Normal Skin Skin feels supple and appears smooth, with an even texture to it, giving it the right balance of moisture.

Tip: Before any special occasion, treat yourself to a salon treatment, like a body wrap, to give your skin that extra glow.

Oily Skin Skin is soft and supple with large, visible pores, prone to breakouts of spots and acne, in specific areas, mainly the back and chest areas.

Tip: Look for the word ‘non-comedogenic’ on the label of products you are looking for. That means it will not clog your pores.

Combination Skin This can be a mixture of any of the above skin types, meaning that you may need two types of products for different areas of your body.

Tip: Normally, the majority of your skin will be one type and places like your knees and elbows will be something else.

Recipes of Sweets

2009-10-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

1. Recipe of Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:
• 1 cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 pinch Soda Powder
• 100 gms Ghee
• 3/4 Liter Milk
• 6 Cardamoms (crushed)
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Rose Essence
• 2 Pinch Saffron

For Syrup:
• 3 cups Sugar
• 3 cups Water
Method.
• Boil the milk till it reduces to half cup.
• Cool and add soda powder and 1tbsp sugar.
• Mix properly and make it smooth.
• Slowly add flour and prepare a fine dough. Leave it for an hour.
• Apply little ghee on the palms.
• Make small balls from the prepared mixture.
• Pour ghee in a pan and heat. Fry the balls in ghee on a low flame.
• Boil water with equal amount of sugar. Also add cardamom and saffron.
• Filter and add rose essence to it.
• Put the fried balls in this solution.
• Remove after 3-4 hours.
• Gulab Jamun is ready to serve.

2. Recipe of Pista Burfi.

Ingredients:
• 400 gms Pistachios (kernels removed)
• 250 gms Sugar
• Water (for sugar syrup) as required
• 7-8 Leaves edible silver foil (varakh)
Method.
• Blanch the pistachios in boiling water.
• Drain the water & remove peels.
• Make a dry paste of the blanched and peeled Pistachios without using water.
• Prepare sugar syrup.
• Mix the pistachio paste with the syrup and keep on stirring until it becomes solid.
• Now spread out the silver foil (varakh), and cut it into square pieces.
• Pista Barfi is ready.

3. Recipe of Rasgulla .

Ingredients:
• 1/2 Liter milk
• 3 tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 tsp All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 tsp Rose essence or cardamom powder
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Sugar
How to make Rasgulla:
• Take a pan and heat milk in it. Bring it to a boil.
• Add lemon juice, stirring slowly and gently till cheese separates from the milk.
• Now turn off the heat and strain it through a strainer.
• Make sure all the water from the cheese is drained.
• Now knead it to make soft dough.
• Combine flour with it and knead again.
• Make small rounded balls from the dough, keep aside.
• The balls should not have any cracks in it.
• Now combine sugar and water in a saucepan and boil it.
• Add cheese balls to the syrup and cook it for about 30 minutes with lid partially covered.
• Add rose essence or cardamom powder and turn the heat off.
• Allow to cool and serve .

4. Recipe of Besan Laddoo.

Ingredients:
• 4 cups Besan
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 2 cups Ghee
• 2 tsp Elaichi Powder
• 4-6 Drops Saffron Color
How to make Besan Laddoo:
• Mix the sugar and saffron color together. Leave it aside.
• Melt ghee in a kadhai and cook the besan over low flame.
• Stir continuously till the besan becomes light brown in color.
• Mix the elaichi powder and again stir.
• Remove from the flame and pour it on a plate. Let it cool slightly.
• Now mix this with powdered sugar.
• Divide it into equal parts and give the shape of laddus.
• Besan Laddoo is ready.

5. Recipe of Mango Burfi

Ingredients:
• 250 gms Ripe mango pulp
• 250 gms Powdered sugar
• 250 gms Khoya
• ½ tsp Cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp Chironji.
• 1 tsp Pistachio, chopped.
• 1 tsp Tutti-frutti, chopped.
• Orange Color(optional)
How to make Mango Burfi:
• Mix mango pulp and 1 cup sugar.
• Cook in a pan over medium heat till reduced by half. Keep it aside.
• Now fry khoya over medium flame till it turns little brown.
• Add the remaining 50 gram sugar and mango pulp-sugar mixture to it.
• Cook till the mixture turns semisolid.
• Mix orange color, pour it immediately in a greased plate.
• Allow cooling, cut into diamond pieces.
• Garnish with cardamom powder, chironji nut and pista.
• Mango Burfi is ready.

The Right Way To Apply Nail Polish

2009-10-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

Nail polish gives your hands a very glamorous look. So it is essential to apply nail polish correctly. The first thing you should do before applying nail polish is remove the old paint with a remover.

It not only removes the nail paint but also helps to keep the new coat on for a longer period of time. For a more glossy effect, you should opt for two or more thin coats of nail polish instead of a thick coat because thin coats last longer than the thick ones.

In order to prevent the nails from drying, you should definitely use a remover and nail polish at least once a week. It is very important to choose the right nail polish remover. Go for good quality removers which have built-in moisturizers, as they keep the nails healthy and nourished.

If you want a French manicure, go for a white nail pencil instead of the white nail polish, as it will give a better and purer, white clean look. If you want your nail polish to last longer, you should put you freshly painted hands in a bowl of ice for 30 seconds. If your nail polish is chipping off, you should remove it and reapply instead of applying another coat.

You should be very careful when you file your nails, and it is advisable to avoid filing the corners of the nails as it makes them brittle. To give your nails a funky look, try nail art. You can opt for simple to complicated patterns according to your choice.

For club nights out and hot dates, you can go for a different look like nail tattoos, nail piercing, embellishment, etc. You can also add shimmer and glitter to your nails. Mix and match nail color and shimmer to match your outfit and give yourself different, amazing and formal looks.

How Women can Loose weight without dropping a sweat?

2009-10-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

In the mirror every woman thinks she has put on weight and wants a miracle which can make her body look slender and trim. To achieve that without exercise and dieting I shall tell you what clothes to wear so you can enhance your good points and hide your ugly points in the body. There are some weight loss tricks to look instantly thinner without a dangerous crash diet or drastic plastic surgery whether you’ve got a hot date or big interview you can manage to look thinner just by wearing the right clothes. First step is to be aware of what body type you are; orange, banana or pear.

If you body is heavier on the top then choose clothes which cling to your waist and not your chest, that will involuntary take the focus on your slender waist rather than your heavy chest.

If your have a pear shaped body then you should consciously try to wear dark colour clothes as dark colors hide the unwanted.

If you have a banana shaped body then you should try wearing clothes which cling to your chest and your bum so they appear to be enhanced.

Five Common Skin Care Mistakes

2009-10-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

Skin care Mistake 1. You think you can hydrate your skin simply with water.
It may seem simply but actually water contains large amounts of salt which may easily settle on the surface of your skin leading to the opposite effect – to dry the skin. If you want to hydrate your skin you should use thermal sprays as they have the best hydrating action. Thermal water contains minerals and elements which are useful for your skin - it moisturizes and soothes the skin, preventing it from feeling tight and dry. Recent clinical research show that the mineral-rich water fortifies the skin, restores the pH balance and protects the skin against external aggressors like pollution for example. Applying thermal water in the form of a spray is easy and simple – spray it on the skin and after a minute wipe your skin dry.

Skin care Mistake 2. You think you can use your friend’s or mother’s skin care products.

Yes, you can use these products but only if they are appropriate for your skin type. Using the wrong skin care products is the most common skin care mistake. A recent research show that 64 percent of the women do not know what exactly is their skin type as well as that 37 percent of the teenagers use the wrong skincare and makeup products. For example if your skin feels tight and dry in the morning and during the day it simply means that your skin is dry; if you are prone to sudden rashes and burns it means your skin might be sensitive; if your skin appears too oily and greasy your skin may be mixed or oily.

Skin care Mistake 3. You think you can nourish your skin by applying Vitamin E ampoule.

It is true that vitamin E has excellent nourishing and moisturizing properties but when it is applied in the form of oil solution it may seriously irritate your skin and cause the appearance of rashes and small dark spots. Vitamin E added to lotions, creams, and other skin care products, as well as taken orally, plays a role in the anti-aging of skin. It helps skin look younger by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reduce the risk of sun damage to cells as well as reduce the production of cancer-causing cells but you should remember that the concentration of the ampoule should not be more than 5 % otherwise it may cause serious side effects.

Skin care Mistake 4. You think all of the essential oils are harmful for oily skin.

Absolutely wrong. Only the mineral oils may clog the pores and cause irritation to the skin. Almost 78 percent of the skin care products contain essential oils which have different field of acting – one hydrate the skin; others nourish the skin making it look younger and cleaner. For example jojoba oil, olive oil, aloe vera are recommended for those women with combination or oily skin.

Skin care Mistake 5. You thing that the scrub with natural particles is better than the ones with synthetic granules.

Just the opposite. The edges of the synthetic particles have been processed and they won’t cause trauma to your skin. Limit the usage of sea salt only form your knees, heels, elbows but never exfoliate your skin or neck with sea salt.

Medical Benefits of Vegetables

2009-10-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

CAPSICUM
Capsicum comes in 4 colors, red, green, yellow and orange and is widely used as a vegetable in western countries. In Malaysia, capsicums are used as a garnish or used in salads. Instead of using chilies in your cooking, you can omit them with capsicum.
Capsicums are good to be consumed regularly by rheumatic arthritis patients. The properties from the capsicum will help reduce the gas trapped in between the bones. Capsicum can be consumed by juicing it, cooked or eaten raw.
BRINJAL
Brinjal or eggplant comes in many varieties. Brinjals are low in calorie and rich in potassium, sodium and folic acid. Obese or overweight individuals are advised to eat brinjals to help them lose weight.
However those who suffer from rashes or any type of skin disease are strictly forbidden to eat brinjals. Brinjals has properties to cure stomach cancer. Potassium from the brinjals also helps give nutrition to the brains.
To make a tasty brinjal dish:a) Cut the brinjal into small pieces.b) Fry the cut brinjalsc) Add masala powder and brown sugar and cook the vegetable until the gravy becomes dry.
Besides helping obese individuals to lose weight, brinjals also helps cure measles.
BITTER GOURD
We have 72,000 nerves and for each nerve to function effectively, we need to consume food which is bitter in taste. This is because the properties in bitter food aids in strengthening the nerves.
Bitter gourd and its leaves have many medicinal values. To kill stomach worms and help clean your stomach, consume 1 tablespoon of bitter gourd leave juice once a month.
Bitter gourd is effective in treating diabetic patients. Instead of cooking the vegetable, try to consume 2 tablespoon of freshly squeezed bitter gourd juice once a week. If you are to practice this habit, nutrients from the bitterness will help strengthen the nerves and helps reduce the severity of diabetes. It also helps reduce sugar level in the body.
BURDOCK ROOT
Peel the skin off and cut the root into small pieces. You can either make soup or stir fry the root. The root is available in supermarkets and is treated as a vegetable among the Chinese community to treat sickness and diseases.
Benefits of consuming the root:a) effective in melting kidney stonesb) good for cleaning kidney and liver and c) efficient in cleaning the blood
Diabetic patients are advised to consult their physician before consuming this root as the root is sweet. The root is very suitable to be eaten by gout and arthritis patients.Pregnant women are forbidden to eat this vegetable.
In short, those who are suffering from any disease except for diabetic patients are advised to eat once a week to obtain the medicinal values from the root.
Corn
Corn has many medicinal values. Some babies will not have any teeth even after they are 1 to 1 � years old. To cure this problem, boil the kernels of young corn or blend the kernels and feed your baby continuously for 2 – 3 days. You will see amazing results! Teeth will start to form out and starts growing.
Corn kernels are fibrous and helps ease bowel motion. If your pituitary glands are not functioning properly, consume corn kernels once a week. Glands will start to function properly and you will mot feel tired anymore.
LEMON
There are different varieties of lime. All types of lime are rich in vitamin C.
Lime juice is effective in curing morning sickness among pregnant women.Morning sickness among pregnant women happens when pitta predominates in the body. To normalize the level, lime juice is normally consumed.
Lemons are good to be made pickles. Cut lemon into small pieces and marinate with salt. Do not use vinegar to marinate lemon pieces as vinegar is very acidic and will damage the stomach and intestines if consumed regularly
Marinating lemon pieces with salt is a healthy way of preparing pickles The pickle can be a bit bitter but is very tasty if eaten with rice and other vegetable dishes. Above all pickle plays an important role in increasing ones digestive power.
ELEPHANT YAM
Elephant Yam is good in treating piles patients. Patients who are suffering from asthma, sinus, cold or running nose are strictly forbidden to eat elephant yam. This is because elephant yam is a cooling food and it will aggravate the condition even more.
This vegetable is only suitable for heaty bodies and hypertension patients.
To consume the yam, first boil the vegetable with its skin intact in salted water.Peel of the skin and eat the flesh. Instead of consuming high GI food for breakfast, i.e nasi lemak and fried noodles, try having elephant yam for breakfast.
Mash the boiled yam and mix with grated coconut and sugar. Shape into round balls and serve. This type of food is not only nutritious but also is very filling as yam has carbohydrate in it.
Mengkudu
Nona trees grow in tropical countries. Nona leaves and fruit have many medicinal values and is used widely by Australian aborigines from years of yore.
Grind or pound Nona leaves and apply on small or big wounds. The leaves have the properties to heal and dry the wounds.
Grind or pound unripe nona fruit with salt. This paste is effective in
a) healing broken bones. b) healing big boils or wounds which has inflamed into pus. The paste removes the pain and dirty blood.
Ripe nona fruit is very smelly. If you can’t stand the smell, take semi ripe nona fruits, cut into four and boil in water. Consume the boiled fruit. By consuming the fruit, blood flow will increase and helps clear any blocks in the blood vessel.
POTATOES
Potatoes have high content of starch and are grown extensively in China. It is used widely in cooking and we should try to avoid eating potatoes as much as possible.
Most of us normally boil or cook potatoes with its skin removed. This cooking method is wrong and we must boil or cook potatoes with its skin intact. This is because when you peel of the skin after cooking, you will notice a yellow layer on the outer flesh. This yellow layer is said to have protein in it. Many of us are unaware of this and tend to peel and throw the skins away when cleaning the potatoes and end up consuming the starch only.
Eating a potato is equivalent to eating a plate of rice. For westerners, potatoes are regarded as their staple food. However for Indians, potatoes are eaten together with their staple food, i.e. rice. By eating this way, you not only consume a high content of carbohydrate but also have a high tendency to gain weight.
Individuals who are fat or obese should forbid themselves from eating potatoes. Potato is not only starchy but also is a gassy food which makes one to bloat. Therefore try to avoid potatoes as much as possible.
BEETROOT
Blood is very important for our body. Individuals who have less blood count will tend to put on weight. To prevent this problem and to produce more blood, we normally opt to taking pills.

Instead of consuming pills, it is better to consume fresh food which can act as a medicine. This method is much safer and healthier. Beet Root is one type of vegetable that helps in blood production. It also helps to support proper spleen and liver function.

You can consume beet root by cooking or by juicing it. Make sure when juicing beet root, only a small piece of the vegetable is used. Blend the fruit together with a small piece of carrot as it helps provide a sweet taste. Drink the juice daily.

You can even grate the root vegetable and serve it raw as a salad. Add chopped onions, chilies and a pinch of sugar for extra taste
Onions
Onions are used in various dishes for thousands of years by many cultures around the world. There are many different varieties of onions, i.e. small onions, big red onions, white onions and yellow onions.All varieties of onions have the same nutritional and medicinal values. In India, poor families usually pour water in left over rice and eat it the next day. They usually eat raw onions with the old rice as the raw onions have the properties to kill insects and germs which can be formed or found in the old rice.If you have boils on your skin, take two onions, dry fry the onions, grind and add a little turmeric. Apply on the boils. The boils will ripe and fall off after 2 days. You do not need to go for an operation to remove the boils. Onions will do the trick!Make sure you teach or train your children to eat raw onions as they will gain the full medicinal and nutritional values. Cut onions in small tiny pieces and add together with other raw vegetables i.e. cucumber, celery, salad leaves, tomatoes. Add fresh herbs like mint, coriander and asiatic pennyworth (vallarai) leaves into the vegetables. Mix all the ingredients together with thick yogurt and salt.Eating raw vegetables is the right way of eating as it will provide you the full nutritional value your body needs.

Medical Benefits of Grapes

2009-10-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

Medical benefits of GRAPES
In Malaysia grapes are grown in Cameron Highlands. There are around 8,000 types of grapes available in this world. Even though there are many varieties of grapes, the most common types of grapes we encounter are black, purple and green grapes.
Black grapes have more medicinal values compared to purple and green grapes. In western countries black grapes are used to prepare wine.If you, siblings or your life partner is weak, tired or stressed up, instead of consuming alcohol drinks, it is best to consume black grape juice.Take 1 handful of black grapes.
Blend the fruit with water (optional)
Make sure you blend the seeds also.
Strain and leave for 4- 6 hours.Serve to your husband or siblings. This juice is good as
a) it aids and increase digestion. Make sure you take one glass of black grape juice after your meal
b) ease bowel motion
c) gives strength to small intestines
d) provides strength to children Grape seeds have many medicinal values. The seeds are used to produce oil and have the healing nutrients to prevent cancer. When serving grapes to your kids, make sure you remove the skin as their body system will not be able to digest the skins properly. As for adults, they should consume the skin, flesh and seeds. This is the right way of eating grapes and the way to gain the fruits full nutritional values.Black grape juice will not cause dizziness. Instead it will calm the mind, promotes good sleep and gives vigorousness to men when they wake up in the morning.Hence try to consume black grapes at least once in every fortnight

Top 10 Beauty Tips

2009-10-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you may not admit it openly, but how many times have you stared at those drop-dead Models in the "Top 10 Beauty Tips" or "Top Ten Fashion Tips" sections of Beauty Magazines, without thinking, "I wish I had that pout!" or "I wish I had a cleavage like hers", or perhaps "I wish my hair looked as stunning as hers!" or "I’d kill for that eye make-up!"

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Truth is, all of us have done it at some point or the other.

But guess what? It isn’t wishful thinking any more! Welcome to the age of Makeovers, Style Gurus and Fitness Fads, with a few easy-to-do routine tips on Skin Care, Hair Care, Make-up, and Styling, now we all can flaunt a sexy, cool and elegant look at all times. Here are our Top 10 Beauty Tips to get you started:
1. Skin Care Tips
Beauty may not be skin-deep, but it does play a significant role in your overall personality. Talk to a skin expert and they’ll tell you how your skin reflects your inner health and wellness, and therefore it is important for all of us to have a clean, clear skin free of Acnes, Pimples, blackheads and other skin-related disorders. Check out these quick skin care tips:

Dry Brush Your Skin Before Shower
We’re not kidding! Using a Dry Brush on your skin everyday before bath actually helps stimulate the oil glands in our skin. Remember not to use a harsh brush though. There are soft bristled body brushes available in the market these days. Begin brushing gently from your feet upwards in circular motion. Finish with a warm shower and massage your body with a moisturizer that suits your skin type.

Exfoliate! Exfoliate! Exfoliate!
Yes, that’s our mantra for a clean, clear skin. Exfoliating your skin regularly helps cleanse your skin of all the dirt, pollution and other chemicals it is exposed to everyday. Browse through the "Homemade beauty tips" and "Natural Beauty Treatments" sections of our website and you’ll find hundreds of easy-to use, homemade recip for skin care, homemade face packs, natural scrubs and other organic treatments which are not only cost-effective but will also keep your skin away from the expensive inorganic crèmes and lotions available in the markets.

Avoid using Astringents unless your skin is very oily, and restrict their use on the oily zone, if necessary. For a quick homemade exfoliating scrub, add white granulated sugar to your body wash. Sugar is one of the most effective and will make your skin clean and smooth. Remember to wash your tub or shower thoroughly after applying this to avoid any stickiness.

2. Hair Care Tips
Don’t underestimate the power of your tresses! According to Style and Makeover experts, Hair constitutes nearly 50% of your personality. Take care of your hair and they’ll take care of you. Ignore them and they’ll ruin your evening! Fact is, no amount of dressing up or make up can substitute for a healthy, shiny hair. Here are some quick hair care tips to help your hair look more stunning than ever:

Keep your tresses clean
Whether you live in dry weather conditions or in a hot and humid climate, you need to take care of your hair regularly to keep your scalp free of dandruff and other fungal infections. A perfectly natural way to get rid off toxins and shampoo build-up from your hair is by rinsing it once a week with Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse.

Avoid using hair products, which have excess oil, because they may cause blackheads over and around the forehead. When applying Hair Dyes, Hair Colors, Hairsprays and hair gels, remember to keep them away from your face, especially the eyes.

Flaunt Sexy, Stylish Hair in minutes
Do you need to look your best tonight but have no time to rush to the Hair Stylist or a Beauty Salon? Don’t worry. You can fix your hair at home in minutes with some of the Hair-Styling products that are available in the markets today. For example, you can add volume and bounce to your hair, make your hair look wavy, curl the ends under or straighten it with a Texturing Cream. All you need to do is dry your hair with a towel after shower and rub the texturing cream through your hair.

If you have wavy or flyaway hair, rub a small amount of hand lotion in your hair then straighten them by combing them downwards with your fingers.

Having a Flat Hair Day?
Blow-drying your hair upside down for about 10 minutes could help add more volume and make your hair look bouncy.

Let your hair smell good
Spray your Comb or Hair Brush with your favorite perfume and then brush your hair. It’ll add a subtle fragrance in your hair and make you feel good!

Thin down Your Hair Conditioner And Shampoo
Most hair shampoos and conditioners are very thick so you can save some bucks by thinning them down with water and increasing the quantity.

Maximize your Hair Style
Most people think they can set their Hair well by constant blow-drying, but this is far from true. Truth is, your hair will set best when it is cooling off after the blow-drying. To maximize your hair-style, apply a hair spray to your hair while using blow dryer and hot rollers.

If you’re tempted to get that "Salon style blowout hair affect" at home, towel dry your wet hair and segregate it into many sections. Pick each section at a time and blow dry using a round brush.

3. Make-up Tips
Except for the celebs and models that are bound by their profession, most of us are always racing against our tight schedules and have neither the time nor the energy to spend hours in a beauty salon every day. What we do need is a few quick and simple makeup tips that would come handy in our day-to-day life and are easy to follow. Here are a few makeup tips that will make you look good everyday and you can easily follow these without spending too much time or effort:

the right make-up
Don’t get swept off by all those beauty products in the market-they may not be right for you and can have adverse effect on your skin. If you’re dealing with skin problems like pimples, Acne, Blackheads or have oily skin, you need to be careful while buying makeup and should use moisturizers, foundations, eye shadows and blushes that are oil free. Always pick skin care products that are labeled "noncomedogenic" (do not encourage the formation of closed pores) or "non-acnegenesis" (do not cause acne).

Foundation Tips
Before picking a foundation or concealer, always test if it matches your skin tone by rubbing a few drops on the inside of your wrist. The skin around your wrist is smooth and flawless and gives a clear idea of how the foundation would look when you apply it on your face.

To increase the life of your foundation or concealer and cut down on the heaviness, mix them with a light moisturizer to give your skin a glowing look.

Apply the foundation only after you are done with your eye make-up. This will help you take care of any last minute eyeliner or mascara smudging under the eyes.

To keep the makeup for long, spray a fully made up face with light mist- this works well for brides, night outs or during those extra hours at work!

Blush Tips
To add a natural glow to your face, use a blush cream or gel instead of powder in the shades of pink or peach. The advantage of using a Gel or Cream instead of powder is that they are more smooth and transparent and tend to blend evenly. Rub the blush on your cheekbones, blending up towards the eye for a flawless complexion.

Eye Makeup Tips
Sharpen your eyeliners frequently to keep them clean. Keep your eyeliner or lip liner in the freezer for about 10 minutes before sharpening them. This will make them a bit hard and they won’t break while sharpening.

If you have deep-set eyes, use liquid eyeliner instead of a regular eye pencil to avoid smudging.

To make sure your eyes stay free of infection from make up, discard your powder eye shadows every 9 to 18 months, mascara after 3 months and cream eye shadows every 6 to 12 months.

To avoid the mascara from spreading or flaking-off, first apply a thin coat of mascara on your top lashes and then brush them with an eyelash brush to prevent clumps.

Heat the eyelash curler by holding it infront of a hair dryer for a few seconds before curling your eyelashes. Check the temperature, then use on your eyelashes. The heat helps the extra long eyelashes get better curls.

Unlike those sparse and skinny eyebrows, the eyebrows trend for this season is to flaunt thick, natural-looking eyebrows. If you have scanty brows, you can use eye shadow or a brow definer to fill in.

To settle untamed eyebrows, dampen them with hairspray and comb them gently with an old toothbrush.

Applying eyeshadow on top of the eyeliner with damp cotton will make the eyeliner stay for longer.

Lip Makeup tips
Do you love matte lipstick but dread applying them on your dry lips? If you suffer from dry lips, apply a coat of lip balm on your lips before you start applying make-up. By the time you’re through with your eyes and face, your lips would have been moisturized and ready to show-off your favorite matte lipstick!

To avoid the lipstick from staining your teeth, stick your finger in your mouth and suck in as you pull it out. The finger will scoop out the lipstick that is left inside your mouth.

Nail polish Tips
Has your nail polish become thick and chunky because it has been lying for too long? Most of the times, old Nail polishes begin to thicken around the bottom of the bottle. To make them thin, add a few drops of nail polish thinner or nail polish remover.

Before applying a new coat of nail polish, soak your nails in luke warm water for 5 minutes and rub off the leftovers of the previous nail polish gently with a finger.

4. Nail Care Tips
Nails can either enhance your beautiful looks or can make you look really untidy and messy infront of your friends and colleagues. To avoid embarrassment and to make sure you have beautiful, shining nails, here are a few nail care tips:

Cut your nails regularly as long, unkept nails can accumulate dirt and germs and can cause infection.

If you suffer from weak, brittle nails, often it could be because you have not been drinking enough water of due to calcium deficiency. So drink lots of water every day and increase the intake of calcium in your diet!

Put on rubber gloves before you clean your dishes or do laundry because harsh detergents and dishwashers can wreck nails and stress nail fibers.

5. Get Rid of Unwanted Facial hair
Unwanted facial hair had always been the cause of embarrassment to the women suffering from it, but not any longer! Today, all you need to do is walk into a good beauty parlor or skin clinic and get rid of the unwanted facial hair with the help of the experts. Some of the popular hair removal techniques are:

6. Pamper your Feet
Don’t forget to include your feet in your daily beauty regimen-they’re one of your biggest assets!

Getting regular foot massage and pedicure helps stimulate the circulation of blood.

After a long walk, pamper your tired feet by indulging in a luxurious footbath.

Try this relaxation technique: Add a few drops of essential oils in a basin filled with warm water. Place small pebbles in the basin. Run your toes and soles over the pebbles and relax for 15 minutes.

7. Exercise Regularly
Remember your external beauty is only a reflection of your inner beauty and a healthy body reflects a healthy mind. Take 15 minutes off from your routine everyday and indulge in a fitness activity you enjoy. You can practice yoga, go swimming, hit a gym, learn aerobics or take dance lessons-whatever keeps you stimulated, juts go for it! If you’re a sports buff, you can practice your favorite sport as part of your fitness regimen.

8. Eat Healthy
Much of our health and fitness depends on what we eat on a daily basis. Stay away from junk and processed foods and stick to a healthy, balanced diet. Organic foods are becoming increasingly popular all over the world and are an excellent substitute for canned, processed foods, which contain harmful chemicals. Depending upon your calorie requirement (which can be assessed by a fitness expert), you can chart out a diet for yourself, which meets your daily nutritional needs and keeps your fit. Include foods rich in fiber, whole grains, pulses, green vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products in adequate amount in your daily diet.

9. Quit smoking
It may be hard, but the best thing you can do for a beautiful, glowing complexion is to stop smoking. Smoking both dehydrates and deprives your skin of oxygen, so you will see real benefits – skin will become smoother and more radiant.’ Sarah Monzani, make-up artist to Madonna

Smoking is not only harmful for your health and is known to cause breathing related problems like asthma, lung cancer, hypertension, breast cancer and heart diseases post menopause, it is also one of the leading factors that induce aging in both men and women. Studies have shown than the Nicotine in cigarettes can add years to your appearance. Incase of pregnant woman, smoking whether active or passive can result in the retardation of an unborn child and cause other complications like birth defects, miscarriages and pre-termed labor.

So quit smoking and stay young and healthy!

10. Choose a good perfume
Remember Al Paccino’s memorable lines in the "Scent of a Woman?" Who does not like to hang out with someone smelling good?

A good fragrance works like a magic spell and makes you stand out in a gathering. The coolest thing about applying a perfume is-it can be your signature scent, drawing everyone’s attention wherever you go!

Each perfume has a unique fragrance and is meant to strike chemistry with the person wearing it. Pick a fragrance that complements your personality and gels with the mood of the occasion. For ex-while at work, you can use deodorants and body sprays with natural flavors whereas bold or strong scents can be used during parties or at more informal occasions.

While testing a perfume, always apply the scents to your pulse points first since this is where the blood vessels are closest to the skin and tend to give off more warmth and spread the scent around.

Watch out for any allergies and irritant reactions in case you’re allergic to a fragrance.

Natural Beauty Treatments

2009-10-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

It is only natural for human nature to desire for an appealing appearance. Walking towards the path of natural beauty is not difficult if you really desire for it. You need to discipline yourself to attain that glow on your face. If you think availing the natural beauty products will be instrumental for achieving the best skin, best hair or the best body, then you are wrong.

Natural beauty is a combination of natural beauty products, natural beauty care regimens, good nutrition and definitely physical exertion.

Before jumping on the bandwagon of several natural beauty treatments, it is necessary for you to understand your skin type and the changes that you wish to make for your look. Accept your unique qualities and make the most of it by using natural beauty products or even following natural beauty tips. It is not necessary to run around searching for beauty in expensive beauty products, instead explore the "natural goodness" of ingredients from your kitchen and refrigerator.

There are many ways to experience the real natural beauty without getting obsessive for achieving beauty as an award. Get an idea about natural skin care regime through the following

* A beautiful face is not complete without beautiful hair. Therefore, it is important to follow natural hair care tips for keeping your hair grounded and soft.
* Skin is responsible for our appearance and is vulnerable to lot of problems. The good news is, regular natural skin care tips can resolve most of the skin problems.
* Some of the body parts remain neglected, as the face is one of the most pampered parts of the body. Do not be partial with your natural goodness of homemade recipes and restrict to face only. Follow natural body care tips diligently and feel the difference.
* It is better to wind up your natural beauty treatments with natural hand care and natural foot care, because hands and feet are as important as your face.

When you look amazing, it reveals the love and care you have for yourself. Let the spark light within as you shine brightly.

Caution: Be careful about skin allergies; consult a skin specialist if necessary.

Best Tips for Hand Care

2009-10-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

You may be going to beauty salons for facials or skin care treatments, or using homemade skin care products to take care of your face but you may have forgotten all about your hands. Your hands need just as much care as your face and you don’t even need to go to the beauty salon for this. Here are a few quick tips on how to care for your hands.

Hand Care Tips

* Always wear rubber gloves when you plan to do any household work or gardening. If your hands are exposed to too much water, soap, detergents, dirt or chemicals then, the skin of your hands can become wrinkled and rough.
* Ideally, you should moisturize your hands at least 4 times in a day, especially after washing them. Even if you do not have time make it a habit of moisturizing your hands before you go to bed at night. This is just as important as brushing you teeth before you go to bed, every night.

* You can also use your face exfoliator on your hands. This will help to remove any dirt and dead skin cells, and nourish and rejuvenate the skin of your hands.
* You can scrub your hands with bath salts, after washing them with soap. This will leave your hands squeaky clean. Do remember to slather some moisturizer on your hands afterwards.
* If you have oily hands, you can try rubbing cornmeal on them after washing them with soap.
* Go in for regular manicures (professional or homemade) to keep your hands and nails in good condition.
* Drink lots of water and fresh fruit juices. Eat a balanced, low-oil diet.
* Exercise regularly. If you are healthy and fit, you skin will have a healthy glow.
* If the skin of your hands is dry and flaky—you can massage a little petroleum jelly on your hands before you go to bed at night. After you do this, you may wear thin cotton gloves. Wake up in the morning and enjoy the soft feel of your hands.

Ingredients for the homemade hand scrub recipe

* White Oats- 1 tbsp.
* Honey-1 tsp.
* Water-½ cup
* Milk (refrigerated)-1 tbsp.

How to prepare the hand scrub
Take the water and the oats in a glass (Pyrex) vessel. Boil the mixture till the water evaporates, completely. Take care not to burn the oats. Scrape out the well-boiled oats and put it in a glass bowl. Add the milk and honey to the boiled oats and mix well.

How to apply the hand scrub

* Clean your hands with a mild soap.
* Pat your hands dry with a soft towel.
* Apply the hand scrub, evenly, over your hands (fingers included).
* Leave on for 10 minutes.
* Wash off the hand scrub with lukewarm water.
* Pat your hands dry with a soft towel.
* Take an almond-sized drop of moisturizer in your palm. Massage it into the skin of your hands and fingers, using gentle but firm rotating movements of your finger tips.
* Use this hand scrub two times a week for best results.
* This hand scrub exfoliates, moisturizes and rejuvenates the skin of your hands. Use this hand scrub, regularly, and enjoy the clean,
* soft and firm feel of your hands. (You may use this scrub for your feet as well.)

Note: Do not use if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.

Best Cardio Workout Tips

2009-10-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

A cardio workout is the one of the best way to lose weight. Of course, there is also dieting and weightlifting. The former ensures one to eat less and to avoid those kinds of food that can add up more weight to the body. The latter burns calories and replace the lost fat with muscles. However, if one wants to burn calories faster and to make the heart healthier and stronger, then doing a cardio workout is the thing.

Many routines or exercises could fall under the cardio workout category. Going outdoors for a morning jog or walk is considered as one. Enrolling at a gym for an aerobics course is also a good cardio workout. If one finds staying at home is better, he can have a treadmill or an exercise bike as equipments to help him sweat out and lose the fat. However, whatever routine one does and wherever he does it, what is important is that this is effective enough to help him lose weight and have a healthy heart.

Before one starts his cardio routine, he should do some stretching first. This will make sure that he is not going to get any muscle and bone injuries while doing the workout. Spending about five minutes to stretch the major muscle groups and the joints before jogging or hitting the treadmill or aerobics mat also prepares the blood circulatory system for intensive use. A little breathing exercise will also brace the lungs for some heavy work.

Another suggestion is performing not just one or two routines. There should be a combination of three or even more cardio exercises. This is important in order to have a more balanced and comprehensive muscle growth and body conditioning. An example would be getting off the treadmill after a while and try the elliptical trainer so that the arms and the torso can also be utilized. For joggers, who are not using any equipment, they should also pause from running and do some minutes of ‘jumping jack’. Another great type of cardio combination is the alternate use of light and heavy intensity routines.

Boredom can be a problem when doing cardio. Jogging, especially at very familiar places, can be a monotonous activity. It is even worse with a treadmill or n exercise bike. However, one can beat boredom by making the activity fun. He can play his portable audio player while jogging in the park or he can have someone along. While on the treadmill or exercise bike, he can watch his favorite TV show, listen to music, or even read a bestselling novel.

Sweating out can certainly make one lose weight but if he is not careful enough he may also lose more than necessary. It is best to keep water in handy while doing the cardio. Drinking during rests is important so that the body is hydrated enough during the exercises. Water is a natural coolant needed to prevent burning out the body.

Three Easy Ways to Heal a Jammed Finger

2009-10-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

Ouch! You have just jammed your finger and it hurts like the devil. Yes, we have all done it before and sometimes you really don’t know what to do in order to get your finger to feeling normal again. There are several ways on how to heal a jammed finger, but maybe some of us just don’t know what to do. Since it hasn’t been that long ago that I jammed my finger, I thought I would list some ways to help anyone out that has done the same. Here are three ways to help promote your finger back to health again.

1. Pull on it – Yes, this might hurt while you do it, but it will help get it back to normal. Pull on it quickly to pop it out of the jam. Then open and close your hand into a tight fist periodically. The more you do this, the more you will get used to using your finger again and the soreness will start to go away. It may be painful while doing this until it heals.

2. Use a finger splint – Sometimes using a finger splint will help in the healing process. If you don’t have a finger splint, you can secure it with a tongue compressor or popsicle sticks and wrap it snugly with gauze.

3. Epsom salt and pain relievers – Try soaking the jammed finger in a warm Epsom salt bath. This will help soothe and relieve the pain. Also, use a pain reliever that is over the counter, whatever kind you normally use when you have an ache or pain.

Your hands and fingers are used throughout the day so nobody wants to try and use them all day while you are in pain. One of these methods is sure to help your finger to feel normal again so you won’t have to grimace in pain every time you use it.

How Can Exercise Help You Quit Smoking?

2009-10-15T04:55:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of people that worry about gaining weight, managing stress, conquering boredom, and fighting off cravings and that is okay, in fact, you should consider these things when quitting smoking. You should also consider what will happen if you don’t quit. The health effects of smoking are numerous and you can greatly improve your health and the quality of life by giving it up. You may not be able to reverse all the health effects of smoking but when you quit your body immediately begins the repairs and over time you dramatically reduce the odds of developing certain types of cancers and diseases.

Quitting smoking is going to have its challenges but then many things worth obtaining do. By making one simple lifestyle change you can greatly increase the chances of successfully quitting. If you have not guessed it by now I am talking about getting physically active. When you get physically active several things happen;

- You improve blood flow and circulation throughout the body

- You build confidence

- You look and feel better

- You sleep better

- It helps your body repair itself

- Manage stress better

- Manage weight gain

When you are exercising you won’t want to have a cigarette, in fact, you will find that the smell is very un-pleasant. There are many benefits to getting physically active and giving one bad habit for a good habit can have a huge psychological impact and build confidence that helps to reinforce your decision to quit.

Stress is often referred to as one of the main reasons a person has difficulty quitting and it is also the number one reason why people go back to smoking. Imagine finding a new release for managing stress early on. You will never have to rely on smoking a cigarette ever again to get you through a difficult time.

Before you run off and join a gym it is important to know that in order to get adequate exercise you don’t need to spend a lot of money and time at the gym. You can do all sorts of things that range from walking, jogging, biking, hiking, swimming, playing basketball, etc and many of these things can be done without a gym membership. However, getting a membership at a local gym can be rewarding and help motivate you to exercise. The cost of gym membership is far less than what you spend on cigarettes in a month and the benefits are far greater.

Anti Aging Facial Exercise

2009-10-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

While aging is unavoidable, it is always possible to hold back the speed of aging. Anti aging exercises may help reverse the effects of aging. Whether the anti aging exercises are really effective is really debatable but most of the fingers point towards the positive side. In fact, it is the consistency of exercise than the type that matters.

To remain and look young anti aging exercises are said to have a role. As per medical researches, the person who does not exercise puts on weight by more than 25%, the fat content gets doubled and the aerobic capacity decrease by 11%.

Anti aging exercises:

Laughter is the best way to relax a face from tension. In addition to the above, the following exercises can be used to tone the face muscles, improve circulation of blood and give radiant complexion:

* Scrunch up the face, as the forehead wrinkled, mouth and eyes are tightly closed and nose is wrinkled. One should keep the eyes and mouth open. After that close the mouth, purse the lips and take the mouth up to the right and to the left. Thereafter open the eyes and grin ear to ear, again grin from ear to ear, but now tuck in chin to tighten the neck muscles.

* For forehead

Bring eyebrows over the eyes with the help of fingers and pull them in this procedure and lift eyebrows during opening the eyes. After first step, lie on bed comfortably, see ceiling for a few minutes and lift eyebrows upward with open eyes. Take rest for some time and do this activity for about 8-10 times.

* For eyes

Tone the muscles of eyes. Give pressure to forehead from both sides of temple by using fingers gently. Then, close the eyes and sit in a right manner. Look up and then down as one can see while closing the eyes. Do this exercise for about 8-10 times.
Reference : hair-n-skin-care

Tips To Treat And Prevent Migraines

2009-02-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

There is headache, and there is migraine. The word migraine is derived from the Greek hemicrania, which, loosely translated, means "half a head". It alludes to the fact that a migraine typically affects only one side of the face, usually around the eye. The pain is often described as throbbing or pulsating and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Sometimes a migraine is preceded by an aura, visual distortions such as blurred vision and zigzagging lights. It foretells incapacitating pain that can last anywhere from a few hours to several days.
Here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to manage your migraine effectively and to minimize pain.
1. Try Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a form of conditioning in which you learn how to automatically warm your hands and relax the muscles around your neck and head. This helps to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Biofeedback machines, which monitor various vital signs, are available for home use. However, it is recommended to consult a professional for training in the proper use of these devices.
2. Stick To A Schedule
Get up at the same time every day of the week, including Saturdays and Sundays. When you sleep in, you are messing with your body's internal clock. Your body revs up certain metabolic processes later than it should, and that can set the stage for a migraine, just in time to ruin your weekend.
3. Touch Your Temples
If you have throbbing pain in your temples, applying pressure can help relieve it. It is recommended to either wrap a bandanna around your head and tying it tight or massaging the area with your fingertips. Just be extremely careful. Your temples are probably very tender.
4. Lie Low
Migraine pain is very easily aggravated by physical activity, even something as mild as walking or bending over. When migraines strike, most people want to crawl into a dark corner and be left alone. The truth is that this may not be a bad idea.
5. Mind Your Magnesium Level
People are more prone to migraine attacks when they are marginally deficient in magnesium. It is recommended taking 200 milligrams of the mineral every day for two months to see if it has any impact on the number of migraines you experience. Bear in mind that people who have heart or kidney problems should not take supplemental magnesium.
6. Prepare For Travel
A migraine is sometimes associated with a change in altitude. Therefore, if you are planning to fly somewhere or do anything at high elevations, such as skiing, it is recommended taking Diamox a couple of days beforehand. It will reduce the severity of a headache. Diamox is a little different chemically from other diuretics.
7. Stay Calm
Uncontrolled stress and anxiety can also invite a migraine attack. Make sure that you allow some time every day to do whatever relaxes you, even if it is only for ½ hour in the evening. Do not just go to work and go to bed.

Dealing with Migraines

2009-02-07T02:15:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has ever experienced a migraine headache knows just how incapacitating it can be. A migraine can put a person in bed with excruciating, pulsating pain. Symptoms of migraines usually include sharp pain on one or both sides of the head. It can be accompanied by nausea and dizziness. Migraine headaches may cause the eyes to be sensitive to light. Migraines are more than just simple headaches and it may be difficult to get relief from the chronic pain of a migraine.
Cluster headaches are a form of migraine that can occur in groups, hence the name cluster, and may last several days or even weeks. The pain can be intense causing the head to throb or pulse. The exact cause of these headaches is unknown but seem to be aggravated by stress, smoking and even certain types of foods.
Painkillers may help to relieve some of the discomfort associated with migraines but those who suffer from repeated headaches such as these should consult a physician. An examination and a series of tests may be performed to try and determine the cause. Medications can be prescribed to aid in the prevention of migraines that act by constricting the blood vessels, which prevent swelling and pressure on the nerves. Other drugs such as beta-blockers may be useful in the prevention of migraines as well.
Headaches may also be caused by eye or teeth problems and high blood pressure. Of course, finding and treating the underlying cause would be the best course of prevention. No doubt you are familiar with sinus headaches, which occur when the sinus cavities become clogged and cannot drain properly. This causes pressure to build which results in pain. The pressure caused by these headaches can be quite intense especially when bending the head.
window.google_render_ad();
You may often hear people refer to their pain by making comments such as “Oh, it’s just a headache.” Most of the time it usually is a mild headache with no serious cause but don’t dismiss headaches quite so easily. Chronic and severe headaches could have a serious underlying cause such as a tumor or aneurysm. If you suffer from recurring headaches it would be wise to consult a physician.
Proper diagnosis can allay serious consequences. Thorough examination and testing can reveal any serious abnormalities. Upon inspection of procedures performed such as an electroencephalogram which records electrical activity in the brain and a CAT scan, which will show a cross-sectional picture of the brain, any serious disorder can be detected or ruled out. Early detection can be the deciding factor in the correction of such disorders.
Although everyone gets the occasional tension headache, medical expertise should be sought when experiencing severe headache pain that recurs on a regular basis. It may be time to schedule an eye examination as well especially if you wear glasses or contacts or have a job that causes eye strain such as spending long hours in front of a computer screen. Eyestrain is often found to be a source of headache pain. Do yourself a favor and don’t let headache pain ruin your days.

Migraine Headache: Symptoms, Causes

2009-02-07T02:13:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like you need to put a drill to your head? Do you feel like your brain is twisting and contorting in ways never thought possible? Do bright lights hurt you? Do smells bother you? Do you just want to hide in a dark room with a pillow over your head? If any of this sounds familiar, you probably are one of those poor people that suffer from migraines.
Millions of people suffer from migraines. However, the majority of sufferers are women. The true cause of migraines is not really known. Some people get them due to a previous head injury. Some people get them only certain days of the week and aren't sure why. Some people get them when they eat certain foods. Some people just have no clue why they get them.
If you suffer from migraines, there are certain things that can trigger the migraine attack. Avoiding these migraine triggers can effectively reduce the number of attacks. The first thing most people do when they get a migraine is to take a over the counter medication or a prescription migraine medication. However, it has been shown that doing this often can actually give you more migraines because your body becomes dependent on the medication. This is called rebound migraines or rebound headaches. If you are a woman, it has been widely known that birth control can cause a woman who never had migraines to suddenly have them. This includes oral contraceptives, Depo-Provera, etc. This is because birth control alters a woman's hormonal level. These hormonal fluctuations can trigger migraines. Oftentimes, women have the migraine attacks when they are due for a new Depo-Provera shot or right when they get the shot. This is because of the rapid increase or decrease in hormones. This is the same for oral contraceptives. Many women find that the migraines start at the beginning and at the end of the contraceptive pack. If you happen to have birth control related migraines, you may need to find another method of birth control.
window.google_render_ad();
There are also many foods that trigger migraines. This includes: caffeine, processed foods and meats (sausage, pepperoni, bacon, milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.), TV dinners, wine, chocolate, MSG (monosodium glutamate), alcohol, vinegar, certain fruits and juices (bananas, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, etc.), raisins, certain vegetables (onions, pea pods, sauerkraut), Aspartame (NutraSweet), and fresh baked goods that are yeast risen (bagels, doughnuts, soft pretzels, pizza. etc). Keep in mind that not all triggers affect everyone. It is best for you to keep a journal of what you eat each day and see what days you get migraines.
Lastly, some people get migraines on certain days of the week. This is often because of stress or work related issues that cause stress. Many people also get migraines because of lack of sleep or an unstable sleep schedule. Pregnancy can also cause migraine attacks.
If you suffer from migraines, know that there are many who feel your pain. Do some research and work with your doctor to find out what may be triggering your migraine attacks. This way, you can learn to avoid these triggers and perhaps have less migraines. Then you can put that drill away!

Mango Nutrition Facts

2009-02-07T02:11:00.000-08:00

The earliest mention of mango, Mangifera indica, meaning "mango-bearing plant from India," is in the Hindu scripture dating back to 4000 BCE. The wild mango originated in the foothills of the Himalayas of India and Burma, and about 40 to 60 of these trees still grow in India and Southeast Asia. However, with its tiny fruits, fibrous texture, and unpleasant turpentine taste, there is little resemblance to the superlative mango we have come to enjoy today.
As the mango became cultivated, as early as 2000 BCE, its flavor, size, and texture developed into the exotic, richly flavored succulent treat we enjoy today.
Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, and for those who are physically active, whether working out or constantly on the go, mangos are a great way to replenish that lost potassium.
An average sized mango can contain up to 40% of your daily fiber requirement. If you are eating your mango-a-day, irregularity is not a problem for you and so we'll spare the gruesome details regarding constipation, piles and spastic colon.
Research has shown that dietary fiber has a protective effect against degenerative diseases, especially with regards to the heart; may help prevent certain types of cancer, as well as lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Low Blood Sugar

2009-02-07T02:10:00.001-08:00

Low blood sugar, often referred to as hypoglycemia, can affect anyone at any age. However it is more common among babies and the elderly.
Low blood sugar basically means that you have a low amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood, usually below 60 mg/dL. At a level of 50 mg/dL is thought to affect the functioning of the human brain. This is due to the fact that glucose is the primary source of fuel for the brain. It is also required to fuel the muscles, cells and ensure the correct functioning of hormones, such as insulin, glucagon and epinephrine.
Insulin, as well as glucagon are both manufactured in the pancreas. Insulin is responsible for the absorption of glucose into the blood stream, while glucagon breaks down the stored glucose (glycogen) and releases it into the blood stream. Epinephrine, also known as adrenalin, is manufactured in the adrenal gland and its role is to elevate blood sugar levels, by making the glucose available for the body during stressful periods.
When these systems do not work properly, hypoglycemia may occur. Common causes of hypoglycemia include the use of alcohol, missing meals, infections, kidney or liver failure, tumours such as hepatoma, fibrosarcoma and mesothelioma, medication such as beta-blockers or over-medicating with insulin, among others.
Symptoms include hunger pangs, anxiety, sweating, rapid heart palpitations, and shaking, seizures, headaches, confusion and difficulty thinking.
If you suspect that you have hypoglycemia seek immediate medical attention before the condition worsens.

Lychee Fruit Nutrition Facts

2009-02-07T02:09:00.001-08:00

Native to China, the Philippines and India, lychees are a delicious fruit which will add flavor to fruit salads. Lychees are eaten fresh or dried, but canned lychees have become very popular.
Unfortunately, lychees don't have a startlingly long shelf life, and are relatively easily damaged in transport and handling. The trees themselves bear heavily when the conditions suit them, but they are notoriously demanding in climatic conditions. So they will always be a luxury fruit, except as a canned fruit.
Sun or fire dried lychees are known as lychee-nuts and taste a bit like a raisin.
At 72mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of flesh, lychees are a very good source for this essential vitamin. Three lychee fruits would meet a third of an adult’s daily vitamin C requirement.
Lychees are also a good source of riboflavin, potassium and copper.

The Health Benefits of Lemons

2009-02-07T02:08:00.001-08:00

The simple, garden-variety lemon is very much understated. Lemons are very common and we see them everywhere. We use them to make lemonade, mix them into our drinks to add a little zing, they remove hard stains, are an all-around deodorizer and air freshener and we use them in our cooking as both an ingredient and garnish. Maybe we should stop and take another look at this yellow wonder because it may change what you think of it. When the world gives you lemons, there's a whole lot more you can make with them than just lemonade.
In traditional medicine, the lemon is widely known for its healing powers and is used in many different ways. In fact, the lemon is so powerful that it was used by the Romans as their cure for all types of poison.
Although the lemon is often thought of as acidic, it is very effective in curing many digestion problems when mixed with hot water, including biliousness, nausea, heartburn, disorders of the lower intestines like constipation and worm infestations. It is even known to relieve hiccups. Water plus a few lemons becomes lemon juice. Lemon juice, when taken regularly in the morning, acts as a tonic to the liver and stimulates it to produce bile making it ready to digest the day's food. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones. Because of its high vitamin C content, it is thought to help prevent and treat many infections, hasten wound healing and temper down high fever. Lemon juice also relieves symptoms of asthma, tonsillitis and sore throat.
Lemon is also a diuretic. This means it is good for people with urinary tract infections and high uric acid problems, such as those with arthritis or rheumatism because it helps flush out all the toxins and bad bacteria. When lemon is mixed with coffee, it is thought to help treat malaria. This concoction is also effective for headaches.
When externally applied, lemon juice that is poured onto a small piece of cotton wool and gently applied to the nostrils could stop epistaxis (more commonly known as nose bleeds) although this may sting a bit. When massaged gently into gums, lemon juice may also stop gum bleeding. Lemon juice with glycerin is effective when used on the lips to treat chapping. This may be a little strange but lemon juice applied on your skin can also help prevent sunburn.
Lemons are also used as balms in highly concentrated forms. Some may know them as "cure-alls". Lemon balms are known for their ability to break fevers by encouraging the patient's body to perspire. Because of this, lemon balms are recommended for all fevers, no matter what the cause. Lemon balms are also popular treatments for cough and colds, even hay fever. Balms are also used in the treatment of flatulence and other digestive conditions. Menstrual cramps are relieved by lemon balms, as are dizziness, headaches and high blood pressure.
Psychologically, lemon balm is used to lift people's spirits, especially those who are undergoing menopause and are depressed, because it will calm anxieties, clear their minds and center their focus. It also supposedly improves memory storage and recall.

Kiwi Nutrition Facts

2009-02-07T02:06:00.000-08:00

The kiwi originated in China and was known as the Chinese gooseberry until New Zealand fruit growers renamed it for their national bird and began exporting it. Today, kiwi fruit is also a commercial crop in California.
Kiwi is bursting with vitamin C. One kiwi has 120 percent of the RDA for this disease-protective vitamin, says Dr. Barry Sears in his book The Top 100 Zone Foods. Besides helping to boost your immune system, vitamin C is an antioxidant that can protect your arteries from the damaging effects of free radicals. Kiwi is also rich in dietary fiber, and a good source of potassium, copper, magnesium, vitamin E, and manganese.
The protective properties of kiwi have been demonstrated in a study with 6- and 7-year-old children in northern and central Italy. The more kiwi or citrus fruit these children consumed, the less likely they were to have respiratory-related health problems including wheezing, shortness of breath, or night coughing. In another study, human volunteers who ate 2 to 3 kiwi fruit per day for 28 days reduced their platelet aggregation response (potential for blood clot formation) by 18% compared to controls eating no kiwi. In addition, kiwi eaters' triglycerides (blood fats) dropped by 15% compared to controls.
For the sweetest, fullest flavor, choose plump, fragrant kiwi fruit that yield to gentle pressure, like ripe peaches. Unripe fruit has a hard core and a tart, astringent taste. If only firm kiwis are available, ripen them for a few days before eating them. Reject shriveled or mushy fruits, or those with bruises or wet spots.
To ripen firm kiwis — according to the website Wholehealthmd.com — leave them at room temperature, but away from heat or direct sunlight, for a few days to a week. Hasten ripening by placing them in a paper bag with an apple, pear, or banana. Once a kiwi fruit is ripe, however, store it far from other fruits, as it is very sensitive to the ethylene gas they emit, and tends to overripen even in the refrigerator. Ripe kiwis should keep for about one to two weeks.

Kidney stone prevention

2009-02-07T02:05:00.001-08:00

• Drink more liquids. Drinking 8-10 glasses of liquid each day helps to keep the urine dilute, which reduces the concentration of stone forming minerals in the urine. At least half of the liquid should be water; the other liquids could be any beverages you like.
• Reduce the amount of salt you eat.
• Be sure your diet contains adequate amounts of calcium.
• Avoid those foods which can increase the amount of oxalate or uric acid in the urine: chocolate, anchovies, rhubarb, caviar, greens, herring, berries, scallops, peanuts, mussels, asparagus, organ meats (liver, kidneys, brains), tea, meat, extracts, broth, bouillon, consommé.
• Cranberry is known to help some people develop fewer kidney stones.

Kidney Stones

2009-02-07T02:04:00.000-08:00

What is a kidney stone?
Kidney stones are hard, stone-like masses, formed out of crystals found in the urine.
A stone may stay in the kidney or break loose and travel down the urinary tract. A small stone may pass all the way out of the body without causing too much pain. A larger stone may get stuck in a ureter, the bladder, or the urethra. A problem stone can block the flow of urine and cause great pain.
Researches have proved that kidney stones are no modern ailment; the remains of a 7,000-year-old mummy revealed that even the ancient Egyptians suffered from them.
Causes of kidney stones
Doctors still don’t know exactly what causes a kidney stone to form.
More than 90% of individuals with kidney stones have a chemical abnormality of blood or urine that contributes to the tendency to form the stones.
At one time, it was believed that certain foods caused people to develop kidney stones. Recent findings, however, suggest that foods may promote the formation of kidney stones in those who are susceptible, but it doesn’t seem that particular foods have any bearing on the formation of kidney stones in a person who is not susceptible. People who have a family history of kidney stones are more likely to develop them.
Not drinking enough water or other fluids may also contribute to forming stones. Inadequate fluid intake causes the kidneys to produce less urine, as well as urine that is highly concentrated. The smaller the daily volume of urine, the more likely it is that a person would form kidney stones.
The truth of the matter is that kidney stones may form for a variety of reasons: urinary tract infections, kidney disorders and certain metabolic disorders such as hyperparathyroidism have all been linked to the formation of kidney stones. Seventy percent of those who suffer from renal tubular acidosis, an unusual hereditary disease, develop kidney stones and the condition is most prominent in men, from ages 40-70. Women get stones less frequently than men, but occasionally they do occur, usually around the age of 50.
The most common kidney stones are calcium-based and related to a condition known as hypercalciuria, an inherited condition which causes stones when calcium is consumed in excess. Some other causes can include cystinuria and hyperoxaluria (two rare, inherited disorders of the metabolism), hyperuricosuria (a disorder of the uric acid metabolism), gout, excess intake of Vitamin D, blockage of the urinary tract (as in urethral stricture disease), and some diuretics. Even calcium-based antacids have been known to cause problems in some people.
Additionally, people with chronic inflammation of the bowel or those who have had an intestinal bypass surgery or ostomy operation may be at risk, as well as those who take a protease inhibitor known as endeavor, which is commonly used to treat HIV related infections.
One thing that is known: once a person gets a kidney stone, he is more likely to develop more of them in the future.
Types of kidney stones
1. Calcium phosphate stones are common and easily dissolve in urine acidified by vitamin C.
2. Calcium oxalate stones are also common but they do not dissolve in acid urine.
3. Magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite) stones are much less common, often appearing after an infection. They dissolve in vitamin C acidified urine.
4. Uric acid stones result from a problem metabolizing purines (the chemical base of adenine, xanthine, theobromine [in chocolate] and uric acid). They may form in a condition such as gout.
5. Cystine stones result from a hereditary inability to reabsorb cystine. Most children's stones are this type, and these are rare.
Symptoms of kidney stones
While kidney stones don’t always cause symptoms, most of the time they do. The first symptom of a kidney stone is usually extreme pain. Kidney stones block the flow of urine and pain occurs when the stones try to shift and move. This causes a sharp, cramping pain, usually in the back and side in the area of the kidney or in the lower abdomen, and may be accompanied by a blood-tinted urine. Occasionally nausea and vomiting will accompany the pain and the patient may experience the need to urinate more. However, when they do go to urinate, they may experience a pressure and burning sensation. If there is a presence of fever or chill, though, this suggests that there may be an infection and one should seek a doctor immediately.
Kidney stone treatmentFortunately, surgery is rarely necessary for the removal of kidney stones and most usually pass naturally. Drinking 2-3 quarts of water per day may help to flush out the system.
When a person cannot pass the stone through the urine, however, there are treatments available to remove or crush them, including:
• Inserting a small instrument through the urethra (the tube through which a person passes urine from the body) to “snare” the stone and remove it.
• Shock wave lithotripsy, whereby the stone is crushed. Once the stone is crushed, a person can pass the smaller pieces.

Kava: A Healthy Way to Relieve Stress

2009-02-07T02:03:00.000-08:00

Piper methsyticum, or Kava, has become one of the most popular herbs in recent years.
The Kava plant has a large root and is related to the pepper family of shrubbery. Largely found in the South Pacific, it has evolved from over 3,000 years of human cultivation.
Due to Kava’s recent popularity, the herb is becoming a victim of supply and demand, with the supply decreasing and the demand increasing. Kava takes up to five years to cultivate, which makes it difficult for suppliers and growers to keep up with the public’s desire for the herb.
Kava was used by the Germans in the 1890s for pharmaceuticals relating to blood pressure; before then, it was utilized by the Polynesians. The natives used a brew from the root and leaves said to be as cherished as wine was with the Europeans. Kava has been used to treat anxiety/nervous disorders, migraines, and bladder problems.
Today, we use and know Kava as a non-addictive way to sooth nerves and relax. In small, recommended doses, no side effects have been found for Kava. However, large dosages of Kava can have a sedative effect, which means that one should avoid alcohol, driving, and operating heavy machinery when taking heavy amounts.
The “kava” lactones, which are the plant chemicals that produce the desired effects, have been studied in the use of relaxing stiff muscles by blocking signals in the user’s nerves.
window.google_render_ad();
A 1993 double-blind case study conducted by scientist H.J. Heinze compared the effects of Kava versus the effects of . The sedating effects found with the users were not found with the Kava users; they were able to perform tasks users are told to avoid.
A 1996 German study revealed that doses of one hundred milligrams, taken up to three times a day, relieved anxiety in a group of 58 people. Scientists at Jena University in Germany gave 101 study participants either Kava or a placebo for 25 weeks. The individuals who took Kava became less anxious than the placebo users. The researchers and scientists concluded that doctors should consider Kava when treating patients with anxiety disorders.
Kava comes prepared as caplets, capsules, tablets, tinctures, teas, and dry bulk. The “Pill” type available is mostly standardized, so you should read labels and check the manufacturer. If it doesn’t say “standardized” on the label or list Kava as the first (and preferably only) ingredient, try another brand. Remember, follow doses listed on the label, and if you are unsure of something, ask the nutritionist or herbalist in your health store.
Kava’s reputation is growing for a variety of reasons. It has been said that Kava produces a hallucinogenic effect or, that it mimics some illegal drugs. That is not the case. It should be sought out only for its intended use: the soothing of nerves.
Don’t take Kava if you are pregnant, lactating, or in a depressive state. Depression is different from anxiety, and Kava does not have positive results on the depressed individual.
Kava may help sooth your nerves and the daily pressures associated with anxiety. Since anxiety is such a prevalent disorder, the prospect of treating it in a non-addictive way has people beating a path to their local health food stores. Try and get in line early, folks, because when demand is greater than supply, shelves become empty and prices go up — and spending a lot of money will only make you more anxious.

Kale Nutrition and Health Benefits

2009-02-07T02:01:00.000-08:00

When you mention kale, the majority will look up with raised eyebrows and mumble, "What?" "What's that?" An old, hardly spoken of and powerful green food. Kale is a leafy green vegetable with a mild earthy flavor. The season for kale is between mid-winter and early spring where it can be found in abundance in most produce sections of the local grocery store. However, one can find kale year round. Thankfully, kale is starting to garner well-deserved attention due to its nutrient rich phytochemical content, which provides unparalleled health promoting benefits.
Kale is absolutely rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in vitamin C, not to mention the much-needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of processed food eating Americans. The "Icing on the Kale" are the natural occurring all-important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer. Let's not forget the all-important antioxidant vitamin E. Rest assured, kale spares nothing in providing one with much needed nutrients and associated health benefits.
window.google_render_ad();
The naturally rich sulfur content of kale deserves a bit more discussion. Science has discovered that sulforaphane helps boost the body's detoxification enzymes, possibly by altering gene expression. This in turn is purported to help clear carcinogenic substances in a timely manner. Sulforaphane is formed when cruciferous vegetables like kale are chopped or chewed. This somehow triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer-causing chemicals, to which we all are exposed on a daily basis. A recent new study in the Journal of Nutrition (2004) demonstrates that sulforaphane helps stop breast cancer cell proliferation.
Kale descends from the wild cabbage, which originated in Asia and is thought to have been brought to Europe by the Celts. Kale was an important food item in early European history and a crop staple in ancient Rome. Kale was brought to the USA during the 17th century by English settlers.
A leafy green vegetable starting to gain widespread attention, kale belongs to the Brassica family, a group that also includes cabbage, collard greens and Brussels sprouts. Choose kale with small leaves as they will be tenderer and offer a sweeter taste. Make kale leaves a regular addition to your salads. A sautéed side dish of kale, onions, and garlic drizzled in olive oil is second to none. Enjoy your kale. You'll be glad you did.

Jasmine Essential Oil

2009-02-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

Jasmine grandiflorum is known as “the king of flowers” and with good reason. It's one of the oldest and most widely used of all scented botanicals. Native to tropical areas of Asia and Africa, it was introduced to Europe in the early 17th century and quickly became the base note of choice for perfumers.
Jasmine blossoms are extremely fragile, must be hand-picked and then processed quickly and without heat to avoid degradation of the delicate volatile oils. In fact, jasmine blossoms are so delicate that jasmine is one of the few essential oils still being routinely manufactured by the ancient process of enfleurage.
Jasmine in Aromatherapy
Jasmine is probably best known as an aphrodisiac. Very little scientific evidence supports this practice but that doesn't stop people in Thailand from sprinkling the blossoms on the marriage bed of newlyweds or aromatherapists in the U.S. from prescribing the essential oil for severe .
Jasmine has long been regarded as a “woman's oil”. Traditional Chinese medicine and the Indian system of Ayurveda both use it extensively. Dr. Christoph Streicher calls jasmine, “hormone balancing”, and recommends that it be massaged into the abdomen to ease the pains of childbirth.
window.google_render_ad();
Jasmine is also thought of as a natural antidepressant. Aromatherapists believe that it's especially effective for people suffering symptoms of apathy and fatigue. They believe that jasmine works, in part, by reducing fears and opening up emotional pathways.
Choosing a Good Jasmine Essential Oil
Jasminum grandiflorum, or “true” jasmine, has a heavy exotic scent that isn't at all flowery. Though other species of jasmine are also used in perfumery, J. grandiflorum is the one most perfumers consider the “real” jasmine. It has a dark amber color and a heavy, exotic scent that appeals to both men and women. The scent of jasmine fills the nose with a warm, full sensation. A good jasmine will smell only slightly “floral” and will never smell of solvents.
Jasmine is a considered base note that blends extremely well with other essential oils. Its ability to ground nearly any synergistic blend makes it irreplaceable in aromatherapy. Jasmine blends especially with sweet orange, sandalwood and vetiver.

Japanese Encephalitis: Symptoms, Causes

2009-02-07T01:59:00.000-08:00

Japanese encephalitis is an infection of the brain caused by a virus. The virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes.
The virus that causes Japanese encephalitis is called an arbovirus, which is an arthropod-borne virus. Mosquitoes in a number of regions carry this virus and are responsible for passing it along to humans. Many of these areas are in Asia, including Japan, Korea, China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
Causes and Symptoms
The virus is transferred to a human when an infected mosquito sucks that person's blood. Once in the body, the virus travels to various glands where it multiplies. The virus can then enter the bloodstream. Ultimately, the virus settles in the brain, where it causes serious problems.
Japanese encephalitis begins with fever, severe headache, nausea, and vomiting. As the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord (the meninges) becomes infected and swollen, the patient will develop a stiff and painful neck. By day two or three, the patient begins to suffer the effects of swelling in the brain. These effects include:
Problems with balance and coordination
Paralysis of some muscle groups
Tremors
Seizures
Lapses in consciousness
A stiff, mask-like appearance of the face.
The patient becomes dehydrated and loses weight. If the patient survives the illness, the fever will decrease by about day seven and the symptoms will begin to improve by about day 14. Other patients will continue to have extremely high fevers and their symptoms will get worse. In these cases, coma and then death occur in 7-14 days. Many patients who recover have permanent disabilities due to brain damage.
Prevention
A three-dose vaccine is available for Japanese encephalitis and is commonly given to young children in areas where the disease is endemic. Travelers to these regions can also receive the vaccine.
Controlling the mosquito population with insecticides is another preventive measure. Visitors to regions with high rates of Japanese encephalitis should take precautions (like using mosquito repellents and sleeping under a bed net) to avoid contact with mosquitoes.
Treatment
There are no treatments available to stop or slow the progression of Japanese encephalitis. Only the symptoms of each patient can be treated. Fluids are given to decrease dehydration and medications are given to decrease fever and pain. Medications are available to attempt to decrease brain swelling. Patients in a coma may require mechanical assistance with breathing.
While the majority of people infected with arbovirus never become sick, those who develop Japanese encephalitis become very ill. Some outbreaks have a 50% death rate. A variety of long-term problems may haunt those who recover from the illness.
Young children are most likely to have serious, long-term problems after an infection

The Importance of Iron for Athletes

2009-02-07T01:57:00.000-08:00

Iron is particularly important for active individuals, says Dr. Brian J. Sharkey in his book Fitness and Health. "Much of the iron absorbed in the blood goes into the production of hemoglobin, the compound in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the working muscles. Iron is also used in muscle myoglobin to transport and store oxygen, and in important oxidative (aerobic) enzymes.
"Individuals who are deficient in iron risk anemia and poor endurance. Since only 10% to 20% of the iron in food is absorbed into the bloodstream, athletes must take in 10 times the amount needed," says Dr. Sharkey. "Lean meat is a rich source of iron, and the iron in meat is also more readily absorbed than that from other sources."
Other animal sources rich in iron include liver, kidney, chicken, turkey, tripe, shellfish, and fish (tinned, fresh or frozen). Non-animal sources rich in iron include dried fruit, nuts, molasses, wholegrain breads, dried beans and lentils, green leafy vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals.

Hyssop Herb and Oil

2009-02-07T01:56:00.001-08:00

Hyssop leaves are said to contain oils that act as general cleansers and purifiers throughout the body. In the Bible (John 19:28, 29) hyssop is referred to as a holy herb. Traditionally, Tibetan lamas would offer hyssop to their deities during sacred and secret services.
Prepared as an infusion, hyssop will soothe colic, improve digestion and eliminate flatulence. It is an excellent nerve tonic, and also helps one to build up strength after an illness. It is recommended for coughs (try combining with other cough remedies) colds, flu, and as a gargle for sore throats.
A tea made with the fresh green tops, and drunk several times daily, is one of the old-fashioned country remedies for rheumatism that is still employed. Hyssop baths have also been recommended as part of the cure, but the quantity used would need to be considerable.
Hyssop essential oil is used to relieve tension and stress. As with all essential oils add a few drops of the essential oil to a carrier oil. Massage this oil into the aching area. It is also used for viral infections, hay fever, eczema and circulatory problems.
Do not use this oil if you are suffering from epilepsy. Usage should also be avoided during pregnancy.

Hypoglycemia: Symptoms,

2009-02-07T01:54:00.000-08:00

If your doctor tells you that you suffer from hypoglycemia, he must then tell you the cause because low blood sugar is the result of something going wrong in your body. It is not a cause.
Your brain gets more than 98 percent of its energy from sugar in your bloodstream. There is only enough sugar in your bloodstream to last about three minutes, so your liver constantly releases sugar from its cells into your bloodstream. But your liver can store only enough sugar to last 12 hours at rest, so it must manufacture new sugar from protein and other energy stores.
When blood sugar levels drop, you may feel anxious, shaky, sweaty, hungry, a tingling in your skin or your heart may beat rapidly. More severe symptoms include confusion, a sensation of warmth, weakness or fatigue, loss of memory and in its extreme, seizures and passing out. As you suffer repeat attacks of low blood sugar, they affect you less and your symptoms lessen.
There are two types of low blood sugar. First, when your blood sugar rises too high, causing your pancreas to release a large amount of insulin that drops your blood sugar too low, and second, a slow drop in blood sugar caused by your liver running out of stored sugar. Doctors used to think that insulin-induced hypoglycemia follows meals and that your liver running out of sugar doesn't follow meals, but they now know that both types can occur any time.
It is almost impossible to diagnose hypoglycemia by drawing blood after you suffer an attack of dizziness, weakness or fainting because your body produces adrenaline immediately and raises blood sugar levels to normal before your doctor can draw blood. It can be diagnosed by feeding you lots of sugar and measuring your blood sugar level every half-hour for several hours. If you indeed suffer from hypoglycemia, your doctor then has to find a cause, which might include liver damage, an inadequate amount or excess of many different hormones, tumors or glandular abnormalities.
About The AuthorDr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.drmirkin.com/
OTHER RESOURCES:
Hypoglemia: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment on Medicinenet.comHypoglycemia is the clinical syndrome that results from low blood sugar. The symptoms of hypoglycemia can vary from person to person, as can the severity. Classically, hypoglycemia is diagnosed by a low blood sugar with symptoms that resolve when the sugar level returns to the normal range. Read more…
Hypoglycemia at MayoClinic.comHypoglycemia is a condition characterized by an abnormally low level of blood sugar (glucose), your body's main energy source. Hypoglycemia is commonly associated with diabetes. However, a wide variety of conditions, many of them rare, can cause low blood sugar in people without diabetes. Like fever, hypoglycemia isn't a disease itself, it's an indicator of a health problem. Read more…
Hypoglycemia DietHypoglycemia is the term for a blood glucose level that is lower than normal. When foods are digested in the body, they are broken down into many nutrients. These nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream to be used in performing various body functions. One of these nutrients is glucose, a sugar that provides fuel to the body. Read more…

Natural Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure

2009-02-07T01:52:00.000-08:00

Although in most cases hypertension is symptomless, in severe cases it can cause headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness and visual disturbances. Anyone who experiences any of these symptoms should see their GP immediately.
There are plenty of non-pharmacological measures you can take to lower your blood pressure, or prevent it from becoming too high. The British Hypertensive Society recommends:
losing excess weight
taking regular dynamic physical exercise (such as a brisk 20-minute walk each day)
increasing your daily intake of fruit and vegetables (7 portions a day)
limiting your alcohol intake.

Honey Nutrition Facts

2009-02-07T01:51:00.000-08:00

Honey, the sweet, sticky substance created by a colony of bees, offers an excellent source of simple carbohydrates. For each tablespoon of honey consumed, the body is supplied with 64 calories of pure energy.
Honey is considered a natural substance, and according to the United States National Honey Board, it's a natural product that does not allow for the addition of other substances, such as water and sweeteners.
In the United States there are about 300 varieties of honey and each one differs depending on the floral source that the bees visit. Each type of honey not only has its own taste, but varies in color too. Generally, the lighter the honey, the milder the flavor.
Honey's composition, on average, is 17.1 % water, 82.4 % carbohydrates and 0.5 % proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The average carbohydrate content is mainly fructose (38.5 %) and glucose (31 %). The remaining 12.9 % of carbohydrates is made up of maltose, sucrose and other sugars.
Unlike most other sweeteners, honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants. Vitamins in honey include vitamin B6, vitamin C, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid. Essential minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc as well as several different amino acids have been identified in honey. One antioxidant called "pinocembrin" is only found in honey.
Honey is fat free, cholesterol free and sodium free.
Apart from its culinary and medicinal properties, honey has often been used as a metaphor by many famous people, including Abraham Lincoln who is quoted to have said, "The only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey . . . and the only reason for making honey is so I can eat it."

Homeopathic Treatment

2009-02-07T01:50:00.000-08:00

Homeopathy is a therapeutic system that seeks to restore the body’s harmony. It stimulates the body’s innate forces of recovery and triggers it to heal itself.
The term is taken from Greek words — homoios meaning “like” and patheia meaning “disease” or “suffering”, and the system works on the principle that “like heals like.” Essentially, what this means is that a substance which, when given to health individuals, produces particular symptoms may be given to help the recovery of a patient whose illness is displaying similar symptoms to those seen in healthy people. For example, we all know that stinging nettles produce itchy, burning skin. Interestingly, someone who is sick and whose illness present itchy, blistering skin may be given homeopathically prepared Urtica urens (a decoction made from stinging nettles) as a remedy.
Correct homeopathic treatment has regard for the whole person and his or her way of life. The assumption is that the body can fight the sickness, so the treatment aims to help stimulate the body to do its natural job. Different treatments are selected for different people, even though they may be suffering from the same disease.
It can be demonstrated in the laboratory that while a large dose of poison kills, a minute dose of the same poison can stimulate the cellular function vital to produce a natural antidote.
Although the principle of curing “like with like” was recognized by Hippocrates back in the fifth century, the origins of the modern system go back to Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician who lived and worked in the eighteenth century. He discovered that when he took cinchona bark it produced malaria-type symptoms, which he found curious since cinchona (later known as quinine) was the very drug given to treat malaria.

Hand Care

2009-02-07T01:47:00.000-08:00

When you hear about wrinkles and skin aging, your first thoughts are about face and neck. But the earliest signs of aging will show on your hands.
Often neglected, hands need to be regularly taken care of. Frequent contacts with water and chemicals, sun, cold weather, gardening — all put your skin under a big stress. While hands do not have many oil glands, they will give away your age earlier than your pampered face. In the meantime, it has been noticed that after making eye contact, the next thing people pay attention to is your hands.
What can you do to keep your hands beautiful?
# Moisturize! Several times a day. Dry skin is easily injured and looks wrinkled.# Protect your hands — wear gloves when gardening, washing dishes, or dealing with chemicals# Use sun protection# Keep your hands dry; any water left on your hands will evaporate and dry out the skin.# Give your hands a special treatment — herbal or oil bath — once in a while.
Here are a few suggestions for your next hand spa:
window.google_render_ad();
Herbal hand bath
Bring 1 qt of water to boil and pour over 1 tbsp of herbs (you can use all of these or just one: chamomile, nettle, sage, coltsfoot, calendula). Let the infusion cool to 100-110F and soak your hands in it for about 15-20 minutes. Dry your hands thoroughly and apply a rich moisturizer.
You can make your own nourishing hand cream
Thoroughly mix 1 teaspoon of honey and 3 tbsp of unsalted butter. Add 1 tbsp of strong herbal infusion. This will make a very rich cream. It will take a while to absorb, but leave your hands silky and smooth.
For dry skin use this hand treatment 1-2 times a week
1 tbsp glycerin1 egg yolk2 tbsp vegetable oil (olive, almond, or another oil of your choice)lemon juice of 1 lemon3 1/2 – 4 oz of an herbal infusion (for example: chamomile, calendula, elderflower) or rose water.
Other tips
Mashed potatoes (with milk) will make a great hand mask.When cooking with eggs, don’t throw the eggshells away. Scrape out the remaining egg white and spread it over your hands.Rubbing your skin with a piece of lemon will give the skin a more even tone.After washing dishes or dealing with other alkali detergents, rinse your hands with sour milk or with a vinegar-in-water solution (1 tbsp. vinegar per 2qt of water). This will help to restore pH balance of the skin.Keep your hands warm. Not only for the sake of better skin, but for your overall health.Flue and colds often start with cold hands.

Green Tea Health Benefits

2009-02-07T01:44:00.000-08:00

The benefits of green tea have been touted by the Chinese and Asian cultures for centuries. Finally, the West is catching on and is discovering the healing properties of this simple beverage. In the past, it has been used to help with headaches, depression, general malaise and other disorders. The Chinese have used green tea as a medicine for at least 4,000 years.
Currently, research is being done to find evidence of the health benefits that are associated with green tea. The evidence is staggering.
Research at the University of Purdue showed that there is a compound in green tea that inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
Research has shown that drinking green tea may be helpful for people with cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, infection, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and reduced immune function.
A publication in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 1994 showed that consuming green tea actually offered a 60% reduction to the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women.
Studies have shown that drinking green tea lowers cholesterol and improves the "good" cholesterol (HDL) while decreasing the "bad" cholesterol (LDL)!
Green tea has certain properties that give it its healing abilities. It is very rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly EGCG. EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate, is a very powerful antioxidant. It inhibits the growth of cancer cells and can actually kill them, yet it does not harm healthy tissue. It has also been shown as being quite effective in lowering LDL cholesterol -- the "bad" cholesterol. It has also been shown to inhibit the abnormal formation of blood clots which are the leading cause of heart attack and stroke.
At this time, the only drawback to green tea -- its only negative side effect -- is that it contains caffeine. This can lead to insomnia, especially if you are more sensitive to caffeine. The good news is that green tea contains less caffeine than coffee. There are also decaffeinated versions of green tea that are available. But if you drink the tea early in the day, before 4 pm, you should have no problem falling asleep. One worry with the caffeine is that it may become addicting. So use your best judgement.
You may find it interesting that green tea may also aid dieters. The University of Geneva performed a study where they gave men caffeine and green tea. These men burned more calories than men who had only caffeine or were given a placebo.
window.google_render_ad();
Black tea and green tea are not the same. While they all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the difference is how they are processed. Oolong and black teas come from fermented leaves. This causes the EGCG to be converted to other compounds. These compounds are not as effective in treating disease. Green tea leaves, on the other hand, are steamed. This process prevents the EGCG from being oxidized. Thus, the green tea is richer in EGCG and is not corrupted in any way.
Glyconutrient supplements are another way to help your body get healthy antioxidants into the body. In fact, studies have shown that glyconutritionals help the body to create its own natural antioxidants.
Article by Spencer Hunt of http://www.ifoundhealth.com/
ALSO ON THIS WEBSITE:
Eleven Health Benefits of Green TeaGreen tea is known to provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of spinach, broccoli, carrots, or strawberries. Studies show that green tea contains antioxidants, polyphenols, theanine, as well as a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Green tea is definitely good for your body. Read more…Green Tea Nutrition FactsGreen tea, the ancient Chinese traditional tea, has been receiving a lot of good publicity due to its many health-promoting benefits. During the processing period, green tea undergoes minimal oxidation, making it one of the healthiest teas available on the market today. Read more…
The Many Benefits of Green Tea ExtractOne of the great advancements in nutrition in the twenty-first century is the scientific confirmation of the many benefits of green tea extract. Read more…

Green Beans Nutrition Facts

2009-02-07T01:42:00.000-08:00

Green beans, while quite low in calories (just 43.75 calories in a whole cup), are loaded with nutrients — an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and iron. And, green beans are a good source of magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, calcium, phosphorus, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin.
The vitamin K provided by green beans — a spectacular 122.0% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) in one cup — is important for maintaining strong bones. Vitamin K is known to be needed to maintain proper bone density and to coagulate blood. It plays a key role in proper development of the fetus.
Deficiencies of vitamin K have been linked to heavy menstrual bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, hematuria (blood in the urine), nosebleeds, eye hemorrhages, anemia, gum bleeding, prolonged clotting times, hematomas, hemorrhaging, easy bruising, purpura, osteopenia, osteoporosis, fractures, hypercalciuria, and calcification of soft tissue, especially heart valves.
According to the website The World’s Healthiest Foods, few foods compare to green beans in their number of helpful nutrients for atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. “Green beans are a very good source of vitamin A, notably through their concentration of beta-carotene, and an excellent source of vitamin C. These two nutrients are important antioxidants that work to reduce the amounts of free radicals in the body, vitamin C as a water-soluble antioxidant and beta-carotene as a fat-soluble one. This water-and-fat-soluble antioxidant team helps to prevent cholesterol from becoming oxidized. Oxidized cholesterol is able to stick to and build up in blood vessel walls, where it can cause blocked arteries, heart attack or stroke. Getting plenty of beta-carotene and vitamin C can help prevent these complications, and a cup of green beans will provide you with 16.6% of the daily value for vitamin A along with 20.2% of the daily value for vitamin C.
“Green beans are also a very good source of fiber, a very good source of potassium and folate, and a good source of magnesium and riboflavin. Each of these nutrients plays a significant cardio-protective role.”
Green beans are among a small number of foods that contain any measurable amount of oxalates, naturally occurring substances found in plants, animals, and human beings. “When oxalates become too concentrated in body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems. For this reason, individuals with already existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating green beans. Oxalates may also interfere with absorption of calcium from the body. For this reason, individuals trying to increase their calcium stores may want to avoid green beans, or if taking calcium supplements, may want to eat green beans 2-3 hours before or after taking their supplements,” says the website The World’s Healthiest Foods.

The Benefits of Grape Seed Extract

2009-02-07T01:41:00.000-08:00

As you might expect, the supplement known as grape seed extract is extracted from the seeds, and sometimes the skins as well, of red grapes. These are the same kind of red grapes used to make wine, and the same grapes thought to provide the health benefits that allow the French to eat a fatty diet while staying free of the rampant heart disease that afflicts Americans and other westerners.
Grape seed extract has been used extensively throughout Europe, and it is known to be a rich source of flavonoids, those phytochemicals whose antioxidant properties may exceed those of the more well known vitamin A and vitamin E. Antioxidants are thought to play a role in the prevention of many diseases, due to their ability to reduce the damage done by free radicals in the body.
The most valuable of these flavonoids are thought to be the procyanidolic oligomers. These compounds are known to be strong antioxidants, and they are also thought to help improve blood flow and strengthen the blood vessels. This increased blood circulation may help to strengthen and protect the heart.
This effect on blood flow makes supplementation with grape seed extract a good idea for those who are likely to benefit from increased blood flow. This includes those with leg cramps, diabetes, varicose veins and numbness of the legs and arms. The increased blood flow may even help to treat erectile dysfunction. In addition, eye diseases common to the elderly, like cataracts and macular degeneration, may be prevented by grape seed extract. Grape seed extract is also believed to help combat less serious eye problems such as eye strain.
Grape seed extract is often rubbed directly on the skin as well, and doing so may help people maintain the elasticity of the skin. Many skin creams manufactured in Europe add grape seed extract for just that purpose.
Some studies have shown as well that grape seed extract may help to minimize the damage done by fibromyalgia. This disorder, characterized by its chronic muscle pain and stiffness, does not respond to many traditional treatments, but there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that grape seed oil may be an effective treatment for some sufferers.

Gastric Bypass Complication

2009-02-07T01:40:00.000-08:00

Nowadays, gastric bypass surgery is a popular way to help obese people lose weight and keep it off. But, if you're considering this procedure, here's something to keep in mind.
According to a report published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, you could have problems with a vitamin A deficiency. Normal vitamin A levels are required for appropriate functioning of our immune system, skin, retina, and ocular surface. Without adequate levels of vitamin A in the body, serious systemic consequences can occur, including significant ophthalmic complications leading to potential vision loss and ultimate blindness if the deficiency is not recognised and corrected.
A specialist eye clinic in the UK found that three patients who had extensive intestinal surgery between 20 and 35 years earlier were experiencing increasingly poor eyesight.
Medical experts found that the patients had a vitamin A deficiency, despite them having taken supplements. After two of the patients agreed to vitamin A injections, their vision improved within days.
The trouble, say researchers, is that the increase in popularity of this type of procedure could make vitamin A deficiency increasingly common and it's an essential vitamin for eyesight.

The Health Benefits of Ginger

2009-02-07T01:35:00.000-08:00

With the increase in the popularity of alternative and natural health solutions, many of the time-honored medical traditions of the east, such as the use of ginger root, are exciting the interest of clinical researchers. Ginger has a long history of medicinal use, particularly in traditional Chinese medicine and the Ayurvedic healing traditions of India. In recent years, a great deal of clinical research has been done on the potential health benefits of ginger.
Used for thousands of years to ease digestive complaints and nausea, among numerous other ailments, ginger has attracted the attention of numerous researchers throughout the world -- including those seeking a means of easing the side effects of some cancer and Hepatitis C treatments. The University of Michigan Cancer Center participated in a recent study, along with the National Institute for Cancer and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This particular study, formally titled as a "Phase II Trial Of Encapsulized Ginger As A Treatment For Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting," was a placebo control, double blind, and randomized.
The initial results seem to be encouraging. According to an article, published January 4, 2006, on the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center website, clinical research has demonstrated that ginger has significant medicinal potential. Suzanna Zick, N.D., MPH, research investigator in family medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, said that in addition to its uses for digestive tract ailments, ginger has been demonstrated to be useful for some types of arthritis.
window.google_render_ad();
Preliminary studies, according to the Maryland Medical Center, indicate that ginger may also benefit health by helping to lower cholesterol and serving to help prevent clotting of the blood. Studies have also indicated that, in a lab setting, "components in ginger may have anti-cancer activity." These early study results do look promising, but further clinical research is needed to determine how ginger can be useful in helping to treat heart disease and certain types of cancer.
The American Cancer Society, while acknowledging the potential health benefits of ginger, advises those that are using blood thinning agents to be sure to consult with their health care provider before using ginger medicinally. That is because some clinical studies indicate that ginger can potentially act as a blood thinning agent. This could prolong bleeding by reducing blood clotting abilities when combined with standard blood thinning or clot prevention medicines. It is because of this that some health care professionals advise pregnant women, especially those with indications of placental or other types of bleeding, to avoid using ginger during their pregnancies.
Further clinical trials and other research will study the potentials that ginger has to benefit health. As with any supplement or alternative medicine option, it is always best to seek the advice of a health care professional, especially when taking other medications or undergoing treatment for serious health conditions.

The Food Pyramid

2009-02-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Story Behind the Pyramid
Long before the discovery of vitamins and minerals, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its first dietary recommendations in 1894. In 1916, the first food guide, called “Food For Young Children” was published. The author, Caroline Hunt, who was also a nutritionist, divided food into 5 groups: milk and meat, cereals, vegetables and fruits, fats and fatty foods, and sugars and sugary foods.
In 1941 a National Nutrition Conference was called to action, prompted by President Franklin Roosevelt. For the first time the USDA came up with the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Americans to follow. In 1943 the USDA announced the “Basic Seven,” which was a modification of nutritional guidelines, specifically to help people deal with food rationing during World War II. Soon after this, the Basic Four, including milk, meats, fruits and vegetables, and grains, was introduced, to make things easier to understand, and it continued for nearly a generation.
The Food Guide Pyramid
By the 1970's the USDA tried to address the roles of unhealthy foods by adding a fifth category to the Basic Four: fats, sweets and alcoholic beverages, insisting that they only be consumed in moderation. Beginning in 1988, the creation of a graphic to represent the food groups was introduced. Its purpose was to convey three main ideas: variety, proportionality and moderation.
The Food Guide Pyramid was finally released in 1992. Both the graphics and text conveyed variety and proportionality, by both pictures and the size of the food group. In 1994 the nutritional food label was put into effect by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, the idea being that now Americans can follow the Food Guide Pyramid easily.
In spite of all this, Americans still remained confused about healthy eating. In 1996 the USDA took a telephone survey, and they discovered that over 40 percent of people agreed with the statement, “There are so many recommendations about healthy ways to eat, it's hard to know what to believe.”
What's Wrong With the Picture?
According to Harvard scientist Dr. Walter Willett, the original USDA Food Pyramid is terribly misleading and flawed. He states that the Pyramid has not kept up with scientific nutritional research. The original food pyramid made a number of blanket claims supporting its food list, such as, all fats are bad; all complex carbohydrates are good; protein is protein; dairy products are essential; potatoes are good for you; and there was no recommendation for exercise. Here is a brief rundown of Dr. Willett's areas of scientific contention:
All fats are bad: Not true, says Dr. Willett. Saturated and trans-fats are bad, but monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats, as well as fats from fish, nuts, olive oil, and grains, are good.
All complex carbohydrates are good: Not true, again. First of all, “six to eleven servings of carbohydrates” is way too much. The Pyramid does not differentiate between refined carbohydrates, such as pasta, and truly complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain cereal and bread.
Protein is protein: Again the doctor disagrees. Some sources of protein are better for you than others. For example, red meat is high quality protein, but it is also high in cholesterol and saturated fat; whereas fish, chicken, turkey, and even pork are lower in saturated fat. Beans and nuts are also excellent sources of protein.
Dairy products are essential: According to Dr. Willett this is also not true. He insists that there is not a calcium crisis in the U.S. “In reality,” he says, “there are studies that suggest that too much calcium can increase a man's chances of getting prostate cancer or a woman getting ovarian cancer.”
Potatoes are good for you: This claim really sets Dr. Willett off, since studies have shown a baked potato to increase blood sugar levels and insulin faster and higher than an equal amount of calories from pure table sugar. One wonders which lucky souls got to be the center of that study!
Guidance on weight, exercise, alcohol, and vitamins are missing: According to Dr. Willett, a healthy diet without exercise is counter-productive, and he believes strongly that one daily alcoholic drink is a healthy choice. And vitamins, he states, are very important.
My Pyramid (Steps to a Healthier You)
On April 19, 2005, the USDA, now under assault from numerous scientific nutrition groups, launched their new food guidance system called “My Pyramid,” giving Americans a website to help them calculate their personal healthy food choices, based upon age and activity.
Trying to understand “My Pyramid” takes a little patience. No longer are the food groups shown in levels. Instead, each group, color-coded, appears more like rays of colored light emanating from a peak and flowing down to the pictures of food at the bottom. One gets a printout of a vague diet and exercise plan, according to your age and the amount of moderate exercise (such as brisk walking) an individual initiates throughout the week.
A 60-year-old woman who walks over 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week will be able to download an eating plan for 1800 calories. The printout shows five columns, in orange, green, red, blue, and violet. Each column includes recommended food choices. For a 60-year-old active woman, the recommended food choices are 6 ounces of grains; 2 1/2 cups of vegetables; 2 cups of fruit; 3 cups of milk; and 5 1/2 ounces of meat and beans. No real distinctions are made within the choices. For instance, beans and lentils appear in both the “vegetables” and the “meat and beans” columns. Fruits are recommended, but fruit juices are not.
No mention is made about a food pyramid for diabetics or heart disease, the two most silent killers of senior women; however, one can look up the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) website to find the Diabetes Food Pyramid.
The Diabetes Food Pyramid
Diabetics have special nutritional needs, and the Diabetes Food Pyramid can be a bit confusing. Since diabetes is not a “one-size-fits-all” disease, one must really understand his or her own disease. The recommendation of the ADA is that the patient meet with a nutritionist. The problem is that conflict between science and opinion. Does the nutritionist follow the government guidelines or the scientific evidence put out by Harvard University? This creates a problem between the two types of diabetes.
There are two main types of diabetes, Type I and Type II. Dietary needs are not the same, depending upon the type of disease, age, and activity level. Type I diabetics must always be on insulin; however, Type II diabetics may be on pills or both pills and insulin. On the other hand, some Type II diabetics may be able to control their disease with diet and exercise.
According to the ADA's website “the exact number of servings you need depends upon your diabetes goals, calorie and nutritional needs, your lifestyle, and the foods you like to eat.” If you have Type II diabetes, you have to ask yourself some honest questions. Are you going to eat donuts and brownies? Well, then you will have to exercise more, test your blood frequently, and take your medicine on time. On the other hand, if you're active and you can restrict your carbohydrate intake, you may be able to control your Type II diabetes with diet and exercise. Every diabetic must test blood sugar levels frequently every day and be under a doctor's care.
The Effectiveness of the Food Pyramid
From the beginning, the USDA's attempt to give people healthier food choices must be applauded. As nutrition science has improved, so has the Pyramid. Now there is enough information available to individuals of every age and activity level. If one uses wisdom, each of us can expect to live a longer and healthier life. The Food Pyramid is only the beginning. The choices are up to you.

First Aid for Burns and Scalds

2009-02-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Burns are due to dry heat (including friction), whereas scalds are due to wet heat (like steam). Burns and scalds must be treated promptly and carefully to limit the effects of the injury and to prevent possible long-term scarring.
Assessing a burn or scald
You will have to assess the depth and extent of the injury.
Depth:
Superficial (1st degree wound): The skin is red and tender and may be swollen. This type of burn or scald is very painful.
2nd degree burn or scald: The skin is blistered and raw. The burn/scald is painful. Extensive burns/scalds of this type can be fatal.
3rd degree burn or scald: The skin is burnt away and damage extends into the muscle and fat layers. There is a pale, waxy look to the area and there may even be charred skin. There is little to no pain associated with this type of injury because nerve endings have been damaged.
Extent:
When assessing the size of a burn 1% is equal to the size of the casualty’s hand.
Type of burn
Extent
Referral
Superficial
9% or less
Own doctor
2nd degree
1-8%9% or more
Own doctorEmergency services
3rd degree
Any extent
Emergency services
When to expect burns/scalds to the mouth and throat:
The face has been burnt.
There is soot around the nose or mouth.
The history of the incident suggests that the casualty inhaled hot fumes or smoke.
The casualty's voice starts to become hoarse.
Burns to the mouth and throat will rapidly start to swell, for this reason it is very important to treat the burns as an emergency, because swelling could restrict breathing.
Dial emergency services
Loosen any tight clothing.

First Aid for Bone Injuries

2009-02-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

There are, broadly speaking, two types of bone injuries that concern a first-aider. The one is a fracture, the other a dislocation.
When a bone injury occurs, it is not just the bone that is affected; the surrounding tissue and their functions are also affected.
FRACTURES
A fracture is a break or crack in a bone. Adult bones require considerable force to break, but children's bones are more flexible and supple. These young bones sometimes split instead of breaking. This is called a greenstick fracture.
The elderly's bones aren't as resilient as they used to be and are prone to breaking more easily. The elderly usually break the head of the femur (the upper leg bone) where it connects with the hip.
A fracture where the bone protrudes through the skin is called an open fracture. A fracture without a surface wound is a closed fracture.
Fractures are caused by either direct or indirect force. Direct force is a blow that affects the bone under its impact, causing it to break. Indirect force is when the impact caused a fracture at a distant point, e.g. a twisting action in the ankle breaks a bone in the lower leg or, by falling on outstretched arms you break the collar bone.
Priorities:
If the casualty is unconscious, ensure that the casualty's airway is open, that the casualty is breathing and that there is a carotid pulse.
Control bleeding, but do not apply direct pressure. Press firmly next to the fracture, this is called indirect pressure. Never touch the bone, because this could lead to severe infection.
Immobilize the fracture.
You will notice:
Discomfort around the fracture.
You may notice:
Swelling and bruising.
Pain.
Shortening of the affected limb.
Unusual shape to the affected area.
A grating sound if the bone ends move.
Difficulty and discomfort in movement.
With fractures of the small bones in the hands and feet, there may be normal movement accompanied by severe discomfort, but little visible signs of injury.
Note:
With fractures of bones that protect the body's organs (skull, ribs, pelvis etc.) always suspect underlying organ injuries.
DISLOCATIONS
Following a strong wrenching force or a violent contraction of muscles, it is possible for a bone to become displaced at a joint. It most commonly happens at the shoulder, finger, thumb and jaw.
You will notice:
Swelling.
Discomfort.
You may notice:
Pain.
An unusual shape to the affected joint.
Bruising. Treatment:
Do not try to force the dislocated part back in its socket.
Put a cold compress on the affected area.
Seek medical attention.

Depression Hurts

2009-02-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Like happiness, times of sadness are inevitable. When we lose a loved one, experience disappointment, or become discouraged, it is normal to feel sad. Midlife also offers a season of “blue” feelings, as children leave home to begin lives of their own, and age begins to affect our body.
But when sadness lingers for long periods of time and colors the world drab, when fatigue zaps energy and emotional enthusiasm wanes, and when feelings of melancholy rob the quality of life . . . that is depression.
Depression hurts; not only the sufferer, but family and close friends as well. In fact, depression can drastically affect a person’s life and health in very negative ways.
“Clinical Depression” is defined as depression that lasts for weeks, months, or even years at a time. Symptoms vary from person to person, and can be mild, moderate, or severe. But the biggest difference between an “ordinary” episode of sadness and Clinical Depression is that in Clinical Depression, symptoms are present most of the day, nearly every day, for a period of at least two weeks.
Depression can negatively affect suffers in a variety of ways. Sleep, appetite, intimacy, and energy can all be affected. Relationships with family and friends can suffer. The ability to think, concentrate, and function is crippled. Hope and enjoyment of every day life can escape the sufferer as interest in daily activities diminishes, and the will to survive seems unimportant.
Not everyone will experience the same group of symptoms, or any individual symptom to the same extent. However, the more symptoms the person experiences, the greater the odds are that they have Clinical Depression.
Let’s take a closer look at the symptoms of Clinical Depression.
Ongoing feelings of sadness that lasts for weeks: The person may not even be able to talk about their feelings of sadness, or explain “why” they feel that way. But family and friends can easily tell something is wrong. The person looks and behaves downcast; something is bothering them, something is making them sad.
Persons who become sad or upset when they experience something significant such as the loss of a job, relationship or money difficulties, or another problem are behaving normally. Their outlook on life and attitude improves in time, or when the situation that first upset them improves. This is not Clinical Depression.
For sufferers of Clinical Depression, the sadness seems to have come from nowhere, and without warning. Things may be going well in their present day to day life, but they become increasingly “swallowed up” by feelings of melancholy and sadness. They may be confused about their sadness, but feel helpless to change how they feel.
Feelings of emptiness take root: When asked, the person may say they feel “nothing,” as opposed to feeling sad or “blue.” There is a deep emptiness or numbness inside. They may feel as though they are going through life in slow motion. They may respond exactly the same to good or bad news. They feel hollow inside; going through the motions of living without enthusiasm.
A loss of interest in things once enjoyable: Persons who suffer from Clinical Depression lose interest in hobbies and activities they once enjoyed. In fact, they seem to have lost their ability to experience any enjoyment. Intimacy suffers; some persons lose all desire for .
The ability to concentrate, remember, or make decisions becomes increasingly difficult: One of the first signs that the person is having difficulty thinking or retaining thoughts is a problem with listening, and reading. Work becomes difficult, or even impossible. Remembering important things becomes increasingly hard. Relationships suffer as the person begins to isolate himself from others.
Difficulty sleeping: Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep is a common problem for persons suffering from Clinical Depression. Many people say they lie awake in bed for hours at a time, eyes wide open, unable to sleep. Once they do manage to fall asleep, they toss and turn, and wake up after only a few hours. The resulting fatigue caused from sleeplessness further compounds the problem.
Other persons suffering from Clinical Depression experience the opposite problem. They sleep continually. Even after adequate sleep, they find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, or to stay awake during the day. Yet, they never feel rested, and want more and more sleep.
Loss of motivation: Clinical Depression is exhausting. It robs energy and motivation. Fatigue is intense and can be disabling. Many times, the person’s appearance suffers. In fact, though normally particular about how they dress, they may dress in wrinkled clothes that are dirty and mismatched. When asked why, they may say they are just too tired to care how they look.
Appetite and eating habits change: Many times a person with Clinical Depression will lose large amounts of weight, because they no longer care about food. They have no appetite, and the taste of food is no longer satisfying. Their clothes may hang limply on them. Although loss of appetite is the more common of the two, other persons go on eating binges and gain a lot of weight. They can’t seem to get control over their eating habits, and snack constantly.
Lack of self-esteem: As the depression continues, many sufferers begin to feel worthless. They may feel their life has no real value. Some persons experience deep guilt for things beyond their control. Even the fact that they are depressed can cause some persons to feel guilty, which in turn makes them feel even more depressed. When family and friends attempt to console them, the negative feelings persist.
Physical symptoms manifest: Surprisingly, some of the most prominent symptoms of Clinical Depression are complaints of physical discomforts such as aches, pains, and digestive disorders. The sufferer may begin to attribute their depression to a medical problem, but an examination will often turn up no reason for the pain and discomfort.
Depression can weaken the immune system’s ability to fight off disease, and can heighten the risk of heart and other diseases. In fact, one Finnish study revealed that when all other risk factors were equal, depressed men had two to four times greater risk of plaque buildup in their arteries than men who were not depressed.
Thoughts of imminent or As the depression continues, thoughts of and take root. The person feels that their life will never get better, and that it might be better if they didn’t exist. Sometimes these feelings become so strong, the person makes plans to .
Abnormal thoughts: Persons with severe Clinical Depression may experience episodes that both confuse and scare them. They may hear imaginary voices. They may obsess with hypochondria, paranoia, or other such manifestations.
A change in physical activity: Daily tasks are an effort and take longer to complete. Feelings of restlessness or listlessness may persist. Some sufferers experience zombie-like “trances,” while others feel anxious or nervous and are unable to relax and sit still.

Colds and Flu

2009-02-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

Sleep and rest. Extreme activity will weaken your defenses.
Keep elevated while sleeping. This allows you to be able to breathe more easily.
Keep your clothes changed and clean. Keep your bed linens changed and clean. Don’t use your toothbrush after the first symptom of the cold or flu. All this helps prevent the virus from re-infecting you later.
Lubricate your nose to help decrease irritation.
Back rubs can activate the immune system to fight colds or flu virus.
Soaking your feet or using a heating pad helps with the aches and pains associated with colds and flu.
Drink plenty of fluids. Apple juice, dark grape juice, carrot juice, beet juice and clear soups are recommended. In addition you need to drink a quart of water daily.
Honey mixed with a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon powder taken daily for three days will help when you have that nagging cough. It also will help clear the sinuses.
Taking 1000mgs of vitamin C daily will help the body fight virus infections.
window.google_render_ad();
Drink ginger tea. Ginger tea is antiviral and helps break up the mucus and congestion. Boil 2 tablespoons of fresh grated ginger in 8 ounces of water. Let it cool and drink as needed.
Two garlic supplement tablets, found in most health food stores, taken three times a day will help break up the mucus from sinus or chest congestion.
Make a drink by adding a teaspoon of cumin seeds to 8 ounces of boiling water. Let it seep for a few minutes, strain and drink. Do this about 12 times a day.
Taking Echinacea is believed to help prevent colds and the flu virus. Take it a week and follow the recommended dosages on the packaging.
Using over the counter drugs to combat fevers, aches and pains is sometimes helpful. These include aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Do not give aspirin or any drug containing aspirin to anyone under the age of 21. It has been found to cause Reye’s syndrome, a life threatening illness.
Gargle with salt water. This helps relieve the pain of a sore throat.
Gargle with sage tea. It disinfects the mouth and by breathing the aromatic fumes can relieve the inflammation in your nose and throat.
Dairy products cause the body to produce more mucus. Avoid all dairy products while you have the virus.
Do not drink alcoholic beverages. They dehydrate the body and lower your body’s defenses.
These are only suggestions to use when having a cold or flu. You must check with your doctor if you are on any medications for interaction problems that might occur

Coffee and Heart Disease

2009-02-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

Drinking five or more cups of coffee a day increases the risk of having heart problems 2.8 times, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. After correcting for other factors — such as age, smoking habits and hypertenstion — they found heavy coffee drinkers still have 2.5 times the incidence of coronary heart disease compared with nondrinkers. Those who drank a moderate amount (from two to four cups a day) had a twofold risk of heart disease.
Scientists suspected that any adverse effect must trace to caffeine. However, a study by H. Robert Superko of the University of California's Center for Progressive Atherosclerosis Management in Berkeley reported that decaffeinated coffee — but no regular — may nudge cholesterol levels in the direction of increased heart risk. The 16-week study involved 181 healthy, nonsmoking men who routinely drank three to six cups of coffee per day. The researchers provided all volunteers with regular, drip-grind coffee and instructed them on how to brew it. Eight weeks later, they randomly assigned each man to one of three regimens: the same coffee, a switch to decaf, or abstinence from coffee. Participants were asked to avoid other caffeine sources throughout the study.
Those who drank regular coffee and those who abstained showed no changes in blood cholesterol levels during the study, the team reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The decaf group, however, experienced a roughly 6 percent increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol linked to heart attacks.
A meta-analysis by Martin G. Myers, M.D., University of Toronto and colleagues from other institutions, involving 11 published studies, was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. These studies lasted from two to 35 years and followed people who initially had no evidence of heart disease. Only three of the studies found that increased rates of coffee drinking are associated with the development of heart disease. Most (eight) found no evidence of an association at all. The authors concluded that people who consumed up to one cup of coffee daily had the same incidence of heart disease as those who consumed more than six cups a day.

Cigarette Smoking Facts

2009-02-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

Smoking is a global problem. It is estimated that one in three adults smoke, with over 1.2 billion people smoking worldwide. More than 105 billion cigarettes are sold every week — that’s ten million per minute. And, as stated by Dr. Max Snyder in his documentary The Medical Aspects of Tobacco, “Cigarettes are the only substance sold that, when the user follows the instructions carefully, will result in the consumer becoming toxic, chronically ill or !”
There is no controversy about the facts. Thousands of careful studies have documented them. No major medical or health agency questions them: Cigarette smoking is a destructive habit.
During the 20th century, smoking ed about 100 million people worldwide.
Tobacco s one person every ten seconds and is set to ten million people a year by 2025. — World Health Organization
Half of all smoking-related s occur between the ages of 35 and 69, which translates into an average of roughly 23 years of life lost.
Every 30 seconds someone somewhere in the world s of lung cancer. It is the ninth most common cause of in the world and the most common form of cancer. Each year 1.25 million people from it. — Roy Castle International Centre for Lung Cancer Research
Insurance companies have estimated that smoking a single cigarette lowers one’s life expectancy by 10.7 minutes. That means in smoking a packet of 20 life is shortened by more than three and a half hours.
Each year more Americans from smoking-related diseases than from abuse, car accidents and combined.
390,000 Americans each year from the effects of cigarette smoking. Smoking has been responsible for 16% (or 1 in 6) of all s in the U.S. each year.
Cigarettes are the most heavily advertised products in the U.S. Tobacco companies spend over $5,000 per minute on advertising and promotion of tobacco products. Smoking costs the nation $65 billion per year in health-care costs and lost productivity — that's $262 per American per year.
About 40 percent of America’s 50 million smokers will try to kick the habit at least once this year. Fewer than one in ten will succeed. — Center for Disease Control and Prevention
In 1997 cigarette smoking accounted for an estimated 117,400 of the total 628,000 s in the United Kingdom. Cigarette smoking is thus responsible for approximately one in every five s in Britain. This annual mortality translates into an average of 2,300 people ed by smoking every week, 320 every day, and 13 every hour. — Royal College of Physicians
Road accidents, and drugs and solvents all . Smoking s five times more people before their time than all these other causes of put together. Smoking is the biggest single cause of preventable disease and premature in this country. — Smoking and Your Child, issued by Britain’s Department of Health
The humble cigarette is responsible for a dozen times more s in the UK in the past 40 years than British casualties from World War II — over five million. This is not a cold statistic but a human tragedy. — Sir George Albert, Royal College of Physicians
In 1996 more than 336,000 Australian schoolchildren smoked a total of more than 370 million cigarettes.
Pregnant women who smoke have higher rates of miscarriage, , premature birth, and complications of pregnancy. More of their babies soon after birth from crib than the newborns of nonsmoking mothers.
Smoking harms not just the smoker, but also family members, coworkers, and others who breathe the smoker's cigarette smoke, called second-hand smoke